Clifton Hills Elementary and The Howard School are 2020-2021 Silver-level RTI2-B (Response to Instruction and Intervention for Behavior) Model of Demonstration Schools selected by the Tennessee Behavior Supports Project (TBSP) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The Tennessee Department of Education funds the TBSP program. There are over 1,800 schools across the state, and each year a small percentage of schools meet the criteria to be selected an RTI2-B Model of Demonstration School.

High school seniors are contemplating college plans and taking college entrance exams to solidify their chance of getting into their choice school. Three seniors in Hamilton County Schools moved much closer to getting a plum acceptance to the college of their dreams by earning a perfect score on the ACT. Collin Matthews, a senior at Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences, Seo Yoon Yang, "Yoonie," a senior at Signal Mountain High, and Chase Post, also a senior at Signal Mountain High, are on their way to locking up a spot at choice universities as the three posted the highest possible ACT composite score of 36. According to the ACT, only one-tenth of one percent of all test takers earn the top score on the national standardized test used for college admissions in the United States. It is impressive for Hamilton County Schools to have three of those top students and for Signal Mountain High to have two in the class of 2021.

Cody Patterson was today named the new Communications Officer of Hamilton County Schools. Patterson will begin working with the district on Friday, December 4.

Hamilton County Schools is excited to introduce its newly established nonprofit partner organization, the Hamilton County Schools Foundation, that will harness additional resources for public schools in Hamilton County. The added resources will bring exciting new learning opportunities for students and help propel Hamilton County Schools to the top as a leader in education in Tennessee.

While some students were relaxing over Fall Break, a group of seniors from STEM School Chattanooga prepared to take on college teams in the Gig City Innovation Challenge. The STEM School team was the only high school group in the competition. The teams in the event were seeking to find a way to make our Gig City the EV City in the near future. The STEM Chattanooga team finished second in the competition, with a team from Northwestern University coming in first place.

Heroes are not always people who do spectacular deeds but are often everyday individuals who determine to take an opportunity to act and make a difference. Today, we celebrate Mary Ricketts, the custodian at Brainerd High School, for her 32 years of service to the school and 42 years of service to the Brainerd community. She started the first ten years of her career at Brainerd Junior High. Miss Mary, as she is known to most of the faculty and students at Brainerd High, is a special person choosing to make a difference. Hamilton County Schools honored her with an I Am Hamilton shirt and recognized Ricketts as an HCS Hero.

Four high schools in Hamilton County Schools are in the top 40 best high schools in Tennessee in the Niche ratings of 2021 Best Schools in America, and the district’s schools dominated area rankings of public schools. The Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts (CCA) is ranked in the top 20 public high schools in Tennessee, coming in at #17 in the Niche review. Close behind CCA in the high school division is the Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences Upper (CSAS) at #24, STEM School Chattanooga at #33, and Signal Mountain High School at #37. The high school rankings compared the public high schools in Tennessee. The recognized schools ranked in the top 40 high schools all received grades of A or A-. The scores were due to the high ratings of each school’s outstanding teachers, college prep offerings, diversity, health and safety, and academics.

Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts (CCA), Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences Upper (CSAS), East Hamilton High, Lookout Valley Middle/High, Signal Mountain Middle/High, and STEM School Chattanooga have received a prestigious College Success Award from GreatSchools.org, the nation's leading nonprofit empowering parents to unlock educational opportunities for their children.

The HCS Hero video features Angel Mejias, an interpreter and translator at Bess T. Shepherd in the Missionary Ridge Learning Community. Mr. Mejias has worked with the children and community at Bess T. Shepherd for 15 years.

Thompson Engineering recently presented STEM School Chattanooga with a $3,000 check to improve the school's Fab Lab and offer student projects in partnership with the school. The STEM School lab was the first in Hamilton County Schools and is now part of the largest collection of educational Fab Labs in the world, and they are found right here in Hamilton County.

Mary Ellen Heuton, CPA, is joining the team at Hamilton County Schools as the chief financial officer. She will replace Brent Goldberg, who transitioned to the private sector earlier this year. Heuton comes to Hamilton County from the University of Montevallo, Montevallo, Alabama, where Heuton served as the vice president of Business Affairs. Before Montevallo, Heuton served as senior vice president for finance and as the chief financial officer of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. During her seven years at Marshall, she led the effort to develop a strategic budget model to align financial resources with the university's mission.

Home-life in 2020 has changed drastically, particularly for parents of school-age children seeking to learn at home due to COVID-19 concerns. An abundance of Zoom meetings, learning new technology, and numerous on-line classes have accelerated the bounds of our technical knowledge beyond our wildest dreams. Thanks to Virtual Learning Centers in the community established by Hamilton County Schools and community partners, there is relief in sight for parents. The centers give children a place to access technology and receive help from a qualified adult. Also, parents have peace of mind knowing that their children are learning in a safe, supportive environment. More information about Virtual Learning Centers can be found at www.hcde.org/vlc. As a part of this community effort, the school district and its partners have established a Faith-based Virtual Learning Center Partnership with special micro-grants to assist with program start-up.