2022 Hamilton County board of education candidates responded to a questionnaire on educational equity, published by Chattanooga 2.0. Their responses have been released today, in advance of the upcoming school board debates. Community members can find each candidate’s responses on the Chattanooga 2.0 website at https://chatt2.org/equity/2022-school-board/.

On the Chattanooga 2.0 website, educational equity is defined as: intentional supports, resources, and policies designed to meet the individual needs of each learner and eliminate disparities in outcomes, ultimately ensuring that all students have the opportunity to unlock their full potential. 

All of the 2022 school board candidates, with the exception of Gary Kuehn who is running unopposed, will participate in district-specific debates over the next two weeks. The debates will be live-streamed at 7pm each evening and are co-hosted by Chattanooga 2.0, the Chattanooga Times Free Press, and Local 3 News.

The debate schedule is as follows with candidates listed in ballot order: 

July 12 — District 8: Larry Grohn (R) and Katie Perkins (D)

July 13 — District 10: Faye Robinson (R), Jeff Crim (D), and Christine A. Essex (I) 

July 14 — District 11: Virginia Anne Manson (R), Jill Black (D), and Steve McKinney (I)

July 19 — District 3: Joe Smith (R) and Jenn Piroth (D) 

July 20 — District 5: Charles Paty (R) and Karitsa Mosley Jones (D) 

July 21 — District 6: Jon Baker (R) and Ben Connor (D) 

Each district has a dedicated debate Facebook event with details on how to watch (linked above).

Early voting takes place July 15 through July 30 and election day is Aug 4. Citizens can check their voter registration status and voting district using the Hamilton County commission online voter lookup tool at https://hcvoter.hamiltontn.gov/voterrequest/voterinfoRequest.aspx