Education meeting was hosted by County Commissioner Warren Mackey
photo by Claire Henley Miller
County Commissioner Dr. Warren Mackey, at a special education forum, said he was requesting action from the community to help fix the systematic failure of students in Hamilton County.
On Thursday night, many citizens gathered at Orchard Knob Baptist Church regarding issues of school readiness, educational spending, and academic leadership in the public schools.
According to Commissioner Mackey, five-year-old children of lower socio-economic status are often two years behind where they should be academically the first day of school.
He recited some “scary” statistics from the schools in his district, stating 12 out of 100 Orchard Knob Elementary students read on grade level. At Orchard Knob Middle School, only 16 out of the 100 perform on grade level in math.
When the students move on to Brainerd High, 10 percent are proficient in English, and only seven percent qualify for the Hope Scholarship, he said.
“It’s an emergency call,” the commissioner said of the meeting. “These students need help.”
Having taught for 38 years as a history professor at Chattanooga State, Commissioner Mackey said he understands that falling behind in school limits a student’s opportunities to obtain a decent job that pays a livable wage.
He said the business community in the city is concerned over the educational standard in Hamilton County. A study funded by the Chamber of Commerce revealed the inability for businesses to fill 15,000 “good paying” jobs with local candidates because of their lack of education and skills.
“So what are we going to do about it?” Commissioner Mackey asked the crowd. “We got to care…If we can take action, we can help save our children.”
His call to action comes at a crucial time since statistics show zero percent of students at Brainerd High are college ready. One possible solution to better prepare students for a successful future revolves around funding, and how tax dollars are spent on public education, he said.
The commissioner said $411 million of tax money goes to the county school system each year. In light of this, he said while 22 out of the 64 schools are over capacity, some schools are 50 percent empty. Hamilton County School Board members should rezone schools, he said, instead of building new buildings. That way, the money could be used on the children instead of construction.
When Commissioner Mackey invited the public to speak, one mother suggested implementing year round school in order to keep the kids “off the streets” during the summer months.
“We’re going to have to change our whole educational system for our children,” she said. “And it starts with us.”
Other citizens touched on the importance of parenting in a child’s life, and for parents to read to their children. One woman recommended having help from the church.
Commissioner Mackey assured that teachers are not to blame for the below average test scores. He said they work hard and care about the students. It is the educational system – the “scripted curriculum” – that needs to change, he said.
“If you allow the teachers to teach, the tests will take care of themselves,” one citizen advised.
Commissioner Mackey said he planned to have another forum in six to eight weeks where experts in the field of education come to speak. In the meantime, he urged the community to start acting in ways that would enrich a child’s educational experience. Read to the child, talk to the child, offset negative things with positive ones, he offered.
At the end of the meeting he handed the microphone to a deacon of the church, who prayed for God’s guidance in this matter.