Tel.: (860) 354-3590

P.O. Box 704, Southbury, CT  06488

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Email: info@nheld.com

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Attorney Deborah G. Stevenson, Executive Director

 

 

URGENT NOTICE TO PARENTS:  GAFFEY PLANS TO CHANGE SB162 TUESDAY MARCH 18, 2008

 

     Senator Gaffey confirmed today (March 17, 2008) that he plans to put before the Education Committee at its 1:00 p.m. meeting tomorrow, March 18, 2008, Senate Bill 162 containing what he is calling “compromise language”.  Senator Gaffey did not make available to parents the content of the “compromise language”.  We cannot know what that language will look like, but from certain of his comments to parents and to other legislators today, we have some idea. 

 

      It would appear that Senator Gaffey will propose making changes to Conn. Gen. Stat. §10-184, the Duties of Parents.  The change to Conn. Gen. Stat. §10-184 may contain a provision requiring parents to send a letter of withdrawal to the public school superintendent.  The change in Conn. Gen. Stat. §10-184 may be similar to the “mysteriously changed” language we saw earlier in this session, that the Select Committee on Children rejected in favor of the language as it originally was proposed by Rep. O’Neill.  Rep. O’Neill’s bill, as adopted by the Select Committee on Children makes changes to Conn. Gen. Stat. §10-220, the Duties of Boards of Education.

 

      Rep. O’Neill’s bill basically says that WHEN a parent sends a certified letter of withdrawal to a superintendent, the superintendent MUST ACCEPT the withdrawal and immediately consider the child withdrawn.  The “mysteriously changed” language we saw earlier, and possibly the “compromise language” Senator Gaffey intends to introduce, says IF a parent provides equivalent instruction and sends a certified letter of withdrawal, then the superintendent MAY consider the child withdrawn.  Rep. O’Neill’s language respects the already existing right of parents to withdraw their children and compels the superintendent to accept the withdrawal.  The “mysteriously changed” language, for the first time in our state’s history, would statutorily authorize public school superintendents to determine if and when a parent may withdraw a child from school.

 

     We need parents to attend tomorrow’s meeting as a strong show of force that we REJECT ANY CHANGE TO SB 162 OR TO CONN. GEN. STAT. §10-184.

 

     We need parents to email or call the Democrat members of the Education Committee tonight to tell them to OPPOSE ANY CHANGE TO SB162 AND TO ADOPT IT AS IS.

 

      Some points to make to them:

 

  1. Conn. Gen. Stat. §10-184 should not be changed at all.
  2. SB 162 must change Conn. Gen. Stat. §10-220.
  3. Parents always have had the right to withdraw their children from public school.
  4. Parents have been withdrawing them by sending the school a certified letter.  School districts have refused to acknowledge the withdrawal and kept the children on the “enrollment” list.
  5. The school districts must be directed to respect the parents’ right to withdraw their children.  That’s why it is Conn. Gen. Stat. §10-220 that must be changed, not §10-184.
  6. The State Department of Education is behind the effort to change in the language in SB 162.  Yet, no one from the State Department of Education attended the public hearing held by the Select Committee on Children to publicly state their opposition to the existing language.
  7. The unwillingness of the State Department of Education to come out in public to voice any opinion on the bill, yet, their willingness to maneuver behind the scenes to convince individual legislators to make changes to the bill, is indicative of the manner in which the State Department of Education has been encouraging the abuses by school districts all along. Their actions indicate their continued unwillingness to inform school districts to respect the already existing rights of parents.
  8. A change in Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-184 will do nothing to end the current abusive practices by public school districts.  It will send the opposite message.  It will say to public school officials that the local boards of education have NO DUTY to accept the right of parents to withdraw their children. Because it is not written into the statute describing the duties of the local board of education, a court of law easily could interpret it not to be one of their duties.
  9. Legislators must ask themselves why the State Department of Education, the Department that is encouraging school districts to report parents to DCF when they withdraw their children from enrollment, did not speak out at the public hearing, and does not want any change in the duty of board of education.
  10. Not one person, not one legislator, not one member of the public, spoke out against the language as it was proposed by Rep. O’Neill and as it currently exists, at the Select Committee on Children’s public hearing.  Why does Senator Gaffey propose making any changes now?
  11. The language in SB 162 is the exact language that was approved by the Legislative Commissioner’s Office during the last legislative session when Rep. O’Neill proposed it on the floor of the House.  It does not need to be changed now.
  12. Legislators are our elected officials, the lawyers in the Legislative Commissioner’s office are not.  Legislators may make any law they see fit. It is right and just to change Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-220.  It must be done to end the abuse.

 

NHELD thanks everyone who attended today’s Education Committee meeting.  We need you to attend tomorrow’s meeting as well. It is scheduled for 1 PM legislative Office Building Room 2E. 

Agenda -  http://cga.ct.gov/2008/EDdata/ca/2008CA-00318-R001300ED-CA.htm