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Homeschooling Legally in TN – advice needed!
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I feel like I’m in a time crunch, and I need to decide what school we use as our “umbrella” in TN. I have asked my friends who homeschool here. Gateway is highly recommended. However, they don’t provide anything online, like grades, so we would have to either use snail mail or fax from my DH’s work. I want to start homeschooling Aug. 1, and we still need to withdraw our DD from the private school she is currently enrolled. We were thinking it would be best to wait to withdraw her until we hear back from the “umbrella” school, however, it can take up to 4 weeks, and the private school starts in early Aug.
DH is not opposed to achievement testing. I’m not really sure how I feel about it. I am not either for or against it.
We have a curriculum fair coming up next weekend. Aaron Academy, HomeLife Academy, Gateway Christian Schools, and Family Christian Academy will be there. I believe one of the first 3 would be my top picks after talking with friends. Who do you use and why? The only thing that steers me away from Gateway is the fact that they are not online. Also, I am wondering if I should go on ahead and try to take care of it before the curriculum fair due to time constraints.
Any advice is much appreciated.
This is our 16th year of hsing and we enroll with Gateway. Just filled out our paperwork for this year in fact. I’ve always been pleased with them and appreciate their conviction that God has given parents jurisdiction over the education and bringing up of their children. They make no unnecessary demands of us.
However, I do understand the convenience of submitting things online. I’ve not had personal expericne with HomeLife but I hear good things about them. I’m not familiar with Aaron Academy. Why does it take 4 weeks to be enrolled in the CRS? It’s been so long since we’ve enrolled “from scratch” that I don’t remember. I do know the CRS will have to request records from your child’s school so maybe that takes several weeks?
Wish I could go to the Chattanooga fair this coming weekend. I believe Sonya will be there. Blessings on your search.
I will be homeschooling in TN in the next few years and didn’t know you HAVE to have an umbrella school. My friend jsut starting is using one, but I thought it was just an option, not a requirement….TN is in process of rewriting their homeschool laws. I haven’t researched it thoroughly, as I won’t be hs-ing right now, but was wondering if the umbrella school is a requirement or not.
In TN you must register either with a CRS or your local superintendent, but you must register. Gateway uses the satellite option which basically says that my children are on roll at Gateway Chrsitian Schools, my home is an extension of that school and I am considered on faculty. Our local officials have no jurisdiction over my homeschool, because I’m not considered a homeschooler by the state. It changes nothing we do, just the way the state classifies us. This is part of the rewriting going on now. This option was originally known as the Jeter memo, and was only the interpretation by Kay Jeter of the Dept. of Education. This was shaky at best so it’s now being solidified into law. Which is a good thing.
We use HomeLife Academy and LOVE them. I failed miserably at mailing things in, so the on-line component was a must for me. Also, they give family discounts which is nice for a large family with 5 enrolled like we have.
I have heard good things about all you mention though and I don’t know that you could go wrong with any of those.
As to ibkim2’s question, you are correct. You do NOT have to register with a church-related school (not really an umbrella but I call it that too). HOWEVER, if you don’t, then you MUST register with the LEA (local education authority which is usually the local BOE). If you choose this option, you should be prepared to show work, prove attendance and those types of things that I personally didn’t want to deal with. TN is not known to be homeschool friendly, so that is something to keep in mind though it has come a long way.
If you choose the church-related school option (which all of the ones the OP mentions are), then you choose your curriculum and basically cannot be bothered by local school officials. This was the best option for our family but I know some who go with registering with the LEA and like it fine.
You can get a lot of useful info. from the HomeSchool Legal Defense Association website about each state, and they explain the complicated TN laws very well. And yes, TN is making some changes, but from what I’ve heard the laws are even more favorable to HS families.
HomeLife does not take 4 weeks to enroll. If you register on-line on a weekday, you’ll receive confirmation and directions to get your gradebook going on-line within the hour!
We have schooled in TN for 5 years now and we use Daniel 1 Academy, we LOVE them!! They are extremely helpful, and are great with knowing the laws and talking to you about them. I highly reccomend them! We have never had any problems, we submit grades online.
Joy
I am not in TN, but I wanted to just mention that if you are a member of HSLDA, you can get in contact with a staff member who is versed in your state laws and they can help walk you through. I’ve done this a couple times, and they’re very helpful.
Looks like you’re getting some “from the horse’s mouth” info. here too- I love this forum for that! Just wanted to remind you that the HSLDA resource is there.
Blessings!
Thank you all!!! Robin, I think the lengthy time is getting reports from the school where she attended last year. In fact, I saw something about it on HomeLife’s website, but I’m guessing I wouldn’t have to wait for that to actually start our school year. It’s just that I would have no confirmation from Gateway that they received the registration packet until after they receive her grades. Or am I wrong? Having everything online in one place from registration to grades to record keeping is very appealing to me as well.
Thanks to everyone for your input and recommendations. I am not a member of HSLDA yet, but I plan to join at the curriculum fair next weekend. And, talking to Sonya. 🙂
Oh that makes sense. And I don’t know for certain, but I’m thinking you’re right that you would receive your confirmation after all the “i’s” are dotted and “t” crossed. I say go with your feelings and register with someone who does online paperwork. That doesn’t appeal to me at all (I’m in the older group here) but I can see the convenience of it. Anything that makes easier.
We lived in TN a couple years ago for part of the school year, and we used Homelife Academy. We absolutely love them. They are so nice and helpful. In fact we still use them even though there is no need in Ohio. We have wanted to go back to TN so we thought it best. And they were extremely helpful when my son needed a Diploma to get a scholarship in Ohio. Since we had been with them, we were able to get a TN state diploma to satisfy the college here in Ohio.
They really are loving, and all they need is a list of what you plan to use; and you report grades and attendance online–so easy.
If I understand it though you don’t have to register with an umbrella school if you don’t have high schoolers (or if you have high schoolers you need a degree, I think).
artcmomto3,
If you use Dainel 1 Academy they will get all your transfer papers for you, you don’t have to do any of that! They will notify the School board in your county as well. Its a really great service, all you need to register is birth certificate,shot records, and SS#. They will then give you home school cards that you keep and can take an even get big discounts at some places in TN. We took ours to the Aquarium in Gatlinburg, there are 5 total in my family and we got in for 36.00 compared to 86.00 so that was a great savings.
Like I said Mr. Jack at Daniel 1 will help you get everything rolling, and them do all the legwork. Also, you can submit everything online. They are worth you checking them out!
Joy
I live in Memphis and we are registered with Gateway. They are always very helpful when I have questions and are easy to get ahold of.
I just switched to Gateway from our local christian school. I filled out Gateway’s application and sent it in on July 8th. I called today just to verify that they had received it and they had recevied it and already sent a request for records from our other umbrella school! I was told that she is already considered a student and I would receive an email within a couple of weeks with our confirmation of enrollment, attendance and grade forms. So, while it may take a couple of weeks to get all the papers shuffled that does not mean it takes that long to actually “be enrolled”. The umbrella we are using has already stated that they would consider the request for records they will receive as a withdrawal notice (though this may not be the case for your school). So, even though we are waiting on the confirmation email…..we are enrolled already and will begin the new year on August 1st. 🙂 I have only ever registered with our local christian school but we no longer feel standardized testing is good for our family so we chose to go through Gateway, who does not have this as a requirement. 🙂
HomeLife doesn’t require birth certs, shot records or a SS#. I might have a problem supplying a SS# but that is just me. I really don’t get the shot records either if you are not attending a campus, but maybe Daniel I Academy has on-site classes?
Just thought I’d throw this out in case anyone doesn’t want to supply the above info. HomeLife does not require it (at least for K-8th).
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