Gateway Christian Schools
March 23, 2001
To All Gateway Families in Carroll and Weakley Counties:

Legislative Alert

In order to pass HB 0467, a bill sponsored by your representative, Rep. Mark Maddox, the reputation of your choice of education for your children is being slandered. According to information given by attendance supervisors, how the bill is introduced. Our Gateway home school attorney, Jeff Atherton, gives the following reasons for the problems with HB0467.

1. Introducing the bill will create a forum in the state legislature to present misleading information that will slander the integrity of the Gateway program of family-directed education that you have chosen. When other legislators hear the false reports that your chidren are "running loose," there will be no one on the committee armed with the truth to refute these falsehoods.

2. If the bill is presented, it will open the section of law that presently protects home educators - 49-6-3050. When this happens, it gives legislators who oppose home education an opportunity to "rip out" your present freedoms.

3. Even though the bill seems a harmless way to solve a supposed problem, it will open the door for abusive attendance officer to pounce quickly on families when they wish to transfer back to their local public school.

HELP YOUR CAUSE FOR FREEDOM; CALL REP. MADDOX BEFORE HE PRESENTS THIS BILL

1. Call his Nashville office at 615-147-7847 or Dresden office at 364-2685 in the most diplomatic way possible while telling him you are a voter in hisdistrict. If you can't talk to him personally, ask his staff to pass along your message.

2. Tell him about the success your child/children are having with Gateway.

3. Ask him to consider another means to solve the problem he perceives.

4. Those who call do not have to be registered with Gateway, they only have to be voters in his district. So ask your friends and family members to call.

5. As part of your call, tell him the other side of the story. If you were mistreated by attendance supervisors or school officials when you withdrew to attend Gateway, let him know. Some of these are the officials who have told him your children are running loose.

6. All home educators will appreciate your efforts to protect our present