[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6268480,"mediaKeyId","3055366-ddecfdfe779a89af4d53c5a461912534","parentId",3055366,"title","Teacher warns Hamilton County graduation gains may mask chronic absenteeism and Edgenuity misuse","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",8291435,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3055366-ddecfdfe779a89af4d53c5a461912534&start=8291&end=8291","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3055366-ddecfdfe779a89af4d53c5a461912534/thumbnail_8291435.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6268480/Tennessee/Teacher-warns-Hamilton-County-graduation-gains-may-mask-chronic-absenteeism-and-Edgenuity-misuse","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268480-803a81798b999680238a601431fd26c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770418046&Signature=emCWjz8iohn9eyWcM~zO-ZE6jjc~WywH2WPFv7DbuLPnIOcRHIkhnrlPPPBG~tJGvoGQtKkH9G4hO0~ZFIgfT~OLlAoCs9eCayWruHeNN~yFVsVT068D33RrzWbqK8L9KnJBeUrzCk0RGMf6wVf-kTLjKcIxafgh~RjNG0DcFDvBRarhDPS9JOqvfkt1HLk4yIvKPkQittEk8wOkNG6rwdfkfug9Vl5XdflUbFObB0GRgnnl6ktS2z539XhtSgVr7g5e-VbMTFP2pivFXec7Pu44ILt25Y~eobp6ZmQBlq9exXERnv7-sS6aEro~M8TvMNoC~F~5vo57DbmIyS85iw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Hamilton County School","date","2025-04-19T00:24:50.11Z","article","Trevor Fuller, a teacher who said he works in a Hamilton County classroom, told the board the district's rising graduation rate masks a deeper problem of chronic absenteeism and overreliance on online credit-recovery tools.

Fuller said teachers encounter students who missed weeks of class yet still graduate after completing coursework through programs such as Edgenuity. “Last year, I had a student who missed 55 days. That's 11 weeks of school,” Fuller said. He said the district now uses Edgenuity not only for credit recovery but as a primary instruction method for some students and that teachers report students use apps or AI to complete modules quickly.

Fuller asked the board to strengthen attendance policy and to return to classroom instruction where possible. He argued that lenient practices established during the pandemic and subsequent use of federal COVID funding changed expectations around graduation and lowered the barriers that once ensured consistent classroom learning.

Ending: Fuller asked the board to consult teachers on the ground and to consider policies that address chronic absenteeism and the integrity of graduation credentials rather than relying principally on online platforms.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","HCS Agenda Session 4/17/2025","oneSentenceSummary","A Hamilton County teacher told the board that high graduation rates hide persistent chronic absenteeism and that heavy use of online credit-recovery platforms like Edgenuity is replacing classroom instruction for some students.","taxTitle","Hamilton County, School Districts, Tennessee","taxId",12943,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6268484,"Residents and students urge Hamilton County board to oppose SB0836/HB793 and stand for access to education",346,4910485,5257005,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3055366-ddecfdfe779a89af4d53c5a461912534&start=4910&end=5257","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3055366-ddecfdfe779a89af4d53c5a461912534/thumbnail_4910485.jpg","/articles/6268484/Tennessee/Residents-and-students-urge-Hamilton-County-board-to-oppose-SB0836HB793-and-stand-for-access-to-education","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268484-db9e5b017dd41183cac2adf4767cc9d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770418046&Signature=MjcrC4~JqeflcPAEm5RnTaD-7KCuBJ7CdZLs8ixUM3~h7Q6RKeanHKpJFe77B78DSAEAgCsJO5L9Y8lpT4YCOdnF~fEJv1bP45~LxAxdZ~YWy0kJk2zAGj0mPz54fxi~CAy-AnO4zE6lAsY8js7mNDjds0wrEvE0B73L1hE5M~gj5THfCUiD5Ls~p-cB76rd~FnNYhXVe9TnipvfE5J0KTwWZxF4ICpkIYaWVsg0RHNZP2AwUhZwySqaNWE8jtP7zbP-enWKu3A~dLuT4~LEfhdTl6lcxpAybp1t84DSIMLUuRZLJWJha-E~sFeICbyz6jUiZpxyRwqtLIZH0Jjsqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents, teachers and students urged the Hamilton County Board of Education to oppose proposed state bills identified in public comment as SB0836 and HB793, saying the measures would deny access to public education for undocumented students and create serious fiscal and human costs.

A teacher who said she represents English learners detailed enrollment figures and argued the bills would be costly to administer. “There are over 6,000 English language learners currently enrolled in Hamilton County Schools,” the speaker said, adding that the student population speaks “over 400 plus languages at home.” The speaker warned that processing documentation could cost the district millions if some ELL students were excluded from enrollment.

Student speakers, including several who identified themselves as immigrants or children of immigrants, asked the board to send a clear message of inclusion. One speaker who said she is a graduate of Hamilton County Schools and came from Mexico urged the board to “stand on the right side of history” and to welcome all students regardless of origin. Speakers repeatedly referenced Plyler v. Doe (1982), the Supreme Court case that bars states from denying free public education to undocumented children, and one commenter cited a recent Supreme Court decision as context (referred to in public comments as “Trump v JGG 2025”).

Several speakers framed the bills as both unconstitutional and wasteful of legislative time and local resources. A student government leader warned that excluding students from school would also cut off access to meals, counseling and other supports and could push families into economic instability.

Ending: Speakers asked the board to adopt a pro‑access stance and to use its influence with local and state elected officials; the board did not take formal action during the session but scheduled a listening session for further public input.","Multiple speakers — immigrants, students and teachers — urged the board to oppose Tennessee bills SB0836 and HB793 that they said would endanger undocumented students’ access to public education and remove federal and state funding; speakers cited Plyler v. Doe and a recent Supreme Court decision.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6268489,"Families, principals and bus contractors warn against cutting Hamilton County magnet transportation",718,6268005,6986685,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3055366-ddecfdfe779a89af4d53c5a461912534&start=6268&end=6986","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3055366-ddecfdfe779a89af4d53c5a461912534/thumbnail_6268005.jpg","/articles/6268489/Tennessee/Families-principals-and-bus-contractors-warn-against-cutting-Hamilton-County-magnet-transportation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268489-1e3ebb9e41caa2f8a08e4327559f1604/orig.mp4?Expires=1770418046&Signature=E5NYstRJJ8QzabDzn60bqxHu2iYM4kjeOwqMK7Texp4jlvd8RO9bCZiyxXKTYX5azUsMYIiNS6FEOPq3xo1nK7svVKON9JNQfbX7fDqqjiq8I4SIV-Vji38mmy9l~g4amuYuMLn~ZiL3Ehw2J2Ant62xOIYuMlbVoEot9En86W1gOn6EC9Kd1Eftjfkgy9zB1TAhfdfg-sr~v3-RHa06QEZ~jvZ5pcOqPsRyTPj5s1MXVAaXSwYsapW277tUA2AxpnlQumM70y8iKSHc7vPtFJrG5JC5gB0jSSQRdk5yaMPPaJcKS7iKPvZk7mLV4as0c-VXtXMNyIbLnTz5~739fQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Parents, students, principals and a private contractor told the Hamilton County Board of Education at the April 28 work session that magnet transportation is essential to access, equity and student safety and should not be cut as the district weighs budget savings.

Lauren Sloan, a parent with three children in magnet schools, told the board that magnet transportation “is not a luxury, it's an essential. It protects students' safety, it enables real choice, and it prevents our schools from resegregating by race, income, and neighborhood.” Sloan said removing buses would make attendance and after‑school participation impractical for many families.

Students from magnet schools described how buses make their participation possible. Mabry Connor, a sixth grader at Chattanooga Center for Creative Arts (CCA), said buses are often the only reliable way students can reach schools with specialized programs and extracurriculars.

Greg Wilkie, principal at Eastside Elementary and president of the Kelly Principal Association, urged the board to “protect what matters most” — “student-facing and building-level positions” and the services that enable choice.

Blake Williams, an independent bus contractor who said he owns and operates ten routes including magnet routes, warned that contractors have made large personal investments and would face financial ruin if routes are cut. Williams said he has spent approximately $1,400,000 on buses and related equipment, paid $133,258 for a 90‑passenger bus purchased in February 2022 and has a bus on order priced at $218,000.

Williams said sharp increases in vehicle costs and the dependence of families on magnet routes mean service reductions could force families back to zone schools, increase overcrowding, and end routes run by independent operators.

Ending: Speakers asked the board to preserve magnet transportation to avoid narrowing access to specialized programs; the board said it would hold a listening session April 29 to gather additional input before making budget decisions.","Students, parents, principals and a private bus contractor told the school board that eliminating magnet bus service would reduce access, create safety problems and threaten contractors’ businesses; a contractor said buses purchased recently cost six figures each.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_46":105,"_48":106,"_50":107,"_52":108,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":109,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":110,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6268494,"Mother and parent advocates ask Hamilton County to cut standardized benchmark testing and publish testing hours",313,3648695,3962280,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3055366-ddecfdfe779a89af4d53c5a461912534&start=3648&end=3962","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3055366-ddecfdfe779a89af4d53c5a461912534/thumbnail_3648695.jpg","/articles/6268494/Tennessee/Mother-and-parent-advocates-ask-Hamilton-County-to-cut-standardized-benchmark-testing-and-publish-testing-hours","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268494-2c30c4795304bc87fb5179b49be47f80/orig.mp4?Expires=1770418046&Signature=C-97E6BCofz5UJ28U6kqCExV-NOjOC2NXdBF~p6JlvHb-z~F-MkkzDRG8T0b~KhP6VnTNgSQzvBzDyrbHXCvQld3zC-x~ZhYHqPKkdvFhiN2vJoPKK6db0TtamEa4RoTMIkAlpkJKtiogO-xbxMfphzCdHc8ZQRCzUwd3av4t8rYv4ASQ~evul8QBxGJxMBa~c3j5bkx9WADAABA8uu7ISx8jg3dDlcgy3rvBEClwwVbZLgcizo3-xJZcv6zHdkfiE8K94ynWPk1IZSYGk5e58jQpRaL3qHLLji-iB0aFIOEBkCG-x-MbezPC05mmwpNx9vWKfz5Lb9rsJncmplMBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Amanda Shaw, a Hamilton County parent and district employee, told the school board at the April 28 work session that she calculated the time her first grader spent on standardized testing and urged the district to reduce benchmark assessments.

“His minutes are important to me,” Shaw said, describing a cross‑section analysis she titled Hamilton County Pulse Check. She told the board she totaled 67 hours of standardized testing for her first grader this year — “the equivalent to 19 days of instruction time” — and said content tests add another roughly 36 hours.

Shaw asked the board to reduce K‑2 benchmark testing to one or two times per year and to publish “actual hours and what it's being spent on,” not just a testing schedule. She also recommended limiting micro‑phase testing to no more than twice annually and asked the board to “trust the system” already in place for accountability.

Shaw said over-testing contributes to lost instructional time and can widen gaps between district students and private‑school peers who face fewer standardized tests. She requested continued conversation with district leaders and offered the document she provided to the board for follow-up.

Ending: Shaw asked the board to review testing volume and transparency as it considers budget and program priorities; she offered to continue the discussion with district staff and the board.","A parent presented detailed calculations she said show a first grader spends 67 hours on standardized tests and urged the board to reduce benchmarks and publish actual testing hours by grade.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_46":117,"_48":118,"_50":119,"_52":120,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":121,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":122,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6268499,"Hamilton County speakers urge board to protect school nurses, counselors and social workers amid proposed cuts",1033,3299615,4333585,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3055366-ddecfdfe779a89af4d53c5a461912534&start=3299&end=4333","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3055366-ddecfdfe779a89af4d53c5a461912534/thumbnail_3299615.jpg","/articles/6268499/Tennessee/Hamilton-County-speakers-urge-board-to-protect-school-nurses-counselors-and-social-workers-amid-proposed-cuts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268499-317af2357e09cebd083baf0dbea7d9fa/orig.mp4?Expires=1770418046&Signature=GM9XWRueif1s3W5xuwlUNHixXcXB~U84e5OlQTJa8I2jW-nhuzl4uoC8llq~ztKCDtIkn-Xh6ZBfVLzH2NO1dpkh8MhJJlQlieodijblRHbdXMA2s~sq-AXeNmxgL2HuDvXy85~2KrTd7V~YkKmd1ulZnnFpu9aOAWLIkoSpVDoIGf9Z5SCK0KoiPbcnS~wahxXiMA2VLQeoBblaTpZjevIMb7MwsdZG7RXPKECfPkbhTBfI3W7e1usi9cFolFtMI9uKo5ddS5rFnkvpDUmSeqXxyqAFvfEXy-5pX9x9zl3FxBz~syFmn~V-zp4YXg2ybmZC1bkZCWoZODt8ybq3cw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hamilton County public speakers at the school board work session on April 28 urged the Board of Education to preserve student-facing positions after the district proposed reductions to PRN nurses, school counselors, social workers and student support coaches.

Those who work in school health and student-support roles said the positions under threat are tied directly to student safety and daily attendance and must not be treated as budget line items.

Lindsay Gibson, a Hamilton County school nurse, warned that eliminating PRN nurses would leave schools without medical staff in time-sensitive emergencies. “We can't afford that,” Gibson said. “We're operating at a 70% effective rate, 30% deficit now with the PRN nurses we have.” She told the board the district covered roughly 840 PRN shifts this year and cited county treatment counts: “HCS has had 777 emergency prescribed albuterol and 198 school-issued albuterol treatments.”

School social workers, counselors and student support staff gave accounts of daily interventions they said would be lost if positions were cut. Laura Massey, who identified herself as working at Big Ridge Elementary, said the district’s stated budget goal to “place students at the center” conflicts with a proposal to reduce nine school counselors, nine social workers and three student support coaches. “A reduction of 9 school counselors, 9 social workers, and 3 student support coaches does not indicate continued investment in student well-being,” Massey said.

Heather Beal, a school social worker, described finding a student who had planned mass harm and said persistent school-based follow-up averted further danger. “Because of her persistence, she was able to uncover a serious safety concern to the student and the school community,” Beal said, describing work she said is not interchangeable with other roles.

Haley Shields, who said she is a school counselor at Ooltewah Elementary, summarized districtwide service levels and caseload growth: “All HCS counselors have met with 9,500 students this year, providing 19,000 sessions. This resulted in over 3,000 referrals to outside agencies.” Shields said counselors now manage a rising number of 504 plans and related casework.

Speakers pressed the board to consider the downstream effects of cuts: cancelled field trips, fewer staff to manage chronic absenteeism and lost wraparound services for families experiencing homelessness or food insecurity. Several speakers asked the board to protect positions that operate daily inside school buildings rather than administrative roles outside them.

Board Chair Smith and Superintendent Dr. Robertson were present for the public comment period; speakers repeatedly asked the board to prioritize student-facing roles as the budget process proceeds. The board announced a community listening session on April 29 at 5:30 p.m. at Red Bank Middle School to continue public input.

Ending: Speakers urged the board to weigh the immediate safety and long-term student well-being consequences of staffing cuts as budget deliberations continue; the board scheduled a community meeting to gather additional input before final decisions.","Teachers, nurses, social workers and parents told the Hamilton County Board of Education that proposed cuts to PRN nurses, counselors and social workers would harm student safety and support services, citing emergency response data and staffing shortfalls.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Teacher warns Hamilton County graduation gains may mask chronic absenteeism and Edgenuity misuse

Residents and students urge Hamilton County board to oppose SB0836/HB793 and stand for access to education

Families, principals and bus contractors warn against cutting Hamilton County magnet transportation

Mother and parent advocates ask Hamilton County to cut standardized benchmark testing and publish testing hours

Hamilton County speakers urge board to protect school nurses, counselors and social workers amid proposed cuts