Alert For My Homeschooling Tennessee Readers

Update : Heard back from Rep. Ron Lollar. He will be voting against this bill! Thank you Mr. Lollar!

Waiting for the other 5 to respond.

> Tennessee: Calls Needed to Stop Testing Bill
>
> Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:
>
> We need your help now! Tennessee homeschoolers are facing the most
> serious threat to their freedom since the homeschool law was enacted
> 23 years ago.
>
> House Bill 2795 would subject non-public school students, including
> homeschool students, to additional state testing. It would require
> them to take subject matter tests based upon state-approved textbooks.
> It would also require them to pass the Tennessee comprehensive
> assessment program tests before receiving a high school diploma. These
> new testing requirements would also apply to students being taught at
> home through extension or satellite programs of church-related
> schools. Your calls to state representatives are needed to stop this
> dangerous legislation!
>
> If House Bill 2795 passes, it will essentially mean the end of
> homeschooling in Tennessee. Parents deciding to teach their children
> at home would have to conform their curriculum to the material taught
> in public school in order for their children to be able to pass the
> state tests. The Tennessee Department of Education, not parents, would
> determine whether a student taught at home was eligible to receive a
> high school diploma.
>
> Sponsored by Representative G.A. Hardaway (92nd District), this
> horrendous bill is now in the House Education Committee. It is
> scheduled to be heard by the Special Initiatives Subcommittee of the
> House Education Committee this coming Wednesday, February 27.
> Representative Hardaway and members of the House Education Committee
> need to hear from you today!
>
> Action Requested:
>
> (1) Please call or write (both would be better) Representative G.A.
> Hardaway and at least one member of the House Education Committee with
> this message:
>
> "Please oppose House Bill 2795, which would impose public school
> testing on non-public school students. This bill would effectively
> destroy non-public education in Tennessee by requiring private
> schools, church-related schools, and homeschools to adopt the public
> school curriculum for their instruction programs."
>
> The contact information for Representative Hardaway and members of the
> House Education Committee is set forth below. Members of the Special
> Initiatives Subcommittee which will hear the bill on Wednesday are
> indicated by an asterisk.
>
> If your last name begins with A-I, please call the following members:
>
> *Chair Les Winningham,
> (615) 741-6852
> rep.leslie.winningham@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> *Vice-Chair Tommie Brown
> (615) 741-4374
> rep.tommie.brown@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> *Secretary Joe Towns, Jr.
> (615) 741-2189
> rep.joe.towns@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> Harry Brooks
> (615) 741-6879
> rep.harry.brooks@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> *Jim Coley
> (615) 741-8201
> rep.jim.coley@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> Barbara Cooper
> (615) 741-4295
> rep.barbara.cooper@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> If your last name begins with letters J-R, please call these members:
>
> Dolores Gresham
> (615) 741-6890
> rep.dolores.gresham@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> Beth Harwell
> (615) 741-0709
> rep.beth.harwell@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> John Hood
> (615) 741-7849
> rep.john.hood@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> Phillip Johnson
> (615) 741-7477
> rep.phillip.johnson@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> Ulysses Jones, Jr.
> (615) 741-4575
> rep.ulysses.jones@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> *Ron Lollar
> (615) 741-7084
> rep.ron.lollar@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> If your last name begins with letters S-Z, please call these members:
>
> Mark Maddox
> (615) 741-7847
> rep.mark.maddox@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> Michael McDonald
> (615) 741-1980
> rep.michael.mcdonald@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> Gerald McCormick
> (615) 741-2548
> rep.gerald.mccormick@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> Richard Montgomery
> (615) 741-5981
> rep.richard.montgomery@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> Larry Turner
> (615) 741-6954
> rep.larry.turner@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> *John Mark Windle--Chair of the Subcommittee
> (615) 741-1260
> rep.john.windle@legislature.state.tn.us
>
> To find the name and contact information for your state
> representative, use HSLDA's Legislative Toolbox at
> http://capwiz.com/hslda/dbq/officials .
>
> (2) Please forward this email to other homeschooling families who are
> not members of HSLDA and ask them to contact Representative Hardaway
> and a member of the House Education Committee as well.
>
> To view a copy of the bill, go to
> http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BILL/HB2795.pdf .
>
> If you have any questions or concerns about that this bill would do,
> please do not hesitate to contact us for additional information.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Dewitt T. Black, III
> HSLDA Senior Counsel
>
>
> ======================================================================
> The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of:
>
> Home School Legal Defense Association
> P.O. Box 3000
> Purcellville, Virginia 20134
> Phone: (540) 338-5600
> Fax: (540) 338-2733
> Email: info@hslda.org
> Web: http://www.hslda.org