Currently, the state believes children should be enrolled in an education program at the age of 7. Senator Cleo Fields and his Senate Bill 10 (SB10) would like the state to proclaim that children be enrolled in an education program by the age of 5. However, parents are already free to start educating their children earlier if they see fit.
The proponents of this bill would have you believe that children benefit from being placed into school at an earlier age. There is no proof, however, to back up that assertion. What they really want is to increase taxpayer funding for the schools and to increase the state's scores on standardized tests--both of which offer no benefit to the children whatsoever.
What do standardized tests have to do with the age in which a child enters school? Well, Standards Based Education sets the "standards" that children must meet in order to be considered educated by the state...standards that seek to make children across our state, nation, and world the same (common) in attitudes, values, beliefs, and level of knowledge.
Because Louisiana is such a diverse state with many cultural differences, Louisiana's students traditionally score lower than most states on the tests that measure how many of our children meet those "standards." Our rich culture, traditions, and large population having Christian beliefs make it difficult to standardize the children of our state to the standards of government which are no match for such diversity.
So, the state decided long ago that, in order for children to be standardized, their backgrounds and experiences must be standardized. By lowering the age that children must be institutionalized, the children will begin to share the same experiences at a much earlier age. Consequently, this will eliminate at least two years in which they normally would be influenced strictly by their families. The children will be exposed to the ideas and values of the state at a much earlier age; and, the state intends that this will increase the likelihood that our children's answers to questions will, eventually, become the same as all other children on standardized tests...all children will hold and exhibit the same attitudes, values, beliefs, and level of knowledge.
SB 10 is just another attempted overreach of government. Parents already are free to send their children to school at the age of 5 if they so choose. The government should not be allowed to attempt to force children into school at an age when they may not even be ready...a choice & decision that belongs only to parents who have only their children's best interests at heart.
SB10 will be heard in the Senate Committee on Wednesday April 21, 2021. Please contact the members of that committee and ask them to vote against moving the bill out of committee. Ask them to "kill this bill".
Senator Cleo Fields - [email protected] or (225)342-9514 (author of the bill!)
Senator Katrina Jackson - [email protected] or (318)343-2877
Senator Mark Abraham - [email protected] (337)475-3016
Senator Robert Mills - [email protected] or (318)371-5200
Senator Beth Mizell - [email protected] or (985)839-3936
Senator Kirk Talbot - [email protected] or (504)736-7299
Senator "Bodi" White - [email protected] or (225)272-1324
The proponents of this bill would have you believe that children benefit from being placed into school at an earlier age. There is no proof, however, to back up that assertion. What they really want is to increase taxpayer funding for the schools and to increase the state's scores on standardized tests--both of which offer no benefit to the children whatsoever.
What do standardized tests have to do with the age in which a child enters school? Well, Standards Based Education sets the "standards" that children must meet in order to be considered educated by the state...standards that seek to make children across our state, nation, and world the same (common) in attitudes, values, beliefs, and level of knowledge.
Because Louisiana is such a diverse state with many cultural differences, Louisiana's students traditionally score lower than most states on the tests that measure how many of our children meet those "standards." Our rich culture, traditions, and large population having Christian beliefs make it difficult to standardize the children of our state to the standards of government which are no match for such diversity.
So, the state decided long ago that, in order for children to be standardized, their backgrounds and experiences must be standardized. By lowering the age that children must be institutionalized, the children will begin to share the same experiences at a much earlier age. Consequently, this will eliminate at least two years in which they normally would be influenced strictly by their families. The children will be exposed to the ideas and values of the state at a much earlier age; and, the state intends that this will increase the likelihood that our children's answers to questions will, eventually, become the same as all other children on standardized tests...all children will hold and exhibit the same attitudes, values, beliefs, and level of knowledge.
SB 10 is just another attempted overreach of government. Parents already are free to send their children to school at the age of 5 if they so choose. The government should not be allowed to attempt to force children into school at an age when they may not even be ready...a choice & decision that belongs only to parents who have only their children's best interests at heart.
SB10 will be heard in the Senate Committee on Wednesday April 21, 2021. Please contact the members of that committee and ask them to vote against moving the bill out of committee. Ask them to "kill this bill".
Senator Cleo Fields - [email protected] or (225)342-9514 (author of the bill!)
Senator Katrina Jackson - [email protected] or (318)343-2877
Senator Mark Abraham - [email protected] (337)475-3016
Senator Robert Mills - [email protected] or (318)371-5200
Senator Beth Mizell - [email protected] or (985)839-3936
Senator Kirk Talbot - [email protected] or (504)736-7299
Senator "Bodi" White - [email protected] or (225)272-1324