PRINTER'S NO. 3427
No. 464 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY ROHRER, ARMSTRONG, M. BAKER, BARLEY, BASTIAN,
BEBKO-JONES, BENNINGHOFF, BIRMELIN, BUNT, CALTAGIRONE,
CIVERA, CLYMER, COLAFELLA, CORRIGAN, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, DALEY,
DeLUCA, DeWEESE, DONATUCCI, FEESE, FICHTER, FLEAGLE, FORCIER,
GRUCELA, HARHART, HERSHEY, HESS, HORSEY, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER,
LEH, MAITLAND, MAJOR, McGILL, McILHATTAN, MELIO, METCALFE,
PETRARCA, PIPPY, RAYMOND, READSHAW, RUBLEY, SATHER, SCHRODER,
SCHULER, B. SMITH, STERN, R. STEVENSON, T. STEVENSON,
TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, WATERS, WATSON, WILT,
YOUNGBLOOD, ZIMMERMAN, ZUG, ROBERTS, MARSICO, ALLEN AND
BROWNE, MARCH 14, 2002
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MARCH 14, 2002
A RESOLUTION
1 Declaring the week of April 14 through 20, 2002, as
2 "Pennsylvania 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
1 learning when our nation enjoyed its highest level of literacy,
2 and has produced such respected Americans as Thomas Edison,
3 Franklin D. Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Mark Twain, Andrew
4 Carnegie, Abraham Lincoln, Booker T. Washington, Patrick Henry
5 and George Washington; and
6 WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court has repeatedly
7 affirmed the role of parental responsibility in the lives of
8 their children with statements such as: "The child is not the
9 mere creature of the state; those who nurture him and direct his
10 destiny have the right and the high duty to recognize and
11 prepare him for additional obligations"; and
12 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania acknowledges this
13 same constitutional principle with the following statement in
14 the Public School Code of 1949: "It is the policy of the
15 Commonwealth to preserve the primary right of the parent or
16 parents ... to chose the education and training for such child";
17 and
18 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania statutorily
19 recognizes the legality of home education as an education option
20 and has accorded it equal legal standing with public, private
21 and nonpublic education; and
22 WHEREAS, The 105th Congress of the United States commended
23 home education saying it is "a valuable part of our nation's
24 effort to prepare its youth for the demands of society at the
25 edge of a new century" and passed legislation protecting the
26 rights of home-educated graduates who apply for college funding
27 or enlist in the military; and
28 WHEREAS, Over 1.5 million children are in home education
29 programs, with more than 23,000 of these being residents of this
30 Commonwealth; and
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1 WHEREAS, Home education is growing dramatically each year and
2 attracts families from all walks of life, including members of
3 Congress and the General Assembly; and
4 WHEREAS, The academic success of home education is well-
5 documented in the elementary, secondary and postsecondary
6 levels; and
7 WHEREAS, Home education is an excellent setting for healthy
8 socialization and effectively prepares children to successfully
9 contribute to society by providing students with many
10 opportunities for real-life activities within their communities,
11 giving them interaction with people of many ages and backgrounds
12 and creating a learning environment where values may be
13 incorporated into the curriculum; and
14 WHEREAS, Home education takes advantage of the many benefits
15 of tutorial learning and the individualized, flexible
16 instruction it allows, as well as providing a safe,
17 nondistracting learning environment; and
18 WHEREAS, Research shows that the academic performance of
19 home-educated students is not dependent on the level of their
20 parents' education or income, nor is it dependent on the degree
21 of regulation imposed by the state; and
22 WHEREAS, Families who educate their children make a
23 tremendous contribution to this Commonwealth by financially
24 providing for their children's education and molding productive
25 citizens who will lead the nation in the 21st century; therefore
26 be it
27 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor and commend
28 home education and the thousands of students and families
29 involved for their dedication, hard work and accomplishments and
30 for their very significant contribution to the success of this
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1 Commonwealth in this new millennium; and be it further
2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives declare the week
3 of April 14 through 20, 2002, as "Pennsylvania Home Education
4 Week."
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