Reporter’s Note
Hey, high school educators and coaches! Do you want to win $250 for your high school? The Times Free Press is holding a Hometown Prep Photo Contest. We are calling for any high school prep game photos, and the photo with the most votes wins! You have until Sept. 7 to submit your photo and then voting begins. For more information and to submit your photos, visit: www.timesfreepress.com/htprep.
– Meghan
THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION NEWS
Despite a summer-long battle over whether or not Hamilton County teachers would receive a raise in the school district’s FY 2020 budget, more than 80% of teachers are satisfied with their jobs, according to survey results released by the Tennessee Department of Education this week.
Teachers still struggle with adequate amounts of planning time, and some say they wouldn’t recommend their schools to parents or families, but the majority say they are satisfied with their jobs and their school leadership.
Thanks to results like these and recent announcements of TNReady and TVAAS scores, a recent Times Free Press Power Poll showed that 78% of local movers and shakers believe that Hamilton County’s public schools are on the up-and-up.
The quality of private schools is still not questioned, with most local leaders ranking them as excellent, but Power Poll respondents said the district’s TVAAS scores show encouraging improvement.
In less exciting school news, an Ooltewah High teacher resigned last week after being charged with solicitation of a minor by the Chattanooga Police Department and lead was detected in multiple sources of drinking water in Bradley County Schools, according to a recent report.
An anonymous survey and automated robocalls accusing the “radically liberal” school board and Superintendent Bryan Johnson of misusing taxpayer dollars and weeks of bus woes, including a crash that injured 13 students from Brown Middle and Central High last Friday, continue to plague Hamilton County.
Keep reading for these stories and more!