The Chattanooga City Council postponed Tuesday a vote on its stance about whether the state should intervene in five of Hamilton County's struggling schools.
The Tennessee Department of Education proposed in April the creation of a Partnership Zone, which would function as an independent mini-district within Hamilton County Schools, including Orchard Knob Elementary, Orchard Knob Middle, Woodmore Elementary, Dalewood Middle and Brainerd High. The schools have ranked in the bottom 5 percent of schools statewide and have been underperforming for more than a decade.
The Partnership Zone is the state Education Commissioner Candice McQueen's alternative to an outright state takeover, which would involve placing some of the five schools in the Achievement School District. The plan calls for a collaboration between the state and Hamilton County Schools to boost academic outcomes and opportunities for the 2,300 students who attend the schools.
On Tuesday, Councilman Russell Gilbert, who sponsored a formal request for the state "to slow it down," told his colleagues he wants to give the Hamilton County Board of Education a chance to discuss the matter first. The school board meets Thursday and Gilbert announced he would bring the matter back to the council on July 25.
The delay comes at the request of his school board representative, Karitsa Mosley Jones, Gilbert said.
"We're not telling [the state] anything, we're just asking," he said Tuesday.
While Chattanooga residents pay Hamilton County taxes, which in turn fund the school system, the city council itself does not provide money for Hamilton County Schools or provide any formal oversight.
Gilbert's resolution formally requests that the state give Hamilton County Schools another two years before intervening, giving new school Superintendent Bryan Johnson an opportunity to turn things around first.
On Monday, Mosley Jones said she would like the school board to have a chance to "collectively discuss and share our thoughts."
Gilbert also fired back at comments made by state Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, who recently said he fears district leaders will undermine the Partnership Zone plan and the community will not support it.
"They don't have skin in the game to make it succeed," Gardenhire said. "And the sad thing is the kids are at stake."
While Gilbert never named Gardenhire, he repeatedly referred to "skin in the game" in connection to "negativity from other political individuals."
"On a personal situation, I have family members who go to these schools, so I have skin in the game,"Gilbert said. "I doubt very seriously that any of his relatives go to any one of these schools, so he don't have skin in the game when it comes to personal [involvement]."
Gilbert said he has contributed his own time and money towards the schools.
"It's not a political thing for me, it's about my babies," Gilbert said. "It's about making a difference in our school system."
McQueen previously said the state is obligated to intervene in the schools and help boost outcomes, as Hamilton County Schools has received more than $10 million in the past five years and struggled to post little, if any, academic gains. She hopes the school district and state, along with the community, can work together to boost outcomes for students.
Contact staff writer Paul Leach at 423-757-6481 or pleach@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @pleach_tfp.