Program Overview
The Farm School Satellite Campuses Program (TFS-SCP) is our home & community-based program for home educators in the state of Tennessee (Out of state? Scroll to the bottom of this page.)
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We are very excited to be able to offer an alternative for homeschool families that, for whatever reason, are not comfortable registering with their Local Educational Agency (LEA) or with a denominational Church Related School (CRS).
We believe in responsive education matched to the needs, interests, and experiences of individual children.
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We also believe in:
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Freedom to teach your child the curriculum that best works for them and your family. We believe that the adults best able to negotiate curriculum with children are the adults spending time with those children on a daily basis. Therefore, we delegate curriculum research, planning, and implementation to the parents/guardians. (You choose your curriculum).
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Freedom from stating religious beliefs, we don’t believe your religious beliefs are our business.
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Freedom from state testing requirements.
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Other items our program includes:
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Official K-12 transcripts & Diploma
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Centralized online record keeping & online registration forms
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Same-day coverage if fees are paid for online
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DMV letters
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ID cards for Faculty & Student
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Curriculum consultations, assessment review, portfolio planning (May require additional cost depending on the situation).
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Access to our Facebook group to help encourage community & support.
Below are the legal documents regarding us being recognized by the state as a CRS – Umbrella School.
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The Farm School is recognized by the Tennessee Department of Education as a Category IV Exempted School (a.k.a. Church-related school) – download the approval document. Our program operates under what is commonly referred to as the Jeter Memo (see the section under “Additional Educational Option”). When you enroll in The Farm School Satellite Campuses Program your home will be designated as a satellite (classroom or extension) of The Farm School. At least one parent/guardian will be appointed as a faculty member of The Farm School under the supervision of our administration. Your children will technically not be homeschoolers (as defined by Tennessee law) – they will be students of The Farm School, a non-public church-related school.
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Please note: As a Tennessee non-public school enrollment in our program meets the compulsory attendance laws for the state of Tennessee. We do not assert that enrollment in our program meets the compulsory attendance and/or homeschool requirements in other states. It is the parent / guardian’s responsibility to meet the requirements of the state in which the student resides if they do not reside in Tennessee.
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Requirements for students in the State of Tennessee:
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Fill out a Notice of Intent with your local board of education OR register with an Umbrella School.
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Complete at a minimum of 4 hours per day of “instruction” for 180 days of attendance between July 1 and June 30.
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Submit immunization records to whomever you registered with which does include a religious or medical exemption.
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Meet the requirements of the school or county you registered with in regards to testing, reporting, etc. (The Farm School does not require testing)
For more information on Tennessee please visit their website. If you don’t live in Tennessee but enrolling in an Umbrella School fulfills your legal obligation in your state, please note that you will agree to a statement during our registration process that states the following: "Enrollment with The Farm School meets the compulsory attendance requirements for the State of Tennessee. The Farm School does not claim that enrollment in this program meets the compulsory attendance and/or homeschool requirements for states other than Tennessee or for other countries. It is the parent’s/guardian’s responsibility to research and satisfy the requirements of the state in which the student resides if they do not reside in Tennessee."
New to homeschooling? Check out our learning resources to learn more about our educational philosophy.
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