GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATION

1. Line 13, enrolled, after (i) holds a

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baccalaureate degree in any subject from an accredited institution of higher education

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baccalaureate degree in any subject from an accredited institution of higher education; or (ii) holds a

2. Line 14, enrolled, after diploma

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and has achieved a composite score on PRAXIS I or SAT I not less than the composite score required for beginning teachers licensed by the Board of Education or has achieved a score above the 50^th percentile in English and mathematics on a national standardized norm-referenced test approved by the Department of Education

3. Line 14, enrolled, after or

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(ii)

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(iii)

4. Line 15, enrolled, after or

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(iii)

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(iv)

5. Line 16, enrolled, after or

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(iv)

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(v)

TO THE VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES:

HOUSE BILL NO. 675

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 675. This bill would have permitted a parent without a college degree to educate his children at home, without even an approved program of study for teaching the child. Under current Virginia law, a parent may educate his children at home if he meets one of several criteria: he has a college degree, he is a certified teacher with qualifications prescribed by the Board of Education, he has enrolled the children in a correspondence course approved by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, or he provides a program of study or curriculum approved by the local school superintendent. In addition, parents who have a religious exemption need no other qualification to home school.

I proposed an amendment to this bill which would have allowed a parent without a college degree to home school if he has achieved an acceptable score on a standardized test – PRAXIS I or SAT I (at levels determined by the Department of Education) or above a 50% pass score on another test approved by the Department of Education. My amendment was designed to increase flexibility desired by the home schooling community while ensuring that the parent is able to educate his children.

Through the Federal No Child Left Behind Act, we have raised the standards for our public school teachers. This bill would effectively lower the criteria to home school, and thus retreat from the needed assurance of an adequate education for every child.

I am committed to high standards for our teachers as well as our home educators. Accordingly, I have vetoed this bill.