As reported last week, LB 1141, a legislative bill which would limit the freedom and independence of homeschooling in education was introduced last week by Senator Schimek of Lincoln. A motion to postpone the bill indefinitely has been filed, and the bill was referred to the education committee. NCHEA has since posted a summary and will be providing updates.
Nebraska is unique in that we are the only state in the union to have a unicameral legislature. A product of the progressive movement, its intent is to bring politics closer to the people. Without the two house system of conflict and compromise, however, politics can sometimes move a little faster than the public’s reaction to it.
Nebraska has only recently required statewide assessments, and appears to be one of the last states to move away from true local control. LB653 (the Standard Academic Testing bill), passed just last year, requires the development and implementation of state standards and assessments, as well as reporting, and will allow schools to track student progress from k-12. Interestingly, this bill was sponsored by Senator Ron Raikes, the chairman of the education committee.
It is little wonder that a move to mandate testing and tracking of the progress of homeschooled children comes just one year later. Since the bill passed with good support (30-13), I cannot help but wonder if the current legislation will be met with similar support in the unicameral. After all, it is really only taking the same testing, accountability and tracking measures to homeschoolers. On the other hand, it has been a decade since Nebraska homeschooles have had to act regarding legislation designed to restrict homeschooling.
The following is some contact information for those interested in contacting the senators who will be next to look at this bill, as well as some contact information for Nebraska newspapers. If anybody writes a letter to the editor, I’d love to read it! And please check the blog entry at the Lincoln Journal Star. JoAnne did a nice job with the entry and there are quite a few comments already, making it one of the most commented blog entries on their site at the moment!
The links will take you to Project Vote Smart, where you can read up on the senators’ voting records, interest group ratings and the issues they report are most important to them. If their universal support of the Standard Academic Testing bill is any indication of how they will vote on this homeschooling legislation, we could have quite a struggle on our hands.
The Education Committee consists of eight senators. While in session, the committee meets Mondays and Tuesdays in Room 1525 of the Capitol.
Contact Information:
Phone: (402) 471-2731
Address: Room 1110, State Capitol, Lincoln NE 68509
Senator Ron Raikes, Chairperson (District 25, Lincoln)
Voting information
Contact Information:
Phone: (402) 471-2731
Office: Room 1110, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509
Email: rraikes@leg.ne.gov
Senator Gail Kopplin, Vice Chairperson (District 3, Gretna)
Contact Information:
Phone: (402) 471-2627
Office: Room 1008, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509
Email: gkopplin@leg.ne.gov
Senator Greg L. Adams (District 24, York)
Contact Information:
Phone: (402) 471-2756
Office: Room 1403, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509
Email: gadams@leg.ne.gov
Senator Brad Ashford (District 20, Omaha)
Contact Information:
Phone: (402) 471-2622
Office: Room 1103, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509
Email: bashford@leg.ne.gov
Senator Bill Avery (District 28, Lincoln)
Contact Information:
Phone: (402) 471-2633
Office: Room 1016, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509
Email: bavery@leg.ne.gov
Senator Carroll Burling (District 33, Kenesaw)
Contact Information:
Phone: (402) 471-2712
Office: Room 2107, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509
Email: cburling@leg.ne.gov
Senator Gwen Howard (District 9, Omaha)
Contact Information:
Phone: (402) 471-2723
Office: Room 1208, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509
Email: ghoward@leg.ne.gov
Senator Joel T. Johnson (District 37, Kearney)
Contact Information:
Phone: (402) 471-2726
Office: Room 1402, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509
Email: jjohnson@leg.ne.gov
Nebraska Newspapers
Note the link in the side bar to forums where news stories and state politics can be discussed.
[tags]homeschool, homeschooling, Nebraska, LB1141[/tags]
Principled Discovery is a place to stop and discuss news and information related to faith, family and particularly education. Pour yourself a cup of tea and join the conversation! 
Good luck, Dana! We’re getting ready for battle here in MS, too.
Yes, I saw that. Did you read Corn and Oil’s entry? The legislatures are certainly starting off their sessions with a vengeance!
http://www.eduwrit.com/blog/?p=1006
BTW, maybe you can help me with my upcoming posts. Y’all get to help me with my thinking process as I prepare my letters and work through the common objections to homeschooling. It’ll be great fun.
Yes, I read it. I was on a tirade last night and posted on it. I called my Senator’s office this morning and feel much better. His secretary assured me that it is not likely to get out of committee.
Our committee seems stacked by people who support things like, oh, the NEA, instate tuition for illegals and more stringent testing standards for schools in NE.
It is hard to say how they will vote on this, but some of them don’t have to worry about voters. They are on their last term due to term limits.
It is hard to imagine that this particular bill will get far given NE’s history, but one never knows for sure.
I’ve been researching the HSDLA website this evening, trying to arrange my facts as I prepare to send emails to all of the Education Committee Senators. I would encourage you to read what they have posted regarding Federal testing. Federal Standardized testing is nothing short of social engineering and will result in a mandatory Federal Curriculum. Because of the prominence of No Child Left Behind, I’m afraid that we will be battling this every year. Teaching to a test will never result in smarter, better educated, children. The big guys at the top know this, but all they want is power and control.
You are absolutely right. Actually, I wrote about that quite a bit some time ago:
http://principleddiscovery.com/2006/07/11/the-darwinian-roots-of-standardized-testing/
Testing has been a frequent topic around here.
We almost have a national curriculum now because of No Child Left Behind, and Bush’s “fourth pillar” of local control crumbled a long time ago. It is laughable to even talk about local control in relation to NCLB.
It is only natural that this will extend to homeschools. But really, it is bad for all children, not just us. A lot of homeschooling families left the public school system to escape that culture of testing.
Mary, thank you for the your post that actually had some merit. I’m glad to see you’ve done research before coming to a conclusion on this “anti-homeschool” bill. Although I love how as soon as a state senator has a heart to make sure all children receive a quality education that it immediately becomes a “bill which would limit the freedom and independence of homeschooling.” This bill is not meant for a majority of homeschoolers but for the minority that do not get a good education and end up two or three years behind. These kids, and especially their parents, need a wake up call on how far behind their kids are. This is why testing occurs in real schools too, and is not singled out for homeschoolers.
Mark, thank you for your comment. Let me look at each of the points you raise and try to explain why this is objectionable to many of us:
Although I love how as soon as a state senator has a heart to make sure all children receive a quality education that it immediately becomes a “bill which would limit the freedom and independence of homeschooling.”
Wanting to ensure a quality education does not make this bill something that limits the freedom and independence of homeschooling. Requiring parents to adopt state standards, be “approved” by the state and submit to state testing with the consequence of being forced into an accredited school if the state determines that the child has not made enough progress is what makes this bill something that limits the independence of homeschoolers.
This bill is not meant for a majority of homeschoolers but for the minority that do not get a good education and end up two or three years behind.
If effects every single homeschoolig family. We do not search every home in Nebraska looking for drugs, telling the innocent that the searches aren’t meant for them. Only for those who are hiding drugs. Or abuse. Or whatever issue you want to bring up. The state is supposed to have probable cause before searching a home (or a mind). “Homeschooling” is not probable cause.
These kids, and especially their parents, need a wake up call on how far behind their kids are.
All the data that exists demonstrates that homeschooled children do better than their public schooled peers. Are there some who do not? Of course. But there is no proof they would do better in public school, especially considering that many people choose homeschooling after experiencing problems in the public school. In fact, according to US Department of Education statistics, 68% of homeschooling families have chosen to homeschool because of dissatisfaction with the academic instruction at other schools.
We have children graduating public schools unable to read and do simple math.
“The ability to read and understand complicated information is important to success in college and, increasingly in the workplace. An analysis of the NAEP long-term trend reading assessments reveals that only half of all White 17 year olds, less than one-quarter of Latino 17 year olds, and less than one-fifth of African American 17 year olds can read at this level.”
http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/facts/NAEP.html
This is why testing occurs in real schools too, and is not singled out for homeschoolers.
Homeschoolers evaluate their children. Just because we do not turn the scores in to the state does not mean that we are not evaluating the educational progress of our children. And here is an important point to consider: the reason that the standardized testing exists in the schools is not so that the state knows what is going on in the classroom. It is so parents do. It is for parents to have a better idea of the performance of their local school.
I have a bit more here:
http://principleddiscovery.com/2008/01/29/why-would-homeschoolers-object-to-state-testing/
And on “accountability” through high stakes testing, there are a number of groups opposed to them, including the National Education Association. Research indicates a negative effect on school, because the more weight put on the test, the more focus the institution puts on the test. Some states are currently lowering standards so that they can meet federal guidelines. And classrooms around the nation are narrowing their focus to test prep. As a former public school teacher, I have seen it first hand. Why on earth would I want to do that to my children?
Research indicates something else a little concerning:
“Amrein and Berliner (2002), for example, examined multiple indicators of academic achievement to determine whether states with high-stakes tests and high school graduation exams posted greater achievement gains than states with no- or low-stakes testing programs. Of the states with high-stakes tests, they found that after such tests were implemented, 67 percent posted decreases in grade 4 math performance, 63 percent posted increases in grade 8 math performance, and 50 percent posted increases in grade 4 reading performance, compared with the nation.
Of the states with high school graduation exams, they found that after those exams were implemented, 67 percent posted decreases in ACT performance, 67 percent posted decreases in SAT performance, and 57 percent posted decreases in AP performance compared with the nation. Academic achievement improved in states with high-stakes tests or high school graduation exams on only one of six academic indicators examined in their study–the grade 8 math National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).12
Of the states with high school graduation exams, they found that after those exams were implemented, 67 percent posted decreases in ACT performance, 67 percent posted decreases in SAT performance, and 57 percent posted decreases in AP performance compared with the nation. Academic achievement improved in states with high-stakes tests or high school graduation exams on only one of six academic indicators examined in their study–the grade 8 math National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).12″
http://www.asu.edu/educ/epsl/EPRU/documents/EPSL-0211-125-EPRU.pdf
At the request of the author, I’ve deleted this comment.
–Dana