Urgent: AZ House Bill to increase regulations on Homeschoolers

[Mark Hubler]

Hi Fellow Americans,

Please read the message below from HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense
Assoc.). Whether you choose to homeschool your children or not, one
thing is clear. All educational decisions should belong to the
parents. Those who choose to homeschool should be the ones to decide
how long their children should remain in school, and when they are
ready to graduate.

Please read below, and make some phone calls. Active and relentless
citizens can always affect their government.

God Bless,

Mark Hubler
Chairman, CPAZ

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Here is some new legislation introduced in Arizona that needs your
attention:

February 20, 2009

Arizona--Urgent Calls Needed to Stop
Government Control Over Homeschoolers

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

Late last month, House Bill 2292 was introduced in the Arizona
Legislature. This bill would raise the compulsory school attendance
age in Arizona from 16 to 18. While parents who teach their children
at home in Arizona are only required to notify the local county school
superintendent once, this bill would restrict the freedom parents have
in deciding when their child should finish school.

Additionally, any parent moving into the state or beginning to
homeschool for the first time would have to report under this bill
unless their child is 18.

We have been closely monitoring this bill and had received assurances
that it would not be heard in committee. However, House Bill 2292 has
been scheduled to be heard this coming Monday, February 23 at 2:00
p.m. in the House Education Committee.

Arizona Families for Home Education will have their legislative
liaison at the hearing to testify against the bill. We need your calls
now to help us stop this bill.

Please contact the Committee members listed below and urge them to
oppose this bill. For the updated status on this bill please go to
http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6147 .

REQUESTED ACTION:

Please call and email the House Education Committee members listed
below to give them this message in your own words:

"Please oppose House Bill 2292. Raising the compulsory school
attendance age from 16 to 18 will force many students who don't want
to be there back into the school system and create a disruptive
environment. This bill also takes away the right of parents to decide
whether their children should remain in school or get valuable
experience in the workplace. House bill 2292 would only waste
taxpayers' money. Please oppose House 2292."

Do not identify yourself as a homeschooler; instead you can identify
yourself as a concerned parent and taxpayer.

If you last name begins with A-M please call the first group. If you
last name beings with N-Z please call the second group.

House Education Committee Members

Group One
Chairman
Representative Rich Crandall
Phone: (602) 926-3020
Email: rcra...@azleg.gov

Representative Nancy K. Barto
Phone: (602) 926-5766
Email: nba...@azleg.gov

Representative Steve Court
Phone: (602) 926-4467
Email: sco...@azleg.gov

Representative Laurin Hendrix
Phone: (602) 926-5735
Email: lhen...@azleg.gov

Representative Eric Meyer
Phone: (602) 926-3037
Email: eme...@azleg.gov

Group Two
Vice-Chairman
Representative Doris Goodale
Phone: (602) 926-5408
Email: dgoo...@azleg.gov

Representative David Schapira
Phone: (602) 926-3028
Email: dsch...@azleg.gov

Representative Rae Waters
Phone: (602) 926-5550
Email: rwa...@azleg.gov

Representative Vic Williams
Phone: (602) 926-5839
Email: vwil...@azleg.gov

Representative Nancy Young Wright
Phone: (602) 926-3398
Email: nyoung...@azleg.gov

2) Please contact your own representative and give him or her this
message in your own words:

"Please oppose House Bill 2292. Raising the compulsory school
attendance age from 16 to 18 will force many student who don't want to
be there back into the school system and create a disruptive
environment. This bill also takes away the right of parents to decide
whether their children should remain in school or get valuable
experience in the work place. House bill 2292 would only waste
taxpayers' money. Please oppose House 2292."

Do not identify yourself as a homeschooler; instead you can identify
yourself as a concerned parent and taxpayer. To find the contact
information for your representative please go to HSLDA's legislative
toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/toolbox .

BACKGROUND
Raising the compulsory attendance age will not reduce the dropout
rate. In fact, the two states with the highest high school completion
rates, Maryland at 94.5% and North Dakota at 94.7%, compel attendance
only to age 16. The state with the lowest completion rate (Oregon:
75.4%) compels attendance to age 18. (Figures are three-year averages,
1996 through 1998.)

Twenty-seven states only require attendance to age 16. Older children
unwilling to learn can cause classroom disruptions and even violence,
making learning harder for their classmates who truly want to learn.

It would restrict parents' freedom to decide if their 16-year-old is
ready for college or the work force. Some 16-year-olds who are not
academically inclined will benefit more from valuable work experience
than from being forced to sit in a classroom.

For more information on compulsory school attendance, please see our
memorandum at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6131

If you are not yet a member of HSLDA and would like to help us fight
for greater homeschool freedom in Arizona please visit
http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6148 . If you would like to be put
on our email list to receive vital e-lerts you may sign up at
http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=6149 .

Thank you for your part in fighting for freedom in Arizona!

Sincerely,

Thomas J. Schmidt
HSLDA Staff Attorney