Ensor's Books

Homeschooling in TN

Following is an explanation of the current options for homeschooling in TN as of June 2023. I am a homeschool mom, not a lawyer. Please address any significant legal concerns with a legal expert.

In Tennessee, you have three options for homeschooling:

1. INDEPENDENT HOME SCHOOL

  • REGISTRATION: You must register directly with the local school board (not the school) by filing a letter of intent before you begin. You must file this ANNUALLY before each new school year begins. You can also file at any time during the school year if you wish to withdraw mid-year.
  • TEACHER REQUIREMENTS: You must provide proof of guardianship and physical evidence of your high school diploma or GED.
  • ATTENDANCE: You must report attendance to the school board yearly (required 4 hrs/day for 180 days/yr). The school year runs from July 1 – Jun 30 each year. They have an attendance record sheet available online or you can create your own and just check off the days.
  • GRADES: Parents track their own grades and create their own transcripts, diplomas, etc.
  • CURRICULUM AND TESTING: Parents may choose any curriculum. Students in grades 5, 7, & 9 must take the TCAP standardized tests. If the student tests below grade level, the school superintendent may require a remedial course or return to public or private school.
  • RETURNING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL: Students returning to public school must be given a placement test to determine their grade level. High school students returning after the start of 9th grade will be tested for EVERY CREDIT CLASS they have completed.
  • MORE INFO: You can find more details, as well as links for letter of intent, attendance record sheet, and list of local homeschool coordinators here: TN Homeschooling

2. CHURCH-RELATED UMBRELLA SCHOOL (CATEGORY IV)

  • With this option, your child is viewed legally as a private school student learning at a satellite location (your home), and the parent is considered the school’s (unpaid) faculty/teacher. If you would like to see the Jeter Memo that this legal setup is based on, you can read it here: https://thefarmschool.community/…/crs-law-jeter-memo/
  • REGISTRATION: You will register directly with the umbrella school, not the local school board. If you are leaving public school mid-year, the umbrella should file any necessary transfer paperwork for you. Each umbrella school has their own registration deadline, and you cannot start counting attendance/learning hours until your registration has been approved. With most umbrella schools this happens pretty quickly, but many are backlogged at the end of summer.
  • TEACHER REQUIREMENTS: Most umbrella schools require that at least one parent must have a high school diploma or GED, but not all umbrella schools require you to provide physical proof.
  • ATTENDANCE: You are legally required to complete 4 hrs of learning per day for 180 days per year. The school year runs from July 1 – Jun 30. Each umbrella will have its own attendance reporting requirements.
  • CURRICULUM AND TESTING: Each umbrella school determines their own testing, curriculum, and reporting requirements, so be sure to research these things before you register. Some do not require standardized testing at all and give you full freedom to choose your own courses and curriculum, while others may have more restrictive requirements.
  • REPORTING: Many umbrella schools offer easy online registration and reporting, but some may still require more antiquated reporting (fax, mail, etc.). This is something to find out before you sign up. Online reporting makes things so much easier at the end of each semester.
  • EDUCATION PLAN: Most umbrella schools require you to submit your education plan before each semester. This usually just entails a list of courses and curriculum you plan to use. Some umbrella schools just keep this on file and will not offer an opinion, while others will have to approve your choices and may require changes. This is something to ask before you register. The more flexible umbrellas will allow you to change your plans at any point if your original plans are not working out.
  • RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Because umbrella schools are, by definition, church-related schools, they must be affiliated with a specific religion. Some umbrella schools may require you to sign a statement of faith at the time of registration, while others do not. If you wish to have no religious affiliation at all, The Farm School is the only umbrella school in TN that is not related to a traditional religion. It is part of a hippie commune in Summertown, TN.
  • RETURNING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL: Students returning to public school must be given a placement test to determine their grade level. High school students returning after the start of 9th grade will be tested for EVERY CREDIT CLASS they have completed.
  • OTHER SERVICES: Many umbrella schools offer counseling/advising services, official transcripts, and an official diploma for high school students.
My personal recommendation for an umbrella is HomeLife Academy.

3. ACCREDITED ONLINE SCHOOL (CATEGORY III)

  • This is online private school. It is a less common option for the average homeschool family due to the high cost and lack of freedom to choose your own curriculum, but it is a good option for some.
  • A letter of intent to homeschool is not needed, since you are enrolling in a private school, but parents must submit proof of enrollment to the local school board.
  • The online school will take care of all record-keeping, testing, transcripts, and diploma.
  • You can find a partial list of accredited online schools here: TN Homeschooling. If you choose a school not on this list, you must verify that it is accredited in TN (see link above for more info).

WHAT ABOUT OPTIONS LIKE K12, TOPS, CONNECTIONS ACADEMY, AND LOCAL VIRTUAL ACADEMIES?

These are actually public school at home, not homeschooling. Your children will be required to use the school’s curriculum and attend typical school hours (usually 6.5 hrs/day) with attendance being checked throughout the day. You will not have any say in curriculum, content, or scheduling for your children. Many families who have used these services did so short-term due to a temporary life situation, a problem at the local school, or because they lacked the confidence to take the leap into homeschooling.

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW:

  • REQUIRED DAILY LEARNING TIME: The required 4 hours of daily learning time does NOT have to be all book work. This can include any learning activity – watch a documentary, go on a nature walk, learn life skills (chores, cooking, changing a tire, balance a checkbook), do handicrafts, read aloud, listen to an audiobook, go on a bike ride (PE), garden, etc. Get creative and make it fun!
  • TN COMPULSORY AGE: Tennessee compulsory attendance are ages 6-17 by August 15. If you have a 5 yr old who has never attended school before, you are not required to register them until they are age 6 by August 15. They cannot be younger than age 5 when they start kindergarten. Students under age 17 are allowed to graduate early if they have earned their GED or have completed all graduation requirements.
  • STARTING KINDERGARTEN EARLY: Students cannot be registered for kindergarten until they are at least age 5 by August 15. If a child completes kindergarten-level work at home before he is old enough to officially enroll (or if you just chose not to register at age 5 but still completed kindergarten), you will need to enroll at age 6 for kindergarten. You can continue moving forward to 1st grade curriculum, but the grade level on paper would be kindergarten. If necessary, the child can skip a grade later, although I personally do not recommend doing this if it means putting them ahead of peers their own age. I am happy to discuss this privately, if you have questions.
  • DUAL ENROLLMENT: Dual-enrollment classes are a great option for high school juniors and seniors to earn both high school and college credits simultaneously. There are grants offering free and greatly reduced DE classes at various colleges around the state. Contact the college admission office for more information.

HELPFUL RESOURCES: