Meetings
Hamilton County Schools community listening and planning sessions:SCHOOL/LOCATION - DATE - TIMESale Creek Middle/High School - Feb. 12 - 6 p.m.Soddy-Daisy High School - Feb. 13 - 6 p.m.Hixson High School - Feb. 20 - 6 p.m.Signal Mountain Middle/High School - Feb. 22 - 6 p.m.Ooltewah High School - Feb. 26 - 6 p.m.Red Bank High School - Feb. 27 - 6 p.m.CSAS-Upper - March 13 - 6 p.m.Howard High School - March 15 - 6 p.m.Chattanooga Center for the Creative Arts - March 19 - 6 p.m.Central High School - March 20 - 6 p.m.East Ridge High School - March 26 6 p.m.East Hamilton Middle/High School - March 27 - 6 p.m.Tyner Academy - March 6 - 6 p.m.Lookout Valley High School - March 8 - 6 p.m.
Hamilton County Schools officials want to hear from you.
The district announced Wednesday the schedule for its next round of community listening and planning sessions this spring, with key topics including suggestions on the strategic plan and budget priorities.
"This will be the second round of listening sessions since I came to this community last summer, and we look forward to citizens once again sharing with us their hopes and dreams for their schools and children," said Bryan Johnson, superintendent of Hamilton County Schools, in a statement. "This ongoing feedback will be substantive and important toward shaping the future of our school system."
Johnson has continuously referenced themes from the first round of listening sessions and said those concerns are a top priority for him and his administration.
Some of those key concerns included increasing fine arts teachers and programs in schools, improving STEM programs and school safety, addressing start times at the high school level, ensuring students are college- and career-ready and enhancing community engagement.
"We came away from the first round of listening sessions with a very targeted list of key initiatives that we will work to accomplish with the community's continued support," Johnson said. "With strong community support and a willingness to work together to accomplish great things for children, there is no task too big for Chattanooga and Hamilton County Community collaboration and support have produced many shining examples of academic gains, and we want to fan the flames of achievement to surround every child with a burning desire and opportunity for success."
The locations of the more than a dozen meetings set for February and March were selected based on geography to allow as many citizens to attend as possible, according to the district. However, community members are encouraged to attend any meeting that is most convenient for them. The meetings also will be used to "highlight some of the steps the district has taken in response to concerns shared from our first listening sessions," according to the district.
Since Johnson took the helm last summer, he has pushed for community engagement across the district. Johnson also appointed a transition team of more than two dozen community members, national experts and key officials to provide suggests and areas of improvement for the district. That team has been tasked with creating a strategic plan for the district.
Contact staff writer Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.