The State of
Homeschooling in Tennessee
2002
by: Kay Brooks
(First
published in the
Tennessee Institute for Public Policy's Education Policy in Action
January 29, 2002)
(J.
C. Bowman of the Tennessee Institute for Public Policy asked me what the
state of homeschooling is in Tennessee. This article was my response.)
Well, JC,
let me tell you...it's a mixed bag. It's a sturdy bag. It's a bag with hope
enclosed.
The
mix? Homeschoolers are every flavor of religion, politics, teaching/learning
styles, personalities and socio/economic backgrounds. The old stereotype of
homeschoolers being left or right wing just doesn't fit anymore.
Additionally, while it's possible to homeschool with little trouble or
inconvenience in our state for most people, the law is more complicated than
necessary. It does discriminate based on religion. Gives certain school
personnel arbitrary authority without appellate procedure and isn't
uniformly applied in all LEAs. Understandably, it's not surprising that
complying can be difficult for school employees and parents just starting
this education path. Clearing up the confusion was the reason TnHomeEd.com
was started.
The
sturdy? When we learn of trouble for one part of the community we have put
aside our differences and worked to protect the right of families to educate
their children. A right, I believe, all Tennessee homeschoolers hold dear.
Last year's legislative battle where homeschoolers of all stripes made their
voices known and defeated an unnecessary piece of legislation is an
excellent example of our ability to work together regardless of our
differences. Much like many families we may squabble amongst ourselves but
we are there for one another when the need arises.
The
hope? Looking to the future, where distance and online learning are becoming
the hot education options for the future, and looking at the past and seeing
that on the whole homeschoolers have proven themselves trustworthy, parents
are hoping that more and more legislators and education personnel will agree
that the old education framework just won't fit the new education picture.
Hopefully, what will follow is an expansion of education options for all
parents to meet the individual education needs of their children.
Kay
Brooks
TnHomeEd
Tennessee's Homeschool Information Site
http://www.TnHomeEd.com
Kay@TnHomeEd.com
TnHomeEd is an independent clearinghouse of homeschool information for
Tennesseans.
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