Chattanooga 2.0 and its partners believe that all children deserve equitable access to a quality education. And all means all. This is something we’ve communicated many times with the support of our greater community. With the events that took place at this week’s school board meeting, it seemed like a good time to refocus attention on our goals.

From our Forward Together report published in January:

in order for our community to achieve our cradle-to-career goals, a commitment to equity and a focus on supporting those children and youth who are most behind will be required.

Serving all children regardless of their citizenship status is required of our public school system by federal and state law – and, of course, it’s the right thing to do. Today, 70% of Hamilton County Schools students are either economically disadvantaged, students of color, English language learners, or have a disability. The rich diversity of our community, and subsequently our schools, will continue to grow in the coming years. We have an opportunity to embrace that diversity as a strength that propels our schools, community, and economy forward, and we invite all to join us in working toward that end.

Molly Blankenship
Executive Director, Chattanooga 2.0