Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn visited Hamilton County Schools as part of the Accelerating TN 2021 bus tour across the state.
She participated in a roundtable with over a dozen Hamilton County Schools district leaders, community businesses and state lawmakers about post-secondary opportunities and career pathways in the district. She said the schools in Hamilton County reflect the adjustments and restructuring of traditional high school models to fit the needs of students.
“Coming out of the pandemic … there’s an appetite for adjusting and changing … the purpose and role of high school … and rethinking what that experience is,” Schwinn said. “So it’s not necessarily six periods per day and the desks in the rows, but it’s actually preparing students for something after, because that is the role of K-12, it’s not to get a diploma, it’s to make sure that once you get to the diploma, you’re ready to be successful, and I’ve seen a lot of that here.”
Schwinn said the Innovative High School Models grant program – which started at $14 million in grants when applications opened in March – more than doubled to $30 million in grants after the department of education received more applications than expected. Hamilton County Schools received a $2 million grant through the program to create a MicroCollege program with Chattanooga State Community College with dual enrollment opportunities for high school students.
Participants also discussed barriers to some career pathways in the district that could be improved. Hamilton County Schools Chief Schools Officer Neelie Parker, Jared Bigham of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and John Maynard, head of career and technical education for Hamilton County Schools, said expansion of dual enrollment opportunities would be a great opportunity for students.