MORRISTOWN , Tenn. — Homeschooling is so important to Uwe Romeike that the classically trained pianist sold his beloved grand pianos to pay for moving his wife and five children from Germany to the Smoky Mountain foothills of Tennessee.

Romeike says they were persecuted for their evangelical Christian beliefs and homeschooling their children in Germany, where school attendance is compulsory.

Romeike s...