On the surface, the homeschooling laws in TN can seem complicated, but in reality, homeschooling in TN is very simple. 

Tennessee has a large and vibrant homeschooling community. It was well established well before COVID-19 hit, and as more and more families have opted out of the public school system, it’s grown even larger. 

There are many options for families who want a more traditional school setting while also homeschooling. We’ve got co-ops (run by homeschooling families) and private tutorials (run by an independent school and you pay tuition)

In Tennessee, there are a few ways to homeschool: 

1. You enroll your child in your local school district. This is one of the lesser-used options. When you enroll this way, you’re subject to standardized testing and the school (the local district is overseeing your child’s education and many who homeschool want to get away from that)

2. The second way you can homeschool is by creating your own “independent school”; this means you’ll be personally responsible for reporting your child’s attendance and grades directly to the state after your school has been declared. 

3. Lastly, the way most homeschoolers decide to homeschool in TN, they enroll with a local or independent umbrella. The umbrella is sometimes associated with a local church, and sometimes it’s just independent. We personally enroll with Chestnut Ridge Academy.

Patti is super helpful, knowledgeable, and always available to answer our questions.
So what’s required of us as homeschoolers enrolled with an umbrella? We have to enroll our child each year and pay a small fee to the umbrella for processing all our documents. Then I spend about 15 minutes a semester reporting attendance and grades. That’s it! I fill out 4-5 one-page forms a year. It’s that simple! It’s very easy. No standardized testing, no reporting “proof” of what we did, just attendance and grades. 

If you’re interested in our homeschooling laws as your family decides whether TN is for you, reach out to Patti from Chestnut Ridge with any questions!