Due to unique lifestyles, poor standards in public schools, or philosophical differences with their local school district, many parents are looking for an alternative education for their children. Homeschooling allows you to choose what, where, and how your children are educated, and in the safety of your chosen environment.
Your homeschool classroom may be a separate room in your home with desks and chairs. It might be at your dining room or kitchen table. At times it can be the doctor’s office, …the park, …the library. You may teach a few subjects during the day and leave some instruction for your spouse to teach in the evening. Your child’s grandparent may tutor your child. You may work and leave your older child to receive instruction through video with monitoring by you in the evening.
Homeschooling provides tremendous flexibility while maintaining rigorous educational standards at the proper pace for your child. For those considering homeschool, below you will find a brief overview of homeschooling in Tennessee.
Key Points in Tennessee
- You must have a high school diploma.
- You may choose to register with a church-related “umbrella program”. This does not mean you have to go to a church or that all programs must be affiliated with a certain church. Umbrella programs are record-keepers with their own requirements.
- You must choose a program, register upon acceptance. There may, or may not, be a cost associated.
- Most umbrella programs require parents to provide the curriculum.
- Report grades and attendance to them.
- They, in turn, provide transcripts, diplomas, school ID cards, etc.
- Some umbrella programs require standardized testing, some programs do not. We recommend avoiding standardized testing in order to avoid common core curriculum required for preparation.
- Category IV church-related schools do not require standardized testing. Be sure to ask before choosing.
Some popular umbrella programs in Tennessee: Aaron Academy, Homelife Academy, Gateway Christian, and The Farm. You can find some free umbrella programs here.
For more details on homeschooling in Tennessee, please see the Home School Legal Defense Association’s Tennessee compliance recommendations and the State of Tennessee’s website. Here are a few additional considerations:
- If you choose to report to your District’s Director of Schools, you will:
- Register your children as homeschoolers with the school district. There is no cost to register.
- Provide proof of vaccinations, attendance and grades to the homeschool liaison.
- Provide your own curriculum. (but there is a wealth of resources for that.)
- Your student(s) will be required to take state-mandated standardized tests.
How do I unenroll my child from public school?
If you choose an umbrella program, simply enroll your child with the program and they will contact the school to request records and unenroll. If you choose to report to your district’s Director of Schools, you will call your school district office and ask for the homeschool liaison, who may or may not be listed. You can find withdrawal forms here to submit to your school district.
How do I decide what to teach and how to teach? What about textbooks?
You will get a lot of guidance from the resources in the footnotes below. Start with the basics and integrate activities that interest your child and fit your budget. Notice how your child learns. Do they learn best by watching, listening, or doing? There are many books and methods to fit the style that works best for you and your child. For different approaches take a look at Classical, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, Unschooling, and others online for more ideas.
You will be able to look at sample curriculum on company websites. Some of the sites offer placement tests to help you choose the correct level for your child. You can order directly through their websites. Major companies include Abeka, Apologia, Teaching Textbooks, Sonlight, Math U See, Veritas Press, and Bob Jones.
There are homeschool websites that offer free resources such as Easy Peasy and more through The Homeschool Mom. You can also find used curriculum locally through curriculum fairs and online through retailers such as Ebay and Amazon. Cathy Duffy Reviews is a wonderful online resource that reviews homeschool texts. Her reviews will indicate what sort of a learner will benefit from the curriculum.
What if my child is behind or ahead?
A major benefit to homeschool is tailoring the speed of study to your child. If your child is gifted, you can foster his learning and encourage activities that interest him. If your child is behind his peers in reading and math, he will benefit from the one-on-one teaching he gets from you. If there is a learning issue, there is private assessment and remedial help available (at cost). There are also many other homeschool families who have tackled learning difficulties that can offer advice. By law, certain services such as speech therapy are available to any student through the county. Contact your district’s homeschool liason.
What if I need support?
There are a lot of parent groups both online (check Facebook) and in-person. Start with your regional homeschool association:
• West Tennessee Home Education Association
• Middle Tennessee Home Education Association
• Mid East Tennessee Home Education Association
But I can’t teach Spanish, Physics Labs, Guitar, etc.?
You don’t have to know how to teach everything. You just need to find a class. There are many tutorials and private classes across Tennessee. Tutorials provide a chance for your child to be with other homeschoolers and often have social activities throughout the year. Search online: “(Subject) tutorials in (your community)”. Some libraries, museums and businesses offer various classes and learning opportunities for homeschoolers. Adventure Science Center in Nashville and Chattanooga Aquarium have homeschool days offering behind-the-scenes classes and tours. If you live in a university community, college students often earn extra money tutoring in their field.
What about sports?
Some umbrella programs offer sports. By law, homeschoolers are allowed to participate in extracurricular activities and sports with permission of the local school principal; however, there are also other requirements that may need to be fulfilled in order for a student to play for a school. Your county homeschool liaison can provide more information.
Do I need to worry about being hassled for homeschooling?
Homeschooling is legal and fairly common in Tennessee. There are legal associations available for a modest annual fee. The Homeschool Legal Defense Association offers legal representation and member discounts. Their website is also very helpful. They work to make sure homeschooling stays legal.
Homeschoolers have dances, graduation, and go to college. Homeschooled students gather with friends and do many of the same activities that public-school students do. Homeschooled students are performing very well on tests and a high percentage are accepted to colleges and universities. Homeschooled students are eligible for lottery scholarships, dual enrollment, and military service.
Home-schooled students make wonderful citizens and very nice people.
Above all, do the right thing for your child.