Homeschooling in Tennessee

[Only me]

We are thinking about possibly moving to Tennessee. I would like to continue to homeschool my son who will be in 7th grade next year. If my middle daughter is still having health problems then I would homeschool her too, otherwise she would go to the public high school. She will be a sophomore.

 

How difficult is it to homeschool in Tennessee? The HSLDA lists Tennessee as moderately difficult. I live in Illinois which is one of the easiest states. I looked over their websites but didn't really find anything that looked too difficult. My understanding is that you have to keep attendance records and take standardized tests every couple of years. Am I missing anything else? My biggest concern though is it looks like I would need my bachelor's degree in order to be able to teach high school. I only have my Associates' degree. My husband has his. Does that count? It also mentions something about being affiliated with a religious school. I'm not really sure what that means. Would that have to go to that school or somehow just have to report to them?

[KidsHappen]

If you use an umbrella school then you don't have to have a bachelors. I have mine but I use Homelife Academy anyhow because they issue a professional transcript for high school and I don't have to do the required testing.

[cbollin]

I hear ya! About a year ago, I moved from Indiana (very easy/friendly to homeschool) to TN. eek! But...

 

I use Home Life for umbrella school (aka church related school). Although Home Life is "Christian" -- they don't make you sign a statement of faith, or require a certain religion. They do ask you to agree to a code of ethics.

 

but they don't seem to require bachelors. And they don't require achievement testing either. It was as close to the ease I had in Indiana as I could get.

 

Basically, you can "homeschool in TN" and have lots of paperwork and approvals and testing. nah... why do that?

 

Or

you can "enroll in a Church Related School that permits off campus instruction and permits parents to be the faculty." Then, you just have to let the Church related school keep the administrative side of it with attendance, grades, transcripts. They do look over your plan for the year to make sure you have good stuff to use. But they dont' require specific materials.

 

check into homelife -- it's not too expensive, and it means we're legal, and "not homeschooling", :lol: but we're homeschooling with all the same stuff we did in Indiana. but legally, my kids are enrolled in a "church related school that permits full time off campus instruction". :lol:

 

http://www.homelifeacademy.com/

 

-crystal

[hsmom3tn]

This is the best site for getting answers about homeschooling in Tennessee.

 

http://tnhomeed.com/

 

We use the umbrella/church-related school option; but I think if you register with the board of education you have to do the testing every so often, submit an intent to homeschool letter and attendance records each year, and you do have to have a bachelor's for h'sing 7th and up. I'm not 100% sure, but I think in order for your DH's degree to count, he would have to be the one to do the teaching.

[ScoutTN]

We will begin hs this summer using the umbrella school option. Doesn't cost much and frees us from govt. hassle. We can do testing when they do if we want to but it is not required. We have to keep and submit attendance records and a general curriculum/plan of study.

 

If you're in the Nashville area check out the Franklin Classical School umbrella/satellite option- Comenius is the "school" name.

Edited April 22, 2010 by ScoutTN

[My3Boys]

We are also under an umbrella program. It is absolutely the easiest way to go. They will also often be a good source for connecting with other homeschool groups. In our area we have some cooperative schools that meet 3 days a week. If you join their umbrella school they give you 2 options. You can go it totally alone except they take care of the legal stuff and the yearly testing, or you can pay a little more and your child can go on field trips, attend class parties, take part in the science and history fairs, etc.

 

Since ds is in high school, he is required to test yearly and the umbrella requires him to keep a portfolio, which the state does not. I think they do it partly to protect the integrity of their program, and partly to protect the families in case the state ever comes after them for some reason.

Edited April 17, 2010 by My3Boys

[hsbaby]

We also go through Homelife Academy. So, so , so easy. I pay my registration, fill in grades and attendance on-line twice a year, and am not required to do any testing. I don't know how it gets much easier than that:)

[Mommee & Baba]

We also go through Homelife Academy. So, so , so easy. I pay my registration, fill in grades and attendance on-line twice a year, and am not required to do any testing. I don't know how it gets much easier than that:)

 

:iagree: We too use HomeLife Academy. So easy!

[Mommy22alyns]

check into homelife -- it's not too expensive, and it means we're legal, and "not homeschooling", :lol: but we're homeschooling with all the same stuff we did in Indiana. but legally, my kids are enrolled in a "church related school that permits full time off campus instruction". :lol:

 

 

;) Yup... gotta love those convoluted laws. We do the same thing, but use Family Christian Academy as our umbrella. They're very hands off.

[QueenCat]

If you use an umbrella (technically called a CRS), it is easy. We use HomeLife Academy. No bachelors required if using a CRS. We turn in a list of courses at the beginning of the year, with the basic curriculum. Attendance and grades twice a year. Grades can be pass/fail in the younger years. Older grades, it's a letter grade for the whole semester, not every item you graded. They do official transcripts for college.

[3peasinapod]

Yes, we use HomeLife also. No testing, no bachelor's for high school. I kind of cocked my head to the side when I saw moderately difficult. We pay $50 dollars for first student, 40 for second, and when the third comes along it is 100 per year through HomeLife. We report grades and attendance to them, but it is just easy. Shrug. I wonder now how it is in Indiana that is considered easy? Evidently under HomeLife we are an extension, a satellite school, from their campus in Memphis, their teacher.

[5LittleMonkeys]

The second is the SATELLITE or JETER OPTION which we call homeschooling but is technically a form of private schooling according to the Jeter Memorandum . It is important that you understand this distinction. Applying for college as a homeschooler or stating to any government agencies that you're being homeschooled would be incorrect. It's not unusal for them to check with the local school district to verify status and your child's records will not be found and could result in serious and frustrating consequences.

Using this satellite option you register with a church-related school, the school considers your home a "satellite" of their campus and you a teacher of their school.

 

As a result you

won't need

to register your high schooler with the LEA (the CRS handles any reporting)

to submit to testing by the state (the CRS may require it's own testing),

a BA/BS to teach your high schooler. As in the first CRS option, above, you are required to follow their rules regarding curriculum, hours, grading, etc. Ask the CRS specifically if they offer this satellite (Jeter) option. Registration and other fees vary by school.

This taken from http://tnhomeed.com/CRSHS.html.

 

We use http://www.familychristianacademy.com/index.htm . They have an actual brick and mortar campus in Madison, TN. You didn't say what area you are moving to but if is near Nashville this might be a good option for you. They offer field trips, enrichment classes, and graduation ceremonies if you want to participate. They require a list of the subjects and curricula you will be using (for transcript purposes), twice a year you go online and enter grades and attendance. They do require testing in 11th and 12th grades. If your child is on a college path they recommend testing each year of highschool, this is only a recommendation though. You can print identification cards for yourself as a faculty member and for your children. They do not require you to sign a statement of faith.

 

Be sure as the above quote states that you think of your children as being in private school. Your home is a satellite campus and you are a faculty member. (Without the paycheck and benefits of coarse:tongue_smilie:)

Edited April 19, 2010 by 5LittleMonkeys

[Only me]

Question for those of you who use Home Life. Do you have to use specific books? For instance my daughter did a computer applications class last semester (typing, word, Excel, Power Point, etc.). I didn't use one main curriculum but just pieced it together. Could she get a credit for that?

 

I'm also wondering if it would be a good idea to sign up now. Would they still let me assign grades for first semester? If we do move, I'm wondering if the new school would accept the credits from Homelife or if they would make her test out of them.

[The Girls' Mom]

With HomeLife, your curriculum is entirely up to you. They are completely hands off. You just submit grades to them (2 times a year I think?). We used them when we were in TN.

[QueenCat]

You can list the name of the course and the basic curriculum used (it can be piece mealed, just list the basics or "parent developed"). I don't know about transfering to other schools but my son had no problem using his HomeLife diploma and transcript to get in to college. That along with a good ACT score gives him a full scholarship (and then some).