As the Tennessee Department of Education determines how it will intervene in five of Hamilton County’s lowest- performing schools, the state is getting feedback from community members invested in the schools through several meetings this week.
“We want to work with the community to chart a path forward to ensure every child has the chance to be successful at whatever they choose to do,” Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen said Monday.
McQueen previously told the Hamilton County Board of Education it must decide whether it is willing to work with the state to create a Partnership Zone or allow her office to place at least some of the schools in the state-run Achievement School District.
During the last five years, these schools – Brainerd High, Dalewood Middle, Woodmore Elementary, Orchard Knob Middle and Orchard Knob Elementary – have ranked in the bottom 5 percent of schools statewide and have struggled to post academic progress under district leadership, despite receiving more than $10 million in additional state funds.
“Because our schools have been underperforming for several years, in fact, we were just talking about that it may be closer to 15 years, we believe the state needs to pursue new interventions,” McQueen said, adding that the students deserve better opportunities.