Students leave the gymnasium to make their way to home room.As much as anything, the first day of school is about new beginnings. A new classroom. New teachers. Even new schools.
On Thursday, Hamilton County students and teachers officially went back to school. New and veteran teachers alike were excited about the promise of a new year, a chance to change kids’ lives and make a lasting impact. Newly minted educators watched weepy parents and kindergarteners say goodbye for the first time. They helped kids unpack their new crayons and notebooks. It’s arguably the most exciting day of school, not counting the last, of course.
But a group of more seasoned teachers saw things differently on Thursday. Through the lense of decades of experience, many retired educators say they fear the direction current public officials are taking Tennessee’s public education system.
NEW YEAR, NEW PROMISE
On Thursday, some 42,000 students and 6,000 employees headed back to school in Hamilton County. The school system opened two new schools – Red Bank Middle and Ooltewah Elementary, the county’s largest-ever elementary building. And for dozens of new teachers, Thursday was a day they’ll likely never forget.