This is from the Family Research Council March 7, 2008
Trial and Error
What started out as a simple child welfare case in California has resulted in the most sweeping rejection of homeschooling in state history. By a 3-0 decision, a panel of appellate court judges sent families reeling with the verdict that parents don't have a constitutional right to homeschool their children without obtaining state teaching credentials. The ruling, which completely blindsided social conservatives, turned an isolated family incident into a broad indictment of the entire homeschooling community. The court was asked to consider whether homeschooling was facilitating the opportunity for a set of parents to physically and emotionally mistreat their children. Based on that one specific incident, the panel used the opportunity not just to resolve the situation at hand but to potentially ban homeschooling across the state. According to the opinion, the court based its judgment on a California statute which says that children ages six to 18 must attend a full-time day school (public or private) or "be instructed by a tutor holding state credentials for the child's grade level." Since the ruling was released, Justice H. Walter Croskey has become the focus of national outrage for suggesting that parents who fail to comply with California's statute should be criminally prosecuted. Although the ruling will likely be overturned, its implications alarm me as a homeschooling parent. This court is threatening to usurp a fundamental right of parents based on an interpretation of a 40-year-old statute that has never been construed as a threat to homeschooling. The panel is also creating a foothold for other courts and politicians to discredit school choice. This case could become a rallying cry to crack down on homeschooling everywhere. We could start to see these challenges to school choice erupt in courts across the 19 states that don't have homeschooling laws on the books. Whether they do so because of their religious and moral beliefs or because of the dismal performance of local schools, parents should be the ultimate authority on what learning environment is best for their children. As long as safeguards are in place to ensure that students are keeping pace with the national standards and test scores, homeschooling should continue to be a viable option for all parents. The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) began working to achieve just that by launching an aggressive petition drive yesterday to overturn the ruling. Under California law, if enough residents believe the opinion was wrongly decided, they can urge the state Supreme Court to "depublish" the opinion. Log on to www.hslda.org to join the fight!
Additional Resources
Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
And this is not all!!!
Tennessee is attacking private schools as well as home schoolers......
This is from an email dated February 28th, 2008.
Subject: Immediate Action Needed
Please click here to record that you have received this message
The following information needs immediate action. This bill, if passed, has the potential to mandate our curriculum. Please read below and make the phone call.
T.A.N.A.S.
Tennessee Association of Non-Public Academic Schools
"Serving Christian Education"
Please forward this e-mail to all the home schoolers and private school parents you know! Thank you!
February 21, 2008
Tennessee: Calls Needed to Stop Testing Bill
A bill mandating testing for all private school children is scheduled in the House Education Subcommittee next Wednesday, Feb. 27. The sponsor and list of members of that committee is below.
House Bill 2795 would subject non-public school students, including Homeschool students, to additional state testing. It would require them to take subject matter tests based upon state-approved textbooks.
It would also require them to pass the Tennessee comprehensive assessment program tests before receiving a high school diploma. These new testing requirements would also apply to students being taught at home through extension or satellite programs of church-related schools. Your calls to state representatives are needed to stop this dangerous legislation!
If passed all schools would have to conform their curriculum to the material taught in public school in order for their children to be able to pass the state test s. The Tennessee Department of Education, not parents, would determine whether a student taught at home was eligible to receive a high school diploma.
Sponsored by Representative G.A. Hardaway (92nd District), this horrendous bill is now in the House Edu cation Committee. It is scheduled to be heard by the Special Initiatives Subcommittee of the House Education Committee this coming Wednesday, February 27.
Representative Hardaway and members of the House Education Committee need to hear from you today!
Action Requested:
(1) Please call or write (both would be better) Representative G.A.
Hardaway and at least one member of the House Education Committee with this message:
Please call their offices any time day or night, week or weekend. Your wording can be simple, like "My name is ___. I'm calling to oppose HB2795."
If sending a letter or email correspondence, you may include the text below:
"Please oppose House Bill 2795, which would impose public school testing on non-public school students. "
The contact information for Representative Hardaway and members of the House Education Committee is set forth below. Members of the Special Initiatives Subcommittee which will hear the bill on Wednesday are indicated by an asterisk.
If your last name begins with A-I, please call the following members:
*Chair Les Winningham,
(615) 741-6852
rep.leslie.winningham@legislature.state.tn.us
*Vice-Chair Tommie Brown
(615) 741-4374
rep.tommie.brown@legislature.state.tn.us
*Secretary Joe Towns, Jr.
(615) 741-2189
rep.joe.towns@legislature.state.tn.us
Harry Brooks
(615) 741-6879
rep.harry.brooks@legislature.state.tn.us
*Jim Coley
(615) 741-8201
rep.jim.coley@legislature.state.tn.us
Barbara Cooper
(61 5) 741-4295
rep.barbara.cooper@legislature.state.tn.us
If your last name begins with letters J-R, please c all these members:
Dolores Gresham
(615) 741-6890
rep.dolores.gresham@legislature.state.tn.us
Beth Harwell
(615) 741-0709
rep.beth.h arwell@legislature.state.tn.us
John Hood
(615) 741-7849
rep.john.hood@legislature.state.tn.us
Phillip Johnson
(615) 741-7477
rep.phillip.johnson@legislature.state.tn.us
Ulysses Jones, Jr.
(615) 741-4575
rep.ulysses.jones@legislature.state.tn.us
*Ron Lollar
(615) 741-7084
rep.ron.lollar@legislature.state.tn.us
If your last name begins with letters S-Z, please call these members:
Mark Maddox
(615) 741-7847
rep.mark.maddox@legislature.state.tn.us
Michael McDonald
(615) 741-1980
rep.michael.mcdonald@legislature.state.tn.us
Gerald McCormick
(615) 741-2548
rep.gerald.mccormick@legislature.state.tn.us
Richard Montgo mery
(615) 741-5981
rep.richard.montgomery@legislature.state.tn.us
Larry Turner
(615) 741-6954
re p.larry.turner@legislature.state.tn.us
*John Mark Windle--Chair of the Subcommittee
(615) 741-1260
rep.john.windle@legislature.state.tn.us
To find the name and contact information for your state
representative, use HSLDA's Legislative Toolbox at
http://capwiz.com/hslda/dbq/officials .
(2) Please forward this email to other homeschooling families who are
not members of H SLDA and ask them to contact Representative Hardaway
and a member of the House Education Committee as well.
To view a copy of the bill, go to
http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BILL/HB2795.pdf .
Calls are more effective for most legislators. They often delete e-mails, so call and e-mail.
1st call the House sponsor of this bill:
2nd call the Members of the Special Initiatives Sub-Committee, scheduled to hear this bill on Wed., 2/27/08:
Then call your state Representative, too!
How to find your Representative? Use this link to find their names, office phone numbers, etc. http://www.legislature.state.tn.us. On the left side, click on "House", then on "Members" to "Find Your Legislator".
A TOLL-FREE way to call your Representative:
All legislators may be reached by telephone at 1 - 800 - 449 - 8366.
You must then enter the last 5 digits of their office phone number.
Use this link to find their names, office phone numbers, etc. http://www.legislature.state.tn.us
If you have any questions or concerns about what this bill would do,
please do not hesitate to contact us for additional information.
Sincerely,
Debbie Landers
Executive Director, TANAS
Cindy Ayers, Administrative Assistant
T.A.N.A.S.
PO Box 411
Hohenwald, TN 38462
(931) 796-4348 phone & fax
email: mainoffice@tanasonline.org
website: www.tanasonline.org
Mr. Hetzel
Dean of Technology
Silverdale Baptist Academy
7236 Bonny Oaks Dr.
Chattanooga, TN 37421
P (423) 892-2319
F (423) 648-7600
www.silverdalebaptistacademy.com
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