What’s Right With Our Schools: Tyner Academy Pathways
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Tyner students are finding success in the classroom through their new pathways program. Hamilton County Educators have been working across our community to identify 10 pathways where students can continue their education or career after they graduate high school. It’s a far-reaching example of what’s right with our schools.
Dr. Tiffany Earvin is the Principal at Tyner Academy.
She explains, “So the event that we had today is that we bring in guest speakers to talk to our students, specifically our freshmen and our seniors. We want our students to be ready grad and that just means we provide opportunities for them to have early postsecondary chances at their future.”
Dr. Andrew Hudson is the Director of Viable Pathways to Prosperity, Chattanooga 2.0.
He says, “We’re working closely with our school system and with our universities and college and trade schools in the area to create clear, defined pathways to jobs that have thriving wage starting wages.”
Dr. Hudson continues, “So, we’ve been working across our community to identify ten pathways in which students can, as early as elementary school, explore the opportunities that are available here in Chattanooga and Hamilton County, and making sure that we’re thinking creatively about what those training opportunities are.”
Dr. Earvin adds, “We brought in two different sets of speakers. One set of speakers talked about early post-secondary opportunities, how to get into the programs at Chatt State, in regards to welding and then some other areas. Then the other set of speakers were talking about, in a sense, how to be successful in ensuring that you have a plan before we get to graduation.”
LaDarius Price works in Communications and Economic Development for Hamilton County.
He explains, “Really being some type of inspiration, really impacting the students at Tyner Academy, really, the seniors really speaking to them about this next step that they’re about to usher into in their lives. I think many of them, they understand it, but they don’t fully understand it like many of us do, just the place that they’re about to embark upon in their lives. So, we just want to engage them, really talk to them about what to expect next and really encourage them to reach for the stars and try to go as far as they possibly can.”
Dr. Tiffany Earvin says, “Statistically speaking, many students drop out between the 8th and 9th grade or during their 9th grade year. For us at Tyner Academy, it’s finding ways to ensure that our students are meeting the targets to get to graduation. So, we focus a lot of our attention on 9th grade and on 12th grade. When we get them here in 9th grade, we want to keep them. We want them to matriculate to the 12th grade so they can go either college or career.”
A student we talked with said, “It helped me by giving, like giving me different options. If I don’t want to go to college, I know I can do this, and if I do go to college, I may still have opportunity to do well or something like that.”
Dr. Earvin concludes, ” I want my students to understand there are many opportunities out there. My job is to bring those opportunities to the forefront so they see they have options. So, at the end of the day, if you’re going to college, that is great. If you want a career, get a certification, whatever the case may be, but the opportunities are there before you. Let’s take advantage of it.”
