The Chattanooga City Council, for the most part, has backed a public stance on giving Hamilton County Schools some time to create a turnaround plan for five struggling schools sitting on the brink of state intervention.
The request “encourages” the Tennessee Department of Education to give new schools Superintendent Bryan Johnson additional time to engage the community so he can base its input on a plan to “create a path forward that is in the best interest of our children and community.”
The measure, sponsored by Councilman Russell Gilbert, aligns itself closely with recent Hamilton County Board of Education conversations on the matter and backs away from his original call for the state to “slow it down” and give the school system two more years to get things right for Orchard Knob Elementary, Orchard Knob Middle, Woodmore Elementary, Dalewood Middle and Brainerd High.
In recent months, Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen has recommended Hamilton County Schools and the state partner to create a special mini-district for those schools, as opposed to an outright state takeover. The five schools have ranked among the state’s lowest performers for more than a decade.
Chattanooga City Council Chairman Jerry Mitchell
Chattanooga City Councilman Russell GilbertOn Tuesday, the council voted 6-0 in favor of the measure, with three members abstaining: council Chairman Jerry Mitchell, Vice Chairman Ken Smith and Councilman Chip Henderson.