March 9, 2005
Editorial: Chattanooga Times Free Press
Hamilton County Schools have successful reform initiatives under way at both the elementary and high school levels. Now the system is going to bridge the two with a middle-school improvement program. Again, the extra level of effort in county schools is being made possible by private foundation assistance. This time the private partner is the National Education Association Foundation. The new money to benefit Hamilton County’s children is coming from the pockets of teachers all around the country.
And it’s coming because Hamilton County Schools have built a track record of success. Never mind the controversies that rage at the Courthouse. NEA Foundation interim CEO Carol Edwards says our community was chosen for this five year, $2.5 million grant largely because its school system, its teachers and their community partners have demonstrated commitment, a can-do spirit and a willingness to work together constructively to improve public schools.
In too many districts, she said, public school challenges, particularly the persistent gap between the highest- and lowest-chieving students, give rise to more finger-pointing than problem-solving. But not here.
That was good to hear because it helps put things in perspective. There’s plenty of finger-pointing in the political arena here, and it’s easy to become distracted by that and discouraged at the failure to fund schools adequately. But it’s important to remember that while cutbacks forced by bad political decisions are hurtful, good things are happening in our public schools because dedicated people are working every day to make them happen. And, to our whole community’s great benefit, they are being generously supported by private donors.
The NEA Foundation grant was awarded jointly to the school system and the Hamilton County Education Association, which represents the system’s educators. It will be administered by the Public Education Foundation, a stalwart partner in all efforts to improve schools here. The grant initially will target the five middle schools with the largest achievement gaps compared to the system average. That makes sense, as does the plan to broaden the reform effort to all middle schools in succeeding years.
Each school will map its own way to five-year goals of having all eighth-graders reading at grade level and succeeding in rigorous math and science courses, raising parental involvement to 75 percent, earning a 90 percent satisfaction rating from parents and teachers and closing the achievement gap for disadvantaged and minority students. The money will be spent to empower teachers — to give them the support they need to learn and share teaching practices that have been shown to work, to build their capacity as leaders, to nurture a school culture of collaboration, teamwork and high expectations.
This money will be invested in people, not things. That’s as it should be. For ultimately, it will be the people in the classrooms, the teachers, who make the difference in our children’s lives.