Charter Schools

Charter schools are public schools operated by independent, non-profit governing bodies and can be authorized by a local education agency (LEA) or the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission. In Tennessee, public charter school students are measured against the same academic standards as students in other public schools.

The Tennessee Public Charter Schools Act of 2022 established the purposes for charter schools in Tennessee, which are to:

1. Improve the learning for all students and close the achievement gap between high and low students;
2. Provide options for parents to meet educational needs of students;
3. Encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods, and provide greater decision-making authority to schools and teachers in exchange for greater responsibility for student performance;
4. Measure performance of pupils and faculty, and ensure that children have the opportunity to reach proficiency on state academic assessments;
5. Create new professional opportunities for teachers; and
6. Afford parents substantial meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children.

The State Board's rules and policies regarding charter schools and charter school authorizers can be found here. 

Charter School Directory

To find charter schools in Tennessee, or in a particular school district, please visit the Tennessee Department of Education's School Directory.