A Homeschool Challenge We Still Must Face

As I have thought about the rise and growth of homeschooling in America over the last half century, it occurred to me that we have gone from fringe, to movement, to becoming an enduring institution in modern life. This, in fact, is the topic of my keynote address at the Homeschool Iowa Conference in June.

Much of our collective success
has been the result
of generations of homeschooled children taking up their roles
as successful, productive adults.

In the early days, homeschool graduates faced many challenges, like getting into college, trade schools, or the military. Thankfully, much has changed, and today’s homeschool graduates find getting on with adult life is easier than ever.

Some trades, like cosmetology, for example, remain a challenge that Home School Legal Defense Association is still working to correct.

The good news is that we just had a major breakthrough in New Jersey, where a homeschool graduate successfully finished the trade school, passed the licensing test, yet was denied a license because the cosmetology board refused to recognize the homeschool diploma. After we sued the board, it relented and approved the license. The homeschool graduate received her license the same week that I am writing this blog.

But homeschool graduates do still face discrimination,
and this is one of HSLDA’s top priorities to overcome.
What can you do if it happens to you?
You have some options.

The first thing you should know is that most states, including Iowa, empower parents who have legally homeschooled their children to issue diplomas and high school transcripts to their children.

These diplomas and transcripts are just as valid as any regular diploma and should be enough to fulfill whatever requirements are put forth

You should keep good records for several reasons.

First, because in many states, it is required by law, but, second, because it can help to clear up confusion when it arises.

HSLDA and Homeschool Iowa both have resources on why records are important. These records can be used to show that you were homeschooled in compliance with Iowa law, and sometimes this will be enough to clear up any issues.

Homeschool Iowa has an excellent article on what records you should keep.

While some of these encounters may be the result of negative attitudes toward homeschooling, often it’s a simple case of a misunderstanding.

Some employers, trade schools, or universities may have never dealt with a homeschool graduate before, and most of the time, they just don’t know how to handle it.

A little patience and graciousness
can be helpful in resolving the situation.

The best part of homeschool freedom is that it is a team sport.

HSLDA and Homeschool Iowa
exist to support and advocate for homeschoolers.

Homeschool Iowa has been dedicated to promoting and protecting homeschooling in Iowa since 1992. HSLDA has been working to advance and defend homeschool freedom for more than 40 years. We fight not only for the freedom to homeschool, but also for the freedom of homeschoolers.

We believe that homeschool graduates have every right and privilege that public school graduates enjoy. This is why we work to help our member families and their graduates as they set out to enter the professional world.

As much as we pride ourselves in our work,
it pales in comparison
to what you,
the individual homeschool graduate,
can achieve simply by being you.

The homeschool movement has proven over the years that the best advocates for homeschooling are homeschooled children, graduates, and professionals.

As more and more homeschool graduates enter the worlds of higher education, business, government, public service, or whatever they choose to do, more and more people see that homeschool graduates are bright, motivated, and self-reliant adults.

And that speaks volumes.