Posted on 06/02/2008 6:19:50 AM PDT by Between the Lines
NASHVILLE, TN, Five people in Tennessee, who hold homeschool diplomas, have recently been deemed unqualified for certain positions of employment becasue of their homeschooling. Since last year, the Tennessee Department of Education has begun withholding approval of such diplomas, but Representative Mile Bell has been fighting to gain back the recognition these diplomas previously enjoyed.
Bell told LifeSiteNews.com that until last year, no person in Tennessee had ever had an issue with an employer for holding a category IV diploma - the official title of diplomas issued to private church-related students, including homeschooled students.
Recently, however, employers that are required by statute to hire only those persons with a high school diploma, including the police department, day-care workers and education workers, have either suspended or denied employment to five category IV diploma holders.
After graduating with a 4.0 average from a police academy, one Rockwood police officer lost his certification, possibly deeming all of his arrests invalid, "because the DOE refused to recognize his category IV diploma." Bell also mentioned that this occurred seven years after the officer received his category IV high school diploma.
Likewise, Bell mentioned four daycare workers who have been deemed unqualified to carry out their responsibilities because they have category IV diplomas.
The representative was also keen to point out that many institutions of higher education, such as Harvard, grant scholarships based on such diplomas.
According to Bell, "It is hard to put a finger on when the Department of Education stopped giving full recognition to category IV diplomas. Throughout the course of four meetings with the DOE, they were either unable or refused to answer this question clearly." Bell does not understand why the problem occurred because homeschool diplomas have been part of a statute since 1976.
He suggested one incident that might have acted as a catalyst for the change. In February of 2007, the Control of the State of Tennessee audited the DOE, and was displeased to see that the department was not regulating category IV diplomas and the curriculum related to them.
Yet, Bell commented on the fact that one of the main reasons parents choose to homeschool their children is so they do not have to use state provided curriculum and testing.
"Regulating category IV diplomas leads to regulating home school curriculum, but I believe parents have a God-given right to choose their child's education."
In an effort to protect homeschooling in the state of Tennessee, Representative Bell has been spearheading an effort to establish a compromise with the DOE. After several negotiation periods with the department, as well as proposing a bill to the legislative process, Bell believes that category IV diplomas will once again gain the recognition they deserve.
He speculates that a person holding such a diploma, who applies for a position with an agency that requires by statute their employees to possess high school diplomas, will have to write a standardized test, receiving a grade no lower than a C. Homeschooled students have a reputation for often achieving academic test results well above the average of students from pubic education institutions.
No, It just means that I found it humorous.
Life Site News does not do investigative reports, all of the information in the article was provided by one person (Representative Mile Bell) in a press release.
I have a granddaughter that graduated college in three years with the highest of honors....
I live in Tennessee, and unfortunately the story is true.
How proud you must be!!!!
Do they recognize a GED?
The article did say that it was the state DOE that didn't recognize his credentials. It's most unlikely that a state DOE would not accept a GED.
Thanks for the free crap, but free crap is still crap.
Not necessarily...some kids just don't fit well within the system and end up dropping out and eventually getting a GED even though they are bright.
When I went to a homeschool dual-enrollment information night years ago at Valencia Community College in Orlando, the president of the college was very homeschool friendly and commented that he had a GED and a doctorate. He did not seem dumb...I would love to have heard the background of that story, but he did not elaborate. Valencia is one of the top community colleges in the nation and my kids have benefited greatly from dual enrollment there.
I have a GED. Tell you what, the next time I'm on a quantum theory thread or we're discussing Kepler, Newton and Einsteins opinions on the Laws of Thermodynamics I'll ping you and you can join in the fun, How's that?
Incidentally, you don’t have to be Einstein to graduate from a public high school these days. Public school diplomas are handed out to graduates who are not only scantily educated, but misinformed as well.
Just more of the NEA “People for the government, people by the goverment, people of the government.” They are just protecting their turf, which they hi-jacked years ago!
1) Allow any child of any age to take the GED. Those who pass get an official diploma from the high school in their district. This would end the discrimination against homeschoolers and allow bright student to move on with a career or college at an earlier age.
2) Administer the GED to all teachers, principals, and superintendents. Fire all those who fail it the first time.
3) Give the GED to all seniors. Those who pass get an official diploma from the high school in their district. All others get a certificate of attendance.
Wow! This is a sneaky way to put private schools out of business. I am **certain** this was their intent!
As the slow trickle of students fleeing the government schools becomes a hemorrhage, expect the Liberal/Marxists to do more of this.
LOL.
Cordially,
Homeschoolers need to know about this. I hope HSLDA is jumping right one the problem.
Would you be able to pass the GED if you had ...Hm?...6 weeks to prepare?
And, in the case of Tennessee school, scantily clad as well.
Tennessee public education is a form of child abuse.
“Are you a teacher?
Would you be able to pass the GED if you had ...Hm?...6 weeks to prepare?”
I’m not a teacher and I’m sure I could pass the GED (depending on how much algebra is on it; that would require some refreshing) but that has nothing whatsoever to do with my comment. Totally off what I was commenting on.
And why would you care whether I can pass the GED?
just wondering.
I don’t see why someone that was homeschooled would not be qualified to be a daycare worker.
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