County Commissioners Randy Fairbanks, Tim Boyd and Sabrena Turner Smedley
Members of the County Commission's education committee said they want to help get public input on the Chattanooga 2.0 effort to boost the schools.
Commissioner Sabrena Turner Smedley, who chairs the committee, said, she already has a meeting set on April 5 with her District 7 advisory committee and 2.0 director Jared Bigham.
She said, "Everyone is eager to talk to him about it. They want to do something. This is an opportunity for people to do something."
Commissioner Smedley said commission members would help coordinate Chattanooga 2.0 input sessions on both sides of the river. They are tentatively set for April 19 at 6 p.m. on the east side of the river and April 21 at 6 p.m. on the west side of the river. Further details will be announced.
Commissioner Smedley said, "We don't get to allot where the education money is spent, but we should be more vocal with our ideas."
She said she wants PTA leaders, principals and teachers to tell their concerns and ideas for improvement. She said, "We need to hear about the problems that educators face."
Commissioners cited special issues faced by the schools today.
Vice Chairman Randy Fairbanks said school officials and teachers "are dealing with a lot of problems we are not even aware of."
Commissioner Tim Boyd said he was startled to learn that East Ridge High School serves 100 homeless children.
He said the principal herself picks up an Eastern European student who was to be taken in by a local family, but was set out on his own after arriving in this country. He said he was advised that two young sisters list a relative as their address, but the relative will not let them in the house so they sleep in a car. He said there are students who speak 12 different languages at East Ridge High.
Commissioner Boyd said job readiness is a continuing concern with the Chamber and local businesses. He said, "I've got 30 jobs right now that I can't fill."
Commissioner Boyd said the commission should help boost reading programs for elementary students. He said an earlier pilot program was in two schools, then was expanded to six schools. He said another $300,000 might bring it available to all county elementary schools.
At the same time, Commissioner Boyd questioned why commission members are barred from spending any of their discretionary money on school property, while the county continues to fund the Read 20 program.
He said commissioners should study a 1992 state attorney general's opinion on that topic.
County Attorney Rheubin Taylor said Read 20 was established in 2004 by former County Mayor Claude Ramsey under the auspices of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga. He said it is designed to encourage children to read in Hamilton County and not specifically in the schools.
The county pays the salaries of the administrators of the program and the books are paid for or donated by local philanthropic groups.
Attorney Taylor said the Read 20 program would not be in violation of limitations set by the attorney general's opinion.