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TRENTON, NJ -- Homeschoolers in New Jersey scored a big victory on January 12,
the final day of last years legislative session, when the state legislature
adjourned without taking up what was called the Anti-Homeschooling Act.
Introduced by Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg, the bill would have required
homeschoolers to be tested annually, and to submit to annual physical exams (even
though this is not required of public school students). In addition, the bill
would have given the State Board of Education unprecedented regulatory authority
over homeschoolers.
Assemblywoman Weinberg appeared to be using some notorious examples of abuse
of children investigated by the Division of Youth and Family Services as a
smokescreen to win passage for her bill. Those cases, however, revealed the
incompetence of the state agency, not any problem with homeschooling.
A diverse group of homeschool leaders from Catholic, Christian and homeschool
groups mobilized some 300 homeschoolers and parents such as Carolee Adams of
Montvale. They traveled to Trenton and lined the halls of the capitol to stop the
bill. They held a news conference at which leaders presented many of the
favorable facts and statistics showing the academic achievement of homeschooled
students. Equipped with pictures of their own representatives, the homeschoolers
were able to identify and speak to them directly about the academic and social
value of homeschooling.
For most homeschoolers, this was their first experience in lobbying and they
scored total success.
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