Crews: Hamilton County has two school systems that are separate, unequal in too many ways

A Hamilton County student gets off a bus in this file photo.
A Hamilton County student gets off a bus in this file photo.

UNIFIED INITIATIVES

One of UnifiEd’s campaigns focused on increasing transparency and accountability within the Hamilton County Department of Education. The group convinced the school board to provide an easy-to-understand guide to the budget as well as increase public participation in public meetings.In August, UnifiEd released its Pact for Public Education, which identifies top community priorities for Hamilton County Schools, one of which focuses on providing an excellent and equitable education to all students. To learn more and sign the Pact for Public Education, visit www.unifi-ed.org.

In some ways, there are two different school systems in Hamilton County that are both separate and unequal.

In one school system, our kids are doing just fine. They go to schools with the most experienced and skilled teachers in Hamilton County and parents and guardians have more time and resources to be deeply involved. No surprise that in this school system, 63 percent of third-graders are reading at or above grade level. These children are poised for future success in college and career.

However, four out of 10 children in Hamilton County schools are locked out of those schools. They go to schools where there are high concentrations of poverty - where 80 percent or more students are eligible for free- or reduced-price lunch. In these schools, less than 25 percent of third-graders are reading at grade level and more than 40 percent of all teachers are in their first five years in the profession.

It doesn't have to be this way. School systems around the nation that work to increase the economic diversity of schools have seen improved performance - both from kids who are from low-income families and from kids who are not. Right here in Hamilton County, the schools that are the exceptions to the rule - and are the most economically diverse - are among the best performing schools in the county.

According to Richard Kahlenberg, a leading expert in socioeconomic integration in schools, there are many benefits for all students in mixed-income schools.

Majority middle class schools will on average have higher quality and more experienced teachers than predominantly working-class schools because "working conditions are perceived to be better." In fact, economically disadvantaged schools in Hamilton County have a significantly higher percentage of new teachers, who are in their first five years of teaching, compared to the amount of new teachers in predominantly middle-class schools. Middle-income schools also have higher levels of parental involvement than economically disadvantaged schools because middle class parents often have more time and resources to be involved in school activities and volunteer in classrooms.

Strong parental involvement can be a powerful advocacy tool for all students in mixed-income schools.

The greatest advantage of attending a mixed-income school is peer-to-peer learning among students with different backgrounds. Students at these schools are more likely to have peers who are high-achieving and highly motivated. On average, middle class students come to school with two times the vocabulary of working class students. These students are also more likely to have access to outside educational resources and come from families with higher educational achievement. These are important benefits for all students in a mixed-income school, since high-achieving students can help teach other students, and "motivation can be contagious."

This problem is not just a Hamilton County problem.

There are more than 80 school systems and cities all over the country working to create innovative solutions to this issue. Louisville, Ken., is using a cluster school system to ensure that no school has more than 50 percent of economically disadvantaged students. Hartford, Conn., created a robust magnet school system with heavy recruitment to ensure socioeconomic diversity. Even up the road in Nashville, officials have adopted a diversity plan with an eye toward future growth.

Right here in Hamilton County, the STEM magnet school works to create socioeconomic diversity by allotting lottery admission slots based on where a student is zoned.

The time is right for Chattanooga to have a similar conversation - and to begin the hard work of coming together to create an equitable education system for all students, one in which no student is left behind because of where they live, who they are, or how much their family makes.

That is the vision of UnifiEd's Pact for Public Education. Our community has a history of coming together to solve tough challenges, from the downtown revitalization to rebounding from being the"dirtiest city in America." With our creativity and commitment we can meet this challenge and renew our commitment to ensure every child can have an equal chance at success. We believe that with a shared vision and unified action, we can ensure an excellent education in all Hamilton County public schools.

No family, teacher, administrator, parent or child can do this alone. It's going to take all of us. The list is growing. Add your name to the PACT. www.unifi-ed.org

Elizabeth Crews is executive director of UnifiEd, a community-led movement of parents, teachers, students and community members whose mission is to ensure every student in Hamilton County has an excellent public education. The group was formed in June 2014.

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