Improving Education in Hamilton County Schools

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF)  –  State lawmakers from Hamilton County are working to improve education.
After recent reports of lower than expected teacher performance and test results, they’re trying to ensure that changes are made immediately.

The Hamilton County State delegation met to discuss how they can better education for both students and teachers.

The delegation said almost one-third of teachers in Hamilton County are ineffective within the classroom.
“There is a sense of urgency. We have a critical problem. I think the interest in the attendance here today is a reflection that we know we have got to do a better job”, said State Representative Pasty Hazelwood.

In a round table discussion, teachers, state leaders, and school board members shared ideas about what they need to do to fix the problems in Hamilton County Schools.

“Is money the answer? Not really. Will money help? I don’t know it hasn’t helped in the past. We gave 13 million dollars just to Hamilton County schools and are still not getting results out of it,” said Senator Todd Gardenhire.

State leaders said they working on their end to ensure both students and teachers will be successful.

“If there are road blocks at the state level then we want removed those. If there are ways at the state level we can provide additional support then we need to know what those are”, said Hazelwood.

The delegation plans to meet again during the legislative session in January.