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State education chief: Leaders must work urgently to improve county’s worst schools

By Kendi A. Rainwater September 21, 2016 4 min read

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State’s education commissioner attends summit in Chattanooga

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/20/16. The public and media attend Education Mini-Summit 2016 at the Volkswagen Conference Center on September 20, where Tennessee legislators from Hamilton County and local education officials discuss the county's public school system. The district is producing lower-than-expected test results and have Teacher's rated least effective by state measures.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/20/16. Candice McQueen, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education, speaks during the Education Mini-Summit 2016 at the Volkswagen Conference Center on September 20, where Tennessee legislators from Hamilton County and local education officials discuss the county's public school system. The district is producing lower-than-expected test results and have Teacher's rated least effective by state measures.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/20/16. Rep. Patsy Hazelwood speaks at the Education Mini-Summit 2016 at the Volkswagen Conference Center on September 20, where Tennessee legislators from Hamilton County and local education officials discuss the county's public school system. The district is producing lower-than-expected test results and have Teacher's rated least effective by state measures.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/20/16. Candice McQueen, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education, and Senator Bo Watson speak during the Education Mini-Summit 2016 at the Volkswagen Conference Center on September 20, where Tennessee legislators from Hamilton County and local education officials discuss the county's public school system. The district is producing lower-than-expected test results and have Teacher's rated least effective by state measures.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/20/16. Jennifer Knowles, Jonas Barriere and Senator Bo Watson, from left, converse at the conclusion of the Education Mini-Summit 2016 at the Volkswagen Conference Center on September 20, where Tennessee legislators from Hamilton County and local education officials discussed the county's public school system. The district is producing lower-than-expected test results and have Teacher's rated least effective by state measures.

Participants in Tuesday’s summit

› Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen› State Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson› State Rep. JoAnne Favors, D-Chattanooga› State Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah› Executive Director of UnifiEd Jonas Barriere› Apison Elementary School Principal Ron Hughes› Chattanooga 2.0 Coordinator Jared Bigham› Chattanooga State Christina Conn› Hamilton County Commissioner Sabrena Smedley› State Rep. Patsy Hazelwood, R-Signal Mountain› Hamilton County Schools Interim Superintendent Kirk Kelly› Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger› State Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga› Hamilton County PTA President LeeAnn Hammer› United Way of Greater Chattanooga CEO Lesley Scearce› Director of UTC’s school of education Renee Murley› Public Education Foundation President Dan Challener› Hamilton County Schools Literacy Coach Jennifer Knowles› Hamilton County school board member Rhonda Thurman› State Rep. Marc Gravitt, R-East Ridge› House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga

The state’s top education leader applauded the willingness of many in the community across Hamilton County to be involved in the work of improving public education, but she told school district leaders they have a lot of work to do.

Highlighting the district’s five priority schools, which rank in the bottom 5 percent of schools statewide, Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen said the district needs to work urgently to improve these schools.

Hamilton County’s five priority schools have received $13 million in school improvement grants since 2013, and McQueen said the state is “not seeing the improvements we have seen with our other priority schools.”

McQueen’s comments came at the end of a nearly 90-minute education summit, convened Tuesday at Volkswagen by the Hamilton County’s legislative delegation.