Public Education Foundation - Partners for Strong Schools

44 Schools Awarded Grants For Educator Book Clubs

10/23/2009  | Chattanoogan.com

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posted October 23, 2009

Thanks to an anonymous donor who contributed $40,000 for this purpose, the Public Education Foundation announced grant awards for 44 Hamilton County public schools to develop or continue educator book clubs. These funds will purchase books that groups of educators (and in some cases, parents) will read and discuss in an effort to hone skills for school leadership and improvement.

Many applicants have chosen books that will dovetail with professional development already in progress in their schools. Plans are as varied as the schools that submitted them. For example:

- Sandra Barnwell, principal of Hixson Middle School, is having the entire faculty read Classroom Instruction that Works: Research Based Strategies. She is supplementing book club meetings with an on-going blog around the book and classroom experiences.

- Jennifer Purvis, an eighth grade science teacher at Loftis Middle, is using two inspirational books for her book club: Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56 by Rafe Esquith and Schools of Fish!: Welcome Back to the Reason you Became an Educator by Philip Strand. Loftis educators are going to meet after-hours in a coffee shop for a more relaxed, open atmosphere.

 - The Tyner Networked Learning Community, facilitated by Tyner principal Carol Goss, is focusing attention on math instruction for all the schools in the network. These include Tyner Academy, Tyner Middle Academy, Bess T. Shepherd Elementary and Lakeside Academy.

 The network leadership team and math coaches in each building will facilitate the book clubs in reading Math Doesn’t Suck by Danica McKellar and Kiss My Math by the same author.

Response to the grants has been very positive. Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy Principal Becky Coleman said, “Thank you so much for supporting the professional growth of our teachers. They will be very excited about this opportunity!”

“Forming book clubs on their own time is just one more indication of how committed Hamilton County teachers are to doing the best job possible in the classroom,” said PEF President Dan Challener. “The Public Education Foundation is proud to support these educators and grateful to our generous donor for providing this opportunity.”

2009 Book Club schools include:

Allen Elementary

Apison Elementary

Barger Academy of Fine Arts

Bess T. Shepherd Elementary

Birchwood Elementary

Brainerd High

Brown International Academy

Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy

Center for Creative Arts

Central High

Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences

Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts - Elementary

Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts - Middle

Hills Elementary

Dalewood Middle

Dawn School

Ridge High

East Side Elementary

Hamilton County High

Hardy Elementary

Hixson Elementary

Hixson High

Hixson Middle

Howard School of Academics and Technology

Lakeside Academy

Loftis Middle

Lookout Mountain Elementary

Lookout Valley Elementary

Lookout Valley Middle/High

Lookout Valley/East Ridge Networked Learning Community

Normal Park Museum Magnet Upper School

North Hamilton County Elementary

Ooltewah Middle

Red Bank Elementary

Red Bank Middle

Rivermont Elementary

Signal Mountain Middle/High

Snow Hill Elementary

Soddy Daisy Middle

Soddy Elementary

Thrasher Elementary

Tyner Academy

Tyner Networked Learning Community

Woodmore Elementary