"HOMESCHOOL FREEDOMS THREATENED! CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS NOW!"
by Shay Seaborne
Urgent legislative "alerts" often direct homeschoolers to call their legislators right away. We are likely to receive such alarms during the current legislative session. As well intentioned as these alerts may be, they sometimes do not offer the information we need to determine an individual position on legislative matters.
Homeschoolers need to avoid being frightened by the sometimes-alarming wording of legislative alerts, and we need to stop and think before doing something just because a particular organization says we should.
Before acting on anyone's alert, we homeschoolers need to fully understand the legislation and its potential benefit or harm to us. We also need to know that something that sounds good in theory is not necessarily good in practice. Proof of this was shown in the 2000 Virginia General Assembly, when The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers' (VaHomeschoolers) efforts to gently improve the Home Instruction statute was negatively affected by the actions of other groups working in the state. According to VaHomeschoolers' then President, Will Shaw, "the education tax credit legislation was loudly supported by certain homeschool organizations," which contributed to some talk of more regulation of homeschoolers, such as imposing SOL-based testing.
Initially, VaHomeschoolers alone supported the legislation it put forth in 2000. SB 486, which would have freed Option (iv) parents from the local superintendent's judgment as to the sufficiency of curricula and qualification to teach. The bill was also intended to free all homeschooling parents from the local superintendent's judgment regarding evidence of adequate educational progress. SB 486 was gutted in the House Education Committee, but VaHomeschoolers continued salvaging efforts.
Then, an amendment--which would have required every homeschooling child to pass the state's Standards of Learning (SOL) tests beginning that school year--was attached as a backlash against the pushing of the tax credit bill. VaHomeschoolers implemented corrective measures against this very onerous amendment, and the highly trained and competent Government Affairs Committee felt entirely confident that the measure would be defeated. However, other organizations disseminated emergency alerts, which Will Shaw described as having been "unwarranted," and they "may have damaged preexisting legislative strategies, and succeeded only in creating panic" among Virginia's homeschoolers.
Do not let legislative alarms suck you in to blindly calling your representative, or you may find yourself supporting legislation that may offer you little, if any, benefit, and that may actually harm homeschooling in the long run. Or, equally as unproductive, don't call to oppose or support a bill that you haven't read or analyzed to develop opinions. If a legislative aid asks "what's wrong with SOL testing?" you will need to provide an answer or suffer the embarrassment of showing your ignorance.
During each session of the Virginia General Assembly, trained volunteers from The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers is there, protecting and promoting homeschooling through member-directed action in legislative work. VaHomeschoolers provides full information on pending legislation, allowing and encouraging each homeschooling family to determine which bills they support or oppose. VaHomeschoolers does not tell members what to think; members tell VaHomeschoolers what to do.
To receive full information on homeschooling issues and legislation in Virginia, join VaHomeschoolers. The high quality bimonthly newsletter contains balanced news and views on matters of interest to Virginia, and anyone may opt to receive Legislative Updates (not overblown and unnecessary alerts) and other pertinent information via E-mail by sending a blank message to VaHomeschoolersAnnounce-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers is member-directed, which means that it surveys members on which matters are important to them. Any bills VaHomeschoolers seeks to introduce in the General Assembly, and the position it takes on legislation, reflect the direction given by members.
To support VaHomeschoolers's efforts in the current Virginia General Assembly, join at www.VaHomeschoolers.org.
(C) 2000, 2003, 2006 Shay Seaborne. All rights reserved
Provided by Shay Seaborne, Homeschooler Since 1995