[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 58 (Tuesday, April 27, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S4247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CELEBRATING MISSOURI HOME EDUCATION WEEK

  Mr. ASHCROFT. Mr. President, as a parent and former teacher, it is a 
privilege for me to be able to recognize Missouri home schoolers, who 
will observe Missouri Home Education Week during May 2-8, 1999.
  Home schooling has been legal in Missouri since the state's founding 
in 1821. Since that time, and especially in the last two decades, home 
schoolers have faced numerous challenges and successes.
  Fortunately, legislators are increasingly recognizant of the 
importance of local decision-making and parental involvement in our 
children's education. Home Education Week reminds us that parents are 
the first and best educators of their children. Study after study has 
shown that parental involvement is the most important factor in a 
child's academic achievement.
  It is, therefore, appropriate that we celebrate Home Education Week 
by acknowledging the hard work, dedication, and commitment to academic 
excellence of the more than 4,300 home school families in my home 
state. Recently, the Washington Post lauded the academic achievement of 
these families. The Post article describes a study of home-schooled 
children, stating that they ``score well above the national median on 
standardized tests [and] often study above their normal grade level.''
  It was an honor for me to proclaim Missouri's first Home Education 
Week in 1989. Now, in 1999, I look forward to the continued success of 
Missouri home school families, and to working with them to promote the 
kind of freedom that encourages parents to take an active role in 
guiding the course of their children's education.

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