What’s Right With Ours Schools: Hamilton County Schools ELabs
September 12, 2022
It’s a sign of the times, eLabs are a vital part of education at all levels these days. Thanks to PEF and Volkswagen Chattanooga, Hamilton County Schools has cut the ribbon on a dozen new eLabs. Robin Bambrey is the Principal at Hardy Elementary School. She says, “We are beyond excited and honored to be part of such a wonderful group of schools, that allow children to have the opportunity to engage in things like coding and engineering.”

Hamilton County elementary schools are now the first elementary schools in Tennessee with onsite digital fabrication spaces or eLabs. To commemorate, officials held a ribbon-cutting Monday at Hardy Elementary in Chattanooga, where they formally announced the expansion of 12 new eLabs, including the first nine in the state to be integrated into elementary schools. They join 24 other eLabs in the Hamilton County school district, comprising the largest network in the world. -- By Carmen Nesbitt, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Sept 12, 2022 (photo credit: Olivia Ross, TFP)

In this WDEF "What's Right With Our Schools" feature, Chandler Davenport, Project Inspire alumna and teacher at The Howard School shares the impact of training up a diverse teaching force on student achievement. Chandler Davenport was awarded Secondary Teacher of the Year by Hamilton County Schools and Teacher of the Year from The Howard School in 2023.

NASHVILLE – Thirty-two leaders from higher education, K-12 education, government, business, and nonprofit organizations have been selected for the seventh cohort of the Complete Tennessee Leadership Institute (CTLI), a joint initiative of the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) and The Hunt Institute. CTLI is a one-year program aimed at equipping community and state leaders from across Tennessee with the strategies, tools, and knowledge to play a leading role in eliminating barriers to postsecondary education and completion in Tennessee. In partnership with The Hunt Institute, SCORE will provide learning opportunities for the 2022-23 CTLI participants and support cohort members in translating that learning into action. Click here to read the full article.

Thanks to Project Inspire, Public Education Foundation’s Teacher Residency program, 19 future teachers will spend the 2022-23 school year apprenticing with mentor teachers and supporting the learning of students in high-need Hamilton County schools. More than 100 graduates of Project Inspire already work in Hamilton County. This year’s aspiring teachers will work in Dalewood Middle School, East Ridge High School, East Ridge Middle School, Hardy Elementary School, The Howard School, Orchard Knob Elementary School, Orchard Knob Middle School, and two charter schools: Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy and Montessori Elementary at Highland Park.

Public Education Foundation announced the selection of 32 educators who will participate in the 2nd cohort of PEF’s Innovative Educator Fellowship. The educators, who work in seven school districts, will spend a year developing innovations aimed at increasing student engagement and achievement. The Fellows began their work last week where they met with three educators who have earned national recognition for innovations they have designed and led. “PEF is delighted to be able to provide this group of outstanding educators the opportunity to develop innovations that will strengthen public schools,” said Dan Challener, president of Public Education Foundation. “Smart, creative, and deeply committed educators are exactly the right people to develop innovations for our classrooms."