View our 2018 Voter Guide
With five of nine school board seats contested in the Hamilton County’s Aug. 2 General Election, there’s a good chance for change on what is likely the most important elected body locally.
Our public school system, with more than 44,000 students, has been mired in controversy and paralysis for years.
After hazing rapes, bottomed out test scores, pathetic public support and a threat from the state to take over five of our lowest performing schools, Hamilton County schools have no where to go but up.
Finally, up they are coming – in enormous measure thanks to two outside school advocacy groups, the state and a new superintendent.
Both Chattanooga 2.0, a Chamber of Commerce-backed group, and UnifiEd, a grassroots awareness-raising group, have pushed our Board of Education members to change the superintendent and to embrace the fact that doing things as our county has always done them does not help students.