JOINT LEGISLATIVE NEWSFLASH UPDATE – January 16, 2008
From: Roy Hanson’s Private and Home Educators of California and HSLDA
Bill: AB 1236 – 5 Year-Old Compulsory Education
Author: State Assembly Member Gene Mullin
Status: Proposal Defeated – A very encouraging VICTORY!
As initially introduced in 2007, AB 1236 would have lowered the compulsory education age from 6 to 5 years of age, in effect making kindergarten mandatory. AB 1236 also would have taken another incremental step toward a universal preschool program for 3 and 4 year-olds.
On January 8, 2008, AB 1236 was gutted and a new proposal was amended into this bill. In its current form, AB 1236 is limited to proposing a new kind of pilot kindergarten program for public schools. This current version of AB 1236 does not lower the age of compulsory education. It does not make kindergarten mandatory. And it does not affect private schools of any kind including private home schools.
We thank God for this victory and for using your letters, calls, prayers, and support of our efforts behind the scenes to bring about the defeat of this extremely dangerous proposal.
NO further action is needed on AB 1236.
For important background information on issues related to Early Childhood Education, read the papers on this topic, which are posted at http://www.childandfamilyprotection.org.