Tennessee Homeschool Umbrella Schools
According to the Tennessee education code, homeschoolers have 3 ways to follow Tennessee homeschool laws. The most popular of these options with homeschool families is to enroll their child in a church-related umbrella school. These schools are operated by denominational, parochial or other bona fide church organizations and are required to meet specific standards of accreditation.
On this page, you will discover how umbrella schools in Tennessee work, things to ask when choosing a school, and how the Time4Learning curriculum works with homeschool umbrella schools.
- How Umbrella Schools in TN Work
- Questions to Ask Your Umbrella School
- Homeschool Umbrella Schools and Time4Learning
- Additional Resources Related to Homeschooling in Tennessee
Legal disclaimer: This page provides suggestions and information on how to meet the mandatory school attendance laws in Tennessee. It is not intended and should not be used as definitive legal advice. In most states, parents find a variety of legal methods to pursue the educational approach that they prefer for their child.
How Umbrella Schools in Tennessee Work
All church-related umbrella schools in Tennessee will have different ways of carrying out operations, but there are some things that law requires them to have in common. Those things include:
- The state board of education is prohibited from controlling the curriculum or faculty of the school
- They must run for the same length of operation as the public school system
- They must comply with state vaccination requirements
- They must supply the name, age, and address of each student to the superintendent of schools where the student resides
- They must keep attendance records for each student
Aside from those requirements, umbrella schools in TN are free to choose their own operational procedures. Each school will vary on curriculum options, standardized testing, minimum graduation requirements, parent education levels, and other details of homeschooling.
Questions to Ask Your Umbrella School
Before enrolling in a specific school, you’ll want to spend time researching your options. Things that you should know about a school before signing up may include:
- Tuition costs and course/curriculum fees
- Whether or not they require a statement of religious faith
- Whether or not they require you to be a member of a specific church
- What support they offer new homeschoolers
- What curriculum choices and options are available
- The activities that are offered to students (sports, extracurriculars, clubs, etc.)
- What record keeping they take care of and what record keeping they require parents to handle
- If they offer official transcripts
By getting this information about each school, you can form an overall view of the school’s goals and policies. This will help you narrow your options and settle on an umbrella school that will be the best fit for your particular family and student(s).
Homeschool Umbrella Schools and Time4Learning
If you’re enrolling with an umbrella school in Tennessee, homeschool curriculum choice may or may not be up to you. If you have the option to choose your own curriculum, many families find that Time4Learning is an ideal program for homeschool umbrella schools. Some of the features that make Time4Learning popular with families are:
- a blend of interactive lessons, worksheets, activities, and assessments for grades PreK-12
- courses in math, language arts, science, social studies, foreign language, and more
- works with a large range of learning styles
- multimedia lessons that help learners retain information
- self-paced system that lets parents and students decide if they want to move sequentially through material or pick and choose what to focus on
- low monthly subscription price
Additional Resources Related to Homeschooling Tennessee
Have other questions about homeschooling in Tennessee? You may find the following pages helpful.
- Homeschooling in Tennessee
- Tennessee Homeschool Laws
- Tennessee Homeschool Associations
- Tennessee Homeschool Groups and Co-ops
- Homeschool Field Trips in Tennessee
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