CHATTANOOGA NEWS

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has launched a search for a researcher and educator to join its quantum program as a Governor’s Chair scientist with a joint appointment at UTC and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), a recent university announcement said.

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee teamed up with East Tennessee State University in 2021 to create an accelerated learning program for students to earn a bachelor’s degree in computing and job offer at BlueCross in just two years.

Hamilton County Schools recently teamed up with the healthcare provider Erlanger Health System to open a School-Based Health Center at Howard Connect Academy.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is working to support first year students settling into campus this school year to help ease the transition from high school to higher education.

The Hamilton County school board updated its policy to allow school nurses to provide emergency care to students without parental consent, in response to a new Tennessee law requiring parental permission for non-emergency treatment. The law was initially aimed at restricting gender-affirming care but has broader implications, such as needing consent for basic medical care. The board unanimously passed the update to ensure emergency situations are addressed promptly. Additionally, the board approved funding for a new staff position to manage legislative updates and advocate for school funding, despite some opposition.

The public charter school operator Prep Public Schools is looking to replicate the success of Chattanooga Preparatory School with another all-boys charter school that just opened its doors for its first school year last Thursday.

The Hamilton County Schools Board of Education voted 8-0 to approve a $663 million revised budget during Thursday’s special called meeting.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has been designated a 2024-2025 College of Distinction and a Tennessee College of Distinction, a recent announcement said.

The Tennessee Charter School Center recognized 5 middle schools and 8 high schools for having the greatest positive impact on student academic growth and achievement.

A recent report from the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) found that school districts across Tennessee began the school year with 1,000 teaching vacancies.

A new report from the Tennessee Charter School Center found public charter schools are outperforming traditional public schools on state measurements for student growth.

A heated debate over Hamilton County Schools’ proposed $674 million budget led to a failed vote to reinstate it on the agenda. The school board will revisit the issue in June.

When E’Janay Reynolds was eight years old, she, her mother, and two younger sisters found themselves living in the Chattanooga Homeless Shelter for roughly seven months.Though her mother was eventually able to get federal Section 8 assistance to move the family into housing, this drastic change gave Reynolds a push to focus on school.“Academically, it just gave me a push to be better and do better. Because, if I didn’t do it, who else would have (done) it?” said Reynolds. “I just had to push to ‘okay, go in school, be the best you can be because you’re going to need that to get somewhere in life’.”

School boards in as many as six counties could vote on applications this year for new public charter schools.A diverse group of potential charter operators sent 21 charter application letters of intent to school districts across the state, the first step in this year’s new start charter application process. Those operators include an existing charter operator, prior applicants who failed to receive approval, along with a host of new organizations with no experience in Tennessee.A diverse group of potential charter operators sent 22 charter application letters of intent to school districts across the state, the first step in this year’s new start charter application process. Those operators include existing charter operators, prior applicants who failed to receive approval, along with a host of new organizations with no experience in Tennessee.

Three of Tennessee’s largest school districts are touting their academic growth on the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS).Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS), Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) and Hamilton County Schools (HCS) all put out press releases to celebrate their status as TVAAS Level 5 school districts, the highest distinction available.

For more than two decades, Levar Brown has been proving to himself exactly what he can and cannot do.Along the way, Brown likewise has proven a consistent, persistent influence in the lives of Chattanooga-area youth.

In 2010 the future looked anything but bright for the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy (CGLA).The new public charter school had just finished its first year of operation and the school was in danger of not making it to a second.

Hamilton County Schools announced Dr. Martha McMillan and Alisan Taylor will take over as the new principals for East Ridge Elementary School and Thrasher Elementary School.

The vast majority of Hamilton County third-graders who took the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) retake are still not clear to advance to the fourth-grade.

Governor Bill Lee announced Friday that he’s signed legislation to expand the Education Savings Account to Hamilton County.

Tennessee lawmakers advanced a bill to expand the state’s ESA program to Hamilton County, allowing more students to use funds for private education.

The Tennessee Senate approved a bill to include Hamilton County in the state’s ESA voucher program. The bill now moves to the House for discussion.

By any measure, Chattanooga Preparatory School’s first high school basketball season was a slam dunk success.The newly established public charter school entered the 2020/2021 season with only a 9th grade class, so the varsity boys team consisted solely of freshmen. The Sentinels still went 10 and 5 on the year, coming one game shy of qualifying for the 8-team state tournament.That record included a 5 and 1 district result for the only public charter school in Tennessee’s Division I Class 1A Region 3 District 5. The Sentinels only district loss came to Polk County rival Copper Basin. The two teams split their season series and then faced off in the district championship game where Copper Basin won a nail-bitter by just two points.It would appear one season of facing the Sentinels was more than enough for Copper Basin.During last month’s Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) annual regional meetings, the small Polk County school proposed moving all public charter schools out of the Division I that they are currently in with traditional public schools. Under the proposal, public charter school athletes would instead compete in Division II with private schools.

Tennessee’s private school voucher law, which now only affects districts and some students in Memphis and Nashville, would widen to include Hamilton County Schools under new legislation filed this week.Sen. Todd Gardenhire, a Chattanooga Republican, wants the legislature to expand the eligibility criteria for the education savings account program to include students in districts with at least five of the state’s lowest-performing schools, as identified in the last three “priority school” cycles since 2015.

Jeffrey Stubblefield didn’t spend his summer break like most elementary school children.  Then again, Stubblefield is no ordinary fourth grader.From May 31 to August 8 this summer Stubblefield spent an astonishing 30,150 minutes reading.  That adds up to roughly seven hours a day with a book.

The department says the TN ALL Corps District Support Network will provide districts with new opportunities to engage in collaborative learning experiences, share best practices, and enhance local tutoring programs.

Each summer students from across Tennessee take part in a competition that takes place in chairs, bedrooms, libraries, and even cars.It’s known as Tristar Reads and the goal is to spend the most minutes reading over the summer break. Tennesseans for Student Success created Tristar Reads in 2016 to help stop the so-called “summer slide” that many students encounter over the summer months when they’re not in school.This year, 77 participants students spent roughly 273 thousand minutes reading including overall winner Jeffrey Stubblefield.