Date:
From:
Subject:
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3/15/01 5:12:23 PM
Darren Jones, Esq., Staff Attorney of HSLDA
Minnesota--Come Stand Up for Freedom!
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From the HSLDA@Capitol Hill E-lert Service...
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March 15, 2001
Come Stand Up for Freedom!
Dear Minnesota Members and Friends,
Next Wednesday, March 21, 2001, the Minnesota Senate Education
Committee will be holding a hearing on a bill that affects all home
schoolers.
The hearing on Senate File 866 will begin at 1:00 p.m. in Room 123 of
the Capitol. HSLDA attorney Darren Jones is scheduled to testify, as
well as representatives from the Minnesota Association of Christian
Home Educators and the Minnesota Family Council.
ACTION:
1. Please continue calling as many of the members of the Senate
Education Committee as you can and give them this message: "Please
vote to remove the new home school restrictions from Senate File 866.
Home schooling has worked well over the last 14 years without these
unnecessary and costly restrictions." (See committee phone numbers
listed at the end of this e-mail.)
2. Plan to attend the hearing next Wednesday and give your support to
preventing these unnecessary new restrictions on home schoolers'
rights. It is crucial that a large crowd of home schoolers are in
attendance to show opposition to this bill. The more people who
participate, the greater chance that the committee will kill this
bill.
This is the most significant threat to face Minnesota home schoolers
in years. Please attend and bring your friends.
BACKGROUND
Under Minnesota's current home school law, parents are required to
submit annual notices of intent, meet certain teacher qualifications
(or else file quarterly reports), and administer annual standardized
tests to their children. This is more than restrictive enough.
However, this bill would amend the law to require even more
restrictions.
First, parents would be required to submit their children's
standardized test scores to the public school superintendent every
year. This would change the current law which requires that children
be tested, but does not require the scores to be submitted.
Second, parents desiring to teach their children at home would be
required to have a high school diploma. Currently, parents without
such a diploma can home school by sending in quarterly reports, but
these bills would remove that option.
ANALYSIS
Home schoolers are required by current state law to administer annual
standardized tests. However, they do not have to submit the test
scores to anyone. The scores are for the benefit of the home school,
not to check up on the home school. This policy was verified in 1994
by a Minnesota attorney general's opinion.
HSLDA believes that parents have the right to teach their children
even if the parent does not have a high school diploma. Research
indicates that parents' academic level has little to no effect on
their home schooled children's test scores. (See the home schooling
studies on our website at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=17.)
CONTACT INFORMATION:
EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Chair: Sandra L. Pappas (651) 296-1802
Vice Chair: Becky Lourey (651) 296-0293
Ranking Minority Member: Martha R. Robertson (651) 296-4314
Michele M. Bachmann (651) 296-4351
Satveer Chaudhary (651) 296-4334
Richard J. Cohen (651) 296-5931
Chuck Fowler (651) 296-5713
Debbie J. Johnson (651) 296-3219
Steve Kelley (651) 297-8065
Bob Kierlin (651) 296-5649
Anthony G. "Tony" Kinkel (651) 296-4913
Dave Kleis (651) 296-6455
David L. Knutson (651) 296-4120
Jane Krentz (651) 296-7061
Keith Langseth (651) 296-3205
Cal Larson (651) 296-5655
Arlene J. Lesewski (651) 296-4125
Warren Limmer (651) 296-2159
Steve Murphy (651) 296-4264
Gen Olson (651) 296-1282
Lawrence J. Pogemiller (651) 296-7809
Leonard R. Price (651) 297-8060
Jane B. Ranum (651) 297-8061
Ann H. Rest (651) 296-2889
Claire A. Robling (651) 296-4123
Julie A. Sabo (651) 296-4274
Kenric J. Scheevel (651) 296-3903
Linda Scheid (651) 296-8869
Grace S. Schwab (651) 296-9248
Sam G. Solon (651) 296-4188
LeRoy A. Stumpf (651) 296-8660
Roy Terwilliger (651) 296-6238
David J. Tomassoni (651) 296-8017
Deanna L. Wiener (651) 297-8073
Charles W. Wiger (651) 296-6820
With God's help and your efforts, we can defeat this bill!
Sincerely yours,
Darren A. Jones
Staff Attorney
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Home School Legal Defense Association
P.O. Box 3000
Purcellville, Virginia 20134
540-338-5600
www.hslda.org
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you for your cooperation.
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 Other Resources
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More information on Minnesota's Senate Bill 866
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