Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Are homeschool graduates having problems getting jobs? Join HSLDA President Michael Smith as he discusses this topic on today's Home School Heartbeat.

Mike Smith:
In spite of the great strides made by homeschoolers in recent years, there are still some companies that give homeschoolers trouble. The business world has plenty of pointless bureaucracies and shortsighted managers. Many hiring policies were written long before homeschoolers appeared on the scene. Getting a job at some of these companies can be very difficult.


Take, for example, the case of Fred Isaack. Fred graduated from his family's homeschool and worked for several months for a company that serves the railroad industry. In March 2002, Fred applied for a railroad conductor's job and in April got a letter offering him a "conditional offer of employment."


A background check, however, indicated that the department of education in Fred's home state said, "a diploma will not be issued for homeschooling." Based solely on that fact, the railroad denied him employment. A human resources manager with the company said that he could not hire Fred unless the county or state would certify his diploma or Fred obtained a General Equivalency Diploma (GED).


Frustrated, Fred finally decided to get a GED, but the results did not get back to him by the time his conductor training began.


Many people think the E in GED means it is the equivalent of a diploma, but economists have found that GED holders are "statistically indistinguishable" from dropouts. Thus, when employers turn down a homeschool diploma and demand a GED instead, they demonstrate their own ignorance. Until next time, I'm Mike Smith.