Q: Do you believe educational equity, as defined by Chattanooga 2.0, should be a priority for the City of Chattanooga? If yes, what does that commitment look like in action?

A: Yes. I believe that addressing inequity is the most pressing challenge for our city. Having grown up on the Westside, I know what it’s like to feel locked out of the city’s progress. As Mayor, I will ensure the City prioritizes equity, not just as an outcome, but as a process for creating a more just and inclusive community. My new Office of Equity and Engagement will be dedicated to employing equity as a core principle in City of Chattanooga policies, operations, and decision-making – so that equitable practices are embedded across all City departments, from the police and public works to Head Start and budgeting. At every level, we will be working to enact policies that directly address disparities and remove barriers, in order to improve the quality of life and increase engagement from historically marginalized communities. 

Q: What role should the City of Chattanooga, specifically, play in eliminating racial and socioeconomic disparities in resource allocation and access to high-quality learning options for children and youth, from birth to career?

A: While the City of Chattanooga does not fund or control public K-12 schools, the City does play a significant role in education.  Nearly 1,000 of our youngest residents are enrolled in the City’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs each year and the Office of Early Learning works with many additional programs to increase quality and access.   Through its community centers, the City currently operates one of the largest after school and summer youth programs in Chattanooga. There are many other programs that provide critical support, from the Library, to the Family Justice Center, to Baby University — all of which contribute to the well-being of kids and families across our community. The City must continually work to expand the reach, but also the quality and effectiveness of these programs – always through an equity lens.

Q: How would you align the work of the City of Chattanooga to support Hamilton County Schools’ efforts to provide an excellent and equitable education to every student?

A: I will work with HCS leadership to ensure that the City is a strong partner and aligning resources to support our public schools, including: 

• Expanding and improving public transportation so that more students have access to work and learning opportunities. 
• Making city government a model for providing expanded high-quality work-based learning and youth apprenticeship opportunities, while encouraging other local employers to do the same. 
• Collaborating with HCS on the planning and construction for new schools, so that we are fully leveraging City resources to strengthen these critical neighborhood investments. 
• Expanding the Office of Early Learning and ensure that they collaborate with HCS to make sure that all early learning programs have access to high-quality curriculum that prepares young children for Kindergarten. 
• Collaborating to address issues around juvenile justice, so that our most at-risk kids get the support they need as soon as possible

Q: The annual economic loss in Chattanooga due to insufficient child care is $74 million. What would you do to address this? 

A: I believe that high quality early education is one of the most important investments we can make as a City. I am committed to increasing the City’s investment in early learning and to working closely with Early Matters and others to identify the most important strategies the City can implement to expand access for families. This may include:

• Expanding Head Start and partnering with HCS PreK to reach even more families 
• Continuing support for the Quality Matters Fund to expand capacity and support at nonprofit and private early learning providers in high-needs neighborhoods
• Expanding the provision of early learning scholarships for families that earn to much to receive childcare vouchers but for whom childcare is still unaffordable
• Reforming the use of City tax incentives and PILOT agreements for employers to mandate support for thriving wage jobs and the support of early learning opportunities for working families

While there is much more that the City can do to better grow and support the ecosystem of high quality early learning opportunities, we know that a much more significant investment from the State will be required to fully address the access gaps in our community. As Mayor, I am committed to being a fierce advocate for increased early learning funding and I will convene business leaders and the Mayors of other cities across Tennessee to help make this a priority for State legislators.

Q: What steps do you support the City of Chattanooga taking to ensure students from low-income backgrounds and students of color have equitable access to out-of-school time programming and enrichment?

A: As one of the largest providers of youth programs in Chattanooga, the City has an opportunity to completely reimagine how we provide high-quality programming that helps kids reach their full potential. As Mayor, I will work closely with Chattanooga 2.0, HCS, and other nonprofit groups to ensure that the City is improving the quality and range of offerings for students that aligns with academic and career success. We will increase our investment in these programs and work to expand access to other high-quality programs – so that we truly have high-quality early learning opportunities in every neighborhood of the city.

Q: Do you believe educational equity, as defined by Chattanooga 2.0, should be a priority for the City of Chattanooga? If yes, what does that commitment look like in action?

A: Yes, educational equity must be a priority for the City of Chattanooga. Following is my policy framework for education, which was designed through an equity lens. This is not meant to be a white paper or action plan, but rather a policy framework I will use to establish policies and develop an action plan as mayor.

Education is the single most important issue for the social, cultural, and economic future of Chattanooga. A Chattanoogan’s zip code should not determine the quality of his or her educational opportunities, or their economic fate. The City of Chattanooga turned over its schools to the County 24 years ago, but the City must still play an important role in ensuring every family and child have access to an excellent education. We must embrace the City’s role in educating our children in order to move Chattanooga forward. 

Five Core Principles

1. OPPORTUNITY – Every child must have opportunities to learn and grow. 
2. EXCELLENCE – Chattanooga’s long-term success requires an education system that is excellent and effective from cradle-to-career. 
3. ACCESS – A child’s zip code should not determine their future. 
4. VOICE – The City of Chattanooga has an important role and voice in ensuring all children in our city have access to an effective and excellent education system. 
5. PARTNERSHIP – A thriving educational system requires robust partnerships across our entire community, engaging businesses, non-profits, and local government.

Key Areas of Focus

1. QUALITY PRE-K FOR ALL – A robust education system begins with early childhood education. 

○ The city does not currently fund K-12 education, but can and must play a larger role in preparing students to enter kindergarten. 

○ Better-prepared kindergarten students are more likely to excel and thrive throughout their educational journey. 

○ Brain development progresses at an accelerated rate in a student’s early years, as a city we must capitalize on this “golden window”. 

○ Children must learn their letters, numbers, colors and more before entering kindergarten in order to be prepared for the rigors of K-12. 

○ This not only ensures better outcomes for the child in question, but ALL children in reducing the stresses of remediation throughout the K-12 system. 

○ Parents also benefit from a robust Pre-K program because having access to affordable, accessible, quality early childhood education and childcare will allow them the flexibility to pursue their own educational and employment opportunities. 

2. HEAD START – Children learn best early, through rich interactions with other adults and their peers in safe and positive learning environments. 

○ As one of the primary ways our city provides quality early childhood educational programming, Chattanooga’s next mayor must expand and refine this critical program. 

○ The city will raise the minimum wage for Head Start teachers to $15 per hour as part of the 100-day action plan. 

○ Expand access to Head Start to more children by partnering with nonprofit organizations to increase outreach and program scale. 

3. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS – An excellent early childhood education system engages partners across the entire community, working toward the same goal of ensuring every child has access to the resources they need to succeed and thrive. 

○ Partner with the Early Matters Coalition, a collection of 40 local organizations focused on early childhood education, to significantly increase the number of quality Pre-K seats and quality childcare facilities available to all Chattanogans. 

○ Reinforce and expand successful initiatives and programs throughout the city without duplicating existing efforts. 

○ Establish an education partnership with Hamilton County Schools and the Chamber of Commerce to jointly develop cradle to career pathways from poverty to opportunity. 

4. SUPPORT HAMILTON COUNTY SCHOOLS – While the City does not currently fund K-12 education, the City of Chattanooga has an obligation to its parents and children to ensure each family has access to a great education.

○ Provide resources to schools located within the City of Chattanooga, including targeted investments coordinated with Hamilton County Schools to meet specific needs. 

○ Expand public transit coverage and options to better serve locations near Future Ready Institutes 

○ Partner with Hamilton County Schools to jointly drive appropriate resources toward the school district in partnership with officials across the state, and ensure accountability for those resources. 

○ Robust, accessible, and affordable Pre-K for all will ensure that students entering Hamilton County Schools are prepared for kindergarten and beyond. 

5. SKILLED TRADES EDUCATION– Students who learn a trade can chart a path to a flourishing career and a successful future, rebuilding our middle class. ○ Commit City resources to complete the launch of the Building Trades Academy in partnership with Hamilton County Schools and other key public and private partners. 

○ Partner with trade organizations to develop successful apprenticeship programs across the city as a key component of a workforce development strategy. ○ Support Hamilton County Schools’ Future Ready Institutes. 

6. ADVOCACY – Perhaps most importantly, the mayor of Chattanooga must be a strong, engaged advocate for better opportunities, options, and outcomes for children and families in our city. 

○ The Mayor will be the chief advocate for education in the city. 

○ Elevate the Office of Early Childhood Education to a full department focused on education policy, partnerships, and access. 

○ The Mayor will fight for a properly funded school system for Chattanooga families.

Q: What role should the City of Chattanooga, specifically, play in eliminating racial and socioeconomic disparities in resource allocation and access to high-quality learning options for children and youth, from birth to career?

A: See above policy framework for education. I have also released A Better Way Forward, which is specifically focused on eliminating racial and socioeconomic disparities in Chattanooga. https://www.kellyforcha.com/blog/a-better-way-forward

Q: How would you align the work of the City of Chattanooga to support Hamilton County Schools’ efforts to provide an excellent and equitable education to every student?

A: See above – Focus area 4 particularly describes partnership with Hamilton County Schools. But I will also work with Dr. Johnson and Hamilton County Schools on a regular basis to ensure that everything the City is doing with education, from birth to career, is coordinated with Hamilton County Schools.

Q: The annual economic loss in Chattanooga due to insufficient child care is $74 million. What would you do to address this? 

A: Universal Pre-K and increased support for Head Start plays a key role in strengthening our workforce and stemming economic losses due to childcare, both now and in the future. In addition to expanding educational opportunities and preparing our children for K-12 education, these programs give time back to parents that they can use to reintegrate into the workforce and pursue job opportunities. But beyond direct programs operated by the city, Chattanooga’s next mayor must be an effective orchestra conductor who can align with our vibrant nonprofit sector. As mayor, Tim Kelly will coordinate closely with organizations like the Chambliss Center for Children to ensure that residents have expanded access to affordable, 24/7 childcare. The combined effect of these programs will increase labor force participation and productivity, and help build wealth in our vulnerable communities.

Q: What steps do you support the City of Chattanooga taking to ensure students from low-income backgrounds and students of color have equitable access to out-of-school time programming and enrichment?

A: It is important for the City to lean in on out-of-school programming that is meaningful and coordinated with Hamilton County Schools. This includes funding summer enrichment programming, working with churches and other organizations to leverage existing virtual learning centers for out-of-school programming, and advocating for equitable access to programming and enrichment.

Q: Do you believe educational equity, as defined by Chattanooga 2.0, should be a priority for the City of Chattanooga? If yes, what does that commitment look like in action?

A: Yes; no issue is more fundamental to Chattanooga’s future than education. While specifically with policy that focuses on youth and education but ultimately a priority for all policies of my administration, we will work to remove barriers that limit our residents and create or maximize resources that best serve the needs of each neighborhood. This commitment is also rooted in developing strong partnership with Hamilton County schools and County government along with organizations like Chattanooga 2.0 to ensure that the supports, resources, and policies the City enacts are complementary to the larger work of education leaders in our community. And, I am committed to providing the time, staff, and financial resources it will take to provide educational equity for our students.

Q: What role should the City of Chattanooga, specifically, play in eliminating racial and socioeconomic disparities in resource allocation and access to high-quality learning options for children and youth, from birth to career?

A: First, this work begins with early learning and access to quality pre-K options. Whether through scholarships, expanding the capacity of existing learning centers, or partnering with private or faith based providers, children and families need access to quality early learning opportunities. And to do this equitably, resources will need to be deployed at different levels in different parts of our city to close gaps. During school aged learning, the City’s Youth and Family Development (YFD) Centers will be programmed with a curriculum that meets students’ needs depending on age and ability. These centers are strategically located within neighborhoods, and many are close to schools which help with access. However, the centers must be open and available when needed including after school, evenings, weekends, and during extended breaks. There will also be an investment in transportation so students can access facilities like the YFDs. In terms of a career, workforce development and training opportunities must begin well before high school graduations. We will work to establish and grow partnerships and opportunities with institutions like Chattanooga State Community College, the Future Ready Institutes, and private industry to not only expose students to career options but also give them training opportunities to come out of high school with needed and valuable skills to make a living wage. And again, the City will play a key role in transportation when it comes to making sure students can access these resources.

Q: How would you align the work of the City of Chattanooga to support Hamilton County Schools’ efforts to provide an excellent and equitable education to every student?

A: While the school system falls under Hamilton County, there is much the City can and must do to ensure that Chattanooga’s children succeed. We must leverage every relationship and every resource for our students.
With a focus on true collaboration, I will work with County and school leaders on a partnership that provides tangible and real support for their teaching efforts. While we will leave curriculum to the professionals, we will work with school leaders and private organizations to provide children and families support before and after school along with summer and break programming for Chattanooga’s students specifically utilizing our YFD Centers. As identified by education professionals, we will match the needs of the students to the offerings at these City facilities along with partnering on transportation as a coordinated effort to get students to safe, learning environments outside of their classrooms.

We face a major challenge in ensuring that Chattanooga’s children are prepared when they begin their formal education. With the City’s Office of Early Learning, we will work alongside the Early Matters Coalition to significantly increase the number of seats in quality Pre-K and childcare facilities because access and availability of childcare and early learning opportunities is an issue across our city.
All of this work will take dedicated City staff and resources, and this is a commitment that I am thrilled to make for the betterment of our students.

Q: The annual economic loss in Chattanooga due to insufficient child care is $74 million. What would you do to address this? 

A: In discussions with our local business community, we will advocate for businesses to work alongside working parents to offer childcare options and flexible schedules both as an economic investment and talent recruitment and retention strategy. And, the City will lead by example in this regard. We will also work with child care providers including operators that are private, faith based, nonprofit, and state sponsored to increase the number of reliable and affordable seats across our city. In addition, child care needs to be more than just standard operating hours to accommodate parents’ schedules who work varying shifts.

Q: What steps do you support the City of Chattanooga taking to ensure students from low-income backgrounds and students of color have equitable access to out-of-school time programming and enrichment?

A: YFD Centers will be more than a 9-5 operation. After school, evenings, weekends, and school breaks are critical times for the Centers to be open and offering programs and enrichment opportunities. These offerings must also be aligned with the school curriculum to maximize impact. To ensure students from low-income backgrounds and students of color have equitable access to out-of-school time programming and enrichment, I will also prioritize transportation so students can get to and from the YFD Centers. And as outlined in other questions, increasing seats and accessibility to quality child care and pre-k and equitable workforce training including transportation options are critical for students from low-income backgrounds and students of color to access these critical resources.