While Tennessee is trending upwards across many metrics, the transformation of the education system ought to be one of the more touted accomplishments. Just a few short decades ago, the Volunteer State ranked near the bottom in terms of student achievement. Today, Tennessee students rank 17th nationally and first in the South on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). This improvement would not have been possible without the implementation of new ideas and initiatives, including student-focused policies and the expansion of school choice for Tennessee families. Increased education choice has been shown to not only improve the achievement of participants, but public school students as well. Despite the recent progress, there is still room for improvement to give every Tennessee student the best education for their unique needs.
To continue improving the education for students, Tennessee must keep innovating. While California is not often considered a state that Tennessee would like to emulate, the Golden State provides an intriguing educational offering that may be worth considering: nonclassroom-based charter schools, or NCBs for short. NCBs are public charter schools where students split time between the physical classroom and home learning, allowing for a more personalized educational experience. This hybrid approach can include independent studies, project-based learning, and other home study initiatives that give families more flexibility in choosing the best education route for their child. Because NCBs are public charter schools, this option is offered at no cost to parents, who can also access education funding to support a curriculum and education supplies. Should Tennessee adopt a similar model, an appropriate funding mechanism—such as TISA, an existing school choice program like the EFS, or a different funding structure—must be determined to ensure both equal access and fiscal responsibility.
While such an option is available in California and utilized by around 200,000 students, Tennessee law does not allow an equivalent charter school model. Unlike California, Tennessee’s education code does not provide legal authority for schools to operate an NCB hybrid model that combines independent home learning and in-person instruction, meaning such schools can’t exist without changes to state law. Parents in California who opt into the NCB program enjoy the right to specialize their child’s education while receiving assistance from public charter schools and accessing a portion of their child’s education funds for educational materials, a privilege parents in Tennessee do not have.
Though Tennessee does not offer an NCB charter school program, one would assume the state gives more freedom to traditional homeschool students than California, but that would not be the case. For example, Tennessee homeschooled students have requirements for standardized tests, daily instruction hours, and total instruction days; California has none of these. Furthermore, Tennessee requires homeschool attendance records to be submitted annually to the local school district, while California does not. Independent homeschool families in California arguably have more freedom than those in Tennessee.
While Tennessee’s education standing has increased by leaps and bounds, new initiatives and increased options, not heavy-handed regulation, are vital if this growth is to continue. The introduction of NCB charter options would give Tennessee families more flexibility, autonomy, and control of their children’s education. Every Tennessee family has a unique vision for their child, and they deserve to see that vision come true through the expansion of school choice.