Hamilton County School Board talks corporal punishment, TNready results

HAMILTON COUNTY,Tenn. (WDEF) – The Hamilton County School Board heard district testing results Thursday.

That came after the state released TNReady scores.

The data is from the tests that many students had issues logging on to take.

This year results won’t go against schools, but school officials acknowledged that the data is still important.

“The data is useful from the standpoint of planning and preparing and knowing where we are and figuring out what adjustments might need to be made,” Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson said.

While the district saw a drop in high school English Language Arts, data showed grades 3 through 8 improved in the subject.

Also, the board talked about policies.

That sparked a discussion on the possibility of eliminating corporal punishment through policy.

“I think by leaving this policy … gray then we’re opening ourselves up for liability and potentially lawsuits, but also, as a parent, nope,” District 4 School Board Member Tiffanie Robinson said.

“The number one reason that teachers get out of the teaching profession is behavior in the classroom, and I mean you take everything that they have away from them,” District 1 School Board Member Rhonda Thurman said.

A 3-year plan for special education was presented to the board.

The plan has five primary goals.

That includes maximizing evidence-based inclusion, placing students with disabilities in their zoned school, improving communications and relationships with the students’ families and caregivers and community partners that serve the students, developing services and opportunities for successful student transition, and providing necessary training and support for current teachers, administrators, and staff.