Paul Smith, principal of Howard High School, greets students as they enter the building on the first day of school on Wednesday. As students entered the cafeteria and gymnasium, staff of the school checked for white, tucked-in shirts and ties for each student. Students who did not meet dress code were asked to correct the issue before they could enter the school.HOWARD SCHOOLHoward is in the Achievement School District managed by the state because it was defined as a “persistently lowest achieving” school, or one with a graduation rate lower than 60 percent for two of the past three years. This year, the state report card showed Howard’s graduation rate rose to 78 percent. Math scores increased 16 percent.’A YEAR AT HOWARD’Click here to read previous stories about the Howard School of Academics and Technology.
In the south side of Chattanooga, hearts flutter and prayers go out to God on the night before the first day of school at Howard School of Academics and Technology.
Seven hundred students, give or take, with a little help from truancy officers, will walk through these doors into the hands of 61 teachers eager to prove that this year at this inner-city school will be better than last.
For some, including the principal, the morning alarm blares before 5 a.m. The buses will arrive at 8:30. It’s go time.
6:50 a.m. The call goes out to 802 parents. Don’t forget school starts this morning at Howard School, Principal Paul Smith says. He lowers the tenor of his voice. Have them in uniform. Boys wear ties. Girls wear ties or ribbons. “Defiance will not be tolerated,” Smith says. The message reaches 201 voice mails; 396 parents answered; 205 were unreachable.