TACRS is one of the six organizations recognized in Tennessee State Law, whose member schools are recognized by the Department of Education as Church Related Schools.
TACRS is different from the other organizations already recognized in Tennessee Statutes in several respects. Unlike the other organizations, whose focus is on traditional day-school, classroom programs, the member schools of TACRS have made it their primary mission to offer “umbrella programs” for families who are educating their children at home. Also unlike the other organizations, although TACRS is an explicitly Christian organization, it is not affiliated with any denomination. The statement of faith required for membership consists of one sentence:
I/we declare that the leadership of our school is of good moral character; and subscribes to the historic creeds of the Christian church (the Apostle’s Creed, the Nicean Creed, and the Creed of Chalcedon); and recognizes the authority of the Scriptures in all matters of faith and practice.
The founding of TACRS was an important milestone in the fight to secure homeschooling freedoms in Tennessee. TACRS has, at times, been the lone voice among the private school community defending the rights of homeschoolers.
Ron Scarlata, the founding President of TACRS and founder of Family Christian Academy is the man who made it happen. Homeschoolers all across Tennessee are grateful to him for all that he did and accomplished in defense of homeschooling.
Although Ron passed away in March of 2013, the mission of TACRS continues: to support, encourage, and protect the rights of parents and Church Related Schools in Tennessee.