Local Education
Chatt Prep Narrowly Denied Expansion Despite Large Academic Improvements
The Hamilton County Board of Education could not reach the required majority for approval due to absences.
Chattanooga Education News
Education news from Chattanooga and surrounding communities
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Local Education
Chattanooga Grad Starts Program to Help Students Think 'Big Picture'
Maurquez Thompson’s new college prep program will support students from The Howard School and Brainerd High School.
Local News
Hamilton County Launches New Student-Driven History Experience
The project will be an immersive storytelling of Chattanooga's rich history.
Local Education
Hamilton County School Board to Vote on Reducing Testing
District leaders are proposing to cut local benchmarks to two per year.
Local Education
Hamilton County Teachers Appear Set for Pay Increase
At Thursday’s meeting, members unanimously settled on a budget that includes raises for employees and six- and seven-figure funding allocations for athletics, f...
Local Education
Hamilton County School Board Rejects Proposed New Public Charter School
The Empowerment Academy is one of three public charter schools proposed this year by an organization of the same name, with two others planned for Memphis and N...
News
Hamilton County Meeting Gets Testy Amid Educator Diversity Repeal
The district’s policy says students deserve access to ‘diverse’ instruction.
Local Education
Hamilton County Schools Removes ‘The Kite Runner’ from a High School English Class
The decision follows a complaint from a parent about the book's graphic content last week, after a high school teacher selected it as supplementary material for...
Local Education
Hamilton County Announces Details of $34 Million Upgrade to Soddy Daisy Middle School
Among the improvements planned for the school are modernized classrooms and learning spaces, a new gymnasium, and an upgraded cafeteria.
Local Education
New Volkswagen Career and Technical Education Academy Will be a Part of Chattanooga’s Skyline
The Volkswagen Engineering Preparatory Academy at the Franklin Roberts Future Ready Center will provide students with access to early engineering education and ...
Local Education
Hamilton County School Board Unanimously Denies the Proposed Tennessee Wildflower Public School
The Hamilton County School Board voted unanimously to reject the amended application for the proposed Tennessee Wildflower Public School, citing unresolved defi...
Local Education
Hamilton County Schools Appoints New Community Superintendents
Hamilton County Schools (HCS) appointed new leaders Monday to positions the district considers key to supporting students, teachers and school principals.
Local Education
Chattanooga Prep celebrates first graduating class
Seven years ago, a group of sixth-grade boys walked through the doors of Chattanooga Preparatory School for the very first time. Last month, they returned as th...
Local Education
Hamilton County Schools announces five new principal appointments
In a news release sent to the Tennessee Firefly, the district said each leader represents its ongoing commitment to student success, strong instructional leader...
Local Education
Hamilton County Schools announces expansion of the Future Ready Center program
District leaders say the program has been such a success they’re now eyeing two expansions, beginning with the new North River Future Ready Center set to open a...
Local Education
Hamilton County School Board votes down two proposed public charter schools
Members of the Hamilton County School Board unanimously voted the Tennessee Wildflower’s application down on Thursday, along with a proposal for the Little King...
State Education
Hamilton County Senator Bo Watson faces pushback from Chattanooga educators and business leaders for bill impacting undocumented students
On Wednesday, the Hamilton County Principals Association issued a statement opposing the bill, calling it a threat and a contradiction to professional ethics an...
Local Education
Hamilton County School Board pushes to reduce the number of benchmark assessments despite their role improving student performance
During Thursday’s meeting, Board Chair Joe Smith asked Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson what the impact would be if the district reduced the number of benchm...
Local Education
Hamilton County Schools honors three Teachers of the Year
A welder, a sixth-grade teacher who’s been on the job 14-years, and a first-grade teacher who expanded a forest learning program are the Tennessee school distri...
Local Education
House Subcommittee advances bill to expand full-service community schools
The bill, sponsored by Representative Kirk Haston, R-Lobelville, establishes a community schools grant program to benefit public schools, administered by the Un...
Local Education
Hamilton County School Board tables proposed cell phone ban
On Thursday, school board members took up a proposed change to the policy, which would prohibit students from possessing a wireless device on campus during the ...
State Education
Comptroller says Madison and Hamilton Counties are the biggest beneficiaries of Tennessee’s new school funding formula
A new Comptroller Report released this week found all of Tennessee’s locally administered school districts received more money during fiscal year 2023/2024 when...
News
University of Tennessee-Chattanooga doctoral candidate develops self-encrypting AI
Joshua Tyler, a computational engineering doctoral candidate and electrical engineering research associate at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), ...
News
Hamilton County Schools considers exceptional education changes to address safety concerns
Hamilton County Schools leaders floated the idea of changing its exceptional education staffing model for some students with disabilities and behavioral problem...
News
University of Tennessee Chattanooga mathematician’s research on the spread of infectious diseases goes global
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of Mathematics Assistant Professor Dr. Xiunan Wang has gained international recognition for her work in mathem...
News
Hamilton County Schools enlists students to assist with Harrison Future Ready Center renovations
Hamilton County Schools students will soon play a role in renovating the center to gain more workforce experience, a recent district announcement said.
News
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga former Chancellor Angle leaves a legacy of transformation
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s former Chancellor Dr. Steve Angle transitioned from his leadership role to join the faculty on Jan. 1. Officials said h...
News
Hamilton County Schools Board of Education urges lawmakers to oppose expansion of school vouchers, approves deferred maintenance plans
The Hamilton County Schools (HCS) Board of Education passed a resolution on Thursday urging Tennessee lawmakers to oppose the expansion of school vouchers that ...
News
University of Tennessee system will set up ‘search committees’ for new chancellors at UT-Chattanooga and UT-Southern
The University of Tennessee system will proceed with an external search to fill anticipated vacancies in the chancellor positions at UT Chattanooga and UT South...
News
Hamilton County Schools set to vote on new facilities plan
The Hamilton County Schools Board of Education will vote next week to finalize an updated district facilities plan to establish a new career and technical educa...
Elections
Hamilton County race pits former teacher against candidate who’s open to rejecting federal education funding
Last year, the Tennessee General Assembly attracted headlines when members held multiple hearings on the possibility of rejecting up to a billion dollars in fed...
News
UT-Chattanooga’s Amy Kyriakidis recognized for suicide prevention efforts
Amy Kyriakidis, assistant director for suicide education and prevention at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Center for Wellbeing, recently received ...
News
Hamilton County Schools to transport students to the polls for early voting
Hamilton County Schools will move forward with a plan to provide transportation to early voting sites for students who are eligible to vote, despite some debate...
News
UTC investment plans to make Chattanooga 'one of the healthiest' cities in the country
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will use a $3.5 million gift and research grant from the Journey Health Foundation to establish a Research Center for...
Local Education
SouthEast Bank investing $154 thousand into two Chattanooga public charter schools
SouthEast Bank announced a three-year investment of $154,500 into Chattanooga public charter schools Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy and the Montessori Ele...
News
Hamilton County Schools parents voice concerns about school safety after threats against district schools
Several parents and community members spoke to Hamilton County Schools leaders about school safety concerns at Thursday’s school board meeting following a recen...
Local Education
UT-Chattanooga announces search for Governor’s Chair in Quantum Information Science and Engineering
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 ...
Local Education
Hamilton County Schools partners with Erlanger to expand student health care services
Hamilton County Schools recently teamed up with the healthcare provider Erlanger Health System to open a School-Based Health Center at Howard Connect Academy.
College and Higher Edu...
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga plans ‘House Calls’ to connect with first-year students
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...
Local Education
Hamilton County Schools updates school nursing policy following new parental consent law
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 ...
Local Education
Knoxville Preparatory School opens doors for first school year
The public charter school operator Prep Public Schools is looking to replicate the success of Chattanooga Preparatory School with another all-boys charter schoo...
Local Education
Hamilton County Schools approves revised budget with $50K starting salary for teachers
The Hamilton County Schools Board of Education voted 8-0 to approve a $663 million revised budget during Thursday’s special called meeting.
College and Higher Edu...
UT-Chattanooga receives College of Distinction designation
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has been designated a 2024-2025 College of Distinction and a Tennessee College of Distinction, a recent announcement ...
State Education
Public charter schools in Shelby, Davidson, and Hamilton County recognized for being changemakers
The Tennessee Charter School Center recognized 5 middle schools and 8 high schools for having the greatest positive impact on student academic growth and achiev...
College and Higher Edu...
Teacher vacancies are a big challenge in Tennessee. Clarksville-Montgomery County may have found a solution.
A recent report from the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) found that school districts across Tennessee began the school year with 1,000 teachi...
Local Education
Budget discussions spark debate during Hamilton County School board meeting
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...
News
Student Profile: Choice Champions Scholarship grand prize winner E’Janay Reynolds has a personal reason for wanting to help others
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 seve...
State Education
Tennessee could see more applications for new public charter schools than last year
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...
State Education
Schools in Davidson, Shelby, and Hamilton Counties celebrate academic growth and achievement
Three of Tennessee’s largest school districts are touting their academic growth on the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS).Metro Nashville Public Sc...
Local Education
Longtime Chattanooga coach and administrator honored for distinguished service
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, pers...
Local Education
Chattanooga Changemaker: How one public charter school went from at risk for closure to the highest performing.
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...
Local Education
Hamilton County Schools announces new elementary school principals
Hamilton County Schools announced Dr. Martha McMillan and Alisan Taylor will take over as the new principals for East Ridge Elementary School and Thrasher Eleme...
State Education
Hamilton County students improve on TCAP retake but few test proficient
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 f...
State Education
Governor Lee signs bill allowing Hamilton County families to use taxpayer money to attend private schools
Governor Bill Lee announced Friday that he’s signed legislation to expand the Education Savings Account to Hamilton County.
State Education
Tennessee legislature sends governor pared-down school voucher expansion bill, omitting Knox County
Tennessee lawmakers approved expanding the private school voucher program to Hamilton County, but not Knox County. The final bill now awaits Gov. Bill Lee’s sig...
State Education
Legislation to expand the Education Savings Account Program to Hamilton County advances
Tennessee lawmakers advanced a bill to expand the state’s ESA program to Hamilton County, allowing more students to use funds for private education.
State Education
Tennessee Senate approves adding Hamilton County to ESA/voucher program
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.
State Education
Afraid of the competition? Why did traditional public schools try to get out of playing public charter schools
By any measure, Chattanooga Preparatory School’s first high school basketball season was a slam dunk success.The newly established public charter school entered...
Local Education
Tennessee Education Savings Account law would expand to Hamilton County under bill
Tennessee’s private school voucher law, which now only affects districts and some students in Memphis and Nashville, would widen to include Hamilton County Scho...
Local Education
Reading champ a bookworm since he was a toddler
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 Au...
State Education
Tennessee provides new resource to help with COVID learning loss
The department says the TN ALL Corps District Support Network will provide districts with new opportunities to engage in collaborative learning experiences, sha...
Local Education
Contest encourages students to spend 273 thousand minutes reading
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...