Forum will focus on challenges for public schools
Let’s talk about education. With a traumatic school year of shocks behind, a widespread and transformative community initiative at hand and a host of school board elections looming ahead, along with a search for the next school superintendent, there’s a lot to talk about.
On Thursday, WRCB and the Chattanooga Times Free Press will host a televised discussion about the Hamilton County school system called “State of Education: A Town Hall Meeting,” in which local educators and officials will speak about the challenges and realities facing the system.
The hourlong event will start at 7 p.m. at the WRCB studios and will be broadcast live, free of commercial interruption. Some seats will be set aside for the public but reservations are required.
Dr. Jared Bigham, the coordinator of community initiative
Chattanooga 2.0, said he is glad so many stakeholders have expressed interest in dealing with the school system because it affects everyone.
“It doesn’t matter if you have a child in a public school or a charter school or a private school,” Bigham said. “It doesn’t matter if you have no children in school, period. If you’re a business owner, if you’re in the faith-based community, the entire community is impacted by education.”
Alison Gerber, editor of the Times Free Press, said, “Improving education is one of the most important and daunting challenges this community faces, and we hope this forum will be a chance to discuss solutions.”
The program will be structured as a series of panel discussions in five segments framed around issues essential to the conversation.
PARENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
A consistent point of contention between administrators and parents who feel disconnected from their children’s education, the subject has for years plagued stakeholders wanting to ensure communication and cooperation.
Chattanooga 2.0, a far-reaching movement by local business leaders, educators and politicians to improve the county’s public schools, has worked with dozens of community work groups over the last several months to outline the school system’s future.
After reviewing community input that poured out during a 100-day planning period, the initiative’s coordinators will release a laundry list of suggestions for the county in early August.
RECRUITING TEACHERS
With roughly 42,000 students, Hamilton County Schools has a challenging task to find and retain skilled teachers able to effectively work with students as part of the largest single workforce in the county.
Teachers who perform well are being retained at higher rates, while those who do not are increasingly not rehired, but issues of pay and classroom autonomy still present obstacles to attracting talent to the area.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
An alarming report by Chattanooga 2.0 in December 2015 highlighted that Hamilton County has approximately 15,000 available jobs that are unfilled and unavailable to county residents based on education requirements alone.
That same report said in the coming years, 83 percent of job postings in the county paying a livable wage of at least $35,000 a year are expected to require education past high school and the school system must adapt to help fill the workforce ranks.
FUNDING
This year the Hamilton County Commission boosted the HCDE budget by nearly $12 million in combined local and state funding, to $417 million. Public education comprises 62 percent of the 2016-17 county budget, not including 3 percent set aside to pay off debt from new school construction.
A recurring suggestion within the community has been to move to a student-based funding model instead of the current facility-based model, a move that supporters argue would give teachers and principals more autonomy over their budgets.
ALTERNATIVES TO ZONED SCHOOLS
Between private schools, charter schools and other options, parents face difficult choices when it comes to their child’s education.
Several advocates for education reform in Hamilton County have argued that parents must have options, but opportunities offered by each school should be equitable across the board so parents aren’t forced to make a decision based on quality of education alone.
Contact staff writer Emmett Gienapp at egienapp@timesfreepress.com or 423-7576731.