Saturday, August 23, 2014

ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE?

According to George Barna, 14% of American adults who believe they're registered to vote, are not registered. Commit2Vote2014.com





Pennsylvania voters can find out if you are registered HERE.


Tuesday, August 12, 2014

GET HOUSE BILL 1013 MOVING IN THE SENATE


Our petition asking Governor Corbett to pressure our legislature to have HB1013 on his desk before October 15 needs your help. Sign the petition and ask family members, relatives and friends to sign it. They don't need to be homeschoolers to support our freedom to homeschool. Please ask everyone you know to sign the petition.

We have about 15 weeks to watch HB1013 either go into death throes or be approved and born as a baby freedom in the homeschool law. It all depends on how badly YOU want to make it happen.

I was assured that the Governor's policy office has been discussing HB1013. Unfortunately, they somehow got the impression that we're asking him to bypass the legislative process. When you call his office please clarify that what we ask is that he insists that the Senate Education Committee - where HB1013 is currently being reviewed - schedule a vote and keep the bill moving into the Ways and Means Committee, then the full Senate Floor, before it dies at the end of the legislative term again. Assure them that this is in no way asking for special treatment considering that we've been lobbying the legislature all this time. You may remind them that we're school property tax payers receiving no benefit from the school district in return.

In dealing with policy making, we anticipate obstacles along the way but we cannot always predict what it looks like or where it will come from. The House was closely working with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) every step of the way until successful final passage on June 29. It appeared that we had their blessing particularly when they offered to provide homeschool graduates a downloadable diploma - no extra requirements from them - to provide uniformity in parent-issued diploma. We have recently learned that the PDE is now taking issue that a parent-issued diploma is not aligned to the standard of State issued diploma for students who are in traditional school.

PDE knows that we follow a stringent number of requirements to home educate in Pennsylvania. We are the only state with rigid diploma requirements for graduation so what's going on? I believe that the trending federalization of education is catching up to homeschoolers in Pennsylvania. PDE is considering subjecting homeschoolers to Keystone and PSSA testing. The 10 State approved national tests we have been mandated to use at 3rd, 5th and 8th grades may be replaced.




ACTION ITEMS:

1 - Call the Governor's office. Urge him to show his support for homeschooling and education freedom by helping us pass HB 1013 as soon as quickly possible. 

2 - Call the Pennsylvania Department of Education and tell them to support the passage of HB1013, not slow it down. 
Tell them that studies upon studies show that homeschoolers are generally performing well not just academically but in all areas of life. 

3 - Continue calling your Senator and tell them to support HB1013 by concurring the vote; pass it without any Senate amendments; voting it out of the Senate floor as soon as possible. If he or she is not a member of the Senate Ed Com, ask that they urge the Senate Ed Com to schedule a vote soon. Then, you call each member of the Senate Ed Com today to vote on HB1013 without further ado when they come back in session.

4 - Plan to bring your family to CHAP HELP Day (Home Education Lobby Program) at the Capitol on Tuesday, September 16, 1:30 to 4:00 PM.
We ask students from each family to make cards or other arts and crafts project to give to 3 members of the Senate. They can be the same or different things. We ask you to include a Bible verse or a quote from a founding father to honor and encourage them in their job as a public servant. We will also lobby to pass House Bill 1013 in the Senate.


5 - Pray with us as we work out the details of the lobby day and watch the announcement details at our website and blog.