Michigan Votes Forum

 Due to the massive funding cuts to the school aid fund, we are all proposing cuts to transportation.  It is only logical.  But yet you want to have mandates on families that have no knowledge of a culture of education or what that might look like?  I agree parents must be educated on the need to have their children present in education.  But do you really think a law mandating that responsibility is the answer?   History should be a good indicator.  It does not work from where I sit  Sir, if you need to put your name on a bill, make it a worthwhile bill.

 Sounds like a back door intrusion into our ability to home school.

This rule should apply to many if not most of our Public Schools which are doing a poor job of educating the students.

 Isn't this already covered under truancy?  Why does there have to be a law specifying this?  If this is passed, then the next law that will be needed will be one defining "education" and I'll bet there isn't a legislator out there with the guts to stand up to the teacher unions and the traditional educational model.  Think outside the box?  Recognize that many ways of providing education can be valid?  That'll be a joke.  I say toss this current bill right in the trash can where it belongs!

 This is a definite backdoor assualt on Home Schooling and needs to be called out as such. 

Michigan already has simple, clear and easy to understand rules regarding home Schooling.    If people are legitimately Home Schooling then there is no reason to bother or inturude on them any further - If they are not following the simple, clear and easy to understand rules...  then truancy laws apply and appropriate action can be taken.

There is no need to further burden, define or legislate this.

HB 5610 does not have any measureable negative effects on homeschooling.   I am a parent of three children two of whom are home schooled and one whom attends a local area charter school chartered by our local university.   This bill in no shape or form intrudes on families whom have different perspectives on how their children should be home schooled whether they are using a Christian-based curriculum, Enki, Waldorf, Unschooling idealogies, etc. 

This bill is intended to extend the arm of mandatory reporters within the school setting for the protection of children.   Children slip through the cracks daily in our current K--12 system, and when this occurs abuse/neglect goes unseen.   Teachers see bruises, scars, etc, but emotional abuse is much harder to measure and confront.   Extending the current definition of abuse/neglect to include "truancy" will enable greater protections for Michigan youth and families.  Allow for preventative services to play a roll in helping families in need.  Truancy is a good measure of possible abuse/neglect that may be occuring in homes. 

HB 5610 should pass, but has a high likelyhood of failing if teachers do not utilize their given legal status as Mandatory Reporters as was seen in the State of Illinois.  Teachers in this state did not follow through with reporting truancy, so as a result the program failed and children were kept at risk.

Truancy both in State and National statistics has a high correlation to adult incarceration.   If social workers are given the opportunity to work with these families both State and National statistics could shift to show that these youth are becoming valuable assets to their communities.

 Really?

It makes more sense to accuse parents of abuse if they DO send their children to public schools.  Read John Taylor Gatto, for a full detailed discussion. 

How about we let parents make decisions on how to raise children?  Either that or just take all kids away from all parents and put them in state concentration camps so that all children get equal treatment and potential.  Then you can force approved curriculum as defined by the most intelligent state employees so that children will only learn what the average Michigan citizen wants them to learn.

Hope that works for you.