Professional and Life Experiences
School board members bring a wide array of different backgrounds, professions and interests to the job of overseeing public education in Hamilton County. While their diversity is vital to a system of checks and balances, they must work together to address the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Chattarati: What life or professional experiences equip you to be an effective member of the Hamilton County school board?
Mike Evatt: I was employed by the former Chattanooga public schools and transitioned with the county schools at the time of merger in 1997. I held the position of manager of buildings and grounds for the last 13 years of my career, retiring in 2007. In this position, I was responsible for managing a budget which exceeded $5 million, maintenance in the schools, renovations, and was heavily involved with planning and implementing new school construction. I was also responsible for making sometimes difficult personnel decisions within my department. Having "grown up" in the system, I know the entire system very well. I have a unique perspective based upon my 33 years with the city and county school systems. I have been in all schools, worked with principals, teachers, administration, parents and elected officials on numerous issues and projects. I believe my knowledge will enable me to get to work as a board member on day one, thus bypassing any on-the-job training.
Karen Farrow: Being in law enforcement for 30 years and having the opportunity to be a child abuse investigator and DARE instructor for 13 of those years, I've been a supervisor of patrol officers for the past 10 years. Vice president of Ooltewah Softball Association and working with the public to help fund all the needs of students when the school board advises that they cannot fund it. I had bullying training, drugs, gangs, active shooters training — all sorts of diversity training. Working with the parents to meet the needs of the students.
Caleb Long: I am the product of two working-class parents. From day one, they have promoted education as being the most direct path to self improvement. I am preparing myself to be a continued champion of this perspective on the school board.
Early in my professional career, I found success in white-collar business. I was responsible for million dollar sales budgets in the industrial and construction supply markets. My customers depended directly on my service and expertise in order to be profitable in their respective industries and to provide professional service for their own customers. This relationship taught me the value of delivering on my promises and the importance of providing support to others. As I've grown older, I've recognized the value of having the ability to perform a technical trade to complement my academic and professional development. I am now a union electrician and have the much appreciated opportunity to participate in the construction of the Volkswagen facility. I have also been fortunate enough to earn a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga degree while working on-site at VW. The lesson learned from these two paths focuses on hard work as the cure for most any obstacle that can get in one's way.
These professional, technical and academic paths I've chosen to pursue have introduced me to several communities, businesses and individuals in Hamilton County. These introductions have opened many conversations and really identified issues that citizens and organizations value. As a member of the Hamilton County school board, I will use the values and perspectives, granted to me by individual citizens and local community groups, to remove learning obstacles and ensure that the resources our students and teachers have remain in place.
Tim Stephenson: I entered kindergarten in the fall of 1969. I had trouble paying attention and sitting still in my seat. I spent more time in the principal's office than I did in the classroom. My parents were told to take me to a doctor to see if there was anything that could be done to help me. It was at that time that I was put on a new drug called Ritalin. The medical community claimed that this new drug, Ritalin, would allow me to behave properly in a classroom setting. I was given such a high dose that it kept me in a zombie state of mind and I couldn't function in a normal classroom setting. Before my kindergarten year ended, I was moved to a learning disability class (LDC). I spent the next five years in LDC classes where I was repeatedly told that I was dumb, stupid or that I would never amount to anything in life besides attend college. From kindergarten through 8th grade, a week did not pass that I was not sent to the principal's office to receive a paddling for my misbehavior and after returning home receiving another paddling from both my parents. I was told by all my teachers and both of my parents that I [was] full of the devil, and that all I needed was to have the devil beat out of me.
Nine years later, my freshman English teacher, Pam Muncie, entered my life and took a vested interest in me and my high school education. For the very first in my life, there was a teacher who did not form a first and lasting negative impression from reading my educational file. She did not believe all of the written statements from both the educational and medical professionals within my file. After seeing my initial spelling tests, Mrs. Muncie insisted that I take certain tests. Based on those test results, I was diagnosed as having dyslexia. Over the next four years, I took the weekly spelling test, but Mrs. Muncie threw those spelling tests away. Instead, my spelling grade was based on a 2 to 5 page short story that I had to write every week. I had to use all the spelling words to create a story using proper grammar and correct spelling. I spent many nights at Mrs. Muncie's home with Mrs. Muncie and her husband, Tom. Mr. Muncie was my guidance counselor. Unknown to me, Mrs. Muncie entered one of my creative stories in a contest. Unbelievably, I won second place and I was awarded a college scholarship. They both worked very hard to make sure that I had all the necessary tools that I would need to be successful in life.
I graduated from high school in June of 1982. The following September, I enrolled at a local university. One of my college professors realized that I had dyslexia and decided that further testing was needed. The test results confirmed that not only did I have dyslexia but that I also had Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I never finished college because I had several university professors who refused to work with me regarding my learning difficulties.
On July 25, I will celebrate my 24th wedding anniversary with my wife, Tracy. Our family has been blessed with two children: a son, Timothy James, (T.J.) and a daughter, Ashleigh Ruth. T.J. is a 2008 graduate of Ooltewah High School and will be entering his third year at The University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Ashleigh Ruth is 17-years-old and is an upcoming senior at East Hamilton High School. Our family has been members of Bayside Baptist Church for the past 15 years.
24 years ago, I became a Royal Ambassador Association director overseeing 20 churches in Atlanta, Ga. Also, I was the Royal Ambassador director for the Baptist church that my wife and I attended. We left Atlanta, Ga., and relocated to McMinnville, Tenn. I continued my role as a Royal Ambassador director for a local Baptist church. Our family relocated back to Chattanooga, Tenn., and I took over as the Royal Ambassador director for Bayside Baptist Church until a change in the children's educational program. All in all, I worked as a Royal Ambassador director for 15 years.
As an adult, I was able to go clown school, and I became a professional clown. I have enjoyed being a professional clown for the past 20 years. This has also allowed me the privilege to be a Tennessee Baptist Convention staff teacher on "Clowning" for five years. Also, I have been a Hamilton County school substitute teacher for the past six years. Being a substitute teacher combined with being a professional clown opened a door to teach the opening unit on "Animals" for the last eight years to the kindergarten classes at Lakeside Academy.
Also, I am active in working with the middle school and high school choir at Bayside Baptist Church.
Difficult Challenges
Over the past year, we've seen the heated debate surrounding the zoning of one of Hamilton County's most celebrated magnet schools. While our county prides itself in the achievement of stand-out teachers, principals and communities, there are numerous schools across the district struggling with academic achievement.
Chattarati: What do you believe are the most difficult challenges in ensuring that every school provide a quality education?
Evatt: First of all, I think our system is doing a good job of providing professional development and support to the educators that are on the front lines, so to speak. This professional development and support is non-negotiable if we are going to expect that students in struggling schools are given the same opportunities as those students in high performing schools. There should be no disparities among the educational programs of our schools. As a board member, I would need to communicate effectively with educators in order to ensure that they are receiving relevant support and professional development. Another factor affecting the quality of education across the system is community involvement. There is a direct correlation between community involvement and high performance in our classrooms. As a board member, I will be proactive in helping to develop and maintain community partnerships (i.e. parents, businesses, elected officials) with schools.
Farrow: Having an effective leader in the schools. Having dedicated teachers. Having administrators that support the leaders in the schools and teachers.
Long: I would like to begin this answer by looking first at parental and community involvement issues.
"In Hamilton County, 28.1 percent of students failed to attend school at least 93 percent of the time: more than one-third of high school students failed to meet the statewide attendance goal." (Robertson-Rehberg, 2008).
Dr. Robertson-Rehberg continues her analysis by identifying Gateway test scores by students who live in high parental and community participation areas, such as Signal Mountain, and those that experience less parental and community involvement:
"Among students living in Signal Mountain, 89.8 percent scored advanced on the English II exam — more than double the percentage scoring advanced from Ridgedale/Oak Grove/Clifton Hills. On the Math exam, however, 73.4 percent of students from Signal Mountain scored advanced — eight times the percentage of students scoring advanced in Amnicola/East Chattanooga" (Robertson-Rehberg, 2008).
These statistics identify the significance of parental and community involvement in Hamilton County's school system. Educators and administration must network with the community, and vice versa, in order to promote the most effective environment for learning.
An additional challenge in ensuring a quality education is the need for a safe and orderly school. A safe and orderly school is one without distractions that create learning and developmental obstacles. These obstacles can range from small, yet overt, occurrences to severe acts of violence. The school and its administration must also have the resources to remedy disruptive issues. My concept of a safe school also extends to events that occur outside the school's property and during nontraditional school hours. A school should not only be a place of learning, but should also act as a sanctuary from dangers at home or in the community. Students should be able to identify schools and educators as sources of guidance and protection from most of the pitfalls they will encounter in their young lives. A school should be a place where the student can go and focus solely on their own learning. That would encompass the school being a safe zone from the student while creating a climate that imparts to the student the importance of education and preparation in their own future.
I think above all else the main focus or goal of everyone involved should be the student. What is best for the students? Everything that the school system and school board does should derive from the question of what is best for the students. And more people in charge should be asking themselves "Would this be good enough if it were my child?" And to also keep in mind that no one child is more deserving or better than another.
Reference: Robertson-Rehberg, Eileen. (2008). Education: 2008 State of Chattanooga region report. The Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies.
Stephenson: I believe that the No. 1 problem with quality education is the fact that principals are asked to attend irrelevant weekly meetings and other mandatory meetings when their time would be much better spent in their own schools. Our principals are to be the CEOs of their school. If we expect them to run their school, then they need to be left in the building. More times than not, they are pulled from the building three to four times a week. With the current technology that is at our disposal there is no need for our principals to be pulled from the building. Also, every school needs to have at least two assistant principals. As of now, we have certain schools that have to share an assistant principal. How can we tell students to respect their teachers and principals when the administration doesn't respect the time of the principal?
This leads us to the No. 2 problem in our schools, which is bringing consistent and firm discipline to the classroom. This has become the No. 1 challenge for classroom teachers. Most teachers do not feel that school administrators back them up when students are sent to a principal's office for discipline. Most of the time, there is no one there to properly handle a behavioral problem because the principals are out of the building. Until student behavior is under control, it does not matter how much money we spend on education. A teacher can educate a class of 30 well-behaved students, but let one child become disruptive, and the rest of the class period is spent handling that one disruptive student. Parents also need to get involved with their child's education by answering their child's questions, making sure that homework is complete, and ensuring that their child receives plenty of rest for the next school day. Research states that children with five hours or less hours of sleep are more likely to suffer from depression and have suicidal thoughts.
The school building should be the best environment possible to influence learning. Last year, over 43 percent of students were physically bullied, 51 percent of students were teased or called hurtful names, 39 percent of students had unkind rumors spread about them and excluded from a group causing hurt feelings, and 21 percent of students had things stolen from them or threatened with bodily harm. We need to demand that students as well as teachers and principals are treated with respect. When students recognize this mutual respect, then the students know there is a support system. This support system between the administration/faculty/students allows each one to know their responsibilities and the consequences for student misbehavior.
Improving the Quality of Education
One of the school board's goals is to improve academic performance of all students through implementation of a system of high standards and accountability in all classrooms. Though the board's role in managing schools is limited, its leadership is necessary for broad-scale academic achievement.
Chattarati: As a school board member, how will you help improve the quality of education in Hamilton County?
Evatt: As a school board member, I believe I will help to improve the quality of education in Hamilton County by focusing on the importance of communication. I plan to maintain my website in order to keep all stakeholders informed about proceedings, issues, concerns, etc. My website will also enable parents to respond, forward questions, etc. I also plan to hold regular town hall meetings in order to give all stakeholders opportunities for purposeful dialog about school concerns. I also want to contribute to move to a more collaborative, positive reputation of the school board. I believe that the perception of the board itself helps support the quality of education.
Farrow: By holding the administrators accountable for their performances and their expected duties.
Long: I believe the best way to improve the quality of education in Hamilton County is to focus more ability and discretion in the principals of each individual school. As a school system, we will see better results if the hierarchical structure is flattened, and principals have more autonomy to manage their own financial resources, facilities and personnel. Additionally, we do not need to use standardized test scores as the singular determination of a teacher's compensation package. The approach should rely on multiple indicators rather than one aspect of a teacher's responsibilities. We do not need to dull the tip of the sword — the very tool we use to educate and develop our county's students — by using a singular formula to rate teacher effectiveness and compensation.
Stephenson: The first step is to hold the administration of central office to the same high standard that they expect of their teachers and principals. The classroom needs to be a place that the teacher and curriculum cause the student to want to learn. Not all children learn the same way. We need to stop teaching to the test. There are many state and federal mandates that require teachers to teach to the test. I want to work more closely with our elected officials to change these required testing mandates.
In 2012, a vote will be required for a new contract for Dr. Jim Scales, I will vote "No!" It is time to find a superintendent from Hamilton County. We had several qualified candidates within Hamilton County before Dr. Jim Scales was hired. And we still have qualified applicants that should be chosen within Hamilton County.
Stop starting programs and creating positions with grant money. Since 1997, the city schools within Chattanooga and the county schools within Hamilton County systems were merged for financial reasons. The Hamilton County school administration and the board knew that when the grant money ran out, the money to keep the programs and positions going was going to have to come out of the general budget. The administration and the board have been told for years to develop a 5- and 10-year business plan. This was to be a plan so that when the grant money ran out they would have the funds to replace it. Also, this would allow the administration and the board not to have to cut teaching positions and current educational programs.
One of the main academic problems in Hamilton County is math scores. The math scores are low due to difficult curriculum. 12 years ago, we were told that if this "new math" was implemented, it would really place our students' math scores above other students who used "outdated" basic math. This "new" math has done nothing but confuse students, parents and teachers. It is time we get to the business of teaching basic math.
The way substitute teachers are used as "replacement teachers" is pathetic. These "replacement teachers" are treated as second-hand individuals. These substitute teachers are used as "babysitters" instead of classroom teachers. And the pay they receive is even worse than the treatment that they receive. We need to raise the pay for substitute teachers and put them ready to teach into the classroom. They need to have proper training and educational skills. Teachers need to be able to take a day off or go for professional training without the fear of losing precious learning time.
Consolidating Schools
The $371.9 million school budget is expected to keep growing. In fact, by the year 2015, expenditures are expected to outgrow revenues by $9.2 million, not including an additional $52 million in deferred maintenance costs. After recommending the closings of two urban schools last year, Superintendent Jim Scales said, “With 90 percent of our dollars dedicated to staffing and buildings, we cannot balance the budget without looking at these areas ... Some (schools) might have to be larger and the community will have to come to grips with that.”
Chattarati: Do you believe that school consolidation will be necessary in order to close anticipated budget shortfalls? Explain.
Evatt: School consolidation is a necessary evil. Buildings age and do not conform to current-life safety codes. Student population is a contributing factor. As an example of this issue were East Ridge Elementary and McBrien Elementary. Both schools were in need of extensive renovation and upgrades. Oftentimes, the cost of these upgrades along with staffing, utilities and maintaining two schools is not cost effective. There was resistance to this effort, but the result will be a brand new facility meeting the needs of that community for the next 50 years.
Farrow: I believe in neighborhood schools, I feel that if you have 50 students in a classroom, how do you expect the teachers to adequately teach them and to get to know what the student needs to improve their shortfalls?
Long: No. The term "consolidation" is a politically correct way to explain school "closings." I support smaller classrooms and modern schools, an aspect of investment that will return future benefits. The concept of consolidation is predicated on adding a greater concentration of students to an existing facility. My district is predominantly comprised of rural areas. It would prove quite difficult for parents and buses to get students to school and home again if the number of strategically placed schools were reduced.
Stephenson: Yes, school consolidation is going to be needed to close the gap in the budget. This isn't the only place to look for shortfalls within the budget. The first place to start is with the downsizing of central office. There are entire departments that could be eliminated. For this current budget, there are 102 people that make $60,000 a year or more. This makes up $7,742,032.18 of the central office budget. This doesn't include the fact that out of 102 individuals that 80 of these individuals have at least one assistant and/or secretary working for them.
The next place that would help with closing shortfalls within the budget is to have open enrollment. We need to get away from school zones and forced busing. We need to allow a student to choose and attend a school outside of where their bus route runs, as long as there is space at the school they want to attend, with the understanding that they would have to provide their own transportation. This would greatly cut transportation costs. All Hamilton County schools should offer the same curriculum. We can't afford to continue putting money into the forced busing of students from one end of the county to the other when we need more money in the school system to be used in the classroom.
Opening enrollment would eliminate one entire department. Open enrollment would also bring back students that currently attend private schools because they were zoned out of schools they wanted to formerly attend. We also need to have a long-range school building plan.
Accountability in the School System
The Hamilton County Department of Education consists of 3,964 total employees including 262 employees in central office. All of these individuals are responsible for raising the academic achievement in Hamilton County, and with many new challenges in the coming years, the administration has made efforts to improve accountability.
Chattarati: What will you do to help hold the administration accountable for improving student achievement and responsibly managing the school system's budget?
Evatt: First of all, I must do my own homework. I will pursue a working knowledge of each of the schools in my district. I will pursue a strong understanding of the system's expectation for high-performing schools. Then I will apply my experience with managing budgets to ensure that each student is receiving the best educational opportunities. Finally, I will hold the administration accountable for fiscal transparency and will also communicate fiscal transparency to my constituents.
Farrow: The superintendent is the one that needs to be held accountable. He needs to be directed as to what is expected, and if it's not, then the board will have to address. I believe that if someone is to be in the position such as the superintendent, then he needs to be more involved in the working of the schools instead of having someone else do it for him.
Long: I started this campaign with a self-created agenda. I knew my ideas would be viewed as fresh and dynamic. These views, once implemented, would return great outcomes for Hamilton County's school system. I began to share these concepts with local educators and members of District 9's community prior to officially beginning my campaign in an effort to promote my agenda and platform. A very close high school friend who now teaches in Hamilton County abruptly re-prioritized my direction upon hearing my grandiose schemes. We were having a conversation, and she quickly interrupted and told me to "shut up." She offered a solitary piece of advice by saying, "All efforts should consistently remain focused on the advancement of the student." As a member of the school board, I will evaluate my decisions and actions based on their net result to the student. I will operate as a listener rather than a talker. My focus will always be directed to support the student. I believe this will create a beneficial chain reaction for the educator and the community and will charge administration to follow suit.
Stephenson: Before we can improve student achievement, the runaway budget concerns must first be addressed. This starts with one word, accountability. We need to invest in an online check system that would allow all taxpayers in Hamilton County to see where and how endorsed checks are spent. Currently, Hamilton County is second to none in the state regarding spending costs. Last year, we spent almost $9,300 per student. The school system is projected to have 41,862 students this year. Using last year's figure of $9,300 per student, the school system will spend around $389,316,600. This leaves a shortfall of almost $17,408,559. And the new school year hasn't even begun.
The school system gets 60 cents of every dollar you pay toward property taxes. The school board needs to be held accountable by the County Commission and residents of Hamilton County as to how each penny is spent on educating Hamilton County students. If elected to the school board, I want to have at least four town hall meetings a year so that the people of District 9 and I can talk openly about the "How," "What," "When" and "Where" their taxed dollars are being spent regarding education. I want the residents of District 9 to ask the hard questions, because I will be asking the same hard questions of the administration.
This year, the administration gave the final draft of the budget to the members of the school board just two hours before they were to vote on it. It passed with a 5–4 vote. I agree with the four current school board members who voted "no" to approve the new school year budget. The four dissenting board members stated to Chairman Kenny Smith and Dr. Jim Scales that, how do you expect us to vote on a current school budget that we haven't had a chance to read cover to cover just to make sure there isn't something that has changed from what we have talked about during previous board meetings? They were told to "Just trust us." Personally, I won't vote for anything that I don't have time to read and research. The type of behavior shouldn't be tolerated. Dr. Jim Scales and his staff are supposed to be professionals. There isn't anything professional about getting something as important as the final budget to school board members two hours before a vote. This is no way [to] treat our concerned board members, nor the taxpayers of Hamilton County.
There are a few other areas to look at for achieving fiscal responsibility and, at the same time, greatly improve student achievement. We need tougher attendance laws that will hold parents responsible if their child is consistently tardy or continually absent. We need to address drop-out prevention before students enter high school. We need to reach those students before they enter 3rd grade. Right now, Hamilton County is in need of an alternative elementary school.
Let us look at a staffing agency to help with the hiring and staffing of substitute teachers. Research has shown that in school districts that have done this that 98 percent of the open substitute teaching jobs were filled. This is better than the 50–60 percent vacancy rate of substitute teaching positions in Hamilton County.
Every campus needs to have a safe school plan that is coordinated with local emergency-response agencies. A school resource officer in every middle and high school and continuing education on making good decisions, drug awareness and crime and consequences.
Aaron Collier
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