A withering response from the Tennessee Department of Education to Hamilton County Schools over its priority schools plans leads one to believe that the district’s current leadership is unable to get these struggling schools moving forward.
The first reaction of the state team examining the plans “was one of concern.” The January report was issued in response to district plans sent to the state in October. Worse, the district’s plan “for the 2015-2016 year lacked a comprehensive approach,” and the restructuring strategy for 2016-2017 “leaves the review team with great pause.”
“The lack of cohesiveness across Priority School plans points to an unfocused approach from district leadership,” the report stated. “The plans suggest schools are working in silos as opposed to working toward a clear vision in coordination with other schools in the iZone [innovation zone, which is composed of the county’s priority schools].”
District leadership has had the state’s pointed response since January. Unbelievably, as of late last week, members of the Board of Education had not seen the report.
However, last Tuesday, in a meeting with some members of the media, Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Rick Smith said repairing his relationships with the school board and the public are his priorities in light of the scorn heaped on him following his handling of the pool cue rape of an Ooltewah High School basketball player in December. Better communication, he said, will be a key to repairing those relationships.