Superintendent Justin Robertson emphasizes benefits of investing in public schools during State of the System
The story of Hamilton County Schools is one of a district with leaders and teachers that serve each and every student every day, Superintendent Justin Robertson said during his State of the System address Tuesday.
It’s time the district started telling its story, he said.
“The main theme of our story is our kids,” he said in front of a crowded auditorium at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. “And when we invest well, our kids thrive.”
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Throughout the presentation, district leaders highlighted the impact their investments have had on students and staff.
A middle school initiative that started just over two years ago to focus on well-being and belonging contributed to middle schoolers outperforming the year prior in 10 of the 12 areas on state tests this past year, according to district officials. The on-time freshman promotion rate reached 92% after the district started freshman success academies a year and a half ago explicitly to raise the rate, a key indicator to predict graduation. And adding more positions to the human resources department allowed 99.4% of student-facing positions to be filled on the first day of school, officials said.
Fourteen students and recent graduates, who represented a variety of district programs and schools, spoke about how they developed the skills in the district’s “Portrait of a Graduate,” which include resiliency, effective communication and being community involved.
A Sale Creek Middle/High senior spoke about building a ramp to create accessibility at a therapeutic horseback riding site, while a Normal Park third grader talked about using Google translate to include a new student who didn’t speak English during recess.
Both Robertson and Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp emphasized the importance of public education and the importance it has for the future.
“Our public schools are anchors,” Wamp said. “They are an essence of the community all over Hamilton County, and so we’re just so grateful for what you do. Everything that happens in this school system has an absolute impact on the future of our county. We are what this school system produces, no better, no worse.”
The district budget will be tight this year, Robertson said, and the school board will have to make some hard decisions that are going to hurt some outcomes.
Moving forward, he said, his priorities include investing in employees’ wages, kindergarten through second grade literacy and the strategic staffing funds that give principals the ability to tailor staff to meet student needs.
Though the majority of the address was focused on the district’s achievements, Robertson, at times, acknowledged the statewide and national topics that could affect education. He recognized, he said, that there are a lot of different narratives at the local, state and national level going on right now, and the district’s Latino students in particular need extra encouragement to ensure they feel supported and welcomed at school.
He also mentioned the legislation Tennessee lawmakers approved earlier this year that would give thousands of families across the state taxpayer funding to pay for private school tuition, starting this fall. A similar pilot program already exists in Hamilton, Shelby and Davidson counties.
During the lead-up to the vote, the governor and other supporters often pointed to the high percentage of parents who reported being satisfied with the pilot program. The district has similar statistics, Robertson said, with 90% of families saying they are satisfied with their school experience.
“Most parents love their school,” he said. “They love where their kid goes to school. What they oftentimes struggle with is the district, right? And we’re aware of that, but we’re committed to making sure that families feel supported and that we’re supporting kids’ well-being so that they can thrive.”
As he wrapped up the address, Robertson called on the community to invest in the school system whether that be by being a voice for public education, serving as a student’s mentor or by telling the district’s story.
Contact Shannon Coan at scoan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.