HB 368 - VICTORY!

Today at the State House in Concord, NH............Day declined to debate it, Speaker is currently lecturing the gallery NOT to cheer!

324 for ITL
34 negative

YIIIIPPPEEE!!!

New York Case - UPDATE

The following passage was included in the HSLDA's Weekly Update.

Richard and Margie Cressy, homeschool parents of four children ages 8–14, were recently arrested by the Montgomery County Sheriff for failing to report to local school district officials. The Cressys were actually arrested over a week after they had received confirmation from their local district that they were in compliance for the 2009–2010 school year.

HSLDA has been contacted by the family, and we have agreed to take their case. HSLDA Senior Counsel Jim Mason said, “It was completely unnecessary to arrest these parents, and we believe this is outrageous.” We will be working with our local New York counsel to aggressively defend these homeschool parents against the charges that have been leveled against them.

HB 368 - Vote TODAY!

New Hampshire--Take Action: Full House Vote on HB 368 TODAY!

The full New Hampshire House of Representatives is scheduled to vote
on the intrusive HB 368 today, January 13, 2010. I have already contacted my representatives and expressed my opinion to vote ITL on the bill because I am not able to attend the scheduled rally at the State House from 8:30-10:00 a.m.

In a couple of hours, the New Hampshire House of Representatives is
scheduled to take up an amendment to HB 368 which, if passed, would
make New Hampshire's homeschooling laws the most restrictive and
burdensome in the nation. I am praying for a miracle. I would love to continue to be grateful about living in New Hampshire and its family friendly homeschooling laws. I will be banded together in spirit with hundreds of my fellow homeschoolers as they take action to defend our freedom.

May our voices be heard..........

ED 315

Changes to the Homeschooling Rules

The homeschooling rules, ED 315, are updated when changes have been made in the law, RSA 193-A. The Department of Education has proposed updated rules which include many changes. Some homeschoolers have expressed the opinion that this version of the rules imposes requirements that go beyond those asked of us in the law.
The initial rules changes went through the Home Education Advisory Council (HEAC) and were simple changes made to keep the rules in line with the current law. After the rules went through the HEAC, they went to the Department of Education for further work.
You can read a side by side comparison of both versions of the rules here:
http://webpages. charter.net/ beaverlodgehs/ heac/heac_ rules_changes_ sb18/0...
We encourage homeschoolers to study the proposed changes and make their views known at the hearing Wednesday, January 13, 2010 11:00 a.m. at the New Hampshire Department of Education building (Londergan Hall), 101 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH. The deadline for written comment has been extended to January 27, 2010.

HB 368 Vote moved to January 13, 2010

HB368 Vote moved to January 13

The New Hampshire House of Representatives did not get to HB368 at the session January 6. The House will vote on HB368 when it meets again on Wednesday, January 13.
HB368 was discussed at the House Education Committee meeting on November 19, and even though several amendments were proposed, the Committee voted the bill ITL (inexpedient to legislate). Now the bill will be voted on by the entire House. At that time these statements will be presented:
Rep. Barbara E Shaw for the Majority of Education: After much debate, numerous subcommittees and committee discussion the committee has agreed that no changes in current law should be made at this time. Vote 14-6.
Rep. Judith E Day for the Minority of Education: Current law requires certain subjects to be taught in a home education program, but there is no specification for how often even core subjects are studied. 2) Current law does not require written notification of the intent to home educate, creating ambiguous situations about truancy. 3) Current law requires the parent to provide yearly results of either the results of one standardized test OR an evaluation of the child's portfolio, for which there are no standards. (Evaluations are brief; the evaluator need not meet with the child, parents pay the evaluator and can shop for positive evaluations, and parents who are certified or private school teachers can write their own evaluations) . There is no way to know whether students who choose the test option are keeping portfolios. Administrators do not have sufficient information to determine whether a home education program needs remediation or should continue. The minority amendment addresses each of these problems. Half of the committee does not believe greater accountability is excessively burdensome to parents who have chosen to take on this type of education and concurrent great responsibility. Half does believe each and every child is of precious value and deserving of education and meaningful oversight of that education.
To read the amendments to HB368, go to http://www.gencourt .state.nh. us/house/ caljourns/ calendars/ 2010/houcal201. ... You will have to scroll down to HB368.
We encourage homeschoolers to contact their representatives and state their opinion of HB368 with and without amendments. (Find your legislator at http://www.gencourt .state.nh. us/whosmyleg/) Homeschoolers can attend the House session on January 13. There is limited seating room in the gallery.

HB 368 - Jan 6, 2010

As a member of HSLDA, I received the following email from attorney Mike Donnelly.



New Hampshire: Action HB 368 NOT Taken up Today

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

We commend the scores of homeschoolers who showed up at the Capitol
today with signs and flyers. At this time it appears that further
action will be required to defeat HB 368. However, the House was
unable to get through its full calendar today and therefore did NOT
take up HB 368. The bill remains on the amendments calendar and it is
anticipated that the bill will be taken up next week. HSLDA will
provide further information and recommended actions in the near
future.

We have discovered that it is easier to listen to the House debate
than to watch it via webcam. Bookmark the following link in order to
listen next time:
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/media/HouseLiveAudio.asx

Thank you for your commitment to defending the freedom to homeschool
in New Hampshire.

Standing with you,

Michael P. Donnelly, Esq.
Staff Attorney

New York Home Schooling Case - Parents Charged

I am going to watch this case carefully. It is just another wake up call to me regarding the fact that states are trying to dictate how parents should raise their children. Deciding how to raise a child(ren) includes deciding how they are educated. States do not care nor do they have a greater vested interest in children than responsible and loving parent(s) do. Parents should not need to be accountable to the government regarding how they educate their little ones. I care so much for and about my children and that is why I home school. I want better for my babies than these states that continually raise taxes in order to fund government run education programs that fail year after year. Stop throwing my good money after your bad decisions.

On a positive note, I am very grateful that I live in a state where my curriculum does not need to be approved by the local school district. That would be counterproductive to me homeschooling. For example, if my family and I decide to spend a whole year learning about the weather, then it is our prerogative to do so. I do not want to be told that I have to cram in biology or chemistry and have the learning experience be unpleasant. Retention and critical thinking skills are enhanced when the experience is fun, and not shrouded in resentment.


GLEN -- A couple was charged with child endangerment for allegedly home schooling their four children for seven years without notifying the local district, according to Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies.

Richard Cressy, 47, and Margie Cressy, 41, were charged with four misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child, deputies said. The couple is accused of violating a state law that requires parents who are home schooling their children to register their curriculum with the local school district.

The superintendent of the Fonda-Fultonville Central School District told authorities that curriculum for the four children, who range in age from 8 to 14 years old, had not been approved. The arrests came after a joint investigation by the Montgomery County Child Protective Services and the sheriff's office.

http://www.timesuni on.com/AspStorie s/story.asp? storyID=884776

Community Crafters of New England

Today I created a Face Book page - Community Crafters of New England. The purpose of this page is to bring together crafters from all over New England in an effort to support our neighbors with handmade gifts of love. Our first project are helmet liners for soldiers. One of my friends has her husband and father of her children thousands miles from home fighting for my freedom. I am not as brave as these phenomenal soldiers but I will do my part. I will do my part to show how grateful I am that they keep me and everyone I love safe. I will send gifts of home comfort their way and hopefully keep their spirits up.
This would be a great projects for families to do together. Family bonding, history lesson and community service all in one.
The goal of this project is to create 400 helmet liners. I know in my heart that we can do this in a month. Anyone willing to join me and my family in the challenge?
For those who want to show there support but are not crafty, please support a local crafter and purchase the yarn and needles needed to complete the project. Another option would be to make a donation to the right of this page so that materials can be purchased and to cover the cost of shipping the projects to the intended.

The year when the impossible IS possible

What a bad blogger I have been. So much for blogging at least twice a week. But I plead the 5th. As the mom to 5 children (get it..the 5th), other priorities took, well, priority. This past year was full of both bliss and stress. Now that 2009 is behind me, I am looking forward to 2010 armed with all the knowledge I acquired. This is the year when the impossible IS possible.