The Hamilton County Board of Education could vote on Thursday to close three local schools if Superintendent Jim Scales amends the board agenda today.
-
Staff Photo by Gillian Bolsover Twenty-first Century Academy parents Kimberly Colen, front, and Nadine Fortson listen as Hamilton County schools superintendent Jim Scales speaks at the school Tuesday. The Hamilton County Board of Education may vote Thursday on whether to close the school in the Fall.
Board members already plan to decide the future of McBrien Elementary on Thursday, and Dr. Scales said he may decide to add 21st Century Academy and Howard Middle to that list, both schools that have been recommended for closure.
In what has become a familiar scene, Dr. Scales took on 21st Century Academy’s PTA Tuesday and defended his reasons for suggesting closing the school on Cherryton Drive in Brainerd.
The number of 21st Century students scoring advanced in some standardized test subjects is significantly lower than the district as a whole, Dr. Scales said. And the small student body, especially the 150-student high school, is expensive to operate.
“It’s a tremendous outpouring of capital funds to run this school, and we need to have higher achievement,” he said.
But the small size, many parents said, is exactly why they chose to send their children to the magnet school, which has no attendance zone.
Crystal Kyles’ 10-year-old son, Chris, has cataracts and, as a result of several medical conditions, is short for his age and often unsteady on his feet.
Ms. Kyles said 21st Century staff members have worked with her third-grade son since he came to the school in kindergarten, and she worries that other schools may not be able to accommodate his special needs.
“He was born with a developmental disability, but he doesn’t have that any more. He’s made progress at this school,” she said. “Here there’s no staring, there’s no taunting.”
Reading from the front of the auditorium a handwritten letter to Dr. Scales, Chris asked, “Why would you want to close our school down when all of the teachers and staff members, they really try?”
Other parents expressed concerns about where their children would go to school if 21st Century was closed. Most said they would not consider sending their children to the schools they are zoned for, including Woodmore Elementary and Brainerd High, and some thought it was unfair that they would have to go through a lottery process if they wanted their children to attend popular magnet schools such as Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences and Normal Park Museum Magnet.
If the board were to vote to close the school, elementary students could attend Barger Academy, and middle and high school students could attend Tyner Middle and Tyner Academy, Dr. Scales said. That way the students would be assured of attending another magnet program.
Although Juana Wilson-Roberts’ son Clinton will graduate this year from 21st Century, she was concerned that the board would vote to close the school this late in the year.
“Give parents a chance to plan for it. It’s really not fair to throw them in this situation,” said Ms. Wilson-Roberts, who also teaches fine arts at Barger.
Even though Dr. Scales did not fully commit to adding the 21st Century closure to Thursday’s school board agenda, board Chairman Kenny Smith said it was time to act.
“You’re going to know Thursday night what is going to happen. We are not going to drag this out,” he said, adding that he still was unsure of how he would vote.
Near the end of the meeting, Dr. Scales told the crowd of roughly 100 people that he appreciated their passion, and he knew that the topic was uncomfortable.
“This is not a pleasant experience for any of us, especially me,” he said. “I go home at night and toss and turn, probably more than most.”
Kelli Gauthier covers K-12 education in Hamilton County for the Times Free Press. She started at the paper as an intern in 2006, crisscrossing the region writing feature stories from Pikeville, Tenn., to Lafayette, Ga. She also covered crime and courts before taking over the education beat in 2007. A native of Frederick, Md., Kelli came south to attend Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in print journalism. Before newspapers, ...
If the truth was know, Dr. Scales tosses and turns at night because he's afraid that Hamilton County parents will sober up and run him out of town. Scales has nothing new to offer and all we hear about is closing one school or another. Where are his ideas on IMPROVING our schools instead of closing them? Hamilton County needs an innovator. Someone with some new ideas, like maybe controlling the unruly children and trying some old fashion TEACHING. Scales is not helping Hamilton County and if I were him I'd "toss and turn too". Wake up Hamilton County. REPLACE Scales and his sidekick CFO Tommy "Smoke and Mirrors" Kranz.
Notice Nurse Scales waits till 2 days before the meeting to add such an important pair of decisions. This is standard practice for the Scales and Kranz "Smoke and Mirrors Show". Secret meetings decide your child's future before your Juvenile Court appearance. Scales and Kranz work with Department of Children Services to pull children out of the home if they mess with attendance numbers. It doesn't matter if your child has a mental disorder. No money to make the needed accomodations that IDEA calls for. I personally sat with Tommy Kranz and he said he would not address the issue of the mentally disabled children that were being abused until he was finished with his budget. He puts budget ahead of children's suffering and I think he needs replaced as soon as possible. If you don't stand up and voice your concerns then when it's your child that the Hamilton County Education Department abuses, you will have no room to complain. Be heard. Get involved. Stop the madness know as "The Scales and Kranz Smoke and Mirrors Show".
I'll tell you who "Tosses and Turns at night". The parent who finds that their child has Bipolar Disorder and can't get their calls returned from the Scales Clubhouse on Bonny Oaks. They find that Hamilton County is too broke to give their child the RIGHTS under IDEA and get the run around. To get some sleep the parent must home school or pay for private school. Toss and Turn puts it lightly. Scales sleeps good at night with his big salary and his sidekick Tommy "Smoke and Mirrors" Kranz probably snores. When your child who has Bipolar Disorder misses so many days of school that Scales and Kranz and Company along with DCS take your parental rights away and place your sick child in foster care in another county, then you'll know what Tossing and Turning are all about. Stop the madness know as "The Scales and Kranz Smoke and Mirrors Show". Your child could be next!!!!!
To whom ever reads this:
First off, there is a budget deficient and I understand this. I also know that the economy may or may not have helped things. But there a few things that trouble me and others. Scales and Kranz are talking/considering closing four schools but yet there is talk about building a brand new elementary school. This makes me SHUTTER when I think of this. There is not enough funds in the budget to keep several of the schools open, but yet a new school is to be built. I have some very good advice, LET GO of the PROSPECTS of a new school and put the funds being used for that to SAVE and IMPROVE the other schools that SCALES wants to close down! How can SCALES say that he tosses and turns at night, when he is part of the decision to close these schools! I have another question, who is going to get hired to teach at this new facility? Is it going to all new staff, or are you going to be kind enough to give some people their positions/jobs back that you, Kranz and Scales want to cut? DR. Scales and Tommy Kranz, do anyone of you have children that has been taught here in Hamilton county? If not, then how can DR. SCALES toss and turn at night? I honestly can not see how SCALES or KRANZ would have problems sleeping when they are part of the decision making! The only way that I could understand this is if SCALES and KRANZ both have GUILY CONSCINCES! There are many more things to worry about than deciding which schools to close! What are going to happen to the CHILDREN of Hamilton county? How many more CHILDREN are going to be LEFT BEHIND? And HOW MANY FAMILIES are you going to tare apart?
I had a dream last night and it involved Dr. Scales and CFO Tommy "Smoke and Mirrors" Kranz. I overheard the two having a discussion about the school situation. It went something like this:
Kranz: "Scales we have to do something about these schools. There are so many that it's hard to keep up with it all."
Scales: "Why don't we just close some of them? Then there won't be as many to keep up with."
Kranz: "Genius. I see now why you make the big bucks."
Scales: " Ha! Ha! I really got these hillbillies fooled. One out of 3 of their kids will never graduate anyway. I don't see what the parents are complaining about."
Kranz: " Another one out of 3 will be saying "You want some fries with that?" before long."
Scales: "You're a riot Tommy. It really is a pleasure mismanaging this school system with you."
Kranz: "If we could just keep their minds off of that silly IDEA stuff, things would go a lot smoother."
Scales: " I got an IDEA Tommy, let's have another beer. That IDEA stuff gives me a Zachary Deal size headache."
Kranz: " Ha! Ha! That's a good one."
When is the african american community and parents going to wake up. If the masses oppose this you can save your school. 100 parents will not change the outcome. Organize in communities not school building.
The most under utilized schools that are proposed for closure are not 21st century, Brown, or Howard Middle. The lower income and minority communities are the least likely to resistant the shaft that the inner city schools are being handed. The least utilized schools in the system and the most costly to operate are the Vocational School, the old City high school on Dallas, and Falling Water.
Or login with:
New Account