Signal Mountain resident Mary Helms may not be directly impacted by education in Hamilton County, but as a part of the Chattanooga Public Library, she sees the effects every day.
That is what brought her to newly elected mayor Andy Berke’s recent forum on education and youth development April 4.
There, Helms met in a small group to discuss opportunities and challenges to youth today and how the community can come together to help solve those problems.
For Helms, having strong families is important to youth today. He feels if more families were involved in their kids’ education and their overall well-being, everyone would benefit.
That is a sentiment shared by Edna Varner, a STEM teacher who was a part of the panel discussion at the beginning of the forum.
“Schools have to take on too much these days,” Varner said. “Schools should focus on schooling. We should put the community to task and let them take the lead (for support).”
After Varner and Hunter Huckabey, director of Gear-Up; Phil Accord, president and CEO of Chambliss Center for Children; Bea Lurie, president and CEO of Girls Inc.; and Lurone Jennings, executive director of the Bethlehem Center, completed the panel talk, the attendees–some 300 or more of them–broke into small groups led by a moderator.
That’s where Helms and fellow small group participants discussed the importance of an involved education for youth.
“Teachers now try to teach to too many levels and so many kids get left behind,” said Shay Jefferson, a city employee. “Kids get lost and can’t keep up or they get bored.”
Berke and his staff collected comments and thoughts from the forum participants and Berke said he will review each comment and use it toward making education stronger in Chattanooga.