Education policy discussions are typically based on public K-12, which focuses on funding, testing, and a myriad of issues that arise from a one-size-fits-few and government-run system. Though the vast majority of Tennessee students attend their local public school, around 100,000 students attend a private school. The foundation of these non-public school options is that they are independent, with the freedom to choose how the school is operated. Yet Tennessee has for years placed regulations on private schools, which in some cases seek to make them mirror public schools. If private schools’ mission is to be different from the public school system, why does the state impose similar regulations in so many areas?
Beacon’s newest report, “The ABC’s of Private School Regulations,” provides an analysis on how state regulations on private schools have taken some autonomy from what should be fully independent educational options. In addition to heavy-handed regulations, Tennessee’s categorization and rules for private schools have made it arguably the most complex and convoluted process for educational entrepreneurs in the nation.
For a state that touts how pro-business it is and respects parental autonomy in other educational options, the current landscape for private schools in Tennessee shows rules and requirements possibly limiting educational options through the maze of private school regulations. Simple policy solutions could remove some of the more heavy-handed regulations and improve the ability for educational entrepreneurs to offer more educational options for Tennessee students. Some key finding in the report show:
- Tennessee’s multiple category system with differing regulations deviates from how states typically treat private schools.
- Despite being independent from public schools, private schools can be subject to testing and curriculum requirements, the same instruction days and hours as public schools, reporting personal information to public schools, and annual inspections.
- Minimum student enrollments can limit educational entrepreneurs and new educational options like microschools.
- Many of the regulations on private schools do not come from legislative action, but are instead made by the state’s rulemaking process.
- Streamlining private school regulations would allow these schooling options to be more free to innovate, while allowing new educational options to be created, giving more options to Tennessee students.