Ladies, this came to me today. It's VERY important about upcoming legislative stuff going on in the state. Check it out. I know many of you are not CHEO members (neither am I right now, because I didn't go to the conference this year and need to renew my membership!), so I want to make sure everyone sees it. Feel free to pass it on! Important information from Mitzi Smith, former CHEO representative: This could the most serious legislative issue Ohio homeschoolers have faced in a number of years. Please stay informed and be prepared to act to preserve your rights. (see below) Mitzi [FONT=Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif]Fellow Homeschoolers, I just wanted to let you know that there is a new website that is up and will be having information added as it becomes available about the 5 year cycle of the Ohio Rules Review for our regulations. It is: [/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif]http://OhioHSAlert.org[/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif] <[/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif]http://ohiohsalert.org/[/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif]> This link can be passed to ANYONE so that they can check it themselves and not rely on someone else to feed them the information. We want to spread this link far and wide. The comment period, to the ODE will be very short, in the range of 15 days or so, so we want to get people poised and ready as quickly as we can. Thank you for your help in spreading the word! Leslie L. Smith Office Administrator Christian Home Educators of Ohio (CHEO) 616 Hebron Road, Suite E Heath, OH 43056-1444 Phone: 740-522-2460 Website: [/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif]www.cheohome.org[/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif] <[/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif]http://www.cheohome.org/[/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif]> E-mail: [/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif]cheo@cheohome.org[/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif] <[/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif]mailto:cheo@cheohome.org[/FONT][FONT=Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif]> [/FONT]
When I read that, it seemed as if it didn't say much. To let you know, if you click the link, I guess every five years they review the rules for hs'ing in Ohio. In the past they decided everything was fine. This year, they are discussing tightening things up a bit. We do NOT want that to happen!!! So please click on the link and read it if you homeschool in Ohio!
Well, I just submitted a response! I feel good about participating in my own freedom...let's just hope Ohio's laws stay put for now!
This is HSLDA's comment on it: July 17, 2008 Ohio--Urgent--Your Help is Needed to Stop Revisions of the Homeschool Regulations! Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, If Ohio homeschoolers do not act, they may face stricter homeschool regulations. For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) has initiated a formal review process of the home education rules in the Ohio Administrative Code Section 3301-34. It is imperative that every Ohio resident who is concerned about homeschooling freedom register his or her opinion regarding proposed changes. The comment period is now open and will last only until August 8. Ohio law dictates that the ODE review regulations every 5 years to determine what changes, if any, should be made. O.A.C. 3301-34 was enacted in 1989, and until now, the ODE has not found any revisions to be necessary during the 5-year review. Even though the regulations have worked very well for the past 19 years, the ODE has decided that this time, changes are warranted. The most important message Ohio residents can convey to the ODE is that the regulations do not need to change. If enough people support the current regulations, we may be able to stop the revision process before it begins. ACTION NEEDED 1. Go to http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=5316 and register your comments about the ODE's intent to change O.A.C. 3301-34. The deadline to comment is August 8. 2. Forward this message to others. Anyone who is a "stakeholder" may register comments. This means that if you homeschool in Ohio, have previously homeschooled in Ohio, are considering homeschooling in Ohio, or have a family member or friend who is homeschooling in Ohio, you may comment to the ODE. 3. It is important to comment in your own words--please do not simply copy and paste someone else's message. If your message is not original, it is possible that it will not be counted as an individual response. Ohio homeschool leaders are also closely monitoring this situation. For more information on the review process, please visit http://ohiohsalert.org/ . Sincerely, Michael P. Donnelly, Esq. HSLDA Staff Attorney
BUMP!!! (For those of you in Ohio that missed it, and might not know what's going on!) (We have until August 8th to file our comments on this very important issue!!!)
