Department of Education
Kevin Huffman, Commissioner

Charter schools are public schools operated by independent, non-profit governing bodies that must include parents.  In Tennessee, public charter school students are measured against the same academic standards as students in other public schools.  Local boards of education ensure that only those charter schools open and remain open that are meeting the needs of their students.  Local boards do this through rigorous authorization processes, ongoing monitoring of the academic and financial performance of charter schools, and, when necessary, through the revocation or non-renewal of charters.  In exchange for the opportunity to meet these standards, charter school operators may be granted waivers from some State laws and rules (for example, many Tennessee charter schools have longer school hours and school years).

Current Tennessee Charter Schools 2011-12 (1/17/12)

The Tennessee Public Charter Schools Act is contained in Tenn. Code Annotated 49-13-101 through 137, and in 8-35-242. You can access Tennessee laws here.

Effect size data for Tennessee charter schools (Oct. 2011): summary - press release.

Tennessee Charter Schools Summary Report - April, 2012

Tennessee Comptroller’s Charter School Task Force Reports: 2011, 2010

Charter Schools FAQs

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Charter Schools Office Contact Information

Rich Haglund, Director of Charter Schools
Office: (615) 741-8486
E-mail: Rich.Haglund@tn.gov