UnifiEd holds its first community conversation on the hiring of a new superintendent in Hamilton County in District 4.North Hamilton County community conversations
Francis B. Wyatt Center, 406 Colville St., Thursday, March 10 at 6 p.m.Homefolks Restaurant, 8981 Dayton Pike, Tuesday, March 15 at 6 p.m.North River Civic Center, 1009 Executive Drive, Tuesday, March 22 at 6 p.m.Red Bank High School Media Center, 640 Morrison Springs Road, Thursday, April 7 at 6 p.m.
East Hamilton community conversations
Ooltewah United Methodist Church, 6131 Relocation Way, Tuesday, March 15 at 6 p.m.Heritage House, 1428 Jenkins Road, Tuesday, April 5 at 6 p.m.
Metro community conversations
New Covenant Fellowship Church, 1326 N. Moore Road, Monday, March 21 at 6 p.m.Brainerd Crossroads, 4011 Austin St., Friday, April 8 at 6 p.m.
District 2 community conversation
Red Bank High School Media Center, 640 Morrison Springs Road, Thursday, April 7 at 6 p.m.
UnifiEd, a community movement working toward improving public schools in Chattanooga, wants people in the community to share their input regarding the hiring of a new superintendent for Hamilton County Schools. The search for a new superintendent comes in the wake of previous Superintendent Rick Smith’s resignation, following criticism for his lack of transparency in handling the alleged rape of an Ooltewah High School basketball player by his teammates.
“There’s no decision that’s more important in Hamilton County right now than who our next superintendent will be,” said Elizabeth Crews, executive director of UnifiEd. “I think it’s really important that the community has an opportunity to share what they think.”
She said Smith’s hiring took place without much of a search process and very little public input, and the goal of these meetings is to change that with the hiring of the new superintendent.
“Involving the community in the hiring process on the front end could create more opportunity for community support and buy-in throughout the new superintendent’s tenure,” said Crews.
UnifiEd is holding at least one meeting in each of the nine school districts in Hamilton County. The conversations will be organized similar to a focus group, with representatives from UnifiEd asking attendees from the community broad questions about what they think community involvement looks like, ways they would like to be involved and what they feel is important in a school leader.
Crews said school board members have been invited to the community conversations, and UnifiEd plans to record and transcribe each one and then summarize what the community wants to see.
“Our hope is that it affects a lot,” she said, when asked what impact she thinks the conversations will have on the superintendent hiring process. “We’re hoping the school board members will see [the community conversations] as opportunities to begin to build more trust in the community.”
Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.