Tennessee Education Report Card

The Volunteer State: Overall B+

Tennessee runs one of the strongest school choice systems in the country and shields microschools from local zoning fights before they start. Homeschooling is solid, but it’s the one path families still can’t fund with state dollars. That same shield has a gap: it protects “learning pods” without ever defining them. This can leave founders in limbo. Laws should be clear to allow for speed of launch. 

Microschools — B+

Microschools are small independent schools, typically around 15 students, most started by teachers from public or private classrooms. They operate differently from a traditional school, with mixed ages, flexible schedules, and one founder wearing every hat.

  • A 2025 law shields parent-organized “learning pods,” even paid ones, from local zoning, building, and fire code rules, and bars officials from inspections that wouldn’t otherwise happen.
  • Accepting state scholarship dollars requires registering as an accredited or state-approved private school.

Improvements

  • The current learning pod law never defines what they are leaving a lot of gray area and confusion for founders. While this law permits amazing freedom, some school founders in Tennessee have told me that they don’t qualify for the protections. Clarity allows for faster opening times and avoids lengthy showdowns with officials. 

School Choice Policy — B+

School choice covers a wide range of laws, not one program: charter schools, open enrollment in public schools, and funding for private tuition or homeschooling. One of the newer tools is an Education Spending Account (ESA), letting a family spend per-pupil funds on tuition, curriculum, and one-off classes instead of a single school assignment.

  • Tennessee’s Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) was signed into law in 2025. It adds an additional 5000 seats each year families claim at least 75% of existing spots. This permits growth without requiring legislative battles every time the program needs to grow. 
  • Tennessee has no cap on charter schools, and per-pupil funding follows a student who transfers into one.
  • Open enrollment is available at every public school across the state. 

Improvements

  • Expand the state ESA to allow homeschoolers to access the funds. Even if at a reduced amount. 

Homeschooling — B

Homeschooling is parent-led instruction but can include co-ops, online courses, or in-person classes.

  • Tennessee offers three legal paths; most families choose the church-affiliated option to skip the yearly notice and testing in grades 5, 7, and 9 required of independent homeschoolers.
  • Parents teaching independently need only a high school diploma or equivalent and pick their own curriculum.
  • Homeschoolers have access to high school sports
  • Homeschoolers cannot use ESA or EFS dollars

Improvements

  • Remove the yearly notice and testing requirements for independent homeschoolers

Extra Credit: A Reading Law Showing Real Results

Tennessee’s push for evidence-based reading instruction is showing positive results. On the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, the state’s 4th and 8th graders scored above the national average in reading and math, ranking among the top 10 states for improvement since 2022.

Helpful Links for Parents

This is part of a series where we review and rate education access in every state in the country. Get more information here.

Author: Jon England is the Senior Education Policy Analyst at Libertas Institute. He is a fourteen-year veteran of public schools. He taught both fifth and sixth grades, receiving Weber District’s E+ Team Award. He proudly homeschools his children with his wife.

Jon received his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Western Governors University. He spent time in the Marine Corps and separated as a sergeant in 2006.

During his time in public schools, Jon increasingly understood the importance of parental empowerment in education. This increased understanding led him to join Libertas to provide educational freedom for families. Jon enjoys spending time with his wife and five children traveling, skiing, and playing games.

Published: July, 2026