District 4 is smack dab in the middle of Chattanooga’s downtown area, a part of the city that is changing rapidly. The public schools within the district reflect the diverse landscape of the district.
Within the district are two magnet schools, Brown Academy for Classical Studies near the UTC campus and the K-12 Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences; three traditional public schools, Hardy Elementary and Orchard Knob Middle and Elementary; Washington Alternative School Learning Center, Hamilton County Virtual School and STEM School Chattanooga on the Chattanooga State Community College campus.
Voters will elect a new District 4 Board of Education representative in March because two-term school board member Tiffanie Robinson chose not to seek re-election.
The new representative will take a seat on a board that faces multiple challenges, including the rollout of a sweeping school facilities plan and continued focus on student success. District 4’s representative must be someone committed to students, faculty and staff.
Two Democrats are vying to succeed Robinson. Trained social worker Jackie Anderson Thomas spent 20 years working in the Department of Children Services, where she advocated passionately for children. She will aim to lead with education, asking questions and hearing other viewpoints. But that doesn’t mean she won’t be vocal when she needs to be.