Golden Apple: Hope Chapman, Dalewood Middle
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - The best teachers never stop learning. Dalewood Middle's Hope Chapman is committed finding new ways to help her students be the best they can be. We…
Andrew Harrison
Articles
What’s Right With Our Schools: Chattanooga Girl’s Leadership Academy Submarine Builders
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - Did you know that over the next 10 years, America's submarine industry will have to hire 100,000 skilled employees to meet the Navy's growing demand?…
Golden Apple: Ivy Academy, Skillern Elementary, Cara Stepp
SODDY DAISY, TN (WDEF) - Most good teachers have a way turning their classrooms into a warm and inviting place to learn. At Ivy Academy, Cara Stepp helps…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Ivy Academy helping Ukrainian Students
SODDY DAISY, TN (WDEF) - The war in Ukraine continues to drag on with devastating consequences. Many Americans are doing what they can to help. That…
Golden Apple Award: Debbie Rosenbloom, Chattanooga Valley
FLINSTONE, GA (WDEF) - Debbie Rosenbloom is the kind of teacher who never backs down from a challenge. She continued her own education to better serve the children in…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Tyner Academy Commitment Day
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - Reaching a goal often starts with visualization. Freshmen at Tyner Academy got to look three years into their futures at a recent commitment…
Golden Apple Award: Anna Hutcherson, Soddy Daisy Middle School
SODDY DAISY, TN (WDEF) - Anna Hutcherson has a healthy respect for her Soddy Middle school students, but she also expects them to rise to their full potential every day, and…
WRWOS: Chattanooga Girl’s Leadership Academy Mentoring Program
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - The Chattanooga Girl's Leadership Academy more than lives up to its name, thanks in part to the Empower Mentoring Program. It connects students with adult advocates who support…
Golden Apple Award: Madison Davis, McConnell Elementary
HIXSON, TN (WDEF) - There is a certain serenity that comes from being organized. That's one of the lessons that Madison Davis passes along to her students at McConnell…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Chatt Prep Championship Rings
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - When we were kids, it was all about the trophies, but these days nothing says, "I'm a winner" quite like a championship ring.…
Golden Apple Award: Ashlanett Sanders, The Howard School
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - A good teacher needs to be caring, creative and nurturing. Ashlanett Sanders checks all those boxes and many more. She has a gift for…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Chattanooga Charter Elementary
Chattanooga, TN (WDEF) - The Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence Elementary has done plenty of growing in the last 13 years. The K-5 Public Charter now has nearly…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Chattanooga Charter Schools of Excellence Learning Launch
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - The Chattanooga Charter Schools of Excellence recently held their Learning Launch and Back 2 School Bash. The K-11 program hosted families of all grades with…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Chatt Prep Class of 2025
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - Chattanooga Preparatory School is an all-boys public charter school. It opened its doors in Highland Park six years ago. Many students in…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Howard’s Summer Success
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - A successful school year often begins in the Summertime. Students at Howard High had a chance to boost their skills and repair their grades…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Catoosa Kids Day
CATOOSA COUNTY, GA (WDEF) - The back-to-school countdown continues. Parents are racing to get their kids everything they need for the first day. They recently got a helping…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Team Mentoring Incorporated
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - Summer Camps can be fun, but they are also good places to learn. Team Mentoring Incorporated aims teach kids the skills they need…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Chattanooga Charter School for Excellence
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - From academics to athletics the Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence is growing strong! This year they've added the eleventh grade. We'll stroll the…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Battlefield Academy Pollinator
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Battle Academy students are taking learning to new heights. Their rooftop garden is now home to a variety of native plants. That's attracting birds, butterflies and other pollinators. That's an environmentally friendly example of what's right…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Alpine Crest Surviving and Thriving
RED BANK, Tenn. (WDEF) - Although some people want to see Alpine Crest Elementary consolidated, it's still accepting new students. Supporters say it's a magical place…
Driving Our Economy Forward: Havenly Showers
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - A really good shower can clean the body and revitalize the spirit. If you've ever wanted to transform your old tub into an oasis of tranquility,…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Catoosa Career Academy Graduation
CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) - Graduation days are always a time for celebration. Catoosa Career Academy recently graduated its first class. Many of them are ready to…
What’s Right With Our Schools: BASF Tech Academy
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - In Hamilton County, some rising high school juniors and seniors are jump starting their technical and craft careers this Summer. BASF's Tech Academy…
What’s Right with Our Schools: Aerial Drone Championships at UTC
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Middle schoolers from 22 states recently touched down at UTC to for the Aerial Drone Championships. They learned lessons in programming, teamwork…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Hixson JROTC
HIXSON, Tenn. (WDEF) - The Air Force Junior ROTC is celebrating 50 years at Hixson High School. That's five decades of students learning priceless lessons in citizenship and serving…
What’s Right With Our Schools: East Brainerd Elementary International Day
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - The great American melting pot is alive and cooking at East Brainerd Elementary School. Students with roots in nearly 20 different countries go to school there. News 12 was invited to their recent International Fest. It's…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Heritage Middle Teacher Appreciation Week
CATOOSA COUNTY, GA (WDEF) - It's always a good idea to let teachers know just how much you appreciate them. The good folks at Heritage Middle…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Catoosa County Reality U
CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) - Learning financial literacy at a young age can really pay off in the long run. Catoosa County students recently got a crash course in dollars and cents through a program called Reality U. That's a…
Golden Apple Award: Sarah Dodson, Lake Forest Middle School
CLEVELAND, Tenn. (WDEF) - Kindness, patience and understanding are always on the syllabus for Sarah Dodson's class at Lake Forest Middle. She has been described as, "the…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Whitwell Middle School Piano Lab
WHITWELL, Tenn. (WDEF) - Imagine a room with 24 middle school students all playing piano. That could get a little noisy, right? You'd think so, but…
Golden Apple Award: Julie Kirby Jones, Gordon Lee High School
CHICKAMAUGA, Ga. (WDEF) - Julie Kirby Jones is a work-based learning teacher for Chickamauga City Schools. She places students in jobs that align with their goals and aspirations. She's great at it. She's also a full-time media specialist. She's great…
What’s Right With Our Schools: University High
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Hamilton County Schools and UTC have teamed to put equity into action! University School serves as a college pipeline for kids who might not have…
Golden Apple Award: Abigail Guarneiri East Ridge High School
EAST RIDGE, Tenn. (WDEF) - The best teachers have a knack for inspiring their students. Abigail Guarneiri brings love and compassion to her classroom every day at East Ridge High School. So, we decided to bring her this week's Golden…
Golden Apple Award: Robin Campbell, Hopewell Elementary School
CLEVELAND, Tenn. (WDEF) - The best teachers genuinely care for their students. Kids can tell. That's certainly the case in Robin Campbell's 4th grade class at Hopewell Elementary School. For always giving 100%, we decided to give Ms. Campbell this…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Tyner Commitment to Graduation Day
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Visualization can be a useful tool when you're trying to reach a goal. Freshmen at Tyner Academy got to look three years…
Golden Apple Award: Jennifer Ellis, STEM School Chattanooga
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Teaching is a family tradition for Jennifer Ellis. Lessons learned from her mother's 40 years in the classroom gave Jennifer a gift for explaining…
What’s Right with Our Schools: 3rd Graders Visit Catoosa County College and Career Academy
RINGGOLD, Ga. (WDEF) - Academics and Career Prep are side by side at The Catoosa County College and Career Academy. Students can…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Self Contained Class Prom at Central High
HARRISON, Tenn. (WDEF) - Prom Season is upon us! Late last week, the community came together to give students in self-contained classes an enchanted…
What’s Right With Our Schools: Brotherhood Brunch at Chatt State
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Men of any age can have hard time talking about their mental health, but there are people who will listen. That was the takeaway for students from Brainerd, Howard and Tyner at the 5th annual Brotherhood…
Golden Apple Award: McKenzie Hutcherson, Lookout Valley Middle High
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - There is an old adage that great things come to those who wait. McKenzie Hutcherson might be the exception to that rule. Although she is a new teacher at Lookout Valley, she is already doing great…