This event is open to all friends of NY home education! You do not have to be a current homeschooler or Homeschool New York member to participate. Click here to register and for more information.
Pre-Legislative Day Rally
Wednesday, May 22, 2024 | 7-9pm
Location:
Shaker Ridge Country Club
What to Expect:
- 7-7:30pm Introduction / Orientation
- 7:30-8:30pm Keynote: Dr. Michael Farris, Founder of HSLDA
- 8:30-9pm Q&A
*Please plan to eat dinner before your arrival. Families and teens will be together from 7-9pm. After 9pm, we plan to organize a teen hangout session at the hotel (Tru by Hilton Albany Airport –see below for booking information).
Our Purpose:
This year, we plan to offer 2-3 training sessions via Zoom (for both adults and teens) leading up to Legislative Day. (Each family would only need to attend one of the Zoom trainings, but we’ll offer several so you can pick the one that fits best with your schedule. Keep an eye on your email for the dates and Zoom links!) We hope you’ll take advantage of this time to learn more about the legislative process here in New York, as well as the bills we’re supporting (and opposing) and why. More importantly, we want to help you understand the history of our movement, where we stand today, and what the future may hold. And, foundationally, we want you to understand and embrace a Biblical model of engagement in our government and culture to both enhance homeschool freedom and advance the Gospel!
If you can come the night before Legislative Day, we’ll have rooms reserved at a local hotel (details below) for an encouraging session with our keynote speaker, Dr. Michael Farris. Dr. Farris is the founder of HSLDA and was instrumental in the establishment of our organization forty years ago, so it’s very special to have him back at the Capitol for this year’s Legislative Day!
Homeschool New York Legislative Day
Thursday, May 23, 2024 | 8:30am-2pm
Location:
The Well, Legislative Office Building (LOB)
What to Expect:
- 8:30am Worship and Orientation | The Well, Legislative Office Building (LOB)
- 9-11am Meetings with your local Assembly Representative and Senator | LOB
- 9-11am Workshops | Hearing Room A
- 12-12:45pm Dr. Michael Farris, keynote | The Well (LOB)
- 12:45-2pm Additional meetings and Tour of the Capitol (check back here for details)
Enjoy our catered brunch at the Capitol in addition to the hotel breakfast on Thursday morning! This combination should hold you over until 1pm, when there will be time in the schedule for you to find lunch at the Capitol.
We’ll meet together in the Well of the Legislative Office Building in the Capitol. After a time of worship and prayer, you’ll spend the rest of the day attending meetings with your Senator and Assembly Representative, as well as additional meetings with key Committee members. These meetings will be facilitated by a Homeschool New York board member (so you won’t be alone!) and will provide an opportunity for you to advocate for homeschooling in general, as well as for specific legislation.
You’ll also have the chance to hear from Dr. Michael Farris (founder, HSLDA) and several of our sponsors. New this year: browse our sponsor tables!
Your teens will have the opportunity to pass out Homeschool New York opinion papers and ask representatives for their support.
*Come early on Wednesday or stay late on Thursday to check out the New York State Museum!
Our Purpose:
Our purpose is to have an impactful and winsome voice in the legislative and regulatory processes here in New York by sharing the goals, heart, and passion of home education with our elected and appointed officials. One of the ways we fulfill this purpose is through our Legislative Day, giving home educators from across the state an opportunity to share their own experiences and convictions with their elected officials in Albany.
This year, there are already two bills we are working hard to advance! One is the Sports Bill (A1072 and S1010), which will allow homeschool students to participate on high school sports teams. The other is the Letter of Substantial Equivalence Bill (A2957 and S7706), which will require District Superintendents to write the Letter when students have completed their home education in compliance with Section 100.10 of the Commissioner’s Regulations. By May, there might be other bills we are supporting, and there may also be bills we are opposing, so your presence is needed both for offense and defense!
One of our main goals is to gain support for the Letter of Substantial Equivalence Bill – we’re hopeful to see it move this year! Several legislators have asked for specific examples of our students who have struggled to obtain the Letter. If that applies to you, would you please send your story to legislative@nysleah.org? We are specifically looking for testimonies regarding the following:
- The importance of the Letter for home educated students
- How difficult the Letter is to obtain
- Ramifications when superintendents refuse to write the Letter
- Stories of colleges refusing to accept home educated students
Bring the Whole Family!
We are homeschoolers, so, of course, this is a family-friendly event! No childcare is available, as we encourage you to have your children present during the meetings. There will be a room set aside for nursing and a place for you to put coats. Every Individual Home Instruction Programs (IHIP) has a section for Citizenship; participating in this event together with your children is a great way to accomplish that!
Teens:
Each year at Legislative Day, our teens take up the challenge of visiting every Senator and Assembly Representative’s office to introduce themselves as homeschool students, deliver our position papers, and review them with as many elected officials and staff members as possible!
Of course, before going out on this mission, there will be a time of training and preparation! This year, we plan to offer 2-3 meeting times over Zoom in the weeks leading up to the event. (No need to attend more than one – just pick a date that works best for you!) This is a fantastic opportunity for your teens to learn the importance of being a part of the legislative process. (Perhaps one of them will run for legislative office one day!)
With the guidance of Homeschool New York’s own veteran young adults, your teens will review our position papers, practice speaking about them, and divide up into teams (we’ll pair teens who are new to the program with teens who are more experienced). Later in the day, they will regroup to debrief, sharing what they have learned and discussing follow-up strategies.
Registration Deadline Without a Late Fee:
April 8, 2024
Register Today! https://leah.regfox.com/legislative-day-2024
Why Register?
The sooner you register (for only $10/family), the sooner our legislative team can
- Schedule group meetings with your elected representatives
- Prepare packets for you and your teen
- Plan teen events on May 22 and May 23
If you register after April 8th, we’d still love to have you join us! However, we can’t guarantee we’ll have enough time to set up meetings with your Senator and Assembly Representative. In addition, a late fee will go into effect on April 9. Please make plans to join us at the New York State Capitol to promote homeschooling, raise awareness, and gather support for homeschooling freedom!
Homeschool New York / NYS LEAH is a Christian organization. Our Christian faith directs our Legislative and Public Policy efforts to protect and expand the freedom of all parents to home educate their children, regardless of whether they are our members or not. We seek to stand together with all of New York’s homeschoolers in the public square to advocate together for our rights. Are you ready?
Contact:
For more information, contact Michael and Carolyn Bailey and the Legislative Team at legislative@nysleah.org.
Hotel Registration Information:
On Wednesday evening, we will be meeting at a local hotel, Tru by Hilton Albany Airport!
Our group block is live and ready for guests to book their reservations; please see booking options below.
Simply copy and paste the reservation link URL below into your browser to access the exclusive rates available for our group:
Booking Link: https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=ALBATRU&groupCode=90M&arrivaldate=2024-05-22&departuredate=2024-05-23&cid=OM,WW,HILTONLINK,EN,DirectLink&fromId=HILTONLINKDIRECT
Hotel: Tru by Hilton Albany Airport
Group Name: Home School New York
Arrival Date: 05/22/2024
Departure Date: 05/23/2024
Cut-off Date: 04/22/2024
Please note, the entire URL must be copied and pasted for it to work properly.
Another way you can book reservations is by calling the Hilton Reservations toll-free number at 1-800-HILTONS. Mention the Home School New York Group Block at Tru by Hilton Albany Airport or the unique code 90M to receive your group rate.
