Q: Does the Church Support Homeschooling?
A: Yes
- The Church has always affirmed the primary right and duty of parents to educate their children. The new Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “As those first responsible for the education of their children, parents have the right to choose a school for them which corresponds to their own convictions. This right is fundamental.” (#2229)
- The Charter Rights of the Family issued by the Vatican in 1983 makes this statement: “Since they have conferred life on their children, parents have the original, primary and inalienable right to educate them; hence they must be acknowledged as the first and foremost educators of their children.”
- Additional documentation of the Church’s consistent support and recognition of parental rights with regard to the education of children can be found in the documents of Vatican II and numerous papal encyclicals.
Q: Is Home Education legal in Tennessee?
A: Yes. All children from 6-17 are required to receive schooling for a minimum of 180 days per year with no less than 4 hours per day. A parent/guardian in Tennessee has 3 legal options to homeschool. You may change which homeschool option your family uses at any grade. More details can be found at the Tennessee Department of Education’s website
Q: Where do I submit my paperwork to be an Independent Homeschooler?
A: Submit your paperwork to MNPS Family Information Center at 2601 Bransford Ave., Nashville, TN 37204.
Q: Is there an alternative for the required proof of vaccinations?
A: Families can submit a medical or religious exemption form.
Q: How Do I Know What to Teach?
A: Tennessee does not require any particular subjects. There are packaged curricula that come complete with tests, answer keys, lesson plans, and technical support via telephone. You can build your own curriculum, co-op classes with other families, hire tutors when necessary, or even utilize the community colleges for high school students. Your resources are only limited by your imagination.
Q: How Do I Choose a Curriculum?
A: Before you can choose a curriculum, it is important to define your family’s education goals.
Parents can choose from among complete curriculum programs, guided curriculum programs, unit studies, or an eclectic program they design themselves. Here are links to many curriculum providers. Members also find it useful to ask to look through each others curriculum before making a purchase.
- The complete curriculum programs offer lesson plans, texts, tests, answer keys, and record keeping services.
- Guided programs offer either a suggested curriculum or help in designing a curriculum, and may or may not offer lesson plans and texts. Both of these options provide a certainty that all essential material is being covered and assured continuity from year to year. Parents need to be aware, however, even complete programs may have to be modified and adapted for an individual child.
- Unit studies tend to start with a theme and then explore the theme selected through history, literature, science, geography, art, etc. They are generally done in co-ops with other families.
- The eclectic approach allows the parents to put together their own curriculum by choosing materials for the child based upon an appropriate scope and sequence for the child’s grade level. This offers the greatest flexibility, but requires a greater knowledge of the resources and materials available, and extra time for making lesson plans.
Parents frequently choose one curriculum approach and change to another in the following years as their circumstances change, and as they begin to know themselves and their children’s needs better.
Q: What About Socialization?
A: Since home educated children are not restricted to socializing with children only on their grade level, they can more readily appreciate and relate to people of all ages which more closely reflects the society in which they live.
- Home educated children have ample time to develop relationships and interests outside of the home in other activities such as sports, music, volunteer work, etc. In addition, Stella Maris families come together throughout the year.
- The family knows and understands the personality and social needs of each child, and is, therefore, better able to guide the child in overcoming his faults and weaknesses while developing his strengths. This is accomplished in the child’s own time.
Q: What about standardized tests?
A: Some families choose to do standardized tests yearly and others choose to only do so in the required grades 5,7, and 9 for Independent Homeschoolers. You may participate with your local public school when they take TCAP or choose an alternative test. Both Seton Testing and BJU are popular choices for homeschoolers.
Q: Do Colleges Accept Home Educated Children?
A: Absolutely! Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and the U.S. Naval Academy to name a few of the secular schools. The University of Dallas, Thomas Aquinas College, Ignatius Institute at USF, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Magdalen, and Christendom college to name a few of the Catholic colleges. They rely on student portfolios, SAT/ACT scores, and personal interviews. Scholarships are regularly awarded to home educated students.
Stella Maris 