PRINTER'S NO. 1682
No. 170 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY ROHRER, ARMSTRONG, M. BAKER, BARLEY, BARRAR,
BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES, BENNINGHOFF, BUNT, CALTAGIRONE, CLARK,
CLYMER, COLEMAN, CORRIGAN, CREIGHTON, DAILEY, DALEY, DeLUCA,
DONATUCCI, FAIRCHILD, FEESE, FICHTER, FLEAGLE, FORCIER,
HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS, HORSEY, JAMES, KIRKLAND, LEH, MAJOR,
MANDERINO, MARSICO, McILHATTAN, McNAUGHTON, PETRARCA, PIPPY,
READSHAW, ROSS, RUBLEY, SATHER, SCHULER, SOLOBAY, STERN,
T. STEVENSON, TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, WATERS,
WATSON, WILT, WOJNAROSKI, YEWCIC AND ZUG, APRIL 25, 2001
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 25, 2001
A RESOLUTION
1 Declaring the week of May 6 through 12, 2001, as "Pennsylvania
2 Home Education Week."
3 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recognizes that
4 healthy families are the fundamental building blocks of a strong
5 society; and
6 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recognizes that
7 parental commitment and involvement in their children's nurture
8 and education are essential elements of a healthy family; and
9 WHEREAS, The learning alternative referred to as home
10 education requires parents to be actively involved in their
11 children's education and upbringing; and
12 WHEREAS, The practice of home education boasts a long and
13 notable history in our nation, having been the primary mode of
14 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 their children with statements such as: "The child is not the
8 mere creature of the state; those who nurture him and direct his
9 destiny have the right and the high duty to recognize and
10 prepare him for additional obligations"; and
11 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania acknowledges this
12 same constitutional principle with the following statement in
13 the Public School Code of 1949: "It is the policy of the
14 Commonwealth to preserve the primary right of the parent or
15 parents ... to chose the education and training for such child";
16 and
17 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania statutorily
18 recognizes the legality of home education as an education option
19 and has accorded it equal legal standing with public, private
20 and nonpublic education; and
21 WHEREAS, The 105th Congress of the United States commended
22 home education saying it is "a valuable part of our nation's
23 effort to prepare its youth for the demands of society at the
24 edge of a new century" and passed legislation protecting the
25 rights of home-educated graduates who apply for college funding
26 or enlist in the military; and
27 WHEREAS, Over 1.5 million children are in home education
28 programs, with more than 23,000 of these being residents of this
29 Commonwealth; and
30 WHEREAS, Home education is growing dramatically each year and
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1 attracts families from all walks of life, including members of
2 Congress and the General Assembly; and
3 WHEREAS, The academic success of home education is well-
4 documented in the elementary, secondary and postsecondary
5 levels; and
6 WHEREAS, Home education is an excellent setting for healthy
7 socialization and effectively prepares children to successfully
8 contribute to society by providing students with many
9 opportunities for real-life activities within their communities,
10 giving them interaction with people of many ages and backgrounds
11 and creating a learning environment where values may be
12 incorporated into the curriculum; and
13 WHEREAS, Home education takes advantage of the many benefits
14 of tutorial learning and the individualized, flexible
15 instruction it allows, as well as providing a safe,
16 nondistracting learning environment; and
17 WHEREAS, Research shows that the academic performance of
18 home-educated students is not dependent on the level of their
19 parents' education or income, nor is it dependent on the degree
20 of regulation imposed by the state; and
21 WHEREAS, Families who educate their children make a
22 tremendous contribution to this Commonwealth by financially
23 providing for their children's education and molding productive
24 citizens who will lead the nation in the 21st century; therefore
25 be it
26 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor and commend
27 home education and the thousands of students and families
28 involved for their dedication, hard work and accomplishments and
29 for their very significant contribution to the success of this
30 Commonwealth in this new millennium; and be it further
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1 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives declare the week
2 of May 6 through 12, 2001, as "Pennsylvania Home Education
3 Week."
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