Race to a Rocky Top

By Aaron Collier | Jan. 12, 2010, 12:05 p.m.

This week, the Tennessee legislature will be negotiating and voting on a monumental shift in K–12 education with possible legislation that mandates the use of student achievement data to evaluate and tenure teachers.

Since 1992, the state of Tennessee has used student achievement data to identify the gains in academic performance (the Value-Added Model) by individual students from year to year and from subject to subject. The state has also restricted the use of value-added assessment to evaluate and tenure teachers, which was a compromise between the Tennessee legislature and the Tennessee Education Association (TEA).

With $400 million of federal funds at stake, Governor Phil Bredesen is pushing for 50 percent of a teacher's evaluation to be determined by student performance data. The stimulus funds would be part of a $4.3 billion education reform initiative called Race to the Top, or "Investing in Innovation Fund," a competitive program that rewards individual states that have enacted a host of reforms including the use of student performance data for teacher evaluations.

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Know Your School Board: Everett Fairchild, District 3

By Aaron Collier | Dec. 22, 2009, 7:57 p.m.

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?

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Officials Try to Decode Schools' Report Card

By Aaron Collier | Dec. 16, 2009, 9:34 p.m.

Working arm-in-arm with the Public Education Foundation, school officials have labored to identify the causes for Hamilton County Schools' low scores on the latest state report card. And with new, tougher state standards going into effect this school year, School Superintendent Dr. Scales is enacting a variety of strategies for improving instruction and achieving higher academic performance.

Four months ago, Hamilton County Department of Education (HCDE) began learning of drops in academic performance in elementary and middle schools throughout the district. In July, reports from the U.S. Department of Education showed that among the schools that slipped were a number of Benwood schools—elementary schools that receive additional funding from the Benwood Initiative as well as the federal government.

Over the past eight years, the Public Education Foundation (PEF)—serving as the fiscal agent for grants from the Benwood Initiative—and HCDE have focused much attention on raising academic achievement in the Benwood schools. Until this school year, those schools showed steady improvement. In fact, the Benwood Initiative has received wide recognition across the country for increasing student achievement in the nine high-poverty Hamilton County schools that were once some of the lowest performing schools in Tennessee.

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