Thank you for your reply. While I can understand your point of view, I still do not agree. Whereas regulations similar may be applied to children in non-public schools, it is unnecessary for those who home educate. While children in non-public schools are still under some supervision by the government already, those who are home educated are under their own supervision, and performing quite well. Parents are perfectly capable of teaching their children without the "supervision" of the government.
You mention that "If this bill is passed, the children who are home schooled in a mischievous manner will be recognized and helped." If there is nothing more to this bill than
The bill would require the parent or legal guardian of a child being educated at home to furnish the following to the superintendent of your local school district: the name and age of each child who is being educated at home, the number/name of the school district and the city/township and county in which the parent or legal guardian resides and the name and address of the parent or legal guardian.
then how would you recognize that the children who were being home schooled in a "mischievous manner." It is simply another way for the government to get into the home and try to take over the task that parents have to raise their children. I can assure you that those who home educate have higher goals and more of an interest in the success of their children than the public schools demonstrate.
I again urge you to not co-sponsor this bill, and also to address your time and energies to the areas in the education field that need fixing. Again we have lay-offs for teachers. Again we have schools closing. Again we have no textbooks, leaky plumbing and buildings that are unsafe for our children. Despite all the money that comes from the lottery. These are problems that can be solved with the proper resources and the concern from those who are supposed to be working for Michigan's good. Parents who can't work, and can't trust the schools to even be there and teaching our children to an acceptable level is a problem we have in Michigan. These are the subjects that ought to be addressed in your legislative sessions.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Kristin Peake
District 5
Dear Ms. Peake,
Thank you for contacting my office with your concerns regarding House Bill 5912. I greatly appreciate hearing from constituents and other Michigan citizens about issues of importance to them because it helps me know what I need to be paying attention to. Your willingness to communicate with us allows me to be up-to-date and aware of those whom I represent.
HB 5912, introduced by Representative Clack on March 19, is much less an intrusion on privacy and more an accounting mechanism to see who is learning where. The bill would require the parent or legal guardian of a child being educated at home to furnish the following to the superintendent of your local school district: the name and age of each child who is being educated at home, the number/name of the school district and the city/township and county in which the parent or legal guardian resides and the name and address of the parent or legal guardian. The very same regulation is already required of those that attend nonpublic school.
Please let me assure you that this bill would not affect the way you teach your children or limit your choice to home school. If the intent of this bill were to do so I most definitely would not have cosponsored this bill. The bill would simply bring home schooling under the same umbrella as other nonpublic school entities. This "umbrella" currently does not nor does it seek to regulate non-public schools. This bill is not an effort to ease in regulations on the home schooling community.
The concern of home schooling parents, children, and other advocates is reasonable, though I urge you to consider the positive aspects of the present bill as written, rather than the possibility for negative legislation in the future. If this bill is passed, the children who are home schooled in a mischievous manner will be recognized and helped. Although these children make up a very small percentage of those who are home schooled, we cannot justify leaving these children behind and letting their guardians get away with neglecting our youth's education.
Once again, I thank you for contacting me about House Bill 5912. I assure you that your thoughts, concerns, and suggestions will be considered when I am asked to vote on HB 5912. Please feel free to contact me again regarding this or any other issue.
Sincerely,
Bert Johnson
State Representative
District 5
517-373-0144
bjohnson@house.mi.gov
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