************************************************ UPDATE ON THE JUNE 13TH MEETING ************************************************ By now, you have probably heard that next Thursday, June 13, 2002, is a very important date for home educators in Pennsylvania. This is the day that the House Education Committee is holding a hearing on the pros and cons of HB2560, the proposed legislation affecting home education in Pennsylvania. Rep. Jess Stairs, the Majority Chairman of the House Education Committee has noted that only those already chosen to testify before the committee will be able to speak at the hearing. The rest of us are invited to "listen in" on the testimonies. Children are welcome if they are able to sit quietly during the panel discussions. In anticipation that many home educators will want to attend this informational hearing, Rep. Stairs has moved the hearing to the Forum Building, which holds 1,700 people. In an effort to give all home educators the opportunity to express their opinion about the new law, Rep. Stairs has asked that you write to him before June 6th. He has asked that these letters be kept to two pages or less. He will see that these letters are distributed to the Education Committee members. Representative Jess Stairs PA House of Representatives House Box 202020 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020 ************************************************ A VERY IMPORTANT TIME FOR THIS LEGISLATION ************************************************ It is important that home educators who want a homeschool law that recognizes the parents' right and responsibility to educate their children show their support for HB2560 at this time. We can't stress this enough! Another non-verbal way of showing your support for HB2560 is by wearing red to the Forum on June 13, 2002. Those in opposition to the bill will be wearing blue. The reds need to clearly outnumber the blues if this legislation is going to go forward. If the members of the Education Committee don’t see a clear majority, they will perceive homeschoolers to be divided or uninterested in the legislation. If so, they will be unlikely to vote the bill out of committee and the bill would die. There will be two battles going on that day: one battle will be for the dissemination of accurate information from the panelists; and the second battle will be the demonstration that home educators do want a new law by a clear majority of red supporters in the audience. ************************************************ THE SCHEDULE FOR JUNE 13, 2002 ************************************************ We suggest you plan on arriving around 9 AM in order to be settled by 10 AM when the hearing is to start. Our punctuality will speak volumes to the legislators. The informational hearing will consist of two panels: Panel One 10:00 to 11:00 - Chris Klicka, HSLDA - Home School Legal Defense Association - Idetta B. Groff, School Board Member, Conestoga Valley School District - Dr. Brian Ray, NHERI - National Home Education Research Institute - Dr. Carol Saylor, Superintendent, Manheim Central School District Panel Two 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM - Ms Ellen Kramer, Catholic Homeschoolers - Dr. Bruce Eagleson, CHAP - Ms. Maryalice Newborn, Pennsylvania Home Education Association - Dr. Howard Richman, PA Homeschoolers and PA Homeschoolers Diploma Program - Ms. Edi Thomas, Erie County Homeschoolers (a diploma program) - Ms. Carol Lugg, North Central Pennsylvania Homeschoolers. We feel that these panels are balanced and will present all views fairly and accurately. HSLDA will be asked to give a historical perspective. Brian Ray will present the research data from a national perspective. ************************************************ THE DETAILS ************************************************ The Forum is on the corner of 4th St. and Commonwealth Avenue - Just east of the Capitol building (see map of the capitol area at http://www.pamd.uscourts.gov/maps/harrisburg.htm). Several support groups have told us that they are trying to get enough people together from their area to rent a bus so they do not have to worry about driving, parking, and traffic. Also, the impact of busloads of people will have an effect. If you are doing this and would like us to broadcast the information to other homeschoolers, please let us know immediately. CHAP would be willing to send this information in an email broadcast. Please provide: Contact name, contact phone/email address, location, bus departure location, anticipated time schedule, and the price per person. CHAP has been told that no one can have a table, display, banners, or signs inside the Forum. CHAP will have volunteers outside distributing: - Red, white, & blue "Home Education Works" buttons - Red, white, & blue “Support HB2560” 2.75-inch lapel sticker - Red ribbon, which says "Support HB2560" - Handouts with the text of the bill and an accurate analysis of the bill. There should be sufficient quantities of all of these for any who want or need them. ************************************************ MISINFORMATION ************************************************ In recent weeks it has come to our attention that inaccurate information has circulated to homeschoolers. People have been misquoted out of context or only part of their quote used which has implied a different opinion than their true opinion. Please seek out the complete and accurate information before you make a decision about this bill. Do not take a particular person’s or organization’s viewpoint as the truth without first researching all aspects. Your freedoms and the rights and freedoms of your children depend on you. ************************************************ KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! ************************************************ We have received notice that the staffers for the House Education Committee members have reported that they have received hundreds of calls in favor of this legislation. One staffer stated that she has worked in Harrisburg a long time and she has never seen anything this organized and aggressive in all of her years. Your phone calls and emails have made a difference. Without them, this bill would be dead in committee. Keep up the good work! ************************************************ ACTION STEPS ************************************************ * Pray for: - Good weather - Clear presentations * Write to Rep. Jess Stairs before June 6th expressing why you support HB2560. * If you have contact with any of the panelists let them know what you think. * Get the day off and come to Harrisburg wearing RED! * Plan to visit the offices of your legislator and the members of the House Education Committee while you are in Harrisburg. This would be a great civics lesson for your children!