Hamilton County’s nationally known charter school, Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, has been named Tennessee’s Charter School of the Year by the Tennessee Charter School Center.
The all-girls public charter school, which celebrated its tenth anniversary earlier this year, was awarded a 2019 State Charter Champion Award at the annual Tennessee Charter Schools Conference last week.
The school was selected based on its STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) curriculum and the creative programming and curriculum it provides to students, according to a news release.
“CGLA is an ecosystem of exemplary educators and fearless students, all of whom are purposefully teaching and learning,” said Elaine Swafford, executive director of the school, in a statement. “Our faculty takes education beyond the traditional classroom by designing experiences that spark critical thinking and develop problem-solving skills. No question, the faculty focuses on student engagement that leads to academic success.”
Gov. Bill Lee was also honored at the same conference. Lee was presented with the 2019 National Champion for Charters Award, “a recognition bestowed annually on local, state, and federal policymakers who are making a difference for students by supporting high-quality public charter schools,” according to a news release.