Lynch wants to make school mandatory until 18

[dawn]

The problem for homeschoolers is that they'd probably require reporting/testing until age 18 instead of 16 also.

This would certainly be a negative consequence if this legislation were to pass. If this is a bill in '06, one thing for people opposed to this legislation to do is brainstorm good reasons as to why this is not good for or necessary in NH. And then watch the legislative session to see who to contact (members of the education committee) with your specific examples as to why this build deserves an ITL (inexpedient to legislate).

Dawn

[Kat Kanning]

You know, their terminology says a lot...it's all about expediency.

[Michael Fisher]

I was forced into suspension for repeatedly missing school and showing up hours late.

Then I was forced into summer school because I refused to do any school work even though I aced the tests.



School is slavery.  I've always known it.   

Knowing what I know now, I would never have attended a single day of it.  Over my dead body.

[FTL_Ian]

I always envy the 14-17 year olds that call my show.  I wish I'd known as much as they know about Liberty at that age!   

With FTL reaching out to the younger generation, the future is bright indeed.   

[Michael Fisher]

I always envy the 14-17 year olds that call my show.? I wish I'd known as much as they know about Liberty at that age!? ?

With FTL reaching out to the younger generation, the future is bright indeed.? ?

[Rocketman]

Fight 'em, guys.  Any reasonable person ought to be able to comprehend this one -- what good can come from locking up 17 and 18 year olds against their will?  Or 16-year-olds, or 15-year-olds, etc., but it looks like we have to play defense against Lynch first.

Winning the battle against compulsory schooling is essential to securing liberty in our lifetime.  If we can't make it possible for kids to learn in freedom, our other actions will ultimately be a waste of time.

[Michael Fisher]

Agreed.

But how do we stop it?  What type of extremely influential actions can we take?  Civil disobedience of some type?

[EZPass]

17 and 18 year olds who want to be in school will be there anyway.  Those who don't want to be there will most likely be disruptive.  Who wants that?

It's a dumb recommendation from the Gov that the legislature should ignore.

[Rocketman]

I don't have a civil dis idea for this, Mike.  My thinking is that if we can get independent learning centers up and running, we'll have something to point to.  Weaning people off government schooling will probably have to be a long-term process that combines many efforts and phases.

One thing I have decided is that the non-government alternatives have to be developed right away -- we can't just keep saying "if only the government abolished schooling, the free market would provide."  I think that argument is correct, but it will never convince too many people unless the independent alternatives are developed as examples of what is possible.  As more free staters move, I expect this will become progressively easier. 

[Russell Kanning]

The alternatives already exist.

[mvpel]

One thing I have decided is that the non-government alternatives have to be developed right away -- we can't just keep saying "if only the government abolished schooling, the free market would provide."  I think that argument is correct, but it will never convince too many people unless the independent alternatives are developed as examples of what is possible.  As more free staters move, I expect this will become progressively easier. 

The main problem is that the alternatives labor under the predatory pricing of government-run schools.  How much could you charge for a health club membership if the government was operating them for "free?"

[president]

One thing I have decided is that the non-government alternatives have to be developed right away -- we can't just keep saying "if only the government abolished schooling, the free market would provide."  I think that argument is correct, but it will never convince too many people unless the independent alternatives are developed as examples of what is possible.  As more free staters move, I expect this will become progressively easier. 

The main problem is that the alternatives labor under the predatory pricing of government-run schools.  How much could you charge for a health club membership if the government was operating them for "free?"

Well, if your health club makes people fit, and the "free" government heath clubs makes people fat, I assume you could charge a lot for your health club membership.

[Fluff and Stuff]

The main problem is that the alternatives labor under the predatory pricing of government-run schools.? How much could you charge for a health club membership if the government was operating them for "free?"

I don't know, but lot of the chruchs around where I live offer free gyms and they are hardly used (outside of basketball).  However, most of the gyms that cost money are loaded with people.

[KBCraig]

Kicking this old thread back to life, in light of the new statistics. Handy to know. I'm sure Lynch has a pet bill on this issue, waiting in the shadows somewhere.

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Public+school+dropouts+declined+again+last+year&articleId=fed35616-bdcd-45e0-836f-1df69f449064

Public school dropouts declined again last year

The number of public school dropouts declined for the second year in a row, according to figures released yesterday by Lyonel Tracy, state education commissioner.

In 2005-06, 2,146 students left school without a high school diploma, compared to 2,306 the year before.

The numbers translate to an annual dropout rate of 3.2 percent, down from 3.4 percent in the 2004-05 school year and 3.8 percent for the 2003-04 school year.

The cumulative rate, which is an estimate of the percentage of high school students who will drop out before graduation, has shown a steady decline over the past four years, moving from 15.1 percent to 12.2 percent.

According to the Department of Education, 14,000 public high school students earned a diploma last June. If New Hampshire was still at the dropout rate of four years ago, 500 fewer students would have graduated.

Tracy credited school districts for using innovative ways to personalize education for each student and keeping them in school.

School-to-career programs, individualized mentoring and credit recovery programs are just a few examples, he said.

"Although even one dropout is cause for concern, this reduction in the dropout rate is a step in the right direction," said Tracy.

"With the governor's proposal to increase the compulsory attendance age from 16 to 18, and the accompanying commitment to offer alternative education and more learning options, we will see more decreases."

For the third year in a row, Lincoln Woodstock Cooperative had no dropouts. In 2001-02, Franklin had the state's highest dropout rate; now for two years in a row the district has a dropout rate below the state average.

Across the state, the estimated four-year cumulative dropout rate for males dropped from 15.6 percent to 13.5 percent, while the rate for females increased from 10.2 percent to 10.5 percent.

The dropout percentage rates by county in 2005-06 were: Grafton 9.2, Rockingham 9.7, Merrimack 9.9, Cheshire 11.7, Belknap 12.4, Coos 12.5, Hillsborough 13.3, Strafford 14.8, Carroll 16.0 and Sullivan 17.2.

Individual schools rates can be found on the DOE Web site at http://www.ed.state.nh.us/education/data/DropoutsAndGraduates.htm.

[Rosie the Riveter]

It may also be helpful to know that I attended a Drop-out Summit in Manchester and NONE of the solutions that the work groups presented involved raising the drop-out age. The work groups were a pretty good cross section of general public and educrats.

The possible solutions presented were increasing personalizing learning, increasing alternative education options and helping students in need access social services. Though these solutions may not be ideal to me -- I was very pleased that NOT EVEN ONE group said raise the drop-out age.