St. Louis Homeschoolers

 

1) FHE 2/9/10

2) FHE 2/8/10 Alert 8:53 pm

4)  FHE's 2/3/10 Alert

5)  02/01/10 Legislative Alert

6)  FHE's 1/28/10  Response to Examiner Article

 

 

1)  FHE Alert 2/09/10 f

 

Brad writes....
Yesterday afternoon, FHE issued an Elert for today, which was rescinded about 6pm. The rescission was due to the highly unusual action of the Rules Committee in sending the bill back to the originating committee.
 
This gives us the opportunity to clarify some issues while the pressure has subsided. First, FHE has no known objections to anything in HB 1543 as “Introduced”. That does not mean that the version that leaves the committee next will be, defacto, “OK”. We will have to see what changes occur during the next Ed Committee meeting.
 
The Elert was NOT over what was in the bill, but rather over amendments that Rep Lampe attempted to include, which were rejected in committee, and yet she plans to pursue them on the House Floor. Therefore, the amendments to which FHE objects are NOT available in any written form at this time. We only know that Rep Lampe has continued to prepare to offer them on the House floor, and has been working on language that might make them acceptable to her colleagues. FHE has maintained a long and consistent position of opposing the lowering of compulsory age or mandating all-day kindergarten. Failure to address Rep Lampe’s attempt to promote this issue can only be seen as acceptance, which is not the case. Trusting that cooler heads will prevail is a dangerous game FHE is not willing to play.
 
Regarding SB 805, which we “piggybacked”, while this is not a specific “home school” issue, it is a parental rights issue and an authority issue which tends to impact home educators to a higher percentage than other Missouri citizens. Home educators regularly have difficulties with social workers who overstep their authority, and giving them more authority to act unilaterally is a concern. However, opposition to SB 805 should be taken as a concerned parent and citizen, not specifically as a home educator. This bill will adversely affect all Missouri parents.
 
The threat regarding AMENDMENTS to HB 1543 (expected/promised to be offered during Floor Debate) is still of concern. The exact timing is all that is in question. While we apologize for the late notice and quick rescission of the Elert, the nature of how the Legislature operates prevents us from being able to precisely schedule the need for on site lobbying by you, our constituents.
 
Thank you for your continued support and prayers,
In Christ's Service to Home Educators,
Brad L. Haines
Executive Director
Families For Home Education
(877) MY MO FHE (877-696-6343)
PO Box 742, Grandview, Mo 64030

 

 

 

 

 

2)  FHE 2/8/10 Alert 3)  FHE Alert from Deana Haines 2/8/10

 

Date: Monday, February 8, 2010, 3:52 PM

 

The Following “E-Lert” is being sent by FHE to all Missouri Homeschoolers requesting immediate action. Phone calls need to be made NOW to your Representatives regarding amendments to HB 1543 lowering compulsory age, and as many as are able need to attend the hearing on SB 805 which gives Social Workers (many without sufficient training) sole “legal” authority to remove children from their parents, without due process, based on the social worker’s assessment of the need for “protective custody.” HB 1543 will likely be debated on the House Floor sometime tomorrow (probably towards evening), so lobbying against lowering the compulsory age can continue in person throughout the day. Please pass this on to all Missouri home school and pro-family friends. (For more information if you are able to go to Jefferson City on Tuesday, Feb 9th, contact Kerry Messer when you get to the capitol at )

Education Policy
Compulsory Kindergarten
 
Monday
February 8, 2010
5-6 pm
 
House Hearing Room 5
Basement, State Capitol

 

 

4)  02/03/10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)   02/01/10

 

 

 

Dear Leaders, 
Just in case you have not gotten the word, there is some bad legislation trying to raise it's ugly head against homeschoolers in Missouri.  Feel free to forward this email that I sent to the SHARE folks.
Thanks!
Cathy
P.S. If you already have the info, please forgive this one. 
 
 
Hi SHARE families!
Well, our "friends" in Jeff City are at it again!  We are not asking for a run to our capitol building  yet, but gird your loins!  It could be any day!  Here's the scoop from our FHE lobbyist, Kerry Messer.  Please read all the way down to the end to see what action is needed from  you.
Thanks and Blessings!
Cathy
Kerry Messer, our homeschool lobbyist, writes.....

Home School E@lert
 
Home School Families Once Again Caught In A Crossfire
 
Last year (2009) the Missouri General Assembly advanced legislation focused on education policy which inadvertently threatened home education.  Those unintended consequences were averted in the end and the final results actually came out to the advantage of home schooling families.  However, the impending threat was no less a danger nor was it to be ignored just because it was unintended. 
 
While acknowledging the smiles of God to protect home educators, it is also notable that literally thousands of families responded to last year’s threat.  Because of those who responded with calls and letters, emails and visits, legislation was altered to appease the home school community.  It is shuttering to think what today may look like
had the home school community ignored the seriousness of the situation.
 
To review the political battle and its favorable outcome, visit www.MissouriFamilyNetwork.net. 
 
We are now greeted with the 2010 Missouri General Assembly quickly beginning to focus on further education policy.  Early in the annual session of the Legislature the House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education has already voted to advance an omnibus education bill.  This means the basic focus of the bill is open ended education policy.  It is deliberately designed to be broad based with no finite focus, allowing almost anything related to the field of education to be attached to the bill. 
 
Last year’s bill grew from one page to hundreds, from changing one section of law to 142 areas of law!  This year’s bill, House Bill 1543, started out by rewriting sixteen provisions of law and has already been greatly expanded in its first committee.  Additionally, while most bills have barely been introduced and most not even assigned to a committee for initial review, HB 1543 has already been voted “do pass” by this 14 member committee. 
 
Thankfully, two of the amendments offered in committee were turned back because of their negative impact on home schoolers.  But this was only the first salvo engaged by Representative Sara Lampe (democrat from Springfield).  Rep. Lampe made it very clear that she plans to pursue her agenda with amendments to be offered when the bill comes before the full House of Representatives in the very near future.
 
Rep Lampe seems to hold to the worldview that parents who do not have their children educated according to her preconceived idea are guilty of abuse.  Furthermore she laments that not all young children are enrolled in a full time kindergarten prior to first grade.  Citing that over 220 children in St. Louis skip going to kindergarten (out of around 35,000 students, or 1 out of every 2,500) she wants to lower compulsory education which starts at 7 years of age down to 5.   Then she believes that all schools should be required to maintain full day kindergarten with a minimal compulsory age of 6 statewide.
 
Pushing her worldview upon all of Missouri, Rep Lampe tried to get the House Education Committee to accept her ideology in the form of amendments to HB 1543.   Both amendments were turned back after the chairman of the committee (Maynard Wallace, republican from Ozark County) invited home school lobbyist (me) Kerry Messer of Missouri Family Network to address the committee during its executive session.
 
As Rep. Lampe attempted to engage in an impromptu negotiation over limited hours of instruction for home schooling 5-6 year olds, I explained that her ideas would spark a major political firestorm akin to last year’s emergency rally which drew 2,500-3,000 people to the capitol.  Among other things I challenged the committee to think about how the proposed amendments transform policy related to the State’s constitutional requirement to provide a free education to criminalizing parents who chose not to use those free services.
 
As she prepares to offer amendments to HB 1543, or other bills, on the floor of the House, Rep. Lampe has invited me to work with her to find a compromise.  I committed to her and the rest of the Education Committee that I would try to come up with ideas that could satisfy her concerns, but that I could not jeopardize the families which make up Missouri’s home schooling community by restricting their God given right to educate their children according to personal convictions.
 
After all was said and done and the committee adjourned I found myself confronted with a frustrated lobbyist for the AFL-CIO labor union.  This lobbyist explained that
the amendments I had opposed were ‘her’ amendments and that Rep. Lampe was only working to help “the teachers”.  This brief conversation clearly answered my internal question as to the motivation behind the amendments.  Were they proposed out of a deep residing concern for the quality of education or was the concern more related to paychecks?
 
ACTION NEEDED:
If only the government and its bureaucrats could leave parents alone to raise their families and educate their children in a truly free civic society, we would not have to face the gauntlet of these crossfires.  But until that day dawns, let us defend ourselves and one another with vigor and resolve.

1.   Prepare to join us for the home school rally at the Missouri State Capitol on March 2, 2010.

2.  Plan now to come to the capitol when HB 1543 is to be debated on the floor of the House.

3.  Sit down right now and write your letter/email to your Representative asking them to oppose any amendments lowering compulsory attendance ages. 

(and Cathy adds:  4.  Gather your family and pray that this goes away without the homeschoolers having to make the trip to Jeff City on a moment's notice.

BELOW IS AN ENCOURAGING WORD FROM PAULA WEEMS, FHE Region 7 director which I thought was good for all to read:

Please read and distribute the following E-Lert. With regard to Items 2 & 3 under “Action Needed”, we must be like the Minutemen of the 1770’s, ready at a moments notice.
We do not know at this time when HB 1593 will hit the floor (it will be sooner rather than later, expected this week or next), but we MUST have a show of force akin to the Emergency Rally late last session (2-3000 on the ground in Jeff with less than 24 hours notice).

Please DO NOT suffer fatigue at this time. They are betting that last year was a one time event. We need to prove that we are serious about our Freedom. Check your emails several times a day for the next two-three weeks, and have your car packed and ready. We will be  lucky to get 24 hours notice that HB 1543 is going to the floor.

--
Cathy Mullins
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain!   (Vivian Greene, but kind of like Phillipians 4:11)