Archive of Previous Newsletters
KeyNotes Issue 23 (December 15, 2009) - Two More Excellent Teachers Featured
KeyNotes Issue 22 (December 3, 2009) - Reflections on Report Card 2009
KeyNotes Issue 21 (November 17, 2009) - Upton turns trash to treasure
KeyNotes Issue 20 (November 10, 2009) - Stanford; Wake Forest; NYU; University of...
KeyNotes Issue 19 (October 15, 2009) - Why are there life-size images of teachers...
KeyNotes Issue 18 (October 6, 2009) - New Training for Rising Principals
KeyNotes Issue 17 (September 16, 2009) - Dustin Dotzler's Excellent Classroom
KeyNotes Issue 16 (September 1, 2009) - PEF Merges with College Access Center
KeyNotes Issue 15 (August 4, 2009) - Teacher Residency to Boost Math and Science
KeyNotes Issue 14 (June 24, 2009) - College needed to fight fires?
KeyNotes Issue 13 (May 13, 2009) - Tennessee Ranks #1; Hamilton Co. Featured
KeyNotes Issue 12 (March 25, 2009) - Challener to Serve on Frist Commitee
KeyNotes Issue 11 (January 28, 2009) - VW Speaks: College Needed!
KeyNotes Issue 10 (December 4, 2008) - New Adult High Podcast and Latest Test Scores
KeyNotes Issue 9 (October 30, 2008) - Standards Are Changing!
KeyNotes Issue 8 (September 23, 2008) - National report validates academies
KeyNotes Issue 7 (August 27, 2008) - Benwood schools meet AYP!
KeyNotes Issue 6 (July 29, 2008) - Our First "Voices of School Success" Podcast
KeyNotes Issue 5 (June 25, 2008) - College Access: A Boost From Those Who Went Before
KeyNotes Issue 4 (May 28, 2008) - Tackling That Thorny Math Problem
KeyNotes Issue 3 (April 29, 2008) - Confirmation from Professional Skeptics
KeyNotes Issue 2 (March 27, 2008) - More Graduates Head to College!
KeyNotes Issue 1 (Feb 5, 2008) - Hamilton County Schools Recognized by New York Times
Archive of Previous Podcasts
Voices of School Success: A series of PEF podcasts providing an inside look at progress and problems in Hamilton County school reform. (subscribe)
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. (download video file)
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, subscribe)