Print the law,
read the law,
highlight the law,
keep the law on your desk . 

To "homeschool" in Tennessee you have (currently) three options --well four if you add in civil disobedience.

1. You can register with the Local Education Agency. 

Registering with the LEA is free. The registration deadline is August 1. Between August 1 and September 1 you may still register, but you may have to pay a fine of not more than $80.00/family. However, this deadline may be waived at the discretion of the local superintendent of schools. You must have a high school diploma or GED. If you want to homeschool your high schooler, you must have a BA/BS degree. You may request an exemption from the commissioner of education; historically these have been extremely difficult to have "approved". (Some would say the request itself is all that's required by law.) The LEA doesn't provide curriculum, doesn't have authority to inspect your home or approve your curriculum or your child's schoolwork, and will only require some basic information and the filing of an attendance sheet indicating you've "instructed" 4 hours per day for 180 days. Your child will be required to be tested in the 5th, 7th and 9th grades. Certain subjects will be required in high school. Your child is considered an independent homeschooler.

Check the Blue pages of the phone book for the local school district your child is zoned for and ask for a registration packet. If you want them to mail it to you, obviously, you'll need to give your address but any other information is more than they need. You should be able to pick them up from the office without any information. You can also check this State of Tennessee listing of all the school districts and superintendent contact information: http://www.k-12.state.tn.us/sde/CreateDistrictList.asp?status=A

2. You can register with a Church Related School (CRS)

and they will act as a cover for you so that you can homeschool your child without reporting to the LEA in the lower grades and allow teaching a high schooler without a BA/BS. You must have a high school diploma or GED. You must report high schoolers to the LEA. Curriculum, tests, attendance etc. as the CRS requires. Instruction for 180 days is required. Your child is considered a homeschooler. Check the CRS Comparison Chart or with the school for what services they provide, what's expected of you and how much this all costs.

You, the parent, are considered by the CRS as a faculty member of their school, your home a part of their campus. You aren't required to report to the LEA. Curriculum, tests, attendance, etc as the individual CRS requires. Instruction for 180 days is required. You can teach high schoolers without a BA/BS. Your child is considered "privately education" according to the Jeter Memorandum.

Again, each CRS has their own requirements, fees and you'll want to check the CRS Comparison Chart or the school for specifics.