Dr. Linda Cash
“Bradley County Schools: Bridging the Gap Between Education and Industry” was the topic for discussion at the Thursday “Food for Thought” luncheon at the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Linda Cash, director of Bradley County Schools, presented the initiatives of Bradley County Schools to support college and career readiness for students beginning in elementary school to representatives from business and post-secondary schools.
“Our goal is to change society so industry is ready for children and our children are ready for industry,” Dr. Cash began.
Following myriad statistics about the impact of reading, or the inability to read, on students and society, she noted the value of early childhood education. “You either pay a little now or pay a lot to fix problems later,” she said.
Dr. Cash became director of Bradley County Schools in May of this year. Acknowledging “we have lots of work to do,” she also pointed out that the system has a five-year plan in place. They are continuing to seek out ways to partner with local post-secondary schools and businesses to help parents read to their children, put books in homes and involve the community in the “Readers Are Leaders” community celebration set to kick off in January.
The Small Business Committee presents “Food for Thought” for members of the Chamber of Commerce on a quarterly basis throughout the year. The Dutch-treat luncheons include a variety of speakers addressing diverse topics of interest to the community.