Student well-being survey sparks debate among Hamilton County school board members

Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / This was the first meeting of the new Hamilton County school board with 11 members, although member Joe Wingate was absent. The meeting took place at the Hamilton County Schools central office meeting room on the Hickory Valley Road campus on Sept. 15, 2022. Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / This was the first meeting of the new Hamilton County school board with 11 members, although member Joe Wingate was absent. The meeting took place at the Hamilton County Schools central office meeting room on the Hickory Valley Road campus on Sept. 15, 2022.

By Carmen Nesbitt September 17, 2022 5 min read

Hamilton County Schools is gearing up for this year’s student well-being survey, but it’s sparked some controversy among board members and the community.

The survey is offered through Panorama Education, an independent education technology company based in Boston that supports schools and districts with student literacy and social-emotional learning, according to the company’s website.

“This survey really gives us information to respond to how our kids are doing and how they’re feeling in our buildings and what we need to do to continue to serve them well and create those cultures,” Deputy Superintendent Sonia Stewart told school board members Thursday.

Students will answer a series of scaled questions, which vary depending on grade level. Questions range from “How often are you able to control your emotions when you need to?” to “How sure are you that you can complete all the work that is assigned in your class?”