Kelli in TN Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 Please make your phone calls to day! You can go here for more information. Remember to call early, the House Education Committee convenes at 3:00 pm. I plan to complete my calls by 2:30. Please pray today, if you are so inclined. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 Which number do I call? The main one or the individual reps? I didn't realize that there was a problem. It wasn't mentioned at the school we are registered with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted May 5, 2008 Author Share Posted May 5, 2008 Which number do I call? The main one or the individual reps? I didn't realize that there was a problem. It wasn't mentioned at the school we are registered with. Here is the list I am using. Some people are also calling their own representatives even if they do not serve on this committee. I may do that as well, but I am working my way through this list first. We do a lesson, Mom makes a few calls, do another subject, Mom makes a few calls..... When I call I am asking them to support Representative Mike Bell's legislation WITHOUT the DOE amendment. Mike Bell's legislation will make Cat IV diplomas state recognized, the amendment would make homeschooling high schoolers impossible for parents who do not have a 4 year degree. I think this is a much greater threat than the testing threat we just went through. From the tnhomeed site- This legislation was presented in order to have the State recognize Category IV CRS diplomas after it had come to light that recent job and school applicants had been denied. The DOE offered an amendment that would require all Category IV teachers teaching 9-12 grades have a baccalaureate degree WEST TENNESSEE members: Memphis members: Joe Towns, Jr.(D), Secretary, [Dist. 84], 615-741-2189 Barbara Cooper, (D), [Dist.86],* 615-741-4295 Ulysses Jones, (D), [Dist. 98], 615-741-4575 Larry Turner, (D) [Dist.85], 615-741-6954 Bartlett: Jim Coley, ®, [Dist. 97], 615-741-8201 Ron Lollar, ®, [Dist. 99], 615-741-7084 Somerville: Delores Gresham, ®, [Dist.94], 615-741-6890 Dresden: Mark Maddox, (D), [Dist. 76], 615-741-7847 MIDDLE TENNESSEE members: Huntsville: NE of Nashville: Les Winningham, (D) Chairman, [Dist. 38], 615-741-6852 Portland: N of Nashville: Mike McDonald, (D), [Dist. 44], 615-741-1980 Nashville/Brentwood: Beth Harwell, ®, [Dist. 56], 615-741-0709 Pegram: SW of Nashville: Phillip Johnson, ®, [Dist. 78], 615-741-7477 Murfreesboro: John Hood, (D), [Dist. 48], 615-741-7849 EAST TENNESSEE members: Livingston: John Mark Windle, (D), [Dist. 41], 615-741-1260 Knoxville: Harry Brooks, ®, [Dist. 19], 615-741-6879 Sevierville: Richard Montgomery, (NaifehR), [Dist. 12], 615-741-5981 Chattanooga: Tommie Brown, (D), Vice-Chairman, [Dist. 28], 615-741-4374 Gerald McCormick, ®, [Dist. 26], 615-741-2548 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 I am watching this closely. I registered with the state when I first moved here. I didn't have high schoolers yet but was outraged just the same. I am glad that we are finally getting some support on this issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 I must live under a rock, what is going on in TN? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted May 5, 2008 Author Share Posted May 5, 2008 Has anyone heard anything? I worried all through ballet!!! My local email loop is dead, I guess everyone is eating supper! If you have heard anything can you share? I have already chewed my fingernails off and I am fixing to start chewing my hair! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2legomaniacs Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Has anyone heard anything? I worried all through ballet!!! My local email loop is dead, I guess everyone is eating supper! If you have heard anything can you share? I have already chewed my fingernails off and I am fixing to start chewing my hair! Kelli http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/asp/WebBillInfo/HouseVote.aspx?ChamberVoting=H&BillNumber=HB1652 go here to see the results of the vote. I am still trying to figure out what this means though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted May 6, 2008 Author Share Posted May 6, 2008 Kelli http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/asp/WebBillInfo/HouseVote.aspx?ChamberVoting=H&BillNumber=HB1652 go here to see the results of the vote. I am still trying to figure out what this means though. Passed with amendments? With amendments? Does this mean that Mike Bell's bill passed with the DOE amendment? They can't really do this to us, can they? I have a rising senior. Oh I hope this doesn't mean that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2legomaniacs Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Passed with amendments? With amendments? Does this mean that Mike Bell's bill passed with the DOE amendment? They can't really do this to us, can they? I have a rising senior. Oh I hope this doesn't mean that. I don't know either! It looks like it passed to the next thing? Well, carp! Calendar and Rules Committee? Does that mean -- what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted May 6, 2008 Author Share Posted May 6, 2008 I don't know either! It looks like it passed to the next thing? Well, carp! Calendar and Rules Committee? Does that mean -- what? Well, I went through the list and the ayes were mostly Republicans and the nos were Democrats. I think Windle might be only Dem who voted aye. That makes me think it might not have included the DOE amendment. Though I can't figure out what else HB1652 by Bell EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage w/amendments- refer to: Calendar & Rules Committee 5/5/2008 OUTCOME OF VOTE: Passed could possibly mean. (My apologies to all the Democrats on here, I don't know about other states but in TN Republicans are traditionally more friendly to homeschool causes than Democrats. Not always, and your state might be different, but in TN that is usually the way it goes. But I mean no insult to Democrats, I am just trying to figure out if we just all a hunk of our homeschool rights) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Kelli http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/asp/WebBillInfo/HouseVote.aspx?ChamberVoting=H&BillNumber=HB1652 go here to see the results of the vote. I am still trying to figure out what this means though. Well, it looks like Mike Bell's amendmen passed. That would be good. I can't find any other news yet though. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted May 6, 2008 Author Share Posted May 6, 2008 Well, it looks like Mike Bell's amendmen passed. That would be good. I can't find any other news yet though. :confused: That would be good. But if it passed with the DOE amendment I will be in a horrible place with my high school daughter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Kelli, according to this site, the DOE bill was never actually introduced. So that shouldn't be an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2legomaniacs Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Kelli, according to this site, the DOE bill was never actually introduced. So that shouldn't be an issue. Thanks for finding and posting that! Kelli, looks like you can breathe now and stop chewing your hair! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Kelli, It's all good. The bill passed with no amendments. So, the good stuff passed and the bad stuff did not. Now it has to go through the house and the senate and get the gov'nor's signature. Just when it seems like things have been going so smoothly for so long that you can let down your guard! Pegasus Edited to add a link for details (in plain English that non-lawyers can follow!): http://redhatrob.wordpress.com/2008/05/05/tn-house-education-committee-passes-bill-to-require-state-agencies-to-accept-church-related-school-high-school-diplomas-as-valid/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenschooler Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 The Department of Ed amendment which would have required a baccalaureate degree for every instructor in grades 9-12 was never introduced or voted on. This is an important (and surprising) result. The bill which was reported out would require all state agencies to accept CRS diplomas as valid high school diplomas. Period. Regardless of whether the CRS was category II, III, or IV. This was the situation until just this year. In effect, it reverses the new policy of the department this year which began treating non-accredited CRS diplomas as invalid. It would require DHS to accept Cat IV diplomas as valid for work in a day care center, and it would require the Police accreditation commission to accept CRS diplomas as valid for those seeking to be police officers. UNLESS this bill is passed, the state dept of ed will apparently continue to treat Cat IV diplomas as “worthless.†We need this bill to pass. Ironically, its not so important for homeschooled students who go on to college. Colleges and universities both in TN and nationwide have had NO problems with Cat IV diplomas. They have the ACT/SAT and other criteria to go with them. It’s the jobs that do not require a college degree but DO require a high school diploma where the problems have arisen. You don’t have to have a college degree to be a police officer – but you do have to have a high school diploma. You don’t have to have a college degree to work in a day care center – but you do have to have a high school diploma. It is in precisely those two situations where the problem has arisen. Please stay in touch with your homeschool community over the next two weeks. There is much work still to do in order to get this bill passed. Good news, but I'll feel better if and when it's all over. While we do plan on college, what if we're in the middle of high school, and all of a sudden we're *illegal* because I don't have a degree? CC's here do accept even 10th graders, but I imagine she'd have to be full-time before that would be considered not breaking truancy laws. It doesn't feel good to be used as a pawn in the school's own problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenschooler Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 BTW, thanks for the links, Melinda and Peggy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenschooler Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I have already chewed my fingernails off and I am fixing to start chewing my hair! I started wondering if I could get an entire teaching degree in one summer! Wait, couldn't I just apply for an extension or whatever it is that the new teachers do? They do let teachers teach in the ps and give them a certain length of time to finish their certification. I have a friend who is teaching art in the ps, and this is what she's done this year. But would they let us do that? Of course not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Kelli, according to this site, the DOE bill was never actually introduced. So that shouldn't be an issue. Thanks for info! It is much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted May 6, 2008 Author Share Posted May 6, 2008 Good news, but I'll feel better if and when it's all over. While we do plan on college, what if we're in the middle of high school, and all of a sudden we're *illegal* because I don't have a degree? CC's here do accept even 10th graders, but I imagine she'd have to be full-time before that would be considered not breaking truancy laws. It doesn't feel good to be used as a pawn in the school's own problems. Aren't you loving how the "amendment to the amendment" is now known as the "Memphis amendment"? Doesn't that make you proud?:D It's like the exit exam all over again. And it is the Memphis crowd crying foul. "Our students can't pass their exit exams. Let's blame it on homeschoolers!!!" It has to pass, it has to pass, it has to pass. I cannot send another kid to our local high school. I simply cannot do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenschooler Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Aren't you loving how the "amendment to the amendment" is now known as the "Memphis amendment"? Doesn't that make you proud?:D I never cease to be embarrassed by what goes on here! It's like the exit exam all over again. And it is the Memphis crowd crying foul. "Our students can't pass their exit exams. Let's blame it on homeschoolers!!!" Uh-huh. And that's my fault...how? Hey, I even gave the ps a high-tester. They should be thanking me. :D And if their tests are so doggone hard for the kids to pass who have been in their school system since age 5, why is it that my dd, who was homeschooled from K-9th, had no problem whatsoever? They can't be that hard, if an un-degreed, un-certified person like me can educate a child enough to pass them. It has to pass, it has to pass, it has to pass. I cannot send another kid to our local high school. I simply cannot do it. I've been surprisingly pleased with dd's year. She says her 10th grade honors classes are so much easier than 9th grade at home was, but I'm hoping she'll be challenged next year. Ours does have a good selection of AP classes, and she's trying to decide whether to do 2 next year, or go for 3. But I need a certificate to homeschool. :confused: I am not sending dd#2. She thrives being homeschooled, and that's where she's going (and wants) to stay. I'm just tired of this #@%&. I'm moving to Oklahoma, if this keeps up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted May 6, 2008 Author Share Posted May 6, 2008 [ I'm just tired of this #@%&. I'm moving to Oklahoma, if this keeps up. I am coming with you. Oklahoma does not have snakes, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted May 7, 2008 Author Share Posted May 7, 2008 Click here to see Mike Bell on channel 4. Channel 4 is Nashville. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenschooler Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I am coming with you. Oklahoma does not have snakes, right? Only the animal kind. And we can shoot them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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