Written by Jim Drexler.
The verdict is in: mediocre and heading in the wrong direction.
Numbers from the Tennessee Department of Education Report Card on the overall condition of Hamilton County Schools are mixed. If you happen to live in Hixson or on Signal Mountain, chances are your local school scored higher than the average. But if your children attend East Lake, Orchard Knob or Calvin Donaldson, all you see is red F’s.
Overall, the district received a rating of C, but the report is filled with words like 'slipped,' 'fell' and 'dipped' when ratings are compared with previous years and neighboring school districts. Not exactly good news for the Chamber of Commerce. Let’s hope Volkswagen is too busy to read the papers.
Comments from the man at the top were predictable. "What you see today, in some cases, will cause us heartburn," Superintendent Jim Scales said.
He later added, "Principals and teachers are doing a good job, but we can't do a better job with less. We need to dig down in our county and make sure we fund education. We've cut down through the muscle and we're at the bone."
Right on cue, we need more money! In a recent New York Times op-ed, Williams College Professor Susan Engel says the same while writing about the need to attract higher quality teachers:
These new teacher programs should be selective, requiring a 3.5 undergraduate grade point average and an intensive application process. But they should also be free of charge, and admission should include a stipend for the first three years of teaching in a public school.
I smell another White House stimulus plan coming down the track.
From what I’ve seen, though, throwing money at mediocre and declining schools does little. If you don’t believe me, just go tour the Orchard Knob Elementary School or the East Lake Middle School—new and shiny buildings with all the bells and whistles, but with straight F’s on the state report card. It’s like taking two aspirin to treat a cancerous tumor.
Are there reasons that nearly 25% of students in the Chattanooga area attend private schools when the national average is less than 11%? Why is the drop-out rate in Hamilton County so high, and why does that number continue to grow? Could it be that it will take more than money from taxes and local foundations to correct the systemic problems in our neighborhoods and schools?
Is the data in the state report card symptomatic of deeper issues of values, meaning and priorities? There’s a direct correlation between effective schools and strong, intact and involved nuclear families within active, supportive and caring communities.
How do we fix that?
Jim Drexler is the Dean of Social Sciences and Master of Education Program and Chair of the Education Department at Covenant College, where he has served since 2004.
sandrapearson on Nov. 9, 2009
over the past few months, i have spoken to many families looking for a home in close proximity to Volkswagen. i always ask if they have children... and will they be attending public or private schools. i then direct them accordingly... sending them to search for a home in either east brainerd/apison, signal mtn or ringgold. i am needing to sell or lease a home in ooltewah... but no matter how desperate i am to do so, i don't think i could sleep at night knowing a family with children was planning to move into this home... who would be putting their children in the zoned schools.
my children began their education at westview elementary in east brainerd... and received an excellent education while there. however, i was forced to enroll them in private school beyond elementary as i was unwilling to place my children in a substandard school. placing a child in a private school should be something a family elects to do... not something a family HAS to do to protect the child. between the teacher/student ratio, the academic scores and the fact that children riding the school bus (from our community) to ooltewah middle had to sit three to a seat OR on the floor of the bus, i had no choice but to choose a private school for my children as i found the conditions offered to my family by hamilton county schools to be outrageous.
even the mediocracy found in some of our schools is unacceptable! hamilton county needs to step it up.... there is no excuse for failing to protect and properly educate the children in our communities!
twitter-13657752 on Nov. 9, 2009
It is only because of the relatively affordable (for us) Montessori School that we are able to continue to live here. TN creates its own public education morass every time it votes. I'll vote to raise my taxes for public education any chance I am given but it's a losing battle here in TN. I'm a victim of TN public schools (3rd - 7th grade, Shelby County) and I'll never put my child in TN public schools. If I should be unable to afford private school, I will move immediately. I see little reason for hope of any change.
mwillingham on Nov. 10, 2009
What is more money going to do? According to the Montessori website, the most expensive tuition there is for 6-8 grades and it is $6,091. According to the state report card, Hamilton County spends $9,334 per pupil. Now, I'm sure there are some things Hamilton County has to pay for that Montessori doesn't (busing, special ed, etc.) but 50% more per pupil? I'm not buying it. The problem is waste and greed. The paper has an article this morning about the teachers not wanting to pay more for health insurance. They have a pretty sweetheart deal as it is right now. Times are tough for everyone and they should be no different. More money (in the form of higher taxes) isn't the solution.
Christian Höferle on Nov. 10, 2009
Having grown up in the Germany with its predominantly public school system I doubt that many German parents who move here in connection with VW, SIAG, Moll, Wacker, etc. will be willing to spend thousands of dollars on tuition for their children. They expect public schools to be the gold standard. Many of the schools in our area will be a huge let down for these parents. And those few schools that pass as the good examples of public eduation will not be enough to keep Chattanooga's promise to Volkswagen. When VW signed the memorandum of understanding with local leaders they were basically told by Hamilton County schools: We got you covered.
Now, just ask ANY of the VW parents how happy they are with the current situation. I'd love to read that dialog.
Suggested reading: http://southeastschnitzel.wordpress.com/2009/08/17/with-great-economic-power-comes-great-educational-responsibility/
Christian Höferle on Nov. 10, 2009
I agree with your comments re. Montessori. My 7yo daughter goes to the Montessori School in #CHA, my 4yo to Montessori Kinder in Cleveland. Most likely the best choice I could have made for my children.
josiahq on Nov. 10, 2009
"Not exactly good news for the Chamber of Commerce. Let’s hope Volkswagen is too busy to read the papers."
Right, because VW is suddenly going to stop building their plant out at Enterprise South.
#facepalm
Christian Höferle on Nov. 10, 2009
correct re: #facepalm
VW probably doesn't care much about the situation, but their employees who move here do.
twitter-13657752 on Nov. 11, 2009
Yours is precisely the attitude that keeps Tennessee's public schools in current situation. As long as we fail to shout down the anti-government, public program wreckers, in Tennessee and in the nation, we'll continue with terrible public schools (and public programs) and continue to turn our freedom over to increasing corporate control. That's the real agenda behind anti-government, libertarian politics.
mwillingham on Nov. 11, 2009
Blah, blah, blah... You said nothing there. You didn't answer my question. What, exactly, is more money going to do? You pay far less for your child's education than Hamilton County does for one of their students. And Montessori does a much better job at educating their students. What is the magic figure that would make our schools better, $15k per student? $20k? $30k? Where exactly in the school's budget would you allocate more money?
You know what I think? I think Montessori does better with less money because it has parents that care more. How does raising taxes to pump more money into the school system help parents that don't give a shit?
Oh, and that "Like" on your comment was me. I did it by accident when I went to hit "Reply".
archwillingham on Nov. 11, 2009
"As long as we fail to shout down the anti-government, public program wreckers"
Hmm...rather than answer a couple of simple, seemingly valid questions, the response was to emphasize the need to just loudly disdain the questioner. I notice that you still have not answered his questions.
Please help the ignorant masses of anti-government, public program wreckers see the light....what is more money going to do? Give us a SWAG at what it will take. Tell us what we are getting for that extra 50% (or more depending on your answers) premium you suggest we pay. Tell us where this money will come from.
Just curious.
Lou Randall on Nov. 12, 2009
I don't think money is the problem with the school system. I think the problem is leadership. The Hamilton County School Board is failing the students of this county. There is no accountability for employees of the system. And that includes the superintendant. This was proven when the school board voted for an extension of the superintendants contract. Also, the voting citizens of Hamilton County are failing the students. As voters we should remove school board members that allow poor performance from the employees at the system. As I have said in the past the members of the Hamilton County School Board are a great example of why term limits should applied to every elected position.
bryantmblack on Nov. 12, 2009
We need vision. We need leadership. We need accountability. If a US Navy captain's command received C's on proficieny tests, he would be relieved of command. Soldiers and sailors die when a command is failing in its mission. Our children are the victims. Where is the indignation? Why do we continue to tolerate mediocrity? What is our school board doing...Extending the contract of a superintendant well in advance of his demonstrating performance commensurate with a contract extension. Our school board should be submitting letters of resignation.
Where do we cut when faced with budget shortfalls? Assistant principals.
I have taught 15 years. You will not find a harder working member of a school team than an effective assistant principal. Have you looked at the expanse and the expense of the central office? Lead by example.
Comments from our leadership seemed to place responsibility on the principals. Our principals do not control the hiring and firing of effective and ineffective staff. They do not control their budgets. Yet, we hold them accountable for substandard performance. If we are going to hold them accountable for their schools, then give them control of their schools.
Denver has completely revamped its compensation so that it actually reflects competency and performance. When no correlation exists between performance and pay, should we be surprised by mediocrity?
Fundamentally, we do not trust the stewardship of the tax dollars we have entrusted to our School Board and Department of Education. We would we support expanding funding? First get your house in order. It is not necessarily that Chattanooga does not care about public education, it is that we do not trust it.
stelmodad on Nov. 16, 2009
Jim, first chance I had to read your response here. I'm sorry to say I find it wanting – I just begun reading your second post now and more hopeful about it. Plainly put, articles like this particular one, left alone, do not contribute. They tend to rally those that have either a personal or political distaste for public schooling and elicit an emotional response from those that come from a polar world view.
Yes, we can start with a criticism but we need to not simply deride but to constructively ask more of the public schools and work toward and encourage progress. If you, and others, feel that we're just throwing money at the problem then act to make a change. I hope that challenges and a vision to act, rather than just critique, will come in following articles from you.
Jimdrexler on Nov. 17, 2009
Not sure who the St. Elmo dad is here, but the article was designed (1) to report on the facts of the state wide report (were there inaccuracies in that regard?) and (2) to suggest through the closing five or six questions some directions for possible solutions. To write that the article only criticizes and derides suggests to me that either you didn't read the whole article through to the end, or you want me to answer all those questions for everyone.
twitter-10920372 on Nov. 22, 2009
Jim, I read the article. What I found in it was the uttering of jabs like:
hope Volkswagen is too busy to read the papers, Comments from the man... were predictable, Right on cue - we need more money, smell another White House stimulus plan, throwing money at mediocre and declining schools does little, new and shiny buildings with all the bells and whistles, but with straight F’s on the state report card. It’s like taking two aspirin to treat a cancerous tumor...
If that's the language you use to prompt an engagement to discuss a solution - what do you say when you really want to attack or criticize? I'm not saying your critique is completely off target, I'm saying it's mean or at best, terse.
Your questions at the end are relevant, they just come across as something stapled to the end of a pointed op ed. This is a big topic, with big cultural, political and personal facets and implications. The swell of people that are touched by it need more than recycled criticisms and tongue in cheek jabs. I wrote what I wrote because I want better. I suspect you do as well.