HSLDA's Action Request for HB1013

Calls Needed to Pass Homeschool Bill

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

House Bill 1013, legislation that would remove superintendents from evaluating home education programs, has been stalled in the House Education Committee for the past 10 months. Your calls and emails to members of the committee are needed to get this bill moving. They need to know how important passage of this bill is to home educators.

Following are the noteworthy changes that HB 1013 would make in the current law for home education programs:

       - Eliminate the public school superintendent’s review of portfolios;

       - Require superintendents to accept an evaluator’s determination that an appropriate education is occurring in the home education program;

       - Provide for an administrative procedure to resolve any claim by the superintendent that the parent has failed to comply with any aspect of the homeschool law;

       - Ensure that the home education program may continue during the time of any appeal of an adverse ruling by a hearing examiner; and

       - Require that a high school diploma issued by the supervisor of a home education program be recognized the same as a diploma issued by the commonwealth.

The current homeschool law was passed in 1988, 25 years ago, at a time when there was a great deal of skepticism about the viability of homeschooling as an educational option. As a result, Pennsylvania’s law remains one of the most restrictive in the nation, second only to New York. Homeschoolers in Pennsylvania have tried for over 10 years to get relief from the oppressive requirements of the current law. It is time for Pennsylvania to join the majority of states that have enacted laws that do not demand unreasonable and unnecessary government oversight of parents teaching their children at home.

Action Requested

(1) Please call or email (both would be better) members of the House Education Committee with this message or something similar in your own words:

“Please vote for House Bill 1013 which would improve the homeschool law of Pennsylvania. It would remove the unnecessary double evaluation of home education programs and streamline administrative procedures for both school districts and parents.”

If your last name begins with A-K, please contact:

Hon. Paul I. Clymer, Chair
Email at pclymer@pahousegop.com 
(717) 783-3154

Hon. James R. Roebuck Jr., Democratic Chair
Email at http://www.pahouse.com/contact/viaLDPC.asp?district=188
(717) 783-1000

Hon. Will Tallman, Secretary
Email at Wtallman@pahousegop.com 
(717) 783-8875

Hon. Jim Christiana, Subcommittee Chair on Higher Education
Email at jchristi@pahousegop.com 
(717) 260-6144

Hon. Bernie O’Neill, Subcommittee Chair on Basic Education
Email at boneill@pahousegop.com 
(717) 705-7170

Hon. Kathy L. Rapp, Subcommittee Chair on Special Education
Email at http://www.reprapp.com/contact.aspx 
(717) 787-1367

Hon. Ryan P. Aument
Email at http://www.repaument.com/contact.aspx 
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2041

Hon. Joe Emrick
Email at Jemrick@pahousegop.com 
(717) 260-6159

If your last name begins with L-Z, please contact:

Hon. Harold A. English
Email at http://www.repenglish.com/contact.aspx 
(717) 260-6407

Hon. Mike Fleck
Email at mfleck@pahousegop.com 
(717) 787-3335

Hon. Mark M. Gillen
Email at http://www.repgillen.com/contact.aspx 
(717) 787-8550

Hon. Seth M. Grove
Email at http://www.repgrove.com/contact.aspx 
(717) 783-2655

Hon. Mike Reese
Email at Mreese@pahousegop.com
(717) 783-9311

Hon. Todd Rock
Email at trock@pahousegop.com
(717) 783-5218

Hon. Justin J. Simmons
Email at http://www.repsimmons.com/contact.aspx 
(717) 783-1673

Hon. Dan Truitt
Email at Dtruitt@pahousegop.com 
(717) 260-6164

(2) Please forward this email to other homeschooling families who are not members of HSLDA and ask them to contact members of the committee as well.

View the text of House Bill 1013.

Please call or email today!

Very truly yours,

Dewitt T. Black, III
HSLDA Senior Counsel