The Hamilton County Department of Education faces numerous challenges, from falling test scores to rising enrollment and a multi-million dollar budget deficit. The nine elected school board members make decisions that affect our children today and our economic prospects for the future. Get to know them—and their positions on pressing issues—in this interview series.
This week, District 3 board member Everett Fairchild answers our questions.
Q: What is your professional background?
Fairchild: Graduated from Hixson High school. Recieved B.S. degree from University of Chattanooga with certification in Health and PE, Science, Math and Social Studies. Masters Degree from the University of Chattanooga in School Administration. Taught and coached at Dickinson Jr. High School for eight years and at Red Bank Junior High for two years. Served as assistant principal at Red Bank Junior High for two years. Served as principal of Hixson Junior High for 25 years. Retired in 1992.
Elected to City School Board in 1993. Served as Chairman of City School Board. After the two systems merged, I was appointed to serve the unexpired term of County School Board under Bill Nevins who moved out of state in October 1997. I ran successfully for the County School Board in 1998, 2002 and 2006. I served one year as Chairman of County School Board.
Q: What compelled you to run for school board office?
Fairchild: I wanted to stay involved in education, and I felt that I could make a contribution toward improving educational opportunities for our young people and in making our community a better place to be.
Q: Why do you think the citizens of your district chose to elect you?
Fairchild: I think the people of the district have continued to elect me because they apparently have confidence in me to represent them. I believe my involvment and leadership in the community have convinced them that I will listen to them and try to find solutions to problems. During my term at Hixson High School, the school was chosen as one of the ten outstanding schools in the state. I know what it takes to have a good school, and I am willing to work to make it happen.
Q: What are the challenges Hamilton County faces in educating its young people?
Fairchild: We must do everything possible to find qualified, dedicated teachers and administrators. We need to direct our funding to support the classroom and to programs that provide the best learning situation for our students. We need to provide alternative programs for dealing with students who interfere with the learning process or who disrupt the students and teachers who want to learn. We need to provide resources to deal with problem students instead of allowing them to destroy a school. We need to be concerned about teachers' morale. Parents want to feel that their children are safe in our schools.
Q: What are the administration's major strengths? Weaknesses?
Fairchild: Our administration has been able to attract the support of several foundations and groups that are willing to support our efforts. We need to work more closely with the County Commission since they control much of our funding. Communication is not good.
There has been an unwillingness to deal with ineffective administrations.
Q: What are the biggest successes—and challenges—of the schools in your district?
Fairchild: The schools in our district are some of the bright spots in our system. Our achievement scores are not what we would like them to be, but we are on the right track. Our community is changing, and we need to make some changes to accommodate the needs of our students. We need more parental involvement. We need stability and leadership.
At the present time, the administration in our district is the strongest it has been for a long time. NCLB has not had a positive effect on this district. I am concerned about the students we are losing because we are not meeting the students' needs or because parents do not feel their students are safe in our schools.
Q: What are you most proud of in your tenure on the school board?
Fairchild: I am proud of our leadership of the schools in our district and I am proud of the new Hixson Middle School.
Q: In retrospect, what would you do differently?
Fairchild: I have been at the losing end of some Board decisions but I don't think of any vote I would change.
Q: What questions are you most often asked by your constituents?
Fairchild: "Will you ever have enough money?"
"Why do we need all these extra people?"
"Why do we not do things like we did when I was in school?"
"Why do we start school so early?"
Q: What is the most important thing an average citizen can do to help improve our schools?
Fairchild: The most important thing a citizen can do to improve our schools is to get involved. Visit our school. If you have questions, ask! Teach your childrent to respect themselves and those around them. Try to help us impress upon young people the importance of education.
Q: What could have been done to prevent the current financial crisis?
Fairchild: I don't think we could have avoided the financial crisis. Look around you! The economic crisis is a nation, statewide and local reality. Unemployment, slow tax collections, decrease in sales tax collections, transportation costs, utilities, federal and state un-funded mandates are just a few things which we could not control. Discretionary funds are almost nonexistant. Changing state and federal guidelines predetermines so much of our funding. It has been almost impossible to plan for the future. We are playing "catch up" everywhere.
Q: What are your long-term recommendations for addressing the financial crisis?
Fairchild: We must get the business community and the County Commission more involved with our plans to deal with our needs and our problems. Our plans for the future must be plans that the community will buy into. We can't plan in a vacuum. We must deal with the number of students that we are losing before graudation. We need to focus more on the needs of students.
Aaron Collier
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