BHEA Membership and Organizational Information
Thinking
of Homeschooling?
Making the decision to homeschool your children is a big step. Whether you are still working on making this decision, or you are ready to get started, BHEA can help.
Learning all you can about educating your children at home is the first step. And of course, you will always be learning as you travel down this exciting road!
There are three options to homeschool legally in Tennessee.
Option 1) sign up with your LEA (local education agency)
That's the school district in which you live: (Alcoa, Maryville,
Blount County, Knox County, Sevier, etc.). All you have to do is
fill out a short form (about 2 pages) as an independent homeschooler.
Information includes what you plan to teach. This is very general
(math, language arts, etc.) They don't want to know what curriculum
you are using. You must do this by August 1. At the end of the year,
you simply turn in an attendance sheet that shows you've schooled for
180 days, 4-hours/day. You must test with the school system at 5th,
7th, and 9th grades. You must have a bachelor's degree to homeschool
during the high school years.
Option 2) sign up with a CRS (church related school) umbrella school.
Each CRS has its own requirements.
* Many BHEA members use Maryville Christian School. The second
deadline (with a late fee) is July 15. Forms, policies, and fees can
be accessed at
<
http://maryvillechristianschool.org/>http://maryvillechristianschool.org/
Contact Info: K-8th, Cynthia Fagan, mailto:tnfgans@aol.com>tnfgans@aol.com,
681-7709 or Independent Study, Brennan LeQuire, mailto: lequirep@bellsouth.net,
983-3131
* Another common choice is Berean Christian School (K-12) 482-3261
* Other choices include (but are not limited to):
--Christian Academy of Knoxville (K-12) 690-4721ext.151
http://www.christianacadknox.org/
--Paideia Academy - 599-7798 - http://paideiaknoxville.org/index.html/
Option 3) sign up with a CRS that considers your home a satellite
campus of their school. You're considered a " private schooler."
(Technically, this isn't homeschooling according to the Jeter
Memorandum but enrollment in "private school." But since it's
done at
home by the parents--most of us call it homeschooling.) Again, each
Option 3 place has its own requirements. Here are the three most
common Option 3s:
* Family Christian Academy: http://www.familychristianacademy.com/
* HomeLife Academy: http://www.homelifeacademy.com/index.php
* Gateway Christian Schools: http://www.gatewaychristianschools.com
A great place to go to read more about homeschooling law is
http://www.tnhomeed.com/HSLaw.html. There is a much more extensive
listing of CRS and Jeter memo options there. You might also check
out HSLDA (www.hslda.com) for more information.
There are some great websites listed under Resources - you can learn more about curriculum, homeschool laws, umbrella schools, and lots more by visiting these sites.
You can print a copy of the BHEA Brochure
by clicking: BHEA
Brochure
BHEA hosts an Annual Kick-off Event -- a precursor to our Enrichment Program. It is where you will sign up for classes, volunteer to help, and learn how BHEA works.
Homeschool 101
This seminar is held annually, in the Spring. It was started as a means of providing information to those that are just thinking about homeschooling or who are new to this exciting venture. We generally have a program about homeschooling, plenty of time for questions, and time to visit with members who have their curriculum displayed.
New Members' Brunch
Watch the BHEA Newsletter as well as this website for the dates and location of our popular "New Member's Brunch!" The BHEA Coordinators and "Veteran" members host a brunch to welcome our new members. This is a great chance to get to know other BHEA members plus enjoy a great meal!
Support Groups
On of the most important things you can do when you are new to homeschooling is to join a Support Group. BHEA welcomes new homeschoolers in the Blount County area, but there are also many other groups in the East Tennessee area. A list of these local groups is included under Resources. You will find a lot more information about what BHEA can offer you on this website under Membership - please take a few minutes to look through it.
Do you have questions about Tennessee's Homeschooling Laws?
Specific information about homeschooling laws can be obtained from your local school board or from the following:
Smoky Mountain Home Education Association (SMHEA)
www.smhea.org smhea@yahoo.com (865)675-3073
The Smoky Mountain Home Education Association - serving Home Educators in 18 counties surrounding and including Knox Co., TN. Check the SMHEA website for membership information. SMHEA is affiliated with THEA, the Tennessee Home Education Association. BHEA is an affiliate support group of SMHEA.
A good source for general information about homeschooling in Tennessee is Tennessee Home Ed at http://tnhomeed.com
Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
www.hslda.org (540) 338-5600
We highly recommend membership in this national organization. Please take the time to visit their website and learn more about their role in protecting our rights to homeschool our children.