PRINTER'S NO. 3081
No. 392 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY ROHRER, ARMSTRONG, PETRARCA, YEWCIC, ARGALL,
BAKER, BARRAR, BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES, BROWNE, CALTAGIRONE,
CAPPABIANCA, CLYMER, M. COHEN, CORRIGAN, DAILEY, DALEY,
FAIRCHILD, FARGO, FEESE, FICHTER, FLEAGLE, FLICK, HARHART,
HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS, LEDERER, LEH, LESCOVITZ, MAITLAND,
MAJOR, MARSICO, MASLAND, McNAUGHTON, METCALFE, ORIE, PIPPY,
PISTELLA, READSHAW, RUBLEY, SAYLOR, SCHRODER, SCHULER,
SEYFERT, S. H. SMITH, STABACK, STAIRS, STERN, E. Z. TAYLOR,
THOMAS, TRUE, WILT, WOGAN, WOJNAROSKI, WRIGHT, McCALL AND
SATHER, MARCH 8, 2000
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MARCH 8, 2000
A RESOLUTION
1 Declaring May 7 through 13, 2000, as "Pennsylvania Home
2 Education Week" in this Commonwealth.
3 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth recognizes that healthy families
4 are the fundamental building blocks of a strong society; and
5 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth also recognizes that parental
6 commitment to and involvement in their children's nurture and
7 education are essential elements of a healthy family; and
8 WHEREAS, The learning alternative generally referred to as
9 home education requires parents to be actively involved in their
10 children's education and upbringing; and
11 WHEREAS, The practice of home education boasts a long and
12 notable history in our nation, having been the primary mode of
13 learning when our nation enjoyed its highest level of literacy,
1 and has produced such respected Americans as Thomas Edison,
2 Franklin D. Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Mark Twain, Andrew
3 Carnegie, Abraham Lincoln, Booker T. Washington, Patrick Henry
4 and George Washington; and
5 WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court has repeatedly
6 affirmed the role of parental responsibility in the lives of
7 children with statements such as:
8 The child is not the mere creature of the state; those
9 who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right and
10 the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for
11 additional obligations;
12 and
13 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth acknowledges this same
14 constitutional principle with the following statement in the
15 Public School Code of 1949:
16 It is the policy of the Commonwealth to preserve the
17 primary right and the obligation of the parent or
18 parents, or person or persons in loco parentis to a
19 child, to choose the education and training for such
20 child;
21 and
22 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth statutorily recognizes the legality
23 of home education as an education option and has accorded it
24 equal legal standing with public, private and nonpublic
25 education; and
26 WHEREAS, The 105th Congress of the United States commended
27 home education, recognizing it as a valuable part of our
28 nation's efforts to prepare its youth for the demands of society
29 at the edge of a new century, and passed legislation protecting
30 the rights of home-educated graduates who apply for college
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1 funding or enlist in the military; and
2 WHEREAS, Over 1.5 million children are in home education
3 programs, with more than 20,000 of these children being
4 Pennsylvania residents; and
5 WHEREAS, Home education is growing dramatically each year and
6 attracts families from all walks of life, including members of
7 Congress and the General Assembly; and
8 WHEREAS, The academic success of home education is well-
9 documented on the elementary, secondary and postsecondary
10 levels; and
11 WHEREAS, Research also finds that home education is an
12 excellent setting for healthy socialization and effectively
13 prepares children to successfully contribute to society by
14 providing students with many opportunities for real-life
15 activities within their communities, giving them interaction
16 with people of many ages and backgrounds and creating a learning
17 environment where values may be incorporated into the
18 curriculum; and
19 WHEREAS, Home education takes advantage of the many benefits
20 of tutorial learning and the individualized, flexible
21 instruction it allows and provides a safe, nondistracting
22 learning environment; and
23 WHEREAS, Research shows that the academic performance of
24 home-educated students is not dependent on the level of their
25 parents' education or income, nor is it dependent on the degree
26 of regulation imposed by the State; and
27 WHEREAS, Families who educate their children make a
28 tremendous contribution to this Commonwealth by financially
29 providing for their children's education and molding productive
30 citizens who will lead the nation in the 21st century; therefore
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1 be it
2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor and commend
3 home education and the thousands of students and families
4 involved for their dedication, hard work and accomplishments and
5 for their very significant contribution to the success of our
6 State in the next millennium; and be it further
7 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives declare the week
8 of May 7 through 13, 2000, as "Pennsylvania Home Education Week"
9 in this Commonwealth and express congratulations and
10 appreciation to home schools across this Commonwealth on the
11 occasion of "Pennsylvania Home Education Week" in 2000.
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