Hamilton County Schools

This year’s Hamilton Sings will take place on Tuesday, October 23 at First Baptist Church on Gateway Avenue. Hamilton Sings is a one-day elementary honor choir event that will include 5th-grade students from every Hamilton County school. Approximately 160 students will participate in this year’s annual musical experience.

The first class of Leadership Hamilton County Schools kicked off this week with a new opportunity for the community to get involved in our public schools. The first session of Leadership Hamilton County Schools met on Tuesday, October 16 at the central office of Hamilton County Schools. Leadership Hamilton County Schools is a six-session program running through April that will allow participants to experience the people and programs in our area schools preparing our children for success after graduation.

Robin Copp, principal at Ooltewah High School, has accepted a position with the new Partnership Network for school improvement with the Tennessee Department of Education and her departure will result in a shift of administrative positions in Hamilton County Schools.

The Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences won the 2018 Best Public School award. East Hamilton Middle/High School and Chattanooga Center for Creative Arts were finalists in the same category voted on by Times Free Press readers in the area.

Collegiate High sophomore Sasha Hitachi is a talented musician with big dreams and plans for her future. One dream was to perform with Emmanuel Pahud, a renowned French and Swiss flute player. Hitachi applied for a masterclass with Pahud, hoping to perform, but she did not expect to have her dream come true. Hitachi was one of only six applicants from the region selected to play in a prestigious event earlier this year at the University of Georgia.

A group of high school students and teachers from France will visit the Chattanooga area thanks to the work of a Hamilton County teacher as part of the Global Learning Experience funded by PEF. The French group will arrive in Chattanooga on Friday, October 12 and stay through Saturday, October 20.

Three high schools in Hamilton County Schools are in the top 30 best high schools in the state in the Niche ratings of 2019 Best Schools in America.

The Gestamp work-based learning program through Hamilton County Schools is the first program in Tennessee to earn the U.S. Department of Labor’s registered apprenticeship designation. Gestamp is now a registered apprenticeship in advanced manufacturing.

Hamilton County Schools has posted the highest graduation rate since the state changed the graduation rate calculation in 2011. The district increased the graduation rate almost two points at 86.5 percent up from 84.6 percent in 2017. The district also moved closer to the state graduation rate in the latest report released today by the Tennessee Department of Education.

The district will work with students at Soddy Daisy High so all voices are heard in seeking improvement in the school culture. The planned discussions will allow students to share their views on the school climate and chart a course so everyone feels valued at Soddy Daisy High School. The discussions will involve Soddy Daisy High student government and representation from the various student groups at the school.

“I am Hamilton” will spotlight the contributions of alumni, teachers, parents, students, support workers and community members in providing opportunities for children in the classrooms of Hamilton County Schools. Better opportunities for children today mean a brighter future filled with possibilities for our graduates, their families, and the community.

Hamilton County Schools had 17 schools recognized as Reward schools in an announcement on Friday by Education Commissioner Candice McQueen releasing the 2018 Reward and Priority schools in the state. The release listed the district as performing at a Satisfactory achievement level in the data announcement. The release was part of the first year of the implementation of the Tennessee school accountability model which includes multiple measures of success.