Employer Asks Homeschool Grad for ‘State-Issued’ Diploma. It Doesn’t Exist.

With 15 years of pertinent work experience on his resume, James Isabele Jr. was excited at the prospect of a new job in Arkansas that offered a substantial pay raise. But when compliance officers at the company where he applied raised questions about his homeschool diploma, James was unable to allay their concerns on his own.

So, he called HSLDA and we got to work.

Opportunity for advancement

James was homeschooled from kindergarten through high school, graduating in 2010.

“It was amazing,” James said, describing his educational experience. “My mom was the greatest teacher a kid could have, and she didn’t go easy on me.”

He entered the workforce right after high school, working for several years in manufacturing. He married, and he and his wife had a son.

The opportunity for a better job moved him from Massachusetts to Missouri. Another watershed moment followed when James finally determined to start homeschooling his own son, now 7.

After considering the added expense homeschooling would entail, James was excited when a friend told him about a job over the border in Arkansas that offered a higher salary. The employer was looking for someone with a background in manufacturing plus experience in inventory management, shipping and receiving, and operating a forklift—all of which matched James’s work history and certifications.

“The person I interviewed with loved my experience,” James recounted. “Everything seemed to be going well.”

Unexpected obstacle

But then, James heard that his homeschool diploma had come under scrutiny. Officials in the company’s compliance department said that, instead of his parent-issued credentials, they wanted James to submit copies of either a state-issued diploma or transcripts.

James knew the company was demanding something that was impossible to provide, but he didn’t know how to explain that. So late in August, he asked HSLDA for help.

In her letter to the company sent the first week of September, HSLDA Staff Attorney Amy Buchmeyer pointed out both Arkansas and Massachusetts empower parents to educate their children and issue them diplomas. She added that, for homeschool graduates, there is no such thing as a state-issued diploma because parents are empowered to award those credentials to their children and affirm that they have been educated in compliance with the law.

Buchmeyer also included copies of documents from James’s high school program that his mother had saved. These included copies of letters from Massachusetts public school officials acknowledging receipt of the required homeschool notice of intent.

Shortly after receiving Buchmeyer’s letter the company offered James the job, and he accepted.

“I really appreciate HSLDA for being so quick and responsive,” James said. “I was in a tough position, but you really helped me out.”

Buchmeyer also praised James’s mother for her diligence in keeping homeschool documents that helped in reaching a positive resolution.