Patrick Hampton: Why I Am A District 9 School Board Candidate

  • Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Patrick Hampton
Patrick Hampton

I am an education activist and minister who is making a bid for the District 9 seat of the Hamilton County School Board.

An Ooltewah resident, i have spent the better part of my career engaging the community through educational activism and youth development. My mission: to enhance the lives of Hamilton County students through transparency, choice and compassion.

As the director of youth employment services at Chattanooga Goodwill Industries, I  supervised mentorship programs and taught vital career development skills including resume writing, career planning and job searching.

In 2013, I announced a run for school board in District 5. That loss led me to rededicate my commitment to youth development. In 2015, I became the director of after school programming with Chattanooga LINKS, where I recruited certified educators across Hamilton County to facilitate college preparation programs. I also worked as a long-term substitute history teacher with Ivy Academy Charter School.

Later, I was named Dean of Students at Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence, and from 2016 through 2018, oversaw day-to-day disciplinary procedures and policies, attendance, classroom management and parent workshops.

In 2018, I became Vice President of Community Engagement with Hamilton Flourishing, a local think-tank committed to public awareness campaigns surrounding local education and civic issues.

I currently serve as regional director of The Access Academy, an organization with a mission to empower students with disabilities with workforce skills that encourage sustainable employment after high school.

I graduated from Tyner Academy and received my ministry designation from Covington Theological Seminary and Belhaven University. My wife, Sherinda, and I grew up together and attended school in the Eastdale and Brainerd communities. Together we have four boys – two attending Hamilton County Schools and two attending Baylor School.

An advocate for school choice with experience in public, charter and private schools, I encourage other parents to partner with an education program that is best for their child.

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