By Kathleen Baydala Staff Writer, Chattanooga Times Free Press
Leaders of the National Education Association Foundation announced Tuesday they have awarded their largest grant to Hamilton County for improving middle schools.
The foundation approved a five-year, $2.5 million grant for the public school system and the local teachers’ union to close achievement gaps, Interim NEA Foundation CEO Carol Edwards said.
'By closing the achievement gap, what we mean is that any student from Hamilton County, when he or she graduates from high school, will be able to matriculate to post-secondary education without the need for remediation,' she said.
The grant money will be divided among five middle schools: Chattanooga Middle Museum Magnet, Dalewood, East Lake Academy of Fine Arts, Howard Middle School of Academics and Technology and Orchard Knob.
While the first year of the grant will aim at improving teaching in the five schools, education officials said they hope to broaden the program to reach all middle schools in the system.
Wendy Jung, Principal of East Lake Academy, said the money will help her school in literacy and mathematics.
'We have a gap between what average students in Tennessee can do and what ours can do,' Ms. Jung said. 'We have a substantial number of eighth graders not reading at grade level.'
Ms. Jung said achievement gaps run down lines that divide student populations.
'Sometimes it’s ethnic lines. For us, the gap runs down poverty lines,' she said. The student population of each of the five middle schools is more than 90 percent low-income and at least 65 percent minority, according to state records.
Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Jesse Register said a major focus is on middle schools where many students do not achieve both state and federal education standards. The school system previously embarked on reforms for elementary and high schools, such as the Benwood Initiative and the Carnegie Corporation’s Schools for a New Society program.
The grant money will be used to pay for staff development, not equipment or technology, Dr. Register said. Some examples are consultants to assist educators on reading instruction or support for extra days for training, he said.
Local education officials will measure improvements using benchmarks, such as improved state test scores, attendance and graduation rates. The NEA Foundation will use external consultants to evaluate the schools each year.
Ms. Edwards said the schools must make noticeable improvements to receive their share of the $500,000 each year.
NEA President Reg Weaver said grant money supplements school districts that have to rely on outside sources of funding.
'In too many states, the amount of funding for education is not there,' Mr. Weaver said. 'The districts are having extreme difficulty in terms of supporting programs that are necessary that offer a quality public education.'
Hamilton County Commission Chairman Fred Skillern said the county adequately funds the school system. However, he said he thinks the state does not.
'We’re in the top two or three in the state for local funding for education, but we’re in the bottom two or three for state funding,' he said.
Mr. Skillern did not comment on the new grant since he has limited information.
The grant will be administered through the Public Education Foundation.
GRANT GOALS
Expected grant outcomes after five years:
100 percent of eighth-grade students reading at or above grade level.
All students taking rigorous courses, including Algebra I and science.
The profile of the teaching staff at the targeted schools mirroring the district average in the number of new teachers, range of teaching experience and academic credentials.
At least 75 percent of families participating actively and productively in the education of their children.
More than 90 percent of parents and teachers reporting that they are fully satisfied with their schools.
The achievement gap for low-income and minority students closing.
Source: National Education Association Foundation
E-mail Kathleen Baydala at kbaydala@timesfreepress.com