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THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION NEWS
Hamilton County Schools had some significant visitors last week. Off the heels of billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates’ visit to several local schools earlier this year, representatives from Microsoft accompanied U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., and other business leaders and elected officials last week as he visited Red Bank High School and Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy.
Microsoft’s Senior Director of Education Policy Allyson Knox also participated in a roundtable discussion with state Sen. Bo Watson, Chattanooga Chamber President Christy Gillenwater and others on the importance of computer science education.
Last week, the Times Free Press also obtained the 911 call that prompted an hours-long search for an alleged armed gunman near the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s downtown campus.
In the call, the caller states he saw someone dressed in what looked like a Chattanooga Police Department uniform carrying a long-barreled gun down the street near UTC’s campus. The panic eventually turned out to be a false alarm – the caller had seen an off-duty officer returning home and UTC administrators have received flak for how the university handled the crisis and communicated with concerned students.
Hamilton County Schools officials and local law enforcement also continue to urge motorists to be careful. More than a dozen accidents involving school buses have already occurred this year, and the problem doesn’t seem to be limited to Hamilton County.
A car reportedly struck a bus transporting Bradley Central High School students Monday, but district officials said there were no injuries.
Keep reading for these stories and more!