“When I have kids and homeschool I don’t intend to use any packaged curriculumns or virtual school stuff. It goes against my philosophy.”
We see that a little differently, and that’s fine.
The reality from my perspective is that colleges, military, and future employers do put some value on having a HS Diploma. Now, having seen the recipients of this lofty document struggling to make change would of course lead one to question it’s actual value. But here’s the reality we face; the piece of paper does have value to certain organizations that children will likely have to deal with during their lives. It’s a not a home education world just yet.
In my view, so long as the piece of paper can be obtained for relatively low cost and aggravation, why not get it while you’re at it?
Neither my husband nor I had a certified piece of paper but both of us got into the colleges of our choice, as did our siblings so far. My brother is about to go ROTC and they aren’t asking for a “certified” diploma. Yes, it’s an easy way to satisfy the requirement but it’s not the only one. It all depends on the value system of the family involved. For you, obviously, the cheap and easy diploma has a high value. For me, the freedom of doing my own thing is more important. The nice thing about homeschooling is that both models are valid.