Homeschooling in Tennessee

Whether you’re new to homeschooling or new to Tennessee, welcome and congratulations! For many families, homeschooling can be a liberating, joy filled experience. Still, choosing to homeschool can be a bit of a daunting decision. Even when you know in your core that it’s the right choice for you, your family, and your child, the questions and worry can become overwhelming. Where do you start? Who do you notify? How do you explain it to the grandparents or the well meaning family members who seem to want to drill you with twenty questions over Thanksgiving dinner? What curriculum do you use? Can your child still play sports or learn music or attend college? Phew. That’s a lot. But take heart, fellow homeschool parents. The answer to most of these questions is to remember to breathe, and start doing some research. (And where research doesn’t help, the answer is likely still to breathe and then just ask the nosey relatives if they’d like some more green bean casserole.) So let’s break things down into manageable steps and start with the big question. Who do you notify? Or in other words, how do you homeschool in Tennessee and remain within the bounds of the law?

Great question. Let’s dig in.

In addition to my own reading, I consulted with Jacki Willard in preparation for this post. Jacki is a veteran homeschooling parent herself and is also a true pioneer in the secular homeschool community in Tennessee. She is now retired from having built a several-decades long career out of supporting homeschooling families as the liaison for The Farm School, and she has spent time with family courts, social services case workers, and the SSA to explain what homeschooling is as well as the Tennessee laws regarding homeschooling. Having her added perspective on this subject is invaluable, and I am quite grateful to get to know someone who is so passionate about the wellbeing of homeschooling families. During my conversation with Jacki, she shared that families are often urged to contact the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, or HSLDA for legal support based on fear mongering ad campaigns put out by that organization. Homeschooling families should avoid contacting the HSLDA for a multitude of reasons. I am sharing a link to another organization, The Coalition for Responsible Home Education, that has issued an informed opinion on that specific topic here. She insisted that, instead, families should take the time to read over the Tennessee Code that specifically regulates homeschooling, which is T.C.A. 49-6-3050, so I am sharing a link to the most current version of that here. Please take the time to read it thoroughly.

In Tennessee, there are three legal ways to homeschool. You can choose to homeschool directly through the state (your local district) as an Independent Homeschooler, use an “umbrella” program (or Church Related School) through a loophole called the Jeter Memo, or you can use an accredited online school.

1. Independent Home School
2. Church Related School (also known as CRS or Umbrella Program)
3. Accredited Online School

Independent Home School

Families who choose to become independent homeschoolers will need to contact their local school district and fill out an intent to homeschool form. They will then need to follow the state’s regulations as outlined on the website linked above (and again here) and maintain attendance records using the forms provided.

Now, don’t be surprised if your local school district isn’t very well informed in homeschooling laws. Their job is to manage the public education of the students in their system, and not all LEAs are well versed in the ins and outs of home education. This is one of the many reasons why it is so important to be knowledgable about homeschooling laws in Tennessee as you embark on this new aspect of advocating for your child. As you’ll have likely noticed in the links provided above, homeschooled students in Tennessee are required to attend school for four hours a day for 180 days per school year. Most homeschooling families will have no problem reaching that requirement, as there are no guidelines provided by the state as to what the Tennessee department of education considers “school” for homeschoolers.

As an independent homeschooler, you will have the liberty to decide on your own educational philosophy, choose your curriculum, and determine how your children will learn each subject, giving you the freedom to tailor your child’s education to their specific needs. Simply keep a log of your time spent on learning each day for 180 days, and you’ll likely meet this requirement easily. 

Specific credit guidelines become more detailed in high school, and the credit requirements followed by public school students in order to earn a diploma are also outlined on the state of Tennessee’s website here. These requirements are specifically for public high school students in Tennessee, so while it is absolutely advisable for homeschooling families to follow this framework, there is still flexibility in how a homeschooled student might earn these credits. Consider these guidelines a framework, but it is also a good idea to be in touch with a student’s desired post-secondary institutions to have a good grasp on what will be expected for admission to those particular colleges or universities. Discussing homeschooling high school is a topic for its own blog post, but this is an important thing to keep in mind as we tackle the various means of homeschooling in Tennessee. Something worth briefly mentioning about high school credits that isn’t spelled out in detail on the website is that one semester in a particular subject counts as one half of a credit. So, for instance, a full school year – two semesters – of Algebra 1 will count as one math credit. Again, the credit requirements for public high school students are articulated on the state’s website, but knowing that one semester counts for half a credit can help you determine how to focus your energy in guiding your student as they earn a high school diploma. 

Independent homeschoolers are also subject to standardized testing in grades 5, 7, and 9, and these tests can be accessed without fee through the local school district. The superintendent of schools is entitled to require a homeschooled learner to attend a public or private school if their test scores show them consistently behind grade level. School districts also reserve the right to test homeschooled students for appropriate placement, should they need to enter the public school system. Independent homeschoolers also still have to submit proof of vaccination and health examination as required by law. There is no fee associated with independent homeschooling.

Church Related School (also known as CRS or Umbrella Program)

Using a church related school, or umbrella program, allows families to educate their children at home, but they are technically operating under an interpretation of Tennessee Code called The Jeter Memo which allows for the parents to essentially set up a satellite campus of the church related school. Since knowledge is power, please take a moment to read over T.C.A. 49-50-801, here, in order to be more fully informed on this specific aspect of Tennessee’s homeschool law.

This provision means that the home school, in this case, is seen as an extension or branch of that main school. Umbrellas operate with a wide range of requirements for curriculum, educational philosophy, and even when they begin and end a school year, each as individual as the umbrellas themselves and tailored to that particular umbrella’s discretion, and sometimes in more restrictive ways than outlined by state law. Still, families often choose an umbrella for an additional sense of support or community as they embark on their homeschooling journey. Also, since students enrolled in private schools in Tennessee are not required to submit to state testing, learners enrolled in an umbrella program (which, again, is technically an extended campus of a church related school) will not have to submit to the standardized testing that independent homeschoolers do. 

For illustrative purposes, I’ll use the example of The Farm School, as they’re the only secular umbrella program in Tennessee. The Farm, an intentional community, operates a school for their residents in Summertown, Tennessee. They also offer an umbrella program, which they call their Satellite Campuses Program, for any families, whether they live in their intentional community or not, who would like their support in their homeschool journey. Families enrolled with The Farm School pay an annual fee and use a centralized system to input their plans for curriculum, their grades, and attendance. The Farm then maintains a transcript for each learner and issues diplomas upon graduation. The Farm does not add any additional restrictions beyond state law on the homeschooling families enrolled with them. Also, just because a family uses an umbrella program does not mean that they absolutely have to use the diploma issued by that umbrella. Some families may choose for a variety of reasons to be in touch with the administration at their umbrella about issuing their own personal diploma rather than using the school name.

The model that The Farm follows still allows for a significant amount of freedom, as each family can determine the best educational model for homeschooling their children, build a lifestyle that supports that specific ideology, and also have a point of contact assisting with record keeping and issuing transcripts and diplomas.

For more information on how The Farm School operates their umbrella program, check out their website here. They have also done a wonderful job of including a section on their website that includes The Jeter Memo (here) to help their enrolled families truly understand how a CRS operates legally in Tennessee. And of course, if you decide to homeschool with any umbrella program, you should continue to maintain your own records so that you have plenty of documentation, should you ever need it. 

Accredited Online School

The third and final way for families to homeschool legally in Tennessee is to enroll in an accredited online program. This can be a great option for families for a variety of reasons including (but certainly not limited to) a child being involved in competitive sports, dance, or other activity that takes a lot of time and planning, families who are road schooling and want to be able to tackle academics without having to pack a lot of books or other resources, those who have tried traditional school and would like to homeschool but feel that they don’t have the time to plan and research various curricula extensively, or families who just want the reassurance that they’re staying in line with state standards as they homeschool their children. In Tennessee, an accredited online school must be accredited by one of the organizations listed on the state’s website, which I’ll link again here, in order to be in compliance with the law. They also still need to furnish evidence of their child having enrolled with this online school to their local school district. 

A complicating factor here is that students who are involved with sports that are governed by the TSSAA and NCAA will need to be sure that whatever option they pursue meets the current and regularly evolving requirements and deadlines set by those two governing bodies in addition to ensuring their online program is on the list of accredited programs listed on the Tennessee State website.

Also, a potential drawback to using an online program could be feeling tied to a particular course or curriculum, even if it’s not working for the learner, or feeling like the student’s education is tied to what’s online rather than what’s out there in the world, almost an extension of “school at home” rather than homeschooling. These potential downsides are not limited to online school, however, as families who purchase a boxed curriculum may often also find themselves falling into the same traps. Balancing the understanding that an education is holistic and can’t be distilled down into one experience, whether from a book, unit study, or an online class, should remain at the heart of all homeschool endeavors. To that end, this option can be a good jumping off point for families who feel as though this is the right fit for them. 

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So there you have it! There are three ways to go about educating your child at home in Tennessee. Hopefully this clarification helped you form a more informed opinion about what the best fit could be for your family and your individual learner, whether that’s to be an Independent Homeschooler, to use an Umbrella Program, or to use an Accredited Online School. Still have questions? Feel free to reach out for more support using the “contact us” link, and be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you can get a regular dose of local, secular homeschooling support delivered right to your inbox. Wishing you all the best on the journey!