The cover story of the August 27 issue of Parade magazine features Chattanooga, along with five other communities, that have made outstanding progress in improving their public schools. The article, titled "Good Schools Can Happen," focuses on Chattanooga’s success at demanding and acquiring better teachers. The article cites the Public Education Foundation, the Urban League, the Chattanooga Bar Association and community volunteers, among others, for supporting and engendering highperforming teachers.
Meetings with site selection consultants and corporate real estate executives make it clear that the quality of the region’s education and workforce preparedness issues are of primary importance to those that make expansion and relocation decisions. The Chamber has responded to that message by launching its Education Initiative.
In January of 2006, Kay Andrews, Ph.D., a native of Chattanooga with a distinguished 20-year career in higher education, was hired to help plan and direct the unfunded initiative. Business and community leaders, elected officials, educators and foundation directors participated in dozens of program development and refinement meetings that defined the Chamber’s role and gave clear direction to the initiative.
Because education plays such a critical role in creating highwage jobs, the initiative was added to the Chattanooga CAN DO program of work.
MISSION
The Chamber’s Education Initiative represents the interest of business and industry in developing a community-based approach to improving public school education within the
region. Because of funding issues, the Education Initiative will operate using a pre-launch plan for the first year, July 2006-June 2007. The pre-launch year will provide a foundation for the
activities implemented during the new four-year funding cycle for the Chamber which will begin in July 2007.
VISION
Through the Education Initiative, the Chamber will work collaboratively with public and private school systems, higher education organizations, business and industry leaders, private
foundations and community agencies in an effort to represent the issues, interests and concerns of the business community in helping to develop a stronger and better-prepared workforce.
GOALS
The Education Intiative’s primary goals are to:
1. Initiate and sustain an ongoing dialogue between businesspeople and educators about workforce needs and the resources required to meet those needs.
2. Achieve broad-based community support for and investment in public education at all levels.
Education Initative