REVIEW OF SB 2150 HEARING IN HOUSE EDUCATION AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES

REVIEW OF SB 2150 HEARING BY HOUSE EDUCATION AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES ON 3/15/2011

The North Dakota Governor, Senator Flakoll, plus many agencies and organizations testified in favor of this bill during the entire day on Tuesday, March 15, 2011.  Two of the committee members mentioned that they were getting a flood of emails from home schoolers.  Pastor Jeff Hoverson (a
member of the NDHSA legislative team) testified personally against Section 9 of the bill which would expand the compulsory age range to from six to seventeen (from the present seven to sixteen ages). His testimony was based on freedom principles, a book by Leonard Sax titled, “Boys Adrift” on how extended schooling results in extended adolescence, with a testimony of how starting work early encourages maturity and education.  Jim Bartlett (Executive Director of the NDHSA) also testified against Section 9 based on parental rights, Ray Moore studies on delayed academics with its influence on the home  school movement in 1983, the need for flexibility for the best education, how
kindergarten is best accomplished at home, the lack of value of early formal education based on studies in other countries and states, and provided the committee with these documents (http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200205130.asp,
http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000000/00000028.asp).  Committee members were told that home schoolers are affected by the changes in the compulsory attendance laws since they use those ages for filing statements of intent.  Thanks to all home schooler who communicated with the committee members, it clearly had an influence by causing the committee to listen more closely to the two opposing testimonies.