Current Status of Various Bills
No big changes today to the bills, but here’s a review of their current status.
HB1183: Committee substitute printed; read by the House for the first time (1/31)
HB117: Scheduled for Monday morning’s 8:30 Appropriations meeting
HB512: Scheduled for Monday morning’s 8:30 Appropriations meeting
HB767: Referred to Senate Committee on Education and Health
HB375: PBI (Passed By Indefinitely)
HB89: Tabled
HB420: Tabled
HB259: Referred to Senate Committee on Education and Health
HB1245: Scheduled for Tuesday morning’s 7:30 House Transportation Subcommittee
HB1164: Referred to House Appropriations (1/30)
Ben
Ben Lansing @ January 31, 2008 | Uncategorized | Comments (0)
Bill Update
The newest version of Del. Lingamfelter’s HB1183 (an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute) can be found at http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi
Here’s a summary of the action on today’s bills.
HB89 (Marshall): Tabled
HB117 (Landes): 8:30 a.m. Monday Appropriations
HB512 (Dance): 8:30 a.m. Monday Appropriations
HB259 (Fralin): Sent to Senate Education and Health
HB375 (Carrico): PBI’d this morning (Passed By Indefinitely)
HB420 (Marshall): Tabled
HB767 (Tata): Sent to Senate Education and Health
HB1183 (Lingamfelter): Reported from Education with Substitute
HB1245 (Hugo): House Transportation, Tuesday 7:30 a.m.
That’s all for now!
Ben
Ben Lansing @ January 30, 2008 | Uncategorized | Comments (0)
HB1183 and HB375 Update
Good morning!
HB1183 (Lingamfelter) and HB375 (Carrico) were both heard in this morning’s House Education Committee meeting.
Membership of this committee (members present are in bold): Tata (Chairman), Hamilton, Landes, Lingamfelter, Rust, Fralin, Cole, Gilbert, Janis, Athey, Pogge, Massie, Loupassi, Shuler, Alexander, Ebbin, Ware, O., Shannon, McClellan, Tyler, Bulova, and Morrissey
HB1183 Testing Options (Lingamfelter):
This was the first bill heard this morning at 8:41. The amendment in the nature of a substitute was adopted. Del. Lingamfelter explained that this bill provides three additional options to have the progress of a homeschooled student measured. He then asked HEAV, Virginia Homeschoolers, and HSLDA to testify. Before all of the testimony was complete, Del. Hamilton, Del. Ebbin, Del. Morrisey, and Del. McClellan raised questions about several issues.
Del. McClellan found fault with the idea that anyone with a master’s degree could evaluate a student’s progress. Del. Hamilton and Del. Morrissey questioned the subjective nature of the student portfolios. Hamilton said he would not support the bill’s current language.
Scott Woodruff (HSLDA) noted the evaluation of a student is ultimately placed in the hands of an ‘expert’ of some kind, and many of the ‘experts’ detailed in the bill were actually required to be more qualified than school superintendents.
Because of the heated questions, Chairman Tata sent HB1183 back to subcommittee.
Del. Lingamfelter, HEAV, HSLDA, and Virginia Homeschoolers quickly left the committee room hoping to fix the bill so that HB1183 would not have to be sent back to subcommittee. Del. Lingamfelter suggested the following amendments.
Amendment 1: On line 37 strike “in” and insert “academic discipline.”
Amendment 2: Within the little “(ii)” on line 36 after “progress,” insert, “including but not limited to:”; strike “(iii),” insert “a”; strike “(iv),” insert “b”; strike “(v),” insert “c.”
These amendments addressed the concerns raised by the committee members. All homeschool organizations agreed to this amendment.
Del. Tata later brought HB1183 back before the committee. Del. Lingamfelter explained the proposed amendments and it was voted to add the amendments to the bill.
Del. Alexander expressed that he still had concerns and said there should be consistency to the evaluation, adding that he would like to see the state Board of Education set the progress levels.
Del. Morrisey said the word “or” should be inserted into line 34. This was accepted by the committee.
HB1183 was reported 20 to 1. (Alexander was the only member who did not vote to report.)
HB 375 Sports Access (Carrico):
Unfortunately, I was out of the committee room for several minutes discussing HB 1183 with Del. Lingamfelter, HSLDA, and Virginia Homeschoolers while HB 375 was being heard. I missed the first few minutes of the testimony about this bill. I do know, however, that several representatives of the VHSL spoke against the bill while I was away. When I returned to the room, Del. Fralin was addressing the committee.
Del. Fralin said that the issue raised by the VHSL was an interesting one because the state has given jurisdiction to the VHSL to make decisions regarding students. Del. Hamilton expressed concern that this bill would create an uneven playing field for public school students and homeschool students.
It was moved that HB375 be reported. This billed failed to report, 12 to 10 (Landes, Lingamfelter, Fralin, Cole, Gilbert, Athey, Pogge, Massie, Loupassi, and Morrisey voted to report).
A motion was made to PBI (pass by indefinitely) the bill. The vote to PBI HB 375 was successful, 12Y, 8N. The bill failed.
-Whew- What a meeting! That’s all for now. I’ll be sending an overview of the status of all of our bills later today.
Thanks!
Ben
Ben Lansing @ January 30, 2008 | Uncategorized | Comments (0)
Update on HB 1183
HB 1183 was heard this evening at 5 p.m. in the House Education subcommittee. I attended the meeting along with Scott Price and Parrish Mort from the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers and Scott Woodruff of HSLDA. Membership of this Committee (members that were present are in bold): Fralin (chairman), Landes, Gilbert, Athey, Pogge, Massie, Ebbin, Shannon, Tyler, Morrissey.
HB 1183 was the third bill heard on the docket. The substitute was unanimously adopted.
Del. Lingamfelter noted: “This is a bill that will take some of the pressure off of the superintendent by giving homeschoolers more options in evaluating homeschool progress. Virginia is one of the stingiest states in giving only one clear-cut type of assessment. This bill gives homeschool families options for assessment.”
Scott Woodruff gave a brief testimony for the purpose and language of this bill.
Del. Fralin asked, “What happens when the student does not meet the superintendent’s requirements?” Woodruff responded that this could result in a family no longer being able to home educate their children.
Woodruff gave examples of superintendents not accepting certified tutors’ evaluations in Virginia Beach and Alexandria. Del. Ebbin asked if the superintendent is required to give reasons for not accepting a student. Woodruff responded that the superintendent is not necessarily required to give reasons.
I addressed the subcommittee along with Virginia Homeschoolers. We both communicated that our two organizations supported the legislation.
Ebbin asked if such a bill would allow teachers and tutors in other states to evaluate Virginia students. Mort responded that there are currently teachers and tutors in other states who do evaluate Virginia homeschoolers. Woodruff said that all of the options offered in the bill are present in other states.
Del. Morrisey said he was inclined to support this bill. However, he added that he asked homeschoolers to give him evidence that they are making adequate progress; he was also troubled that such standardized tests were not often present. Del. Lingamfelter responded that homeschoolers are doing very, very well as an educational group.
Pogge moved to report.
All present voted to report except for Ebbin.
That’s all for now!
Ben
Ben Lansing @ January 28, 2008 | Uncategorized | Comments (2)
The Invisible Mom
Note: We loved this piece and thought you would too! —Anne
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I’m on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I’m thinking, “Can’t you see I’m on the phone?” Obviously not; no one can see if I’m on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I’m invisible; “The Invisible Mom.”
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?
Some days I’m not a pair of hands; I’m not even a human being. I’m a clock to ask, “What time is it?” I’m a satellite guide to answer, “What number is the Disney Channel?” I’m a car to order, “Right around 5:30, please.”
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude – but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She’s going, she’s going, and she’s gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, “I brought you this.” It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn’t exactly sure why she’d given it to me until I read her inscription: “To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.”
In the days ahead I would read – no, devour – the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals – we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, “Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.” And the workman replied, “Because God sees.”
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, “I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you’ve done, no sequin you’ve sewn on, no cupcake you’ve baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can’t see right now what it will become.”
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don’t want my son to tell the friend he’s bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, “My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.” That would mean I’d built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, “you’re gonna love it there.”
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we’re doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women. Great Job, MOM!
Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know….I just did. The Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.
- Author Unknown (If you know who wrote this, please let us know!)
[MANY thanks to all those who wrote to tell this is an excerpt from The Invisible Woman: A Special Story for Mothers by Nicole Johnson. Visit Nicole's website at www.freshbrewedlife.com.]
annemiller @ January 28, 2008 | Uncategorized | Comments (9)
A Few More Legislative Notes
Here are a few more updates:
HB 1540, Changes Regulation of Driver Training Schools (Hugo) – I spoke with Del. Hugo about our concerns – maintaining the correspondence courses for driver’s education and parent taught behind-the-wheel options. His response was that he supports homeschoolers and says he will make changes and even pull the bill to protect homeschoolers.
HB1183 – I stopped by Del. Lingamfelter’s office and spoke with Nathan (his legislative assistant). I asked Nathan what he wanted us to do to help with HB 1183. He did not think phone calls were necessary (at least not at this point). However, he did ask that I be there to say briefly that I support the bill after Del. Lingamfelter testifies before the subcommittee. I picked up the line amendments from Nathan.
Ben
Ben Lansing @ January 28, 2008 | Uncategorized | Comments (0)
Update on HB 375 Sports Access
Good morning!
HB 375 Sports Access (Carrico) was heard briefly this morning at 9 a.m. by the Education Committee.
Members of the committee (members that were present are in bold): Tata (Chairman), Hamilton, Landes, Lingamfelter, Rust, Fralin, Cole, Gilbert, Janis, Athey, Pogge, Massie, Loupassi, Shuler, Alexander, Ebbin, Ware, O., Shannon, McClellan, Tyler, Bulova, and Morrissey.
HB 375 was not officially on the Education Committee docket today. However, it was brought back up after being defeated last Wednesday. A strategic move by Del. Cole brought the bill back to discussion when enough votes would be present to report (pass) the bill. According to Del. Cole, 12 votes would be present this morning to report the bill.
When the committee convened, Del. Cole immediately asked the chairman to reconsider HB 375. Seven members voted to reconsider and five voted not to reconsider (including the chairman, Del. Tata). Del. Hamilton moved to pass by HB 375 for the day because HB 375 was not listed on the docket. It was decided that the bill be passed by for the day; it will be heard again in Wednesday’s committee meeting.
Ben
Ben Lansing @ January 28, 2008 | Uncategorized | Comments (2)
Update on Tax Credit Bills
Here’s this morning’s update:
HB420 (Marshall) was heard this morning in the House Finance Subcommittee at 8:05 a.m.
Members of the committee: Cline (Chairman), Orrock, R.L. Ware, Johnson, and Purkey.
Several people spoke in support of the bill.
- Jeff Caruso from Virginia Catholic Conference spoke for the bill and said it would “further the goal of making educational choices available.”
- A Representative of the Family Foundation (Chris Freund) briefly spoke in support of the bill.
No one spoke against the bill.
Del. Cline (Chairman) said there was support for the general concept of providing such funds. He then added that the subcommittee has been inclined in the past to doing something more along the lines of what Del. Saxman’s bill (HB1164) introduces.
Del. Ware said he has spoken in support of bills like this before. He argued that homeschool and private school students offset expenses that would be incurred in the public schools. However, because of the financial state of our economic position, Del. Ware asked to lay the bill on the table.
Del. Cline said he also supported the bill, but because of the impact on our revenues and because he wants to hear from the governor about a stimulus package before he encourages such legislation, he said he would also like to lay the bill on the table due to economic uncertainties.
Del. Marshall argued the committee may be ignoring the financial offset that occurs to the public schools when homeschool and private school students do not attend public schools.
Bill was laid on the table: 5-Y, 0-N
———————
HB1164 (Saxman):
Del. Cline said that education was a top goal. Del. Ware said he like the targeted aspect of the bills and the limitations placed on it and he proposed a motion to put the bill forward.
- Jeff Caruso from Virginia Catholic Conference spoke in support of the bill.
- Chris Freund of the Family Foundation spoke in support of the bill.
No one spoke against it. Del. Ware moved to report the bill. Del. Cline seconded it. The motion failed because of a 2 to 2 split. Del. Orrock said there was such an uncertainty over revenues he suggested the bill be laid on the table. The motion to lay the bill on the table was not seconded. It was decided that the bill will be carried over until the next subcommittee meeting (next Friday morning).
…10 minutes later (after a couple additional bills were discussed) Orrock moved to report HB1164 to the full committee. All of the members voted to do so.
That’s all for now!
Ben
Ben Lansing @ January 25, 2008 | Uncategorized | Comments (2)