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 halls to give you a firsthand look at what’s right with our schools.

Dr. Alexine Boochie is the principal.

She says, “Chattanoga Charter School of Excellence is a high school here in the Alton Park Community. We are 9th grade through 11th grade.
We use best practices. We do a lot with Hamilton County as well. We stay up to date with our trainings for our teachers and for our,
for our administrators. This upcoming year we’re adding grade 11. Right now, we’re standing in the old Park Junior High School.
We’re excited about the different renovations that we’re doing to make sure that students have the spaces that they need
to thrive. We have started on a new hallway. We are opening hallway B for students. We have a lot of different types of classrooms.
Down this hallway from history to Wellness. Right now this is our Hydroponics room. We wanted a room that the teachers, the teacher
and these students could be able to leave out of um to work outside. And then here’s another, another classroom.
Um and we’ve got some tables set up. But we’re going to have a smart-boards in this room.”

Erick Swallows is a STEM teacher.

He explains, ” Being a teacher here is really excellent, because we get a lot of extra training that I’ve
never gotten anywhere else, and we’re supported in that. For example, I just got to finish my endorsement in
computer science. And my principal signed me up and got me going for that. And we go on regular field trips off
campus. And and we take the students. We we have a population that we can do that with. Um if we have ideas as a teacher we
want to go outside the classroom.”

Dr. Boochie adds, “They’re very excited about the different classes that they are teaching; from our STEM teacher to our
English teacher. We’re just excited about our student population. We have actually hired an athletic director for this school year.
And we have a lot of different sports that we’re offering in house.”

Karen Hughews is the Athletic Director.

She says, “We’re excited to start sports this year. Where’re still going to co-op some sports with Brainerd, but we’re
going to have our own volleyball team, cross country team, have soccer for the girls in the fall, boys basketball in the winter with cheer
for basketball. And then in the Spring we’ll have track and field and then boys soccer.

Dr.Boochie adds, ” We want students who want to be here. This is a Charter School so they would apply to come to our Charter program.
And a good fit would be a student who is excited about a uh CTE career path and or uh a path that leads to college readiness.”

Latresea Gustus is a parent.

She says, “Chattanooga Charter School has been an excellent choice for me and my family. My son has attended from elementary now the high school.”

Dr. Boochie concludes,” I hope you enjoyed your tour here at Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence High School. We still have a few openings
here and we’d love for you to come and take a tour and see if it’s a great fit for your child. We have grades 9, 10, and 11.
And we have a few seats open if you’re interested. Please stop by and get a registration packet from our front office.
We’d love to have you here.”