Another view of Howard: Principal Zac Brown invites critics to 'come see me'

Howard School principal Zac Brown dismisses buses in this 2014 file photo.
Howard School principal Zac Brown dismisses buses in this 2014 file photo.

A week after several Howard School supporters and alumni questioned changes at Howard and the future of the historically black school, Principal Zac Brown said he's laser-focused on getting all students at Howard college- or career-ready in four years and he wants as much community and parental support as he can get toward that goal.

Alumni and members of the NAACP, among others, raised many concerns. Brown said he will address them all including worries about the future of Howard's band and baseball team, requiring appointments to visit the school, concerns about an increasing number of Hispanic students who don't speak English and allegations of guidance counselors directing Howard students away from historically black colleges.

He said he was disappointed that several people who complained to the Times Free Press never called him.

"Come see me. Once the buses roll off, I'm always here," Brown said.

He said he's focused on the classroom because he wants Howard's academic scores to increase so the school will be academically competitive. Test scores and academic achievement are up, and Howard is on no state monitored lists for low scores. The school is on track to meet its annual measurement objectives this year even though it doesn't have the extra intervention funds it had when it was on a low-performing list. Last school year Howard had a 19 percent gain in ninth-grade achievement for English language arts, the largest gain in the county.

And he said he's not trying redirect students from historically black colleges.

Brown said he's had $1.2 million cut from his budget in the two years he's been at the school. So he doesn't have money for trips to historically black colleges, though he would plan trips if an organization would fund them.

In response to alumni concern that none of the school's four guidance counselors are African American, Brown said they were in place when he took over. And, he added, all work to present a variety of college options to students.

Howard supporters such as Reuben Lawrence also were concerned about the growing Hispanic population at the school -- about 25 percent now. Lawrence said the school should have recruited more Spanish-speaking teachers.

If the teacher and student can't understand each other, Lawrence said, "You are babysitting until the bell rings."

Brown said many other Hamilton County schools, including Red Bank, East Ridge and Hixson, have similar student mixes, and the public school system is committed to teaching all of them.

Howard has a part-time interpreter and a full-time assistant dedicated to helping overcome language barriers. Both are charged with assisting more than 100 Spanish-speaking students.

Brown said he wants a full-time interpreter so he can converse with Hispanic parents, and he wants three bilingual assistants.

He said teachers have been learning different methods of teaching, such as using graphs and charts that don't rely so much on words to relay information.

The Benwood Foundation also has provided iPads to freshmen and sophomore students learning English, so they can study language programs like Rosetta Stone throughout the day.

As for concerns about Howard's once-legendary band, Brown concedes, "The state of the band is troublesome."

It's not because he doesn't want a great band, Brown said, it's that students with music training are choosing to attend Chattanooga School of the Arts and Sciences, Tyner or Girls Leadership Academy.

"The fact of the matter is we get few kids coming in," he said. Howard gets no more than two students a year who have any experience playing a horn and it's hard to field a marching band without experienced players.

He said improving the school's academics will help make help Howard compete for students with musical talent.

Howard Band director Dexter Bell declined comment.

The baseball team has a similar problem, Brown said. It takes nine players for a team. Howard had six or seven, so he cut the program until the school can recruit more players. Eventually, he said, he wants the baseball field restored and a team to play on it.

And Brown said there's a reason he asks people to make appointments to see him during the school day: He wants to have the time to answer their concerns, but the hours between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. are for educating students. That time is sacred and he guards it. He's open to everyone when school is out and the buses are gone, he said.

Alumni could best help the school by encouraging parents zoned for Howard to send their children there, he said. He also wants parents to get involved and the PTSA to meet.

"It's a two-way street," said Brown. "We should be working together."

Contact staff writer Yolanda Putman atyputman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6431.

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