Track Legislation

THEA tracks laws and regulations that affect home schooling families in Tennessee both directly, through its network of affiliated organizations, and by carefully listening to families from Tennessee who are involved in home education. Changes in home school freedoms may come from international groups like the United Nations, from Federal legislation or regulation, from State legislation or regulation, or from local initiatives within your county or city.

When you see something that affect your freedom to home school, please notify your local THEA Area Coordinator or your THEA area President. Each of the eight chapters of THEA has a web site with contact information on them.

THEA Reporter

Nashville, TN – In 2001 the position of THEA Reporter was formed at the annual Board meeting of the Tennessee Home Education Association and since that date THEA has hired a THEA Reporter to monitor the activities of each General Assembly with three primary responsibilities, as follows:

Determine which bills introduced into the TN legislature has the potential to affect home education in Tennessee, whether to diminish or expand home school freedoms.
Track the progress of each of those bills through the legislative process in the Senate and in the House of Representatives.
While the Legislature is in session prepare a weekly report on the progress of each of those bills for distribution to the THEA Board and to every member of THEA wishing to receive the THEA Observer, which is the name of the publication.

The THEA Executive Committee or the THEA President determines when it is necessary to prepare a call to action for home schooling families in Tennessee relative to pending legislation. At times the call to action may result in strategic meetings with key legislators. Other times the call to action may result an all hands on deck call in campaign that includes encouragement to attend specific meetings of the legislature.

THEA was formed to protect and promote home education in Tennessee. This is a portion of the strategy to protect against losing freedoms and to promote the expansion of home school freedoms.

THEA Observer

Laws and regulations affect what you can do in your home. As long as Tennessee has a compulsory attendance law, families must carefully watch what the legislature is enacting and what the various departments of state government are requiring with their rules and regulations.

Constant vigilance is mandatory. During the legislative session, THEA sends out the THEA Observer, email updates on current legislative activity.