Public Education Foundation
Report to Friends 2006-2007
2006
2007
extraordinary things
06
007
ry things
schools for a new society
3
middle schools for a new society
9
benwood initiative
15
osborne fellows
21
leadership initiative
27
Think back to your days in school.
Did a teacher change the course of your life?
Whenever I ask that question, heads nod. Just about everybody
remembers at least one teacher who forever changed his or her life.
As I’m writing this, I’m thinking of Eugene Doherty, my 8th grade
English teacher. A born story teller who lost his left arm in the Battle
of the Bulge, Mr. Doherty taught me how to write clear, simple,
descriptive sentences. Everything I write reflects him.
At the Public Education Foundation, our mission is to improve
Public Education Foundation
Report to Friends 2006-2007
student achievement. To achieve this, we invest in teachers. We want
every student to be taught by great teachers—teachers who inspire
and challenge and get the very best out of their students. And we
“At the Public Education Foundation,
our mission is to improve student
achievement. To achieve this,
we invest in teachers.”
want every school to be led by a principal who understands and
supports great teachers.
Through the generosity of hundreds of Hamilton County friends and
several local and national foundations, we have been able to support
the work of hundreds of teachers and just about every principal in the
county. In this annual report, five educators describe how PEF helped
them—and how our support brought about measurable improvement
in schools across Hamilton County.
As you read these stories, I bet you’ll understand why the
Public Education Foundation is so committed to its mission.
Sincerely,
Daniel D. Challener
p r e s i d e n t , p u b l i c e d u c at i o n f o u n dat i o n
Daniel d. Challener
p r e s i d e n t,
p u b l i c e d u c at i o n f o u n dat i o n
“It changed the staff’s perspective, to
Yes, our kids CAN do this.’ And then, just
as powerful—our teachers were saying,
What do I need to be doing different in my
class to get them even better prepared?’”
Roll out a short-notice project that requires teachers to stay over for three hours without pay, and you may expect—as with most
workplaces—grousing.
That’s what Brainerd High’s ACE Academy principal Christine Couch and fellow administrators heard when the teachers learned that
their expertise would be needed after-hours for team reviews of Senior Projects—a newly introduced graduation hurdle at this reformminded school.
The decision to require Senior Projects—complete with rigorous research and written and oral, PowerPoint-driven presentations—bore
the trappings of a task that not so long ago would have elicited “can’t do” pleas from many students—and skepticism from many
teachers as overly ambitious.
inez ketrell
senior language arts
and american studies
Brainerd high
From a
project
power
to a
Saysha Jones
Brainerd high senior
sense of
schools for a new society
extraordinar y things
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But it also had elements of natural appeal: Rather than tackling assigned content, the projects
were self-directed, with each student free to choose a topic. And those topics ran the gamut—
from global warming and poverty-driven disease in Africa to the undertaker’s trade and
baseball’s emergence in the U.S. “I learned a lot about baseball from that one,” Couch says.
Saysha Jones’ project—“Are Non-Profit After-School Programs Essential in the Urban
“Once we realized it would be a
graduation requirement and we
would formally present it...
we buckled down and really
did the best we could.”
Saysha Jones, Brainerd high senior
Community?”; and Benita Fields’ work—“The American Cuisine That Doesn’t Exist”—both drew
special praise among a field of outstanding work.
Jones—a star student at both Orchard Knob Elementary and Middle before reaching Brainerd—
recalls the gradually shifting mood of her classmates last fall from dread and fear to nervous
anticipation and growing confidence.
“Once we realized it would be a graduation requirement and we would formally present it to a
panel of teachers, we buckled down and really did the best we could.”
That shift in attitude was just as evident to Couch and Claire Lane,
the change coach at Brainerd High who coordinated the Senior
Projects initiative.
“So much of what I’ve benefited from and the
relationship with the Public Education Foundation
have really made me who I am. All of those
experiences have been important to me.”
CHRISTINE COUCH
FORMER assistant PRINCIPAL BRAINERD high,
CURRENT PRINCIPAL HIXON HIGH
high schools for a new society
Hamilton County high schools embarked upon a major transformation in 2001. With $14
million in funding from the Carnegie Corporation and PEF, every high school in the district is
implementing its own plan for improvement. As part of these plans, high schools have created
new ways of organizing classes, new roles for principals and teachers, and new methods for
helping students learn.
All high schools have developed:
• 9th grade transition programs
• teaching methods that engage students and
make them eager to learn
• advisory classes for all students
• literacy programs to increase reading skills
• a “single-path diploma” that ensures all
graduates will be qualified to choose college or
higher-skilled jobs
Eleven high schools have established career
academies that provide students with relevant,
challenging learning experiences in a small
learning community.
These academies include:
• Business & Technology
• Education
• Engineering
• Environmental Sciences
• Global Studies
• Health Sciences
• Transportation
extraordinar y things
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“What happened—the kids worked really hard on presentations—they did a really good job
for the first year,” Couch says. “We (the administrative staff and teachers) were very impressed.
The students were nervous, which meant they took it seriously. The most powerful thing was
listening to the teachers afterward—even those teachers who’d grumbled about having to stay
late—saying things like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen her do that! She did that. Did you see what
she just did?’ It was amazing!”
“I gained a lot of self-confidence.
Knowing within myself that I
could do the work... I feel good
that I did it and did a good job.”
Saysha Jones, Brainerd high senior
Much of this ties back to rigor—an overriding focus throughout Brainerd
High and all Hamilton County schools where work of the PEF/HCDE
partnership continues to flourish.
In short, rigor centers on tackling tougher curriculum, and raising standards higher even while
marking clear and significant improvement against statewide standards.
The project is paying dividends beyond the students.
“It changed the staff’s perspective,” Couch says— “to ‘Yes, our kids CAN do this.’ And then, just
as powerful—our teachers were saying, ‘What do I need to be doing differently in my class to get
them even better prepared for this?’”
Couch—articulate and passionate—began her career in education a mere decade ago. Her
involvement as a first-year teacher with PEF’s Critical Friends initiative significantly reshaped her
perception of leadership and problem-solving.
Her conversation about the trajectory of her career since then—a mix of passion and cold-eyed selfassessment—is peppered with names, places and ideas that link to Leadership Fellows peers, PEF
staff, fellow school administrators and teachers throughout the district with whom she often confers.
“So much of what I’ve benefited from and the relationship with the Public Education Foundation have
really made me who I am,” Couch says. “All of those experiences have been important to me.”
As for Brainerd’s Senior Projects, their success is no greater than the success of graduates like
The teachers began making that connection, she says. They see
Saysha Jones, who will study business marketing and psychology this fall with an added sense of
that this isn’t just some add-on called the Senior
accomplishment. “I gained a lot of self-confidence,” she says. “Knowing within myself that I could
Project, but it’s a vital component, and classes need
do the work. It was overwhelming at first, but I feel good that I did it and did a good job.”
to prepare them to write a central question, conduct
meaningful research and do presentations that
persuasively articulate their learning.
Senior Projects and growing academic rigor—just two among many extraordinary things
happening throughout Hamilton County’s high schools.
2006 results
• The four-year graduation rate in Hamilton County rose from 69% in 2003
to 73.7% in 2006.
• Hamilton County granted 2,148 diplomas in 2006 (up 25% over the last five years).
• 94% of students passed the English II Gateway exam, with the percentage of
students scoring “advanced” rising from 50% in 2003 to 66% in 2006.
• The percentage of students successfully completing the ninth grade in one year
rose from 76.7% in 2003 to 89.1% in 2006.
• Over 70% of Hamilton County graduates entered college.
extraordinar y things
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“You don’t have to worry about
what girls are thinking. It’s
just easier to concentrate.”
Ooltewah Middle School student Dominique Powell can look back on his sixth grade experience as one of relative normalcy.
He learned about classifying living organisms, spent ample time multiplying and dividing common fractions and also played
a little basketball.
And just as normal: A radical shift—from mild to avid interest—in his female classmates, along with the occasional classroom
distraction and misconduct that sometimes follow.
Much to his credit, Dominique recognized the problem once he got into the swing of his single-gender (no girls) language
arts and math classes.
stephanie knox
OMS language arts
In the
dominique powell
OMS sixth grader
middle school
significant shift
of
a
middle schools for a new society
extraordinar y things
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10
“All-boy classes just helped me concentrate,” he says. “You don’t have to worry about what girls
are thinking. It’s just easier to concentrate.”
Ooltewah Middle’s piloting experiment with single-gender classes—male and female—is
just one aspect of its continuing re-invention as part of the Middle Schools for a New Society
initiative funded with grants from the Lyndhurst Foundation, the National Education Association
Foundation and PEF. It includes all 21 Hamilton County middle schools, with each working from
its own blueprint for reform.
Chrissy Easterly, Ooltewah Middle change coach, was closely involved with the single-gender
reading classes. She modestly describes the change coach role as enhancing the good work
teachers are already doing. There are change coaches at all 21 middle schools, and all receive
support through network sessions at PEF.
“When I go to change coach meetings at PEF, they give us resources and materials that we discuss
“I like reading with a partner...”
as a group and then put into use back in the schools,” she says. “I’ve found the teachers and the
administration here to be very receptive to new ideas.”
“When I go to change coach meetings at PEF, they
give us resources and materials that we discuss as a
group that we can put into use back in the schools...”
The Middle Schools for a New Society initiative’s goals include establishing a more
challenging and relevant curriculum; providing professional development for teachers,
leaders and staff to improve teaching; creating a more
personalized and engaging experience for students; and
allowing more flexibility to meet student needs effectively.
During the 2006-2007 school year, Easterly led the formation and
monthly after-hours sessions of her school’s 14-teacher-strong Literacy
Committee. She also developed an extensive staff library of authoritative books
and other professional resources on literacy and teaching topics—in support
of the school’s goal for literacy to permeate the curriculum beyond English and
reading classes.
middle schools for a new society
Hamilton County middle schools have launched a dynamic improvement initiative based on the county’s successful high
school reform effort, Schools for a New Society.
Beginning in 2005 with Hamilton County’s five most challenged middle schools, Middle Schools for a New Society has
now expanded to every one of Hamilton County’s 21 middle schools. $8.5 million in funding has been provided by the
Lyndhurst Foundation and the National Education Association Foundation.
Leadership teams of students, parents, teachers and administrators at each school have come together to study effective
methods for school improvement, and have developed plans focused on the unique needs of their own school.
chrissy easterly
OMS change coach
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“We’re trying to infuse literacy across the curriculum into every classroom, and to develop some
common language and common vocabulary,” she says.
“I don’t know how I would’ve made it without her,” 6th-grade language arts teacher Stephanie Knox
“I like reading with a partner,” he says. “I read out loud to him, and then he takes a turn reading
to me.”
Almost immediately last fall, Knox noted Dominique’s comprehension and enthusiasm growing.
says of Easterly. “She was so supportive my first year here, and that’s just continued this year.”
“We’d reach the end of class and Dominique just wouldn’t want to leave,” she says.
Easterly’s help may be something as simple as stepping in to teach, so that teacher can observe
“Dominique has really come into his own with regard to that [reading] class . . . not having any
another teacher’s classroom. “That kind of flexibility is really beneficial,” Easterly says. “There’s
discipline referrals for anyone in that class is quite a feat,” says Easterly. “We know that affects
nothing like seeing what’s going on first-hand rather than just hearing about it.”
achievement. Just going in there and seeing him read with a partner or a friend, and him not
wanting that class to end—small things like that are the successes.”
But back to Dominique—his books, his math and, well, girls.
A small thing, perhaps—but an extraordinary thing. Just one of many happening across Hamilton
Knox is one of the teachers who worked with Dominique in the all-male language arts classes. She
County’s middle schools.
quickly got Dominique’s and his mates’ attention with a diverse range of male-oriented books on
everything from sports and the Civil War to novels with interesting male characters.
She did the same—with different books, of course—for her all-female class. She also incorporated
into her lessons much of the educational grounding and innovative ideas on which PEF stakes its
Significantly, the pass rate in the six single-gender
classes rose from the first to the third quarters.
In language arts, the rate climbed from
85 percent to 96 percent; and in math, it rose
from 81 percent to 92 percent.
mission—like small-group learning and student-selected activities.
Knox says some healthy “guys vs. gals” competition developed, and soon, discussion of reading
activities became a part of between-class and cafeteria buzz and banter.
Significantly, the pass rate in the six single-gender classes rose from the first to the third quarters.
“We’d get to
the end of the
class period
and Dominique
just wouldn’t
want to leave...”
In language arts, the rate climbed from 85 percent to 96 percent; and in math, it rose from 81
percent to 92 percent.
That trend is even more impressive considering that the passing rate typically declines slightly as
course content grows more difficult though the school year.
And while same-gender classes have not been universally embraced across the school district,
Easterly says its success at Ooltewah Middle may be attributed, in part, to voluntary teacher
participation: “I think when teachers volunteer to try something different, there’s a better chance
for success.”
As for Dominique, he was smitten—with all things reading.
MSNS goals
• 100% of students will score proficient or above on state exams in
reading and math;
• The number of students scoring “advanced” on reading and math
will increase by 5% each year;
After just one year of planning, middle schools have already shown
increases in the percentage of students scoring “advanced” in
reading/language arts and math.
• Schools will receive Value-added scores of “A” in reading and math;
• Achievement gaps will be eliminated.
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“A highlight this year for me has been
being able to offer our teachers
professional development opportunities
that they’ve found very beneficial...”
Ask a teacher or a administrative peer about Woodmore Elementary principal Visa Harper, and you’ll hear words like
“focused,” “smart,” and “supportive”—especially focused.
That laser focus, during the 2006-2007 academic year, has remained intently on improving school-wide reading proficiency
and bolstering professional development resources for her teachers.
“A highlight this year for me has been being able to offer our teachers professional development opportunities that they’ve
found very beneficial and to continue giving them teaching resources for all classrooms,” says Harper.
visa harper
woodmore
principal
locked in
on learning
benwood initiative
15
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In order to focus on literacy proficiency and fundamentals, Harper
Woodmore is known as a “Benwood School.”
initiated other changes such as structuring the school day to include a
In 2001, Hamilton County’s eight most challenged elementary schools began an initiative that
two-hour literacy block and a one-hour math block every day.
has achieved dramatic improvements in literacy and teacher effectiveness. The effort—called the
Benwood Initiative—has been funded by a $5 million grant to PEF from the Benwood Foundation
“We definitely have to constantly work to show gains each year,” Harper says. “The stakes get
of Chattanooga and a $2.5 million match from PEF. Because of its success, the grant has been
higher and the motivation is there to see our students achieving at a higher level.”
renewed with plans to add schools and areas of emphasis.
Woodmore students have again performed well toward achieving literacy goals. “Reading is
During 2006, all eight original schools posted dramatic gains, according to the state’s value-
our strongest area again this year,” Harper says. “I know teachers focus on it and have received
added assessment system, with five schools receiving A’s in all four subjects. Teacher retention
a considerable level of literacy-related training and support. It’s something that we’ve built on
has also improved steadily.
year after year.”
As part of the Benwood Initiative, Harper and her staff have attended seminars at PEF as well as
Harper attributes some of that steady improvement to low teacher and staff turnover. “Our
in other cities. Additionally, Benwood support has enabled Woodmore to provide stipends for
teacher retention rate is pretty high, so we’re not training new teachers every year,” she says.
teachers to stay after hours for in-house training sessions and participate in workshops led by
“We’re building on a solid foundation that comes with veteran teachers. That’s been the trend for
nationally regarded consultants and facilitators.
the last few years.”
“Reading is our strongest area again this year. I know
teachers focus on it and have received a considerable
level of literacy-related training and support. It’s
something that we’ve built on year after year.”
Felicia montgomery
woodmore reading instructor
and her third grade class
At Woodmore, Harper has added key teaching tools including vocabulary kits for
each teacher; maps and globes for social studies classrooms; a library for
each language arts classroom stocked with a wide range of books of varied
difficulty levels; and four reading interventionists who work with at-risk
students.
“I enjoy what I do.”
benwood initiative
With an initial $7.5 million in funding from the Benwood Foundation and PEF, Hamilton County’s most
challenged elementary schools are making dramatic improvements in all subjects. Hamilton County
has received national recognition for this successful
effort to narrow the achievement gap between highand low-performing schools.
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2006 Results
• In the first eight “Benwood schools,” the percentage of 3rd graders passing the state reading
exam jumped from 53% in 2003 to 73% in 2006.
• All eight schools posted dramatic gains, with five
schools receiving As on the state’s value-added
assessment in all four subjects (reading, math,
science and social studies).
• Teacher retention improved steadily, and the
credentials and experience of teachers in Benwood schools are now very similar to the rest of
the district.
Next Steps
The work is not done. The Benwood Foundation
wants to boost all Hamilton County elementary
schools by applying the lessons learned through
this initiative. In July of 2007, Benwood announced
another grant of $7.3 million to PEF and HCDE to
continue and expand this work. Eight additional
schools will receive intensive resources, and all 47
elementary schools will benefit from networks of
school leaders who meet regularly to share ideas,
knowledge and experience.
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The seasoned staff, along with opportunities for professional
development, a stable and supportive administration, well-designed
teaching tools and innovative strategies, all are part of Woodmore’s
formula for success. It’s an approach teachers unquestionably appreciate.
“I enjoy what I do,” says 3rd grade reading teacher Felicia Montgomery. “Breaking a class into
small reading circles, helping students to choose a book they want to read and then giving them
a reading strategy to work through those books and enjoy what they’re doing—that’s what brings
me the most satisfaction.”
to address some among her students with special needs. She recalls one student in particular.
“He’s just been a very unhappy youngster,” she says. “Falling behind and acting out early in the
year. He had an undiagnosed learning disability, a medical issue, and other social concerns. “
Working with Harper, involving the child’s family and marshalling
community resources, they provided the needed support. His
improvements by November were, she says, dramatic.
“His life just completely turned around,” she recalls. “He
began enjoying reading more and he had a higher
“The professional development has been
right on target as far as what we need
to move students toward improved
reading proficiency...”
Montgomery earned her Master’s degree this past year with an Osborne
Fellowship offered to Benwood school teachers through a PEF grant from
motivation to learn.”
And gradually, his grades climbed upward.
Extraordinary, in every sense—and just one among many
successes that Montgomery and Harper, along with fellow
teachers and principals throughout the Benwood schools,
are engendering every day.
the Weldon F. Osborne Foundation. Based on her expertise, Montgomery
this year was designated Woodmore’s lead literacy teacher. “The
professional development we have received through the
Benwood Initiative has been right on target as far as what
we need to move students toward improved reading
proficiency,” Montgomery says.
The work of nationally respected author Dr. Marcia Tate—a
guest seminar leader at the school last year—coupled
with Montgomery’s graduate studies centering
on differentiation and inclusion—were key
resources that Montgomery relied on
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extraordinar y things
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“I can’t say enough about being able
to go to class and take it right back
into the classroom.”
When Jennifer Hartley decided in 2002 to make a trans-continental move from Spokane to Chattanooga, she knew little of
the South, its people or its schools.
“I had lived in Texas and in Washington, so it was culture shock at first. And I would’ve never dreamed I’d be teaching in an
urban school,” she says, recalling Spokane’s sparse, predominantly Hispanic minority population.
She also could not have anticipated that her first job would be teaching 5th grade language arts at Hardy Elementary, a
Benwood school nationally recognized for its excellence—but also situated astride one of Chattanooga’s most economically
challenged neighborhoods.
c o nti n u e d....
jennifer hartley
hardy 5th grade
language arts
education
applied
osborne fellows
21
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“My first year, I learned a lot fast, and I had so much support from the other teachers and
administrators,” she recalls.
Hartley became an Osborne Fellow in 2005, enabling her to study toward
a Master’s degree specifically designed for the reform work underway in
Chattanooga schools, while continuing to teach.
“I can’t say enough about being able to go to class and take it right back into the classroom,” she
says. “That, for me, is extraordinary. If I had done my Master’s right out of college, I wouldn’t have
had the benefit of knowing first-hand what worked.”
The Weldon F. Osborne Foundation, PEF and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
(UTC) work together to select teachers at Benwood schools (and a few middle schools) with
the potential to complete the Osborne Initiative. They receive a fellowship to earn a fully paid
Master’s in Urban Education—including books and travel. The Master’s program is specifically
focused on literacy strategies for working with students from poverty. In return, the Fellows
commit to continue teaching in a Benwood school for an additional four years.
Being able to network and share experiences with fellow teachers during courses and study
groups held in the schools and at PEF, as well as the university, is integral to the program. It’s a
component Hartley and her Osborne peers deem invaluable. She and Osborne Fellow Callie
Casey—also a Hardy language arts teacher—worked in tandem on their Master’s thesis.
“I’ve learned so
much about how to relate to urban students,” she says, speaking of
the valuable time spent observing other classrooms—here and
in cities like Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles. “The urban
“If I had done my Master’s right
out of college I wouldn’t have
had the benefit of knowing
first-hand what worked.”
With six Osborne Fellows at Hardy, the school, she says, is “at the forefront of education” and
able to support the sharing of ideas and effective new strategies.
Hartley’s 2006-2007 class of 5th graders was the first made up predominantly with students who
had been at Hardy throughout the Benwood Initiative. “It’s been interesting
to see,” she says. “We’re dealing with more students with a higher level of
proficiency who’ve benefited from Hardy’s literacy focus. More of them are
already reading at 5th grade level, so now it becomes ‘How do we move them up to
advanced?’ That’s very different, to motivate kids to keep thinking and extending their
knowledge when they know they can already do the regular work.”
While still a relative newcomer, Hartley has quickly gained her peers’ respect. Her diligence,
enthusiasm and propensity for innovation have been contagious.
Hardy 5th grade social studies teacher Cheryl Mackey—a 30-year
elementary and middle school veteran—welcomes
collaborative efforts with Hartley and fellow
focus means that we’re learning strategies to help the kids
that we’re teaching right now.”
osborne fellows
The Osborne Fellows Initiative provides an innovative master’s degree program
for teachers in Hamilton County’s urban elementary and middle schools. The
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) Master’s in Urban Education
provides participants with the training they need to make a positive impact in
some of the district’s most challenged schools.
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extraordinar y things
An outgrowth of work in the district’s Benwood Initiative, Osborne Fellows commit to
work in Hamilton County urban schools for at least four years after graduation. Graduates
are also encouraged to continue preparing for leadership roles through participation in
the on-going Osborne Leadership Series.
More than 40 teachers have completed the Osborne Fellows program and now serve as
school leaders throughout Hamilton County.
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teachers. “We work well as a team,” says Mackey. “Jennifer’s a great team leader. We coordinate
As any teacher would, Hartley takes pride in her students’ strides—and in the pure enthusiasm
her reading lesson plans with my social studies and it works great.”
Blake and many of her classmates express. “They’ll read in the hallway, take books to lunch. As a
reading teacher, that just makes my day.”
Both teachers believe the school’s focus on key principles—including
small group learning, differentiation and making learning as
personalized as possible—have contributed significantly to Hardy’s
And it does likewise for Hartley’s peers at Hardy Elementary, as the ripple effect of “best
practices” learned in the Osborne Initiative spread across the school and support the
extraordinary improvements all Hardy students are making.
continuing success.
Differentiation—the tailoring of teaching and learning strategies based on unique characteristics
of individual students—is an area of deep interest for Hartley. She also incorporated the subject
of her Master’s thesis—silent sustained reading (SSR)—into her teaching regimen. As the name
indicates, this method involves sustained periods for students to quietly read books of their own
choosing. It was piloted or “modeled” with one class, and early reviews from her students—and
their test scores—are positive.
“We read so much in Mrs. Hartley’s class I really got
into different books. It makes me want to read more...
I like to write more now, too. Like, about what I read.
Reading has helped make me a better writer.”
“SSR really helped me start reading outside of school,” says Hardy 5th
cheryl mackey
hardy 5th grade
social studies
and students
grader Yolanda Blake. “We read so much in Mrs. Hartley’s class I
really got into different books. It makes me want to read
more. I used to pick boring books but now I pick
books I like. I like to write more now, too. Like,
about what I read. Reading has helped make me
a better writer.”
2006 results
• 45% of Benwood teachers now hold master’s degrees, very near the rate of
51% for the entire district.
• In Hamilton County’s eight Benwood schools, the number of new teachers
– an indication of teacher turnover - has been reduced from 55 in 2002 to
28 in 2006.
• As part of the Benwood Initiative, Osborne Fellows helped the percentage of
urban 3rd graders passing the state’s reading exam jump from 53% in 2003
to 73% in 2006.
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Goals, performance, change, rigor, personalization—these are all ideas that permeate the conversations of the hundreds of educators
“That experience led to my rethinking
the whole process of leading and
doing the job of a principal.”
who’ve benefited from PEF and its leadership development work over the past decade.
But how are leaders built?
It begins with spotting and nurturing leadership potential and continuing to inspire leaders to new heights—the overriding purpose of
PEF’s Leadership Initiative since its 1998 inception.
A cooperative effort between PEF and the Hamilton County Department of Education (HCDE) initially funded with a $1.5 million
Annenberg Foundation grant, its goal is at once simple and ambitious: Provide emerging and experienced educational leaders with the
skills and knowledge needed for leading deep change and day-to-day management in schools of the future.
next generation
leadership
robert sharpe
Central HIGH SCHOOL principal
leadership initiative
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PEF’s Leadership Fellows program is a keystone of the overall initiative, developing and nurturing
the district’s next generation leaders.
Today, 213 former Leadership Fellows are serving as principals, assistant
principals, teacher leaders and other types of school-based leaders.
Central High principal Robert Sharpe—then an inclusion (special education) teacher at Red Bank
High—joined the first Leadership Fellows class in 1998. He recalls an exciting sense of “being at
the start of something special,” and in retrospect, views it as a professional crossroads.
“That experience led to my rethinking the whole process of leading and doing the job of a
principal,” he says. “Very exciting, very exciting—the whole collaborative nature of decisionmaking, looking at situations in schools, data-based decision-making.”
Leadership Fellows—entailing 20 intensive days over a year—includes monthly workshops,
job shadowing, school visits, mentoring and study groups as well as leadership projects,
presentations and a portfolio.
“Robert gets good feedback
from teachers for making
the effort to meet in smaller
groups more often.”
meg allen
central humanities
academy lead teacher
Leadership Institutes—two-day retreats for principals, school leaders and administrators; a
leadership book club; new principal mentoring; and Networked Learning Communities (networks
of K-12 feeder schools working to develop a comprehensive approach to literacy).
Sharpe, with barely a pause, recalls no less than four national education authorities he’s
exchanged ideas with, learned from and welcomed. “We’ve been able not just to listen,” he says,
“but to spend extended time with the experts in a relaxed, interactive environment. That’s just an
As part of his Fellows experience, Sharpe and others also visited several Boston
schools where he saw first-hand how a principal leads curriculum development
and instructional innovation. It was, he says, an immersive experience. “We
were seeing the kind of curriculum-related leadership we had been talking
invaluable experience for me, my leadership team and our teachers.”
While the insight of national experts is a key component of the Leadership
Initiative offerings, just as important are its natural learning opportunities
through peer contact and networking.
about back in Chattanooga. So, that experience really prepared me to take on
the role of instructional leader.”
PEF coordinates and leads a range of professional networking sessions,
including the principals’ network group Sharpe attends. They discuss
One year later, Sharpe accepted an assistant principal position at
Brainerd High, and in 2005 became Central High’s principal.
In addition to the Leadership Fellows program for emerging
leaders, PEF’s Leadership Initiative also offers semi-annual
issues, highlight common concerns, revisit leadership principles, talk about
challenges and successes, and share practices and strategies that work.
Sharpe encourages some of Central’s assistant principals and teachers
to become Leadership Fellows. In his view, the precepts, skills and
knowledge about how to lead deep change—especially the idea of
shared responsibility and inclusion—are fundamental to creating a
leadership initiative
PEF’s Leadership Initiative began in 1998 with initial funding from a $1.5
million Annenberg Foundation grant. It’s purpose was to develop school
leaders. The first two years were dedicated to the creation of a Leadership
Fellows program; two annual system-wide leadership retreats that allow
district leaders to share ideas, reinforce best practices and learn from
education experts; and a 3,000 square foot, state-of-the-art conference
facility in the PEF offices.
school-wide focus on innovative instructional strategies like small
group learning.
MEG ALLEN
CENTRAL HUMANITIES
ACADEMY LEAD TEACHER
As Sharpe astutely notes, the conventional, “old-school” function of a principal—making sure the
doors lock at night, the toilets flush every day and science lab experiments won’t blow up—hasn’t
gone away, it’s just merged with the new role of instructional leader.
All the more reason, he says, for spreading talent and ideas throughout the schools.
Meg Allen, lead teacher with Central’s Humanities Academy, is also a Leadership Fellow. She
appreciates Sharpe’s openness as a principal and his willingness to personalize the educational
“It’s important for us to broaden that scope
whenever we can. It builds confidence,
helps them understand what leading really
means and it opens up all kinds of doors for
development.”
experience for students and for teachers. Meeting with teachers
in small groups to discuss instructional priorities, rather than
Sharpe and the Central faculty are working on ways to further bolster curriculum rigor.
“For a principal to lead this kind of discussion, you need not only to know about basics like literacy
and best practices,” he says. “But you also need to be in that classroom on a fairly regular basis,
seeing firsthand what’s going on, having conversations with students and really looking at the
school in a holistic manner.”
Clearly, Sharpe’s leadership is bringing results where it counts most—in
academic performance. After several years of slight decline or status
quo, student performance at Central trended strongly upward his first
year, and continued to rise through 2006-2007.
“The instructional leadership role is an additional
layer to the job but the depth that it allows you
to explore for positive change is worth
the extra effort.”
formally meeting before the full, 75-member faculty, is just one
Central students scoring at a proficient or advanced level on Gateway English testing grew from 85%
example.
to 95% heading into 2007-2008. Similar improvements are evident in Biology and Algebra.
“Robert gets good feedback from teachers in a situation that’s
less threatening for teachers,” she says. It’s worked well
for everyone. A real bonding time, both with him and
“The instructional leadership role is an additional layer to the job but the depth that
it allows you to explore for positive change is worth the extra effort,” Sharpe says.
among teachers. He’s done a lot of things to promote
That conviction—and the extraordinary academic achievement at
personalization in our school.”
Central and other Hamilton County Schools—is providing the
clear evidence PEF seeks to benchmark the success of its
Leadership Initiative.
leadership initiative, continued
The two-year Leadership Fellows program gives emerging leaders the skills and
knowledge they need both for leading deep change and for day-to-day management.
Over 200 graduates of the Leadership Fellows program are now in leadership positions in
Hamilton County schools.
The Leadership Initiative has expanded to include a Literacy Institute; three Networked
Learning Communities, which are K-12 networks of feeder schools working to develop a
comprehensive approach to literacy; a Leadership Book Club; and a variety of institutes,
seminars, in-school teacher training, and mentoring for new principals.
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extraordinar y things
Today, the school system has a much improved leadership pool, and the approach to
leadership succession has shifted from filling positions to creating school leadership teams.
Leaders are increasingly moving from competing for resources toward collaborating to
improve all schools in the district.
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2006 donors
PEF is proud to be a partner for strong schools in Hamilton County. Our work is made possible through the generous
contributions of friends and groups who share our commitment to quality education.
Foundations
Individual Contributors
Chitra Chandrasekaran
Jane Harbaugh
Julie Ann Legg
Dorothy A. Morton
Henry and Rachel Schulson
Jean Trohanis
Annenberg Foundation
Iris and Lee Abelson
Robin Coffman
Ken and Ellen Hays
Mr. and Mrs. Howard Levine
Jack Murrah
Robert R. Sharpe
Edna Varner
BellSouth Foundation
Philip A. Acord
Kathleen Conner
Jill and Jim Levine
Paul Neely
Charles and Uneva Shaw
Debra Vaughan
Benwood Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. William P. Aiken, Jr.
Pete and Linda Cooper
Hollis Headrick and
Sonnet Takahisa
Cartter Lupton
Dr. N. R. Nichols, III
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Siskin
Sabrina Walton
John Maynard
John Norris
Alice and Alfred Smith
Bill Warren
Sara and Spencer McCallie
William R. Parker
Rick Smith
Gary Waters
Kim McCormick
John and Mufti Phillips
Robert E. Smith
Sue Anne Wells
Lee and Connie McDade
Lucile Phillips
Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Smith
Tuesday White
Jack McKee
Scotty Probasco, Jr.
Bill and Kathy Wilder
Thorpe and Francis McKenzie
Wendy Puriefoy
Joanie Sompayrac and
Tony Grossi
Carnegie Corporation
of New York
Community Foundation
of Greater Chattanooga
Lumina Foundation
for Education
Lyndhurst Foundation
NEA Foundation
Weldon F. Osborne Foundation
Public Education Network
Gordon Street Foundation
Sulzberger Foundation
Tucker Foundation
Corinne A. Allen
Anonymous (15)
Carla Askonas and Chuck Jones
Connie Atkins
Sara M. Bahner
Becky Barnes
Mark and Penny Bean
Don Beard
Bonnie P. Currey
Joe Dana
Catharine and Franklin Daniels
Joe H. Davenport, III
Gary and Anne Davis
Lloyd and Barbara Davis
Karen Day
Joseph and Karen Decosimo
John and Carol Beard
Charlene Becker
Joy Black
Rose Decosimo
Karen S. Diamond
Sally and Art Dickerson
Veron and Sandra Blankenship
Roger and Pam Dickson
Pat Bowers
Marsha J. Drake
Fletcher Bright
Thomas Dubose
Judy and David Britain
Joe Fuqua
Frank A. Brock
Arthur and Gertrude Golden
Paul, Susu and Casey Brock
Paula Gossett
Hamilton County
Principals’ Association
Paula and Grady Burgner
Leslie Graitcer
Tom Caldwell
Eddie and Katrina Gravitte
Komatsu America Corporation
Margaret and Lewis Card, Jr.
Michael and Valerie Greer
UnumProvident Corporation
Fred and Nanette Carr
Astrid and Mike Griffin
The Challener Family
Dorothy Hallman
Chandra and
Frances Harman-Prewitt
Companies and
Corporations
Bright Martin Corp
Custom Custodial, Inc.
Fletcher Bright Company
Jim and Elaine Hill
Dianne Hixson
Susan Hixson
Ruth Holmberg
Lisa A. Huskey
Dale Isabell
Russell and Rebecca James
Lurone Jennings
Billie Jenno
Sandra Jerardi
S.K. Johnston, Jr.
Gloria Miller
Lee Ann Williamson Mills
Mr. and Mrs. Olan Mills, III
Sharon Mills
Frank Jones
Mr. and Mrs. Carrington
Montague
Peggy Jones
Mary Navarre Moore
Christie Jordan
Gail Morgan
George Ricks, Sr.
Marty and Curt Robinson
Steve Robinson
Susan and Rob Robinson
Rick and Suzanne Rushworth
Thomas and Ann Rybolt
Molly and Jim Sasse
Carl and Krystal Scarbrough
Dr. Marilyn Willis
Jim Steffner
Florence B. Witt
John Stewart
Carol Woods
Gordon and Susan Street
Susan G. Swanson
Vivian Woods
Ann and John Woody
Ray and Glenna Swoffard
Susan and Alec Taylor
W. Neil Thomas, III
Nancy and Tom Tolar
Kate Juett
Wendy Jung
Ismahen and George Kangles
Bill and Susan Kennedy
Ann Kilcher
Ed and Pat Kopetz
Gary and Cindy Kuehn
Shawn Kurrelmeier-Lee
Alison and Alan Lebovitz
“I was thrilled that we were at last going to
standardize our research process.
And for our kids to realize the importance
of research now rather than once they get
to college.”
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extraordinar y things
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financials
board members
Financial summary: July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006
PEF is guided by a volunteer board of directors who represent the corporate, higher education, foundation
and civic communities of Chattanooga.
Revenue:
Grants
Annenberg Foundation
Benwood Foundation
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga
Lumina Foundation for Education
Lyndhurst Foundation
Earnings on Endowment
NEA Foundation
Weldon F. Osborne Foundation
$1,000,000.00
$1,000,000.00
$1,131,500.00
$150,000.00
$209,762.00
$250,000.00
$398,820.00
$500,000.00
$300,000.00
$4,940,082.00
Subtotal
Other Revenue
Contributions (135 contributors)
Matching Pledge Payments - “Schools for a New Society”
Transferred from Operating Account
TOTAL REVENUE AND SUPPORT
Expenses:
Benwood Initiative
High Schools for a New Society
Middle Schools for a New Society
College Access & Success
Highly Effective Teaching
Leadership Initiative
Osborne Fellows Program
Management & General Expenses
TOTAL EXPENSES
Officers and
Executive Committee
Board Members
Jim Hill
John F. Germ
Vice President, PTA
Tennessee Executive Board,
Hamilton County Council PTA
President,
R. H. Siskin and Associates
Michael Cranford
Dean, College of Education
and Applied Professional Studies
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Board Chair
Vice-Chair, Tennessee Education Lottery Board
Board Vice Chair
President/CEO, Campbell & Associates, Inc.
Board Secretary
Partner, Miller & Martin
Community Volunteer
Community Outreach Coordinator,
Southside/Dodson Avenue Community
Health Centers
Mary Jo Clark
Robert H. Siskin
Dr. Mary P. Tanner
Billy J. Edwards
Senior Manager of Contract Projects
Tennessee Valley Authority
(retired)
H. Grant Law, Jr.
Board Treasurer
Community Volunteer
Ruth S. Holmberg
Pem Guerry
Dr. Jane W. Harbaugh
Tom Kinser
Immediate Past Chair
Publisher Emeritus, Chattanooga Times Free Press
$236,017.00
$1,500,000.00
$217,571.00
Margaret C. Card
President,
Boys & Girls Club of Chattanooga, Inc.
Roger Dickson
George E. Ricks, Sr.
Associate Provost for Undergraduate
& Special Programs
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
(retired)
Senior Vice President,
Sungard Signix
CEO Emeritus,
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
$6,893,670.00
Greetings,
$1,410,047.00
$2,818,188.00
$929,189.00
$150,331.00
$91,782.00
$534,872.00
$428,377.00
$530,884.00
$6,893,670.00
This year the Public Education Foundation (PEF) celebrates eighteen years of commitment to the goal of improving student
achievement in our local public schools. Since inception, the organization, in partnership with Hamilton County Schools, has been
led and governed by an engaged and committed board of directors. From the beginning, the board has operated with the belief
that all children can learn. The passage of time has validated that belief.
PEF has been fortunate over the years to have long-term leadership at the board level.
During that time there have been only two board chairs for the organization: Robert
(Bo) Sudderth and Ruth Holmberg. This year Jim Hill becomes PEF’s third board chair.
Long Term Endowment:
Endowment Account Balance 7/1/05
Transferred to Operating Account
Net Earnings
Endowment Account Balance 6/30/06
$10,284,807.00
($398,820.00)
$1,317,671.00
$11,203,658.00
As this leadership transition takes place, we –the undersigned – on behalf of the
PEF board of directors, would like to recognize and celebrate the dedication
of the PEF staff members for all they do for the public schools. We also
recognize and thank the organization’s many partners, and the public at large
for supporting the organization and its work through the years.
Regards,
Ruth Holmberg and Jim Hill
Ruth Holmberg, immediate past chair
and current board chair, jim hill.
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Public Education Foundation
Report to Friends 2006-2007
2006
2007
extraordinary things
100 East 10th Street, Suite 500
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402
www.pefchattanooga.org
423 265 9403