PEF Videos
Voices of School Success: A series of PEF podcasts providing an inside look at progress and problems in Hamilton County school reform.
SOAR (Student Opportunities, Access and Retention) - November 9, 2011 (4:07 minutes): See how mentors are helping students make the transition from high school to Chattanooga State, and then to UTC to complete a four-year degree. (download video)
Bassham and Morris' Excellent Classroom - November 3, 2010 (4:11 minutes): TEACH/Here resident Christopher Morris works alongside mentor teacher Jamie Bassham in a teacher residency program at Tyner Academy. (download video)
Passport Scholars - Class of 2010: Hear students describe their summer enrichment experiences. (download video)
Deidre Edward's Excellent Classroom - September 21, 2010 (3:48 minutes): East Ridge High School science teacher Deirdre Edwards believe in hands-on learning. (download video)
Mary Holland's Excellent Classroom - July 27, 2010 (5:20 minutes): Mary Holland's biggest fans are the teachers down the hall. Mary is a great math teacher, and as Lead Teacher at Woodmore Elementary, she works hard to help other teachers become more effective at teaching math to their students. (download video)
Michelle Lowe's Excellent Classroom - July 12, 2010 (5:15 minutes): Science experiments sit in every nook and cranny of Michelle Lowe's 2nd grade classroom at Wallace A. Smith Elementary. (download video)
Charlotte Vlasis' Excellent Library - July 12, 2010 (5:27 minutes): Charlotte Vlasis does everything she can to make the library a central part of instruction at Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts. (download video)
Neva Ransom's Excellent Classroom - June 23, 2010 (5:48 minutes): Test scores are rising in Neva Ransom's math class at Hixson Middle School. Visit to find out why. (download video)
Michael McKamey's Excellent Classroom - June 4, 2010 (5:20 minutes): Michael McKamey uses classroom discussion and sports and music analogies to make his math class relevant and engaging. (download video file)
Brown Middle 8th Graders Tour Sewanee - May 25, 2010 (4:07 minutes): As part of PEF’s KnowHow2Go initiative, all of Brown Middle School’s 8th grade students had the opportunity to tour a college campus on April 27. Students toured Sewanee, Covenant College, Lee University, or Tennessee Wesleyan. (download video file)
Theresa Custer's Excellent Classroom - May 19, 2010 (7:29 minutes): Theresa Custer cheats. She teaches 8th grade concepts to her 5th graders at Clifton Hills Elementary. (download video file)
Erica Schmidt's Excellent Classroom - May 12, 2010 (4:10 minutes): Tyner Middle Academy's Erica Schmidt encourages her students to talk in class - about math. This deepens their understanding of the subject. (download video file)
Dianne Kelehear's Excellent Classroom - May 5, 2010 (5:58 minutes): Dianne Kelehear's Anatomy and Physiology students at Ooltewah High School agree that the class is hard, but they love it. See why! (download video file)
Policy Briefs: Dan Challener on Race to the Top - April 28, 2010: PEF President Dan Challener discusses Tennessee's success in Race to the Top and implications for Hamilton County. (2:14 min short version, 9:45 min complete interview)
Leon Rice's Excellent Classroom - April 8, 2010 (7:52 minutes): Chef Leon Rice started a student-run Bistro at Brainerd High School. Students learn to cook and serve great food, but they also learn problem-solving and business skills. (download video file)
Rhonda Lehman-Fraley's Excellent Classroom - March 10, 2010 (5:12 minutes): Rhonda Lehman-Fraley believes that collaboration helps students learn more. Visit her classroom to find out how she makes this work. (download video file)
Allan Ledford's Excellent Classroom - February 15, 2010 (5:55 minutes): Allan Ledford's students at Center for Creative Arts excel on stage and in the classroom. (download video file)
Jeff Paulson's Excellent Classroom - January 20, 2010 (6:21 minutes): How can fourth graders use technology to help them think for themselves? Visit Mr. Paulson's class at Thrasher Elementary to find out. (download video file, watch the extended interview, see the class wiki page)
Danielle Lillie's Excellent Classroom - December 15, 2009 (5:53 minutes): See how Danielle Lillie engages her fifth graders at Red Bank Elementary through song, dance, and fun activities that promote serious learning. (download video file) See what her students say about her as well. (5:12 minutes) (download video file)
Penny Hynes' Excellent Classroom - December 15, 2009 (5:46 minutes): An ocean of fun and learning awaits Ms. Hynes' first grade students at Hixson Elementary. (download video file)
Hamilton County Graduates - November 10, 2009 (4:25 minutes): Hamilton County graduates are well prepared for college and careers. Meet a group of students bound for top 100 colleges around the country. (download video file)
Dionne Upton's Excellent Classroom - October 15, 2009 (4:28 minutes): Watch as Dionne Upton turns trash into treasure in her East Brainerd Elementary classroom.
Elaine Harper's Excellent Classroom - October 15, 2009 (4:30 minutes): Visit Red Bank chemistry teacher Elaine Harper's excellent classroom. See how Diet Coke and Mentos make learning fun, challenging, and engaging for students. (download video file)
KnowHow2Go - October 5, 2009 (4:07 minutes): A new program from the Lumina Foundation will extend college counseling for students in grades 8-10, helping more students prepare for and attend college. Take a peek into a planning retreat held recently at PEF.(download video file)
Dustin Dotzler's Excellent Classroom - September 16, 2009 (6:14 minutes): Dustin Dotzler teaches music at Hardy Elementary School. Through his music he also teachers math, language arts, science, and social studies. There is clearly a lot of fun - and a lot of learning - going on. (Download video file)
College Needed to Fight Fires? - July 8, 2009 (4:16): During the month of June, PEF's college access student mentoring program has arranged for 100 high school students to visit 8 area businesses in small groups to learn about "what's out there" - career opportunities and qualifications employers are seeking from job candidates. (Watch on YouTube, Download video file)
Camp College - August 2009 (10:17 minutes): Guest videographer Christopher Jones reports on Camp College 2009 from Sewanee-The University of the South.(wmv)
What's going on in the resource room??? - May 21, 2009 (5:43 minutes): Snow Hill is one of twelve Hamilton County schools which were awarded funds from PEF for a Leadership Book Club designed to help educators learn more about school leadership and improvement. Snow Hill teachers chose to study the book What Great Teachers Do Differently by Todd Whitaker.
(Watch now on YouTube, download video file, audio only)
Volkswagen Interview - January 28, 2009 (8:50 minutes): VW Director of Corporate Communications Jill Bratina speaks with PEF about Hamilton County schools and the skills needed to work at VW's new Chattanooga assembly plant.
(Watch now on YouTube, download video file, audio only)
School of Second Chances - December 2, 2008 (9:56 minutes): This video podcast features students and administrators from Hamilton County (adult) High School, which was established in 2004 as part of the high school reform initiative implemented through a partnership between Hamilton County schools and PEF. The adult high school provides a second chance for students who have fallen behind or dropped out of traditional high schools.
(Watch now on YouTube, download video file - may take several minutes, audio only)
Higher Standards, Higher Scores - October 29, 2008 (12:05 minutes): Video podcast; Academic standards for K-12 education in Tennessee are changing. State Comptroller John Morgan, School Superintendent Dr. Jim Scales, and PEF President Dan Challener outline what impact these changes will have on Hamilton County schools.
(watch now on YouTube - 2 parts, download video file - can be slow, audio only)
Middle School Reform - July 29, 2008 (14:44 minutes): Featuring Brown Middle School language arts teacher Romona Goines and four of her students who moved from proficient (or below) to advanced.
(mp3, wmv)