Utterly Meaningless

Just FTR and perhaps to help anyone reading…we did order our oldest dd a diploma from HSLDA when we were members and it has meant NOTHING. Transcripts are what the colleges want to see and we have had no problems getting the colleges to accept a ‘homemade’ transcript.

FYI==> The U.S. Homeschool Association is not affiliated HSLDA in any way. In fact, as a new independent association, we hope to offer discounted memberships to HSLDA for those who are interested. Other than that, we do reference their legal information with their permission from our site, but that’s the extent of our relationship with them.

As for the diplomas==> Some may want a diploma and some may not. Either way is fine, but we just believe it would be nice for the kids to have something in hand to be proud of that didn’t come off Mom & Dad’s computer. Diplomas from USHA are not available for purchase, they are a gift from us to our graduating student members who want them. We believe they should be proud of their homeschooling years and have something to show for it. In the reference to our goal of providing standardized diplomas for every homeschooled graduate, apparently you didn’t look quite far enough to see on the membership benefits page that we want to provide them in accordance with state law. We want them to be recognized by colleges and universites as valid. It will take some time, but we’re working on them one inch at a time to give homeschoolers the rights that should be theirs to begin with.

===>Also…our organization and site just went live this week. Groups were invited to post their information yesterday. You know, you should give us at least a couple weeks before you declare our site to be lame! We’re trying to make a difference. What are you doing?

OK, Sally, you’re half-right. I probably jumped the snark 🙂 with my declaration of lameness. OTOH, you promise an HSLDA discount of 17% without the ability to deliver. That’d be false advertising, no?

And, as to what am I doing, I’ve been blogging homeschooling issues and pointing folks to (and away from) sites like yours since May 2002. And I don’t charge for it.

BTW, lots of folks are very curious about your background. Are you a home educator? How long? Active with any associations in OH or FL?

he U.S. Homeschool Association is not affiliated HSLDA in any way.

The homeschool support groups who offer discounted HSLDA members are referred to as “affiliates.” Are you a Christian organization? Your site is silent on that issue, but the “train them up” comment looks like a wink and a nod. And, you ought to be aware, that the book of a similar name (abbreviated TTUAC) is anathema to many folks.

Sally, not sure if you understand that statements like this really upset homeshoolers. This is the LAST thing we want from a homeschool group:
“One of the goals of the U.S. Homeschool Association is to be able to provide a standardized diploma for all homeschooled graduates.”
Further, the statements preceding it are misleading as well.

The goal should be to get colleges and universities to judge each prospective student on his/her own merits – not to make homeschoolers look like everybody else.

Eaxactly, Chris!

Ummm… about that “with their permission” part, Sally. We need to talk about it.

Ummm… about that “with their permission” part, Sally. We need to talk about it. Feel free to email me directly at scott@hslda.org.

“It will take some time, but we’re working on them one inch at a time to give homeschoolers the rights that should be theirs to begin with.”

Sally, if the majority of homeschoolers would start exercising the rights we ALREADY have we wouldn’t have the problems we have. There are so many homeschoolers who just can’t get past the “school” mentality that says we need someone else to tell us what to do, how to think, and how to raise our kids, that they use groups like HSLDA and your group as a crutch to not have to deal with keeping up with their rights themselves.

To tell you the truth, outside of reports I’ve heard from HSLDA I have never heard of one homeschooler who had a problem getting into college. Not one! My kids have never had a problem, I know scores of other kids who have never had a problem, so it seems to me that the story of homeschoolers having so much trouble getting into college is yet another tactic to up membership in organizations like yours and HSLDA. I’m sure there have been some, but not a vast majority.

I have been homeschooling for many years and I have yet to meet a homeschool graduate who has been unable to get a college education for lack of an “official” looking diploma.

And that should be *Exactly, Chris!* Hard to type with one hand while nursing at keyboard!

I also want to say to Scott–I have a great respect for you and many others at HSLDA. We were members for years. We were also members of our state support group for years. Then we came to the point where we felt like we were getting shot in the foot by folks who were trying to put more effort into promoting political and government relationships using OUR money than they were in supporting and promoting private, autonomous homeschool families.

Thanks again for the space, Daryl.

I believe at one point last year Scott even confirmed that the majority of college issues that HSLDA deals with are with tier III community and city types of schools. Not that those aren’t valid issues, but it’s been a while since State U had any problem dealing with homeschoolers. I believe most of the Div I schools have established procedures in place for admitting HEKs.

The more I think about the US Homeschool Assoc, the more the phrase “Diploma Mill” sticks in my mind.

HSLDA’s “Blessing Program” provides support groups who participate in the program a percentage (i.e. kickback) of every member’s dues that joins through it.

It’s about the money, folks.

Mary

Come on, Mary– It’s ALL about the money (IAATM). Got to stick with the program. 🙂

Not to question your use of your own acronym, but shouldn’t that be It’s ALWAYS about the money? 🙂

It appears Sally is reading here, so, Sally would you provide us with the name and address, along with the Florida Corporation ID number, of US Homeschool Assn?

thanks!

Mary

Daryl,
We all know that homeschooling is more than academics. The goal is excellence in all areas of life. If you know of a better phrase than ‘training them up in excellence’ I’ll be happy to hear it.

The USHA is an American organization…that means freedom to worship however and if you choose. While we do hold high moral standards and family-friendly values, we are not a ‘Christian organization’. At times, you may find some Christian content in our links. That’s okay with us as long as it upholds the high moral standards and family-friendly content that we require. It’s not our job to squash out religion or to endorse a religion.

As to the HSLDA discount, did you fail to read the note clearly stated immediately under the 17% disount? In case you missed it, here it is:

(* Since the USHA is new on the scene, we need members to sign up through the USHA for HSLDA membership in order to be able to offer this group discount price. This is offered as an option following your registration.)

Regardless of what HSLDA calls groups who provide disounted rates to their members, the USHA will remain a completely independent organization. You can call a pig a cow but that doesn’t make it so. If our members want to sign on with the HSLDA, that’s up to them. We’re just trying to save them a little of that ‘hard-earned money’ where we can.

Bonnie,
To my knowledge, no student has ever been turned down for lack of an “official looking diploma”. No one said that they are. Even those of us who went to public school know that the diploma is irrelevant in college application. The only pieces of information that a college or university wants to see are transcripts, SAT or ACT scores, and the money to pay the bill. The diploma is for the student to have something to show for their efforts. It’s for them–not the colleges. That is why we would like to provide diplomas to our graduating student members as a GIFT to them. They are not available for purchase…We’re not trying to “separate you from your hard-earned money”. If you aren’t interested in the USHA, fine. Not everyone will be, but we are here to serve the homeschooling community where we can.

Thanks for your comments and questions.

If the diplomas are just gifts to the HEK, then why did you say in comment #2 above:

//We want them to be recognized by colleges and universites as valid. It will take some time, but we’re working on them one inch at a time to give homeschoolers the rights that should be theirs to begin with.//

Exactly why are you are spending valuable time and resources working with the colleges and universities?

Sally,

Folks have asked several questions which you’ve pointedly ignored. It appears that you’ve something to hide. Surely that is not the impression you wish to create for your non-profit. BTW, what does the $29 or $39 per year go for? Salaries? Website hosting runs around $10/month. Other expenses will also likely be minimal.

And anything is better than “training them up.” Look at the logo at the very top of this page and ask around. And what do “high moral values” and “family-friendly” mean to you. To me they sound like code words for the right-wing/religious homeschoolers.

Believe what you want, Daryl. This is America and you are welcome to your opinions.

Any information you need can be found on our site. Take it or leave it. I don’t have the time to sit here blogging with you to try to answer all of your accusations. I think I’ve been more than fair in taking the time to try to answer your questions and issues.

I haven’t sidestepped any of your questions. Bonnie, on your question regarding our corporate number–I have posed the question to our attorney to see if providing that information is appropriate. If you want our mailing address , it is readily available on our site.

Have a great day & best wishes to all of you in your homeschooling efforts.

Give me a break! You come out of nowhere with a new NATIONAL organization, claiming to want to unite homeschoolers across the country and to provide standardized diplomas. We know NOTHING about you other than that you were a realtor in OH. You’re offering services for money, some of which you cannot currently supply.

You have a long way to go to prove yourself.

I keep getting stuck at Sally’s suggestion that homeschoolers actually want a diploma from somewhere, so that they can have something to show for their efforts. If you homeschool and your children leave home with nothing more than a fake diploma to show for their efforts, then you as a parent didn’t do a good job of homeschooling, and you’ve failed those children.
So I pose this question to those homeschool parents with older kids. Did they want you to get them a fake diploma from some made up national organization? Did they need or want a fake diploma as a reward for all their effort?

Sam, here’s what we did. We thought our oldest would do better with a “real” diploma. We ordered it from HSLDA. It was not ‘from’ them–they only sold it just as a bookstore downtown sells blank certificates. It was in a nice folder and all that. We had a friend of ours do this cool caligraphy thing on it with our dd’s name, the name of our homeschool, and the date. It means something to our dd because she is sentimental like that. It was completely between us and her, plus we had a JAMMIN’ party with all our dear friends. But…it meant completely nothing to the college.

Our next oldest couldn’t possibly care less about it one way or another. She wants the party (of course!) and her boyfriend is eager to do something for her graduation so that will come off in a couple of weeks, but otherwise she doesn’t care.

The best thing to us about the whole thing is BOTH of our dds have held no special significance in the term “graduated”. Graduated from what? Life? We haven’t been doing SCHOOL all these years–we’ve been doing LIFE.

So we’ve kinda played it by ear. If our others coming up mention some kind of token in recognition for getting through the books…cool. If not…cool. They’re all different. I expect my 12 year old to ask for a Harley for a graduation present. Guess whut…he won’t be getting it!

How many people here could even find their high school diploma if they needed it? I have no idea where mine is. I don’t know where my college sheepskins are either.

When I went into the military I had to go to my highschool and get a copy of my transcript. I had, nor yet have, no idea where my diploma is.

I don’t have a high school diploma at all and never got one. I have my GED paperwork somewhere, and I have my Associate Degree (two year business college) hanging on the wall, but only because I happened to have an empty frame and an emtpy nail head. None of those things has ever effected anything I did except when I giggle at the diploma I do have and how worthless it ended up being.