From our homeschool lobbyist:
Senate Bill 291 modifies the language in 167.031.6 to extend compulsory attendance indefinitely, based on an unidentified standard of 16 high school credits before a student is released from the compulsory attendance statute. This means, home educators would have to prove their student had 16 acceptable credits before considering their mandatory education complete. While this MAY occur at an age younger than 16, it could also extend to 18 or even 20 if the un-named authority did not accept the credits of the home school. And again, just who assess the validity fo those 16 credits is not defined in the bill.
SCHOOL FLEX PROGRAM: This act establishes the School Flex Program to allow eligible students to pursue a timely graduation from high school. The program is available for eleventh and twelfth graders who have been identified by their principal and parent or guardian. Students must attend school a minimum of two instructional hours per school day within their school district of residence; pursue a timely graduation; provide evidence of college or technical career education enrollment and attendance, or proof of employment and labor that is aligned with the student’s career academic plan; refrain from being expelled or suspended; pursue course and credit requirements for a diploma; and maintain a 95% attendance rate.
Students participating in the program will be considered full-time students of the school district and be counted in the school’s average daily attendance for state aid purposes.
Participating school districts must submit an annual report to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Department must report annually to the Joint Committee on Education on the program’s effectiveness.
This act also changes the requirement for compulsory attendance age for school districts, except for the St. Louis City School District. Current law defines the compulsory attendance age as sixteen. This act changes that to successful completion of sixteen credits toward high school graduation.
- Section 167. 031.6 [my emphasis]
The language fails to define a credit, and fails to explain who would determine validity.
As a homeschooler, this infuriates me. This is not about academic success; all one needs to do to see the overwhelming academic evidence that homeschooling is a brilliantly successful alternative to state education is to Google the comparative test scores. This is about an erosion of parental rights, PERIOD.
I’m willing to give the benefit of the doubt to whomever inserted this dangerous language into this bill; although the road to hell is paved with good intentions, so the euphemism goes. Yes, it’s sad if a parent doesn’t provide at least 16 credits of home education, but why is it that the majority are always punished for the transgressions of the irresponsible minority? Furthermore, when will the state address the egregious gaps in its own system and meet its own standards?
I highly suggest that you melt the phones if you are a Missourian. This doesn’t only affect homeschoolers, it also affects you. Watch this post for updates.
(Hat tip and Cathy Mullins)
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UPDATE 1: Hearing now that an amendment is being drafted to kill revised language.
UPDATE 2: I’m told that public school lobbyists are working to kill the above-mentioned amendment. I’m also hearing from excellent sources that several homeschooling allies are going to kill the bill. Soon as I have names from either side I will publish them. In the meantime, MELT THE PHONES. Go to http://www.senate.mo.gov/ and enter your zipcode in the “legislator lookup.” Gina Loudon says that nothing is dead until 6 p.m. last day of session (Friday).FHE is still holding a rally for tomorrow and if you can go I encourage it. Info:
1 p.m. on the steps of the
Capitol in Jefferson City
Message: VOTE NO ON S.B. 291.
Car pool if possible to make parking easier for others.
Forward this to other homeschoolers.The legislature closes this Friday. This bill could be voted on late Thursday or Friday. S.B. 291 posed no threat to homeschoolers until it was very recently amended to add the credit and graduation provision.
Immediate action is required. Families for Home Education (FHE) joins HSLDA in calling for this rally. Brad Haines of FHE will lead the rally.
UPDATE 3: Bill and amendment are being discussed behind closed doors. Rep. Maynard Wallace is responsible for the egregious lack of foresight in inserting this poorly-written and threatening language into SB 291. He said:
“Home-schooling never crossed my mind until about noon today.”
Um, dude? Unbelievably reckless and we are suffering for it. Also, an update, source here (read the whole thing):
Accommodating home-school families is not as easy as crafting a provision exempting them from Wallace’s legislation, Messer said.
Messer said the fear is “every bad actor” student would use the home-school exemption to justify dropping out, possibly tarnishing the image of home-schooling.
“Once that happens, we’ll never be able to defend home-schooling because that will create a new face for home-schooling,” Messer said.
Messer said he is working with lawmakers to introduce an amendment to the bill on Thursday on the floor that would create a parallel credit system for home school students to match the requirements of students at public and private schools, while still giving families autonomous control over the education of their children at home.
UPDATE 4: From Gina Loudon:
I just spoke with David Klarich, the lawyer drafting the amendment. The NEA lobbyist ACTUALLY HELPED him draft the amendment, and has NO PROBLEM with our language.He further said he has guarantees by both House and Senate leadership that this will be taken care of TODAY.
UPDATE 5: The Homeschool fix/amendment passed 146-10! Have a list of people to thank shortly.
BELOW – a the roll call for SB 291, courtesy of Carl Bearden of Americans for Prosperity. Ten legislators voted NO including Trent Skaggs of Clay County who apparently as anti-homeschooling as as his father who, notes Bearden, waged the last big battle against homeschoolers and was soundly defeated.
Remember their names in 2010, 2012:
Thanks to all who worked to protect homeschooling and parental rights, including those at FHE, HSLDA, Cathy Mullins, Kerrie Tate, SHARE, Rep. Scott Dieckhaus, reporter Chad Livengood for his objective eye and excellent updates, attorney David Klarich, every legislator who voted yes on the amendment, and so many more who offered their advice and assistance to those working to maintain parental rights (I know I’ve left folks out, but not intentionally. There were so many working so hard). I also want to thank my fellow homeschoolers whose passion for their children’s education provokes them to mobilize like nothing I’ve ever seen.
