State of Homeschooling With Rep. Hultgren

STATE OF HOMESCHOOLING

Monday, March 31 | 6:00-8:30PM

Johnsburg Public Library

3000 N. Johnsburg Rd., Johnsburg, IL 60051

Come meet Rep. Hultgren for a discussion and update on the state of homeschooling at Johnsburg Public

Library’s Homeschool Resource

Center. The event is open to the

public.

For any additional questions,

please contact Susan Russell

in Rep. Hultgren’s Geneva Office at

susan.russell@mail.house.gov or

630-232-7104

Cookies with the Congressman

A unique field trip opportunity to kick off back-to-school season.
Cookies with the Congressman!
When: Tues. August 13th 10-11:30am

What: Meet Congressman Randy Hultgren (a homeschool dad), tour the legislative office in Geneva, hear what a Congressman does, and ask him a question or two! Open to all homeschool families, so spread the word. No cost. This event is an open house, so come and go as you please.

Where: 1797 W. State Street Suite A, Geneva, IL 60134

For further questions please call Susan Russell 847-508-7492 or email me at suzrussell1 @ gmail . com

Mark your calendar for Legislative Days!

ICHE Legislative Days March 19 – 21, 2013

Capitol Day on Wednesday March 20

Come be a part of making homeschool faith and freedom history in Illinois!

A Call to Faith and Freedom

Come to Springfield and learn how your state government works AND meet your local representatives. “Legislative Days” is a great opportunity to show government officials the many beautiful faces behind homeschooling. We’re the only group that comes to Springfield and ASKS FOR NOTHING except to be left alone! Plan to come and make your homeschooling presence known!!!!!

Wednesday, March 20, will be “Capitol Day” with singing and prayer IN the Capitol building Rotunda at NOON. Bring cherry pies which will be delivered in the afternoon to senators and representatives. This year, homeschool families will have the opportunity to have display boards for the day in the Capitol Building. The theme is “Faith and Freedom,” what homeschooling does to strengthen families, communities, and the state of Illinois.

On Tuesday and Thursday, March 19 and 21, there will be workshops in the Capitol and tours of the highpoints of Springfield. This will be a great learning field trip with plenty of time for fellowship. Come one, two, or all three days!

More details coming soon!

www.iche.org

info@iche.org

(847) 603-1259

HSLDA alert

Senate to Vote on UN Disabilities Treaty on Wednesday: Calls Needed Immediately

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends,

Yesterday afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) announced that the Senate will vote to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) treaty on Wednesday. We need you to call your two senators immediately, and urge them to oppose the CRPD.

If the U.S. Senate were to ratify the CRPD, this would give the United Nations the power to influence and change domestic law and threaten parental rights and homeschool freedom.

Thirty-six senators have signed a letter stating that they “respectfully request that no treaties be brought to the Senate floor for advice and consent during the lame-duck session of the 112th Congress.” These senators have promised in the letter that they “will oppose efforts to consider a treaty during this time.”

Senator Reid has purposefully ignored this letter by promising to file cloture by Wednesday (if 60 senators vote to invoke cloture, a filibuster will be ended) and will make every attempt to proceed to the CRPD for ratification this week. Ratification of the CRPD will take a two-thirds vote of the Senate, or 67 senators to vote in favor of the CRPD if all 100 are present.

We need you to call both of your U.S. senators right now and ask them to oppose the CRPD. 202-224-3121.

Please give them some or all of this message:

“I urge you to oppose the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This treaty surrenders U.S. sovereignty to unelected UN bureaucrats and will threaten parental care of children with disabilities. Our nation already has laws to protect disabled Americans. This treaty is unnecessary and will hurt families. If the Senate ratifies this treaty, it would be the first time ever that the U.S. has ratified a treaty that obligates us to recognize economic, social, and cultural entitlements as rights under domestic law.”

Then, please forward this email to your friends and family and urge them to call, as well. Please also post this information on social media to help get the word out to every parent and freedom-loving person in America.

For more information on the dangers of this treaty please visit our CRPD page. http://www.hslda.org/crpd

Thank you for standing with us for freedom.
Sincerely,

J. Michael Smith, Esq.
President, HSLDA

Getting involved in the political process

This past year my son took a class on elections at our co-op and as part of the class they helped out in an local campaign headquarters and stuffed bags, put together signs, and in the process became more informed about politics and the political process.

The following is from an email I received seeking homeschoolers who would like to get involved with the Republican party as they try to identify and register voters. If this is something you would be interested in for yourself or your older student read on:
In 2010, the Illinois Victory Program was one of the largest voter identification and get out the vote campaigns in the country.  It directly led to the election of Senator Mark Kirk, State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, State Treasurer Dan Rutherford and 5 new Republican Congressman.
This year, we have brought back the Illinois Victory Program to once again defend Republican incumbents and win competitive races across the state.  The body of work created and foundation of knowledge that will be gained through Victory will benefit not just Republican candidates in this election cycle, but will be part of the long-term process of turned Illinois around for future Republican candidates for many years to come.
You can help here in Chicago by volunteering at the Victory Center in Lincoln Park. Our victory office is located at 2768 N. Lincoln Ave at Lincoln and Diversey.  Join Fellow Republicans Monday through Saturday and help call voters statewide to ensure Republicans claim victory in November.
There is a phone from home option if that is too far of a drive. Check their website for more details, Illinois Victory Program.

TeenPact Illinois

A unique opportunity in Springfield.

A blurb from the TeenPact website:

TeenPact is a dynamic, hands-on leadership school for Christian students. Our mission is to train youth to understand the political process, value their liberty, defend their Christian faith and engage the culture at a time in their lives when, typically, they do not care about such things.

The TeenPact experience is one of intentional growth, education and encouragement. We believe that God gives every young person a great spiritual capacity as well as a scriptural mandate to cultivate and use their talents – even before they are old enough to drive, work or vote!  TeenPact trains these young people to embrace their call as the next generation of leaders by giving them tools, teaching and opportunities.

Each TeenPact program is marked by spiritual discipleship, student leadership, parental involvement and a commitment to excellence. Our loyal base of parent volunteers and student leaders keep the vision alive and growing as we continue to expand nationally. Founded in 1994 by Tim Echols, TeenPact currently offers classes in 38 states and counting.

“Changing lives to change the world” is more than a motto to us. It’s literally what we do every day.

TeenPact Illinois

Four Day Class: (ages 13-19)

April 23-26, 2012
Mon: 1pm – 5pm
Tue – Thu: 8:45am – 3pm

First Time Students: $225
Returning Students: $185

Host housing may be available

Please contact your State Coordinator

Guest Director: Ned Williams

Political Communication Workshop: (ages 13-19)

April 27, 2012
10am – 4pm

Price: $50
($40 with 4-Day Class Purchase)

One Day Class: (ages 8-12)

April 27, 2012
10am – 4pm

First Child: $40
Siblings: $30

All the rest of the details:

http://teenpact.com/state-classes/illinois/

Call to action from ParentalRights.org

Illinois: Urgent – Please Call Today

The Illinois Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday, April 6, will hold a hearing on SR 92, a resolution calling on Illinois state agencies to “ensure that their policies and programs comply with the Convention on the Rights of the Child” (CRC). The resolution also calls on the President to send the CRC to the U.S. Senate for approval, and calls on the Senate to consent to its ratification.

Calls are needed today to encourage your lawmakers to oppose this resolution.

First, please call the members of the Senate Executive Committee listed below and urge them to oppose SR 92. In your own words, tell them one or more of the following:

  • The CRC’s “best interest of the child” principle would put all parents on the same legal footing as parents already convicted of abuse or neglect.
  • The best way to protect children is not to invite the government into our families, but to build strong families without government intrusion.
  • You elected them – and not the United Nations – to write laws for Illinois.
  • This or any treaty in the area of family law would federalize as a treaty obligation this authority that currently resides with the state of Illinois. We want to keep family law at the state level!

Then, pass this message on to others who share your concerns and will call.

Please, before you close this email, call these members of the Illinois Senate’s Executive Committee:

Sen. Don Harmon, Chairman
(217) 782-8176
Sen. Ira Silverstein, Vice Chair
(217) 782-5500
Sen. James Clayborne, Jr.
(217) 782-5399
Sen. Maggie Crotty
(217) 782-9595
Sen. John Cullerton
(217) 782-2728
Sen. Kimberly Lightford, bill sponsor
(217) 782-8505
Sen. Antonion Munoz
(217) 782-9415
Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg
(217) 782-2119
Sen. Donne Trotter
(217) 782-3201
Sen. Dale Righter
(217) 782-6674
Sen. Bill Brady
(217) 782-6216
Sen. John Jones
(217) 782-0471
Sen. David Luechtefeld
(217) 782-8137
Sen. Matt Murphy
(217) 782-4471
Sen. Christine Radogno
(217) 782-9407

Thank you for taking the time to oppose this resolution in your state!

Sincerely,

Michael Ramey
Director of Communications & Research

Illinois–Please Call Now to Oppose Compulsory School Age Increase

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends,

A bill that would place young people under compulsory education for an
additional year is being heard in committee today in Springfield.
Compulsory age in Illinois ends at age 17 right now.  Rep. Jehan
Gordon’s HB 2985 would raise it to age 18.

The committee will probably vote on the bill within a few days.  They
need to hear from you that making an additional year of a young
person’s life subject to state mandate is not acceptable.

REQUESTED ACTION:

1. Please call your representative if he or she is a committee member
(see list below). Use our Legislative Toolbox at
http://www.hslda.org/toolbox to find out who your representative is.
Even representatives whom you think already oppose the bill need to
hear from you.

2. If your representative is not on the committee, call the
chairperson, the vice chairperson and the minority spokesman (see
below).

3. Your message can be as simple as:

“Please vote NO on HB 2985. Parents, not state officials, know whether
their 17-year-old young adult should pursue formal education or some
other preparation for life responsibilities. The additional cost of
forcing unwilling young adults into a formal school setting should not
be added to the current taxpayer burden.”

This bill would undermine the freedom of all parents.  It is not
necessary for you to identify yourself as a homeschooler.

More details and contact information on HSLDA’s website.

A final word on SB 136

SB 136 Follow-up (from ICHE):

Thank you again for your phone calls, e-mails, and presence at last week’s Homeschool Freedom Summit and SB 136 hearing.  Because of you, State Senator Maloney tabled SB 136 only two days after the “subject matter only” hearing.  The organizations we worked closely with to achieve this victory were Illinois Family Institute and the Home School Legal Defense Association.

In the process, Senator Maloney learned a great deal about the Illinois homeschool community that he had not previously known.  On February 17th, the day the bill was tabled, Senator Maloney released this statement:

Earlier today I tabled SB 136, which removes the bill from future consideration.  However, I would like to continue discussions with stakeholders as I further my efforts to ensure that certain parents do not simply use home schooling as an excuse for truancy.  I think that this week’s subject matter only hearing regarding the registration of home schooled students was a teachable moment for everyone involved.  It is my belief that every person who showed up at Tuesday’s hearing had a unique perspective to offer, from committee members and educators to parents and children.  We all place a huge stake in education and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to hear their voices.  The parents who attended the hearing obviously care deeply about their children’s education, and have made a large commitment to ensuring the success of their children’s future.  I look forward to working with everyone involved in the future.

Senator Maloney has now invited Illinois Christian Home Educators (ICHE), Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), and the Illinois Family Institute (IFI) to meet with him and the State Board of Education to further discuss truancy issues.  All of these groups are strong Christian organizations with proven track records.  We have all been serving homeschool families for many years in the State of Illinois.  You can rest assured that Senator Maloney will not be allowed to undermine homeschooling freedoms in Illinois without hearing our resolute objections.

There are some who are claiming that the battle is not over even after SB 136’s defeat.  There are those who want to capitalize politically on this controversy.  This is fine.  Lawmakers should be held accountable for their political decisions.  There is a time and place for that work to be done.

However, Senator Maloney has not introduced a new piece of legislation and is honestly seeking our input, advice and counsel.  It is our feeling that continued campaigns against Senator Maloney are unwarranted.

Please prayerfully join us in the hope that through his experience of working with Christian homeschool leaders, Senator Maloney will become one of home educators’ best allies and advocates.

Please continue to pray for the leaders of ICHE, HSLDA, and IFI as we remain vigilant for any developments that might require us to again alert Illinois homeschoolers of legislative threats.

Thank you again!

Blessings,

ICHE Board

Exciting week

As many of you know this has been a busy week politically for homeschoolers in Illinois. I have been posting much more on Facebook this week on the fan page, so if you are on Facebook and not already a fan, please jump on over to our page and become one. There is some discussion that takes place and at times I will post little tidbits there that don’t deserve a whole post here.

To sum things up . . . Senator Maloney tried to propose legislation that would require homeschoolers in the state of Illinois to register. Initially the bill mentioned all non-public school students, but then he decided, “Why beat around the bush?” He really just wanted to target homeschoolers, so he said he wanted to change the wording to make that clear. We are his target.

Obviously, this all stinks of attacking our precious freedom to love our children the best way possible, and homeschoolers would not take that sitting down, well, at least not without a telephone or computer handy. Calls, emails, letters, and visits poured into congressman across our state. I doubt any of them knew just how many homeschoolers and homeschool-sympathetic voters were in their districts before this bill crossed their desks.

Tuesday a crowd some 4000 strong descended on Springfield. Braving the cold, packing the rooms, making their presence respectfully known, and singing the songs that remind us of the great country we live in. The hearing showed the frivolity of such a bill, but also showed homeschoolers that we must remain ever vigilant. It was clear from some of the testimony that there are those in this state that are seeking more than just registration of homeschoolers.

More calls, more emails, more blogs, but hardly any news coverage . . . The good news came through mid-day today that the bill was tabled.

Is that the end of the story? Not really.

Here’s what he has to say today on a pod cast that a reader posted on our facebook page.

Be sure to keep an eye on this issue. And, if you reside in his district maybe you will consider to running for office. 😉