Reform-minded outsiders want to help pick the next leader of Hamilton County Schools

Bill Kilbride
Bill Kilbride

The leaders of a group hoping to overhaul local public education want to help pick the next Hamilton County superintendent.

In a letter to the Board of Education on Monday, Chattanooga 2.0 Coordinator Jared Bigham and Chamber of Commerce President Bill Kilbride asked for an outline and a timeline for how the school system's elected leaders plan to find outgoing superintendent Rick Smith's replacement. Bigham and Kilbride also asked if they could show the board how other groups picked their superintendents, as well as whether they could put the school board members in touch with several outspoken community leaders.

Bigham said he and Kilbride wrote the letter to show they support the board.

"We're here as a resource, if they want," he said. "We're already there in the community. There's some conduits in place for (the board) to get feedback. We can broker some of those conversations."

Chattanooga 2.0 is a group of businesses, educators, foundations and other community leaders that is creating a plan to more effectively educate local students. According to a report the group released in December, 65 percent of graduates from Hamilton County Schools fail to earn any education past high school, leaving local companies with a limited pool of job candidates.

The group has divided into four subsections that are studying specific ways they believe they can make students in Hamilton County smarter: early childhood education, the classroom experience for K-12 students, post-secondary education and the potential impact of community organizations.

According to the letter sent Monday, these groups will present plans for improvement within their 100-day planning period, which is already underway.

After reading the message from Chattanooga 2.0, board Chairman Jonathan Welch said he welcomes input from the group. But he's not sure yet how specifically they can work together. He wants to talk about it first with other board members in a public meeting.

"I hope the community is involved," he said. "We just got to figure out what that looks like."

Bigham said the members of Chattanooga 2.0 want to make sure the board hires a superintendent who understands the group's sweeping effort to improve public education. In Smith, Chattanooga 2.0 had an ally. He helped spearhead the effort for more than a year, telling the Times Free Press in December that Chattanooga 2.0's report proved the county needs support from more members of the community - even those who are not directly involved with education.

"It's time we ask, 'Where are our priorities?'" Smith said at the time.

But on Jan. 21, amid criticism for waiting too long to publicly address the rape scandal at Ooltewah High School, Smith asked the board to buy out the remainder of his contract. He is currently negotiating that buyout with the board's attorney.

Once Smith is officially gone, the board will be looking for his replacement. Bigham said the board needs to hear from many community leaders, and the Chattanooga 2.0 team can put them in touch with the right people.

"There are so many dynamics at play, especially in a district the size of Hamilton County," he said. "You've got an urban core. You've got rural communities, as well. It's important to have representation across all sectors, all community groups."

He added that the creation of Chattanooga 2.0 will also help the board recruit strong candidates for the superintendent position.

"I've never seen a community rally the way this community has rallied," he said. "Most superintendents, when they come to a district, they are trying to beg those people to the table. In Hamilton County, you've got these partners actively trying to engage in these conversations."

Board member Donna Horn said she supports the idea of partnering with Chattanooga 2.0 in the job search. But she wants to wait for the actual buyout of Smith's contract.

Board member Steve Highland said he had not yet read the letter as of Monday afternoon. But, generally speaking, he supports the idea of meeting with several different people in the community before deciding who to hire. Trouble is, how many seats can you actually fit around one table?

"We're getting pulled in several different directions," Highland said. "We do need to listen and be wise, listen to each of them."

Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at tjett@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6476.

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