ACTION ALERT: Please Ask the Ways and Means Committee to OPPOSE HB832, Which Would Create An Unnecessary Government Body to Potentially Regulate and Interfere with Maryland Homeschooling
TEXT OF HB832 – Education – Maryland Homeschool Advisory Council – Establishment
Establishing the Maryland Homeschool Advisory Council in the State Department of Education to gather information on the needs of homeschool parents and homeschool umbrella schools and advise the State Superintendent of Schools, the State Board of Education, the General Assembly, and the Governor on matters relating to homeschooling.
why icm OPPOSES HB832
- The stated goal of this legislation to "gather information on the needs of homeschool parents...and advise" public officials could lead to destructive and inappropriate regulation and oversight imposed upon parents who deliberately seek to independently educate their children without such oversight.
- Formation of the proposed council is unnecessary and redundant to the oversight already imposed on Maryland parents, who must have their work reviewed by a state-appointed professional or umbrella group twice per calendar year.
- The legislation seeks to assemble a council with representatives throughout the state creating uniform standards for all parents, thus inappropriately imposing uniform standards on homeschooling parents with extremely diverse belief systems, values, and curricula.
- This legislation includes "diversity and inclusion" language seeking to "represent the diversity of homeschool families" when in fact those diverse families are already free to select and implement their own curricula and teach according to their own broadly diverse experiences, beliefs, and value systems. There is no need for a separate council to oversee "diversity and inclusion" for homeschoolers in the state of Maryland. Formation of such a council could in fact lead to the opposite result: the inappropriate regulation and imposition of a uniform set of standards on broadly diverse families seeking to educate their children with autonomy.
Who to contact about HB832
There will be a hearing for HB832 before the Ways and Means Committee on Thursday, 3/3/22 at 1:00 PM.
URGENT: We’re asking all members to contact bill sponsor Delegate Ruth, and call and email the members of Ways and Means Committee, to let them know, in your own words, why you oppose HB832!
Please contact bill sponsor Delegate Ruth to express your opposition:
410-841-3802 | 301-858-3802
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3802
e-mail: sheila.ruth@house.state.md.us
If you’re a constituent of hers – in District 44B – let her know!
Please copy and paste the following email addresses of the Ways and Means Committee members into the BCC section of your email in opposition of HB832:
Vanessa.Atterbeary@house.state.md.us, alonzo.washington@house.state.md.us, dalya.attar@house.state.md.us, Darryl.Barnes@house.state.md.us, joseph.boteler@house.state.md.us, chanel.branch@house.state.md.us, Jason.Buckel@house.state.md.us, nick.charles@house.state.md.us, Eric.Ebersole@house.state.md.us, jessica.feldmark@house.state.md.us, mike.griffith@house.state.md.us, michele.guyton@house.state.md.us, wayne.hartman@house.state.md.us, Kevin.Hornberger@house.state.md.us, julian.ivey@house.state.md.us, dana.jones@house.state.md.us, MaryAnn.Lisanti@house.state.md.us, Bob.Long@house.state.md.us, eric.luedtke@house.state.md.us, julie.palakovichcarr@house.state.md.us, Edith.Patterson@house.state.md.us, April.Rose@house.state.md.us, jheanelle.wilkins@house.state.md.us
Please call the offices of the Ways and Means Committee members in opposition of HB832:
Phone 410-841-3471 | 301-858-3471
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3471
Delegate Alonzo T. Washington
Phone 410-841-3652 | 301-858-3652
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3652
Delegate Dalya Attar
Phone 410-841-3268 | 301-858-3268
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3268
Delegate Darryl Barnes
Phone 410-841-3557 | 301-858-3557
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3557
Delegate Joseph C. Boteler, III
Phone 410-841-3365 | 301-858-3365
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3365
Delegate Chanel Branch
Phone 410-841-3257 | 301-858-3257
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3257
Delegate Jason C. Buckel
Phone 410-841-3404 | 301-858-3404
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3404
Delegate Nick Charles
Phone 410-841-3707 | 301-858-3707
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3707
Delegate Eric Ebersole
Phone 410-841-3328 | 301-858-3328
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3328
Delegate Jessica Feldmark
Phone 410-841-3205 | 301-858-3205
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3205
Delegate Mike Griffith
Phone 410-841-3444 | 301-858-3444
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3444
Delegate Michele Guyton
Phone 410-841-3793 | 301-858-3793
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3793
Delegate Wayne A. Hartman
Phone 410-841-3356 | 301-858-3356
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3356
Delegate Kevin B. Hornberger
Phone 410-841-3284 | 301-858-3284
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3284
Delegate Julian Ivey
Phone 410-841-3326 | 301-858-3326
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3326
Delegate Dana Jones
Phone 410-841-3211 | 301-858-3211
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3211
Delegate Mary Ann Lisanti
Phone 410-841-3331 | 301-858-3331
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3331
Delegate Robert B. Long
Phone 410-841-3458 | 301-858-3458
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3458
Delegate Eric G. Luedtke
Phone 410-841-3110 | 301-858-3110
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3110
Delegate Julie Palakovich Carr
Phone 410-841-3037 | 301-858-3037
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3037
Delegate Edith J. Patterson
Phone 410-841-3247 | 301-858-3247
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3247
Delegate April Rose
Phone 410-841-3070 | 301-858-3070
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3070
Delegate Jheanelle K. Wilkins
Phone 410-841-3493 | 301-858-3493
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3493
Please note: Rules for submitting written and oral testimony have changed this year due to Covid-19 restrictions, and can be viewed here. We’re asking members for phone calls, emails, and written testimony only at this time.
Please spread the word! Let’s flood the offices of Delegate Ruth and the Ways and Means committee members with polite, respectful, forceful emails and phone calls. They need to hear our voices!
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