Tennessee Homeschooling

Independent Homeschool

To be an independent home school student you must:

1. Provide a Letter of Intent to your local Director of Schools prior to each school year. The letter of intent must include the parent’s intent to conduct a home school, the names, number, ages and grade levels of the children to be home schooled, the location of the school, the proposed curriculum to be offered, the proposed hours of instruction and the qualifications of the parent-teacher.
2. Maintain attendance records and submit these records to the Director of Schools at the end of each school year.
3. Submit proof of vaccination and receipt of any health services or examinations as required by law.
4. Student attendance (at least 4 hours per day, 180 days per year) must be reported to the local school district at the end of the school year.
5. Testing of independent home school students is required in grades 5, 7, and 9 and coordinated through the local school district. (1 year or more below grade level for 2 years in a row, superintendent MAY require parents to enroll child in public or private school unless the child is learning disabled)

Church-related Home School

Parents may instead choose to homeschool their own children by registering with a church-related “umbrella” school. An umbrella school, in the context of homeschooling, refers to an educational institution or organization that does not meet in person, but provides support, oversight, and legal compliance assistance to homeschooling families. It serves as a middle ground between traditional public or private schooling and independent homeschooling. An Intent to Homeschool form is not required for students who enrolled in a church-related school. The church-related school will determine record keeping requirements for students enrolled in their program. Below are some of the church related umbrella schools in Tennessee. (Some may not qualify as a CRS under the Tennessee state rules. We encourage families interested in this homeschooling option to thoroughly review the requirements of the umbrella schools they are considering, as policies and compliance will often vary from school to school.)

Category III Distance-learning School

“Category III” schools are non-public schools that are accredited by one of the following: any accreditation division of AdvancED (the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC), and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI)), the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA), the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), any accrediting association recognized by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Commission on Accreditation (e.g., the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS)) or the National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA) according to the procedures and criteria established by the association. Category III schools must report student attendance information to the director of the public school system where the student lives.

Additional Resources

Below are a couple of resource for parents looking for more information on homeschooling in Tennessee.

Homeschool Legal Defense Alliance (HSLDA)

For more than four decades, HSLDA has dedicated its efforts to ensuring that homeschooling remains accessible to all families who choose this educational path. HSLDA advocates for the right to homeschool, actively engaging in legal battles, legislative advocacy, and various other platforms. Their ultimate goal is to support and uplift homeschooling parents, empowering them in their educational journey as they strive to provide their children with a personalized and enriching learning experience that embraces their individuality and fosters a genuine love for knowledge.

Tennessee Home Education Association

Established in 1984, the Tennessee Home Education Association (THEA) was founded with the aim of safeguarding and advocating for parental rights in directing their children’s education. Its primary objective is to create a comprehensive network across the state, offering support, encouragement, and valuable assistance to homeschooling families. They have local chapters all across the state!

Genesis Virtual Academy at Tennessee

GVA@TN is a virtual private school and a program of Powered by Education. GVA@TN offers asynchronous learning and is fully accredited and approved by the Tennessee Department of Education as a Category II private school in Tennessee. GVA@TN gives families the ability to learn from home with flexibility and is a Participating School in the Tennessee Education Savings Account (TNESA) program.