Cooper: UnifiEd, board not in tune

Questions posed at Hamilton County Board of Education debates, such as during this District forum at Lookout Valley High School earlier this week, indicate sponsoring organization UnifiEd, the school board and the school district may have some different goals in mind.
Questions posed at Hamilton County Board of Education debates, such as during this District forum at Lookout Valley High School earlier this week, indicate sponsoring organization UnifiEd, the school board and the school district may have some different goals in mind.

A Friday news release from two sitting Hamilton County Board of Education members has shattered the assumption among many in the public that the school board, the school district and the UnifiEd organization have largely mutual goals going forward.

At issue, among other things, is the question about plans for socioeconomic integration of schools that was asked of candidates in the first two school board forums hosted by UnifiEd, the Urban League, the Hamilton County Education Association and Chattanooga 2.0 ahead of the Aug. 2 county general election.

Five of the nine school board seats are up for election. Incumbents are running for election in four of the five races.

"People believe UnifiEd's purpose is to work in concert with many others to better public education in Hamilton County," said District 3 school board member Joe Smith, who along with District 1 member Rhonda Thurman released the letter. "That changed last fall when they announced the APEX project and formed a political action committee."

"I simply do not believe what UnifiEd believes," said Thurman. "I don't think there are many people in Hamilton County who will agree with what they are proposing."

UnifiEd, in its 56-page APEX (Action Plan for Educational eXcellence) report, suggests the Hamilton County Department of Education must develop a plan to end socioeconomic and racial segregation and that community members must demand the end of socioeconomic and racial segregation.

To achieve such an end, the organization advocates that schools be integrated by implementing policies that include attendance zone changes, controlled school choice models, increased magnet school access and improved transfer policies. The community, the report states, should demand elected representatives and the school district carefully examine ways to pursue integrating schools through the legal system.

UnifiEd, in a questionnaire sent to all candidates, asks if, as school board members, they "commit to working together with the Hamilton County Department of Education to develop a plan to end socioeconomic and racial segregation" and "if yes, how do you plan to accomplish this goal." It also asks if, as school board members, they "commit to actively partnering with community members to demand the end of socioeconomic and racial segregation" and, "if yes, how do you plan to accomplish this goal."

From the answers the organization has received - even accepting the premise - and from answers at the two debates, it's clear candidates do not understand what they are being asked. Their answers indicate they believe they are being asked about fairness and equity in schools and not about rezoning, "controlled school choice models" and potential lawsuits to achieve what the APEX report recommends.

Smith said having read and digested the report he does understand it.

"I have talked with the education leaders in my district about this policy," he said. "I can't support what it says. I am not sure how UnifiEd can say this represents Hamilton County because I know it doesn't represent what the people of District 3 believe.

"Hamilton County is a conservative place," Smith said, "and [UnifiEd] has shown itself to be way far to the left on what they believe."

Thurman said the cost of such plans, even if practical, is prohibitive.

"I don't need liberals from out of town coming here telling me what's best for people in Hamilton County," she said, "and ordering me to tell the county commission to take more money from the taxpayers."

Like Smith and Thurman, we don't believe the organization's APEX plan for socioeconomic integration is necessary or workable. But we do believe there are ways to give students and parents in lower socioeconomic areas more options.

We have always believed more magnet schools run on the model used by Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences and Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts could be successful. But they cannot be watered down magnet programs as have existed for more than a decade in several district schools. They must be diverse but require strong student work and parent participation.

The district also could pilot several other zoned/open enrollment schools like Rivermont Elementary, which requires out-of-zone parents or guardians to provide transportation to students.

In addition, the school system is kicking off its Future Ready Institutes this fall in most public high schools, which will allow enrollment across the district into programs that offer a background in, or sampling of, a particular career path.

Going forward, we hope school board candidates in the remaining three debates enter the arena with their eyes wide open. Improvement and change have been needed in Hamilton County Schools, and first-year Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson is helping engineer the district toward that end. He has launched an equity task force to address opportunities for all students. The work of that task force needs to play out.

We're grateful UnifiEd has helped sponsor the school board debates, but we wonder if in 2020 and going forward an impartial organization might take up the task. After all, UnifiEd has moved from a group that, according to its founding executive director in 2014, was not pushing a platform and was nobody's mouthpiece, to its current status as an advocacy organization with a political action committee.

UnifiEd can believe what it likes, but the public, the school district and the school board need not sing off the same page as the organization.

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