The two candidates vying to represent District 11 on the Hamilton County Board of Education shared their views on school safety and facilities during a debate this week.
School board member Jill Black, D-Lookout Mountain, faced off against school board executive assistant Sherrie Ford, a Republican from Lookout Valley, in a debate hosted by the advocacy group CALEB and The Bethlehem Center on Saturday night. Jazmine LeBlanc, the East Lake language and arts library director, moderated the debate.
Early voting starts July 12, and the election is Aug. 1. District 11 includes the Tiftonia, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge areas.
Here’s a sampling of what the candidates had to say:
SCHOOL SAFETY
Earlier this month, the school board narrowly voted against a resolution that would have committed the school system to opting out of a new Tennessee law allowing teachers or staff to carry concealed weapons on campus. Superintendent Justin Robertson has previously said he would not recommend arming staff given the district’s ability to provide a school resource deputy or school security officer in every building.
“I haven’t had a single teacher that is interested in carrying a weapon, and I have not talked to any parents who feel comfortable not knowing what the safety protocols are in their child’s school,” said Black, who advocated for the resolution. “People who send their kids into our schools every single day want to feel good about the security that we’re providing.”
(READ MORE: Hamilton County school board resolution opposing arming staff fails)
The law allows some trained school staff to carry a gun without disclosing to parents or most other employees they’re armed. A school district’s director of schools, the school principal and a local law enforcement agency has to sign off on the staff member carrying the weapon.
Ford said the people she’s spoken with have not been opposed to the law.
“The fact is, it’s left up to the superintendent and the sheriff,” she said. “Unless they come together and say we’re going to do this in our schools, it’s not going to happen. … So, as far as I’m concerned, they have it under control.”
CURRICULUM
Both Ford and Black noted that curriculum is set by the state. Ford said parents, teachers and administration should work together to set the curriculum based on the state standards.
“I’m a very big advocate for parents,” she said. “Parents need to have a voice as well. I’m not talking about parents taking it over, but parents need to have a voice. This is their child’s education.”
Black said teachers are the experts on curriculum, and they should always be involved in the decision making.
“Ultimately, our teachers have the best interests of our students in mind,” she said. “They know their students the best. They’re professionals, and I trust them to teach the curriculum.”
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton /Incumbent Jill Black, D-Lookout Valley, answers a question as Republican school board candidate Sherrie Ford, right, listens Saturday during a District 11 debate at the Bethlehem Center.FACILITIES
Earlier this year, the Hamilton County school board passed a facilities plan aimed at tackling the nearly $1 billion of needed repairs across the district.
“We prioritized not only the needs but what our communities wanted,” Black said. “It was important to me as a representative that we listen to the people in our community when we were making those decisions.”
She noted many aspects of the plan changed due to community feedback. In District 11, the final plan recommends building a new Clifton Hills Elementary on its current campus. The school was initially slated to be closed and merged with two nearby campuses.
(READ MORE: Hamilton County TCAP scores hold steady after two years of gains)
Ford said that she thought the current facilities plan was good and that she was willing to fight for it.
“We have to start being proactive instead of reactive,” she said. “We have to stay ahead of this, and we’re heading in this direction, but we need to keep going.”
SCHOOL DISCIPLINE
Both Ford and Black advocated for keeping students in school.
“When a child is suspended and removed from the classroom, they’re not learning,” Black said. “I’ve always been a supporter of solutions-based discipline — solutions that address the root cause of whatever behavior is.”
Ford said the district needs to continue the response to intervention efforts it’s been using.
“If they’re not in school, they’re not learning,” Ford said. “We have to make sure that they’re getting support for whatever issue they have.”
Contact Shannon Coan at scoan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Visitors listen as District 11 school board candidates Jill Black, D-Lookout Mountain, and Sherrie Ford, a Republican from Lookout Valley, answer questions Saturday at the Bethlehem Center.