Proposed bill would require employers to accept applicants’ non-accredited diplomas
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- By Erin Bruce, TheStatehouseFile.com
The types of diplomas accepted by public employers and institutions could be altered by House Bill 1348 by Rep. Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola.
The bill, which currently sits in the Senate Education and Career Development Committee, would prohibit state and local agencies and higher-education institutions from denying or treating applicants differently if their diploma were from a non-accredited, non-public school. This would also prevent the employer from providing additional testing.
“My parents made their decision to homeschool their children very early on in the modern homeschool environments, and we’re blessed to be able to go through that process,” Wesco said. He acknowledged that his diploma and transcripts were validated by his parents and said he was grateful not to have been treated differently based on the origin of his credentials. He went on to attend Bethel University in Mishawaka.
“There have been reports in our state of local units of government, particularly, I won’t name anyone, but one of the largest law enforcement local entities in our state, that have rejected applicants solely on the basis of the origin of their diploma,” he said.
Throughout the committee meeting, he alleged that the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department had denied an applicant, who was a college graduate, on the basis of his high-school diploma being unaccredited. Wesco said a state homeschool association had shared this information with him.
In an email to The Statehouse File, IMPD’s Public Information Office said: “The IMPD does not reject any applicant for a sworn officer position simply because they were home-schooled for grade/high school. In the situation that is described, … it [the high-school credential] would not be looked at because the person had graduated from an accredited university.”
IMPD also stated that the lack of applicant name made it difficult to respond to the specific case.
During the committee meeting, Sen. Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis, stated that the requirement to have an accredited high-school diploma falls under Indiana administrative code, and taking the test to obtain a GED through an accredited school would fulfill the requirement. The applicant could also earn a degree from an accredited college to qualify. Hunley said she reached out to the chief of police, who explained that the requirement falls under this code.
“I also just want to caution us about talking about a specific case when we don’t have both sides,” she said.
Wesco’s legislation would keep state and local governments from denying unaccredited high-school diplomas but excludes private institutions. “Parents or small school operators have full legal authority to execute any document required to provide evidence regarding their child’s high school education,” he said.
When addressing concerns from the committee, Wesco claimed there is no state test required for public or charter school students to obtain a diploma and said students can receive diplomas on a waiver basis.
Wesco said state higher education institutions in Indiana have not denied students on the basis of the origin of the diploma but alleged it has occurred in other states. He said Indiana’s institutions are considered very welcoming to students from non-accredited non-public backgrounds.
Joel Hand spoke on behalf of the Indiana Coalition for Public Education and the American Federation of Teachers of Indiana in opposition to the bill.
“What this bill really does is it creates a legal fallacy,” Hand said. His groups are concerned about giving non-verified credentials the same status as credentials obtained from institutions that meet accreditation standards.
“We are forgetting how this will impact so many students that end up dropping out of high school to be homeschooled by their parents but not have any real education taking place,” he said.
Hand emphasized that in some scenarios homeschooling can be the best option and provide legitimate education, but that many cases may leave students vulnerable.
“If homeschool students wish to have that same level of credibility with their diploma, I’m fine with that, as long as we know that they’re meeting the same standards,” he said.
Indiana homeschools are exempt from following a specific curriculum.
In support of the bill, Kylene Varner spoke on behalf of the Indiana Association of Home Educators (IAHE) and IAHE Action.
“In recent years, IAHE has worked with families facing diploma issues with police departments,” she said. She also cited government agencies, big-box retailers, higher education, cosmetology schools, and the military as entities that have caused issues for students with diplomas from homeschooling.
“I think it’s really important to say that within the non-accredited non-pub world, there’s a large degree of freedom. So, what my kids are learning in school isn’t necessarily what their peers in public school are learning,” she said. Varner said her daughter had taken algebra 1 and geometry at the same time in eighth grade, and that her other kids may approach the class requirements differently in order to best fit their needs.
Responding to Varner’s testimony, committee member Sen. Fady Qaddoura, D-Indianapolis, pointed to another proposed bill, HB 1498, which relates to school accountability.
“It’s difficult,” he said, “because I understand the homeschool community does not want any government interference to preserve freedoms and liberties. … That constraint creates an issue of how do you satisfy the trust that is needed by institutions and employers?”
Erin Bruce is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news site powered by Franklin College journalism students.
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