TN to home schoolers: "We don't recognize your diplomas"

The battle between home school parents and boards of education continues with the latest muscle move by the state of Tennessee to prevent home schooled students from being employed in government jobs -- state and local. Stop the ACLU had the story that was picked up by Rush Limbaugh:

This is from StoptheACLU.com by Warner Todd Huston.

"The State of Tennessee has officially declared that from this point forward it will accept only less educated student applicants for state, county and city jobs in the Volunteer State. Why would the kindly folks in Nashville make such a stupid rule? Well, it's all about control, you see. The state controls the less educated kids and they don't control the ones that show higher academic aptitude. It really is just that simple. It has come to pass that the State of Tennessee has officially invalidated the high school diplomas of thousands of homeschooled Tennessee kids, at least where it concerns their eligibility to apply for the positions of fireman, police officer, state government employee, even daycare worker -- any government job or government controlled position that the state regulates is covered."

So if you have a degree but you're home schooled, the State of Tennessee says: "Doesn't count if you want to come work for us."

"The reasoning the Board of Education used to justify this obscene act is almost a sensible sounding one. Since religious schools and homeschools each have their own curriculum that is designed by people not working for the state government (i.e., the state Board of Education), then the state has no real control or input in those curricula. Therefore, the state cannot make the assumption that kids educated in institutions or via home programs meet the standards of an officially recognized state education. Like I said, this almost seems logical until one does a tiny bit of research. Fortunately Tennessean Rob Shearer has done just that.

"Rob points out that while the State of Tennessee is claiming that homeschooled kids have a diploma that the state cannot insure what it represents, the same can be said of the state-approved diplomas. It turns out that the State of Tennessee does not require a minimum GPA for graduation from government indoctrination schools. So, did these kids get an A, a B, or a D? We don't really know just looking at a diploma. The state only requires 'credits' for passing the 20 some required courses, the final determination only being that the student be 'proficient' in the classwork."

Look, why are we so concerned? Why are we so surprised? This is exactly what the whole purpose of a government-run education system is all about: you dumb 'em down! You teach 'em certain things, you don't teach 'em other things, and then you graduate them and bring them into state government, city government, federal government, what have you.

This is why they're not going to give it up, and this is why they don't care to improve it. Mr. Warner Todd Huston here is correct in his assessment that the State of Tennessee has basically said: "We only want the lesser educated. We only want people who are not as well educated to come work for us in the state."

Home schooled students have proven beyond a shadow of doubt that they can match their public school counterparts ... indeed, even surpass them in national testing scores, excellence in higher education, and a recognition as self-starters who can work on their own.

Readers of this blog know I educated my children at home for 16 years, and they have excelled in the higher learning environment of Blue Ridge Community College and James Madison University. One graduated from JMU last year with a computer science degree; the other is working her way through Blue Ridge with her eye on continuing at JMU. She excels at her studies and stays on the President's list while working part-time.

The National Education Association (NEA) teachers union is constantly putting down home education ... perhaps they are afraid of the success of parents who do not have the education degrees that teachers possess. By consistently graduating children who excel, it proves that degrees and certificates do not necessarily get the job done.

On an annual basis since the 1980s the NEA has passed a resolution against home schooling:

The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience. When home schooling occurs, students enrolled must meet all state curricular requirements, including the taking and passing of assessments to ensure adequate academic progress. ... Instruction should be by persons who are licensed by the appropriate state education licensure agency, and a curriculum approved by the state department of education should be used. The Association also believes that home-schooled students should not participate in any extracurricular activities in the public schools. The Association further believes that local public school systems should have the authority to determine grade placement and/or credits earned toward graduation for students entering or re-entering the public school setting from a home school setting.

In other words, the NEA believes parents are incompetent and incapable of teaching their own children. I did it with only a high school degree.

Parents offer a one-on-one learning situation for their children. Who cares more for the welfare and education of their own children than the parents themselves? Teachers' unions indicate they do not want to see parents succeed.

Now with Tennessee jumping on the band wagon it shows the old stereotypes and prejudices of the government-run education system. Too bad. Tennessee will miss out on principled, hard-working employees with a strong work ethic.