Unregulated Louisiana Private School Sells High School Diplomas For $500. No classwork, grades, or proof of study needed.

[CoffeeTiger 5,180]

https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/missing-students-unapproved-schools/index.html

Louisiana has the ultimate pro-parental choice/ libertarian dream in terms of homeschooling/ high school education. Anybody in the State can legally set up a private unregulated school for as few or as many students as it likes. Nothing is monitored by the State in any way. There are no safety regulations, no curriculum, no grade verification. There is not even a system to verify if the schools even exist. 

The laws to allow these schools were originally intended for Christians who wanted to homeschool their children outside of State/public schools and be 100% in charge of the experience and what was taught. These unregulated schools are allowed to teach whatever they want....or nothing at all...and are allowed to legally award graduation diplomas to students...although it is a different version from the 'State approved diplomas' awarded by public schools/ regulated private schools and homeschoolers who register with the state to verify their grades/learning. 

If you don't care to read the article, it follows one of these unregistered schools that sells Louisiana high school diplomas for about $500 to anyone who comes in and says they believe the recipient has been 'educated' enough to receive one. The owner of the school says she doesn't believe traditional schooling is the only way for people to learn and that it should be up to parents and individuals to decide what is important to teach/learn in life and what isn't. The owner says she doesn't do any verification of any kind and trusts that her customers/parents are being honest about the education they say their children have received. 

The AP article discovered this unregulated school was advertising 'state approved' diplomas, which the owner says isn't dishonest because she encourages people to apply for the official state diploma designation but admits the standard diploma she sells is not actually 'state approved' The AP also discovered that one 'student' who purchased a diploma incorrect stated it was state official on the document...the owner stated this was simply a mistake and shed reissues a 'correct' diploma. 

The AP also details several unregulated schools in the State that have had sexual abuse scandals and allegations. Outside of law enforcement, the State says they have no power to monitor or regulate the schools for safety or fitness. 

 

Some have tried to alter state laws to bring these unregulated schools more in line with state approved private schools, but Christian Conservatives and homeschool advocates have fought against changing the law, advocating for the parental/school choice angle

 

So what do people on here think? Are these unregulated 'anything goes' highschools a positive thing and providing a good service to homeschoolers and others who don't like public education, or are kids potentially being harmed by not being given proper or adequate education and being given these diplomas when they might not be ready. Are there also concerns about potential abuse of children being too easily hidden and covered up here? ? 

[homersapien 11,453]

This is the conservative definition of "progressive".

[icanthearyou 4,463]

Its better than having my kids innoculated by liberals in our schools.  School choice!

[AU9377 5,043]

30 minutes ago, CoffeeTiger said:

https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/missing-students-unapproved-schools/index.html

Louisiana has the ultimate pro-parental choice/ libertarian dream in terms of homeschooling/ high school education. Anybody in the State can legally set up a private unregulated school for as few or as many students as it likes. Nothing is monitored by the State in any way. There are no safety regulations, no curriculum, no grade verification. There is not even a system to verify if the schools even exist. 

The laws to allow these schools were originally intended for Christians who wanted to homeschool their children outside of State/public schools and be 100% in charge of the experience and what was taught. These unregulated schools are allowed to teach whatever they want....or nothing at all...and are allowed to legally award graduation diplomas to students...although it is a different version from the 'State approved diplomas' awarded by public schools/ regulated private schools and homeschoolers who register with the state to verify their grades/learning. 

If you don't care to read the article, it follows one of these unregistered schools that sells Louisiana high school diplomas for about $500 to anyone who comes in and says they believe the recipient has been 'educated' enough to receive one. The owner of the school says she doesn't believe traditional schooling is the only way for people to learn and that it should be up to parents and individuals to decide what is important to teach/learn in life and what isn't. The owner says she doesn't do any verification of any kind and trusts that her customers/parents are being honest about the education they say their children have received. 

The AP article discovered this unregulated school was advertising 'state approved' diplomas, which the owner says isn't dishonest because she encourages people to apply for the official state diploma designation but admits the standard diploma she sells is not actually 'state approved' The AP also discovered that one 'student' who purchased a diploma incorrect stated it was state official on the document...the owner stated this was simply a mistake and shed reissues a 'correct' diploma. 

The AP also details several unregulated schools in the State that have had sexual abuse scandals and allegations. Outside of law enforcement, the State says they have no power to monitor or regulate the schools for safety or fitness. 

 

Some have tried to alter state laws to bring these unregulated schools more in line with state approved private schools, but Christian Conservatives and homeschool advocates have fought against changing the law, advocating for the parental/school choice angle

 

So what do people on here think? Are these unregulated 'anything goes' highschools a positive thing and providing a good service to homeschoolers and others who don't like public education, or are kids potentially being harmed by not being given proper or adequate education and being given these diplomas when they might not be ready. Are there also concerns about potential abuse of children being too easily hidden and covered up here? ? 

Accredited by Trump University?

[icanthearyou 4,463]

17 minutes ago, homersapien said:

This is the conservative definition of "progressive".

It is highly progressive.  You can buy the diploma and keep the money from the school choice vouchers.  All you have to do is work,,, the system.

[AU9377 5,043]

1 minute ago, icanthearyou said:

Its better than having my kids innoculated by liberals in our schools.  School choice!

What does that even mean? 

How about this.....  Educate kids in schools and indoctrinate kids at home.  Regardless of where a child is educated, he or she should be taught that there are a wide range of people and beliefs in the world around them.  They should be taught to respect everyone.  At the appropriate age, they should read books that may make them uncomfortable.  That is how they learn to think. 

I excelled in school and did not have parents hovering over me all the time.  In fact, most kids today are much more reeled in than kids were 20 years ago.  I told my parents I was staying with a friend countless weekends when I was in high school and actually stayed up most, if not all, the night hanging out with friends and doing God knows what else.  Thank God there was no GPS to track our phones back then.  I was still immature when I got to college, but I wasn't sheltered and I wasn't blind to the world around me.  I went to church on Sundays twice and Wednesdays.  I was involved in every youth group activity there was.  I actually did more things that would have been concerning to my parents while on those trips and activities than anywhere else.  Back then, we didn't discuss politics at church.  Our youth minister was clearly gay, but it was never an issue. 

I say all of that to point out that sometimes it is the parents that are being overly dramatic and making every second of the school day some political exercise.  I'm a big believer in placing children in the right atmosphere.  There are some schools that I would never allow my child to attend.  That is due to my belief that a child should never have to deal with being in an unsafe atmosphere at school.  How a child matures is dependent on a lot of things, but one of the most important is their peer group.  Therefore, I want them to be in school with kids that come from the type of families that I want them to be around.  None of that has anything to do with woke politics or teaching religion.