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Email: "Homeschooling org. protests Obama plan to mandate school attendance"

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“The more we see Federal involvement telling the states what to do with education policy [the more] it threatens the freedom of all parents," said Will Estrada of HSLDA. BY Peter Baklinski WASHINGTON, D.C, January 26, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Homeschoolers in the U.S. have marshaled against Obama’s proposal in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday that every state should require that “all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn 18.” The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has called the proposal ‘shocking’ and has urged its members to fight back with a clear message: “leave education decisions to parents.” The HSLDA is a nonprofit advocacy organization that defends and advances what they say is the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children. “There appears to be no limit to the president’s desire for power,” said Michael Farris, founder and chairman of HSLDA, in a press release. “Car companies, banks, doctors, and now schools and the family. He’s gone way too far this time.” During his speech, Obama said: “We also know that when students don’t walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma. When students are not allowed to drop out, they do better. So, tonight, I am proposing that every state, every state, requires that all students stay in high school until they graduate, or turn 18.” Will Estrada, Director of HSLDA’s Federal Relations, told LifeSiteNews that Obama’s speech contains two threats to the freedom of those who choose to home school their children. “The first one is very simply the Federal government taking on the role of telling the states when students should graduate or when they should stay in school until,” he said, adding that “the more we see Federal involvement telling the states what to do with education policy [the more] it threatens the freedom of all parents, particularly home schoolers to educate their children.” “But the second and more visceral danger for home schoolers is how it could effect with a definition what is a ‘graduation’.”  “Let’s say they graduate from a home school program at age 17, would that be under the Federal definition graduation from high school?” asked Estrada. The HSLDA is urging every concerned parent, whether they school their children at home or not, to take action by making two phone calls, one to the White House and the other to their U.S. representative. “Tell them simply,” said Estrada, to “leave education decisions to parents, not federal bureaucrats” and that “President Obama [should] withdraw his compulsory attendance mandate immediately.” Contact The White House Ph: (202) 456-1414 Send message online here. Contact your U.S. representative Capitol Switchboard: Ph: 202-224-3121 Find U.S. representative names and contact info online here. http://www.lifesite.net/news/homeschooling-org.-protests-obama-plan-to-mandate-school-attendance/

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