Homeschool Diploma Law Passes House

A new law to legitimize home school diplomas passed the Tennessee House of Representatives after two hours of arguments.

Republican Mike Bell of McMinn County says for years state regulators downgraded the value of diplomas issued by about one hundred home and small private schools.

“We’ve had several students who have gone to work for day care centers, and the Department of Human Services have come in-these are students who have graduated from these programs-and the Department of Human Services has come in and decided that their diplomas did not meet the definition for a high school diploma.”

But Democrat Les Winnnigham says the bill affects only a small number of schools using a particular national program. He was chair of the House Education Committee when the state sifted out different categories of public, private, church and home schools two decades ago

“The issue today concerns one of those categories, that did not want government even knowing what they taught, no records, no curriculum, just what they did. And the issue was not about whether they were doing it good, or doing it right. It was endorsing something you know nothing about.”

Winningham pointed out that most home schools are reviewed by local education agencies.

After spending most of the morning on the bill, the House took the extraordinary step of limiting debate to 30 minutes before approving it by a vote of 61 to 27.