hands-on-mama Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Hi! I've been researching lately even though I don't legally have to report anything right now. I live right on the TN state line pretty much. My town is in TN and AL. Due to this, all the homeschool groups and umbrella schools in my state are about an hour or more away. The AL schools won't allow me to use them as a backi g school either. I thought about speaking to my church to see if they would be interested in creating a homeschool group, but the church is also in AL. I found something on the FL Unschoolers page though stating that an individual could start a correspondence type private school that could serve as an umbrella school. Does anyone know how to go about this? I would like to give people in my area an option. Plus, I want a group close to home for my kids. I do have a degree/cert in education. Will that help any? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Have you looked into HomeLife? It sounds like what you are wanting to do. You do not have to be local. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Sorry...still getting my coffee in...I didn't see that last part. I would say there are a lot of hoops to jump through to get a legal umbrella set up, and probably a fair amount of cost. We choose to umbrella through HomeLife, and get the social aspect through local co-ops and groups that aren't affiliated with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hands-on-mama Posted April 19, 2012 Author Share Posted April 19, 2012 Thanks! I just saw HLA. Lol! I'll probably just go with that. I have a question though. If I wait until legal reporting age, do I just tell them she's in 1 st grade at that point? They're not going to say she's K if I wait are they? I don't see any need in paying if we don't legally have to report. I know hat I could hs in TN without a backing school. I just don't want to deal with the school system. Lol! Does anyone here in TN hs without a backing school? How does that work out for you? I'm especially concerned with the years testing is required in ps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon37127 Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 When we lived in TN, we used an umbrella called The Farm School. I loved it and we just did our own social stuff. Then we switched to HLA. I love HomeLife Academy. I can't say enough about them. They are currently supporting us through a legal situation with legal covering and prayer. They are VERY pro-parent- the parent is the educator and makes all the decisions. They have counselors available that will help you with any questions about homeschooling you may have. I just can't say enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Thanks! I just saw HLA. Lol! I'll probably just go with that. I have a question though. If I wait until legal reporting age, do I just tell them she's in 1 st grade at that point? They're not going to say she's K if I wait are they? I don't see any need in paying if we don't legally have to report. I know hat I could hs in TN without a backing school. I just don't want to deal with the school system. Lol! Does anyone here in TN hs without a backing school? How does that work out for you? I'm especially concerned with the years testing is required in ps. I would think you could start her in 1st, with no problems. But you can email them. They are very helpful. We've moved around a bunch, and have a period with no records at all (HS in TX where no reporting is required) and they haven't given me a bit of trouble about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 In TN, there is only one required grade of school, and it's K, so you either need to register a year before you start doing anything too formal (and for HLA, you can state that you're going to read books, play outside, go to the library, and so on for each subject and they're not going to question it, especially not for K) or list her as K when you first register, do 1st grade work, and then "Grade skip" her to 2nd. HLA is very flexible in this regard and basically lets parents determine grade placement until the kids get to high school, where the state requirements become more difficult. We started a homeschool group here last year, and most of our members are with HLA or the Farm School, both of which don't care where you're physically located. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hands-on-mama Posted April 19, 2012 Author Share Posted April 19, 2012 In TN, there is only one required grade of school, and it's K, so you either need to register a year before you start doing anything too formal (and for HLA, you can state that you're going to read books, play outside, go to the library, and so on for each subject and they're not going to question it, especially not for K) or list her as K when you first register, do 1st grade work, and then "Grade skip" her to 2nd. HLA is very flexible in this regard and basically lets parents determine grade placement until the kids get to high school, where the state requirements become more difficult. We started a homeschool group here last year, and most of our members are with HLA or the Farm School, both of which don't care where you're physically located. Wow! I did not realize there was only one required grade of school in TN. That's pretty funny and great info to know. What happens if my children decide they want to attend ps for high school? I have thought we might give them that option when the time comes (although I will suggest they continue hs'ing). I just want them to know that the option is available. Will they have to test into high school? They would have to attend the AL school though and we would have to pay tuition for them to go there. The high school they are zoned for is over 30 minutes away. The state lines are so wacky where we live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 I wouldn't go with FL information if you're in TN. Rules vary a lot state to state. In MD, for instance, an umbrella is a "church school or education ministry" with a backing church that has to be vetted by the dept of education (as existing as a church in the state, tax records, etc) and then they approve the umbrella. We cannot use out-of-state umbrellas because they are not approved through MDE, etc. (there is at least one program out there - one that I think is not so ethical, since they accepted a MD member and have not gained MD approval - that specifies something about seeking TN approval, which leads me to believe you have a similar process) You may need to call the state dept of Ed to get the specific requirements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Wow! I did not realize there was only one required grade of school in TN. That's pretty funny and great info to know. What happens if my children decide they want to attend ps for high school? I have thought we might give them that option when the time comes (although I will suggest they continue hs'ing). I just want them to know that the option is available. Will they have to test into high school? They would have to attend the AL school though and we would have to pay tuition for them to go there. The high school they are zoned for is over 30 minutes away. The state lines are so wacky where we live. As long as they're registered as being homeschooled SOMEWHERE, you're good-and after age 7 they HAVE to be in school in some way. And I think there's a rule in place such that a child who attends 1st grade in a state where K isn't mandatory won't be placed back in K-but it really is that, according to TN state law, K is the one grade that cannot be legally skipped. Every other grade can be (although skipping grades in high school is hard because of the credit requirements). Coming from almost any Homeschool situation, schools can require that a child test into their grade. Usually it's not required in K-6-kids are just placed in their age/grade (although if you want your child placed ahead of the grade, they'll need to be tested or have a lot of documentation). In 7-12, most people I know have had their child tested for class placement-because a child might have had Algebra I and II, but not geometry when the school's sequence is Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, or might have had a class labeled "Algebra III" that the school labeled "Trigonometry/Analytic geometry". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 In TN, there is only one required grade of school, and it's K, so you either need to register a year before you start doing anything too formal (and for HLA, you can state that you're going to read books, play outside, go to the library, and so on for each subject and they're not going to question it, especially not for K) or list her as K when you first register, do 1st grade work, and then "Grade skip" her to 2nd. HLA is very flexible in this regard and basically lets parents determine grade placement until the kids get to high school, where the state requirements become more difficult. Is this new? Because HSLDA says compulsory school age is 6, not 5, and it doesn't say anything about "kindergarten," other than Option II, but it doesn't say kindergarten is mandatory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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