I’ve been a busy bee this morning. I’ve already helped with the final draft of the new Homeschool Blog Awards Website and I’ve called all of the Texas House Public Education Committee Members! I wanted to share these two important tips with you today before I get back to homeschooling:
1. Stop over at the Homeschool Blog Awards site and “ooooh” and “aaahhh” over the lovely design and functional forms of our new community service blog! It is just fabulous. Laura and Heather have some amazing web-design skills, don’t they?! I also have it linked in my sidebar for easy access.
NOMINATIONS START NEXT MONDAY! You can stop in to nominate your favorite homeschool bloggers as early as 12:01AM on March 26th! We will take nominations until April 7th at midnight.
2. IF YOU LIVE IN TEXAS: Please check out HSLDA’s alerts. There are two active items going on in the Texas Legislature that need your attention. Here they are:
Dear HSLDA members and friends:
An important bill, H.B. 1844, has been introduced by representative Charlie Howard. This bill requires public school districts to publish the dates of testing for the PSAT to homeschoolers and allow homeschoolers to take AP tests.
We have had reports from our members in the past that they have been denied access to these tests. This bill will remedy the situation. H.B. 1844 will likely be considered by the House Public Education Committee on Tuesday, March 27, 2007. Your calls are needed now to ensure the committee will pass this bill.
REQUESTED ACTION
Please call as many members of the House Public Education Committee as possible, and give them this message:
“Please vote in favor of H.B. 1844, introduced by Rep. Howard. This bill will end the discrimination against homeschool students seeking to take college entrance exams and PSAT and AP testing.”
HOUSE PUBLIC EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Rep. Rob Eissler — 512-463-0797 (Chairman)
Rep. Bill Zedler –512-463-0374 (Vice Chairman)
Rep. Dan Branch — 512-463-0367
Rep. Harold V. Dutton, Jr. — 512-463-0510
Rep. Scott Hochberg — 512-463-0491
Rep. Anna Mowery — 512-463-0608
Rep. Dora Olivo — 512-463-0494
Rep. Diane Patrick — 512-463-0624
Rep. Dianne White Delisi — 512-463-0630
The other issue is the governor-mandated HPV (sexually transmitted disease) vaccine. This is bad news, folks. Please call your senators and ask them to pass H.B. 1098 to protect our freedoms and privacy in Texas! Here’s more information – be sure to read the alert at HSLDA’s Texas page.
Last month we told you about Governor Perry’s executive order which would require the vaccination of 11-year-old girls against the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease.
In response to this executive order, HB 1098 was introduced. HB 1098 would rescind the executive order which mandates the HPV vaccine.
Good news! H.B. 1098 passed the House! The bill passed 119-21, which exceeds the two-thirds majority requirement to override a veto. The bill is now in the Senate. We need your calls to ensure passage of the vote by a two-thirds majority in order to override the possible gubernatorial veto.
Have a great Friday! See you here tomorrow!
Buzz Words: Homeschooling, Blogging, Homeschool Blog Awards, Fun, Education, Contest, Homeschool, Nomination, Home School, Favorites, Teaching, Blogs, Blog Awards, Awards, Parenting, Weblogs, Friends, Vaccines, Health, Legislature, Texas, Testing, Activism, PSAT, Perry, Freedom, Government
Heather (Sand Sea and School) says
YAY! I am sooo excited! I cant wait to see the nominations 🙂
And the site turned out really nice! I am happy to be a part of it!
-H
Tanya Nichols says
You are one busy bee!!!!!!
{ pun intended }
I am a homeschooler for the past 7 years…
YIKES 7 years already!!!!
Tanya