A $117,000 grant will be put toward creating a steady leadership development for Hamilton County schools, Public Education Foundation officials announced Thursday.
The grant, made to PEF by Chattanooga's McKenzie Foundation, is the largest investment by the group in local education to date. Previously, monies donated by the group to PEF were done so in private.
Money from the grant will contribute to a planning period in which officials from the Hamilton County Department of Education, PEF, and community and business stakeholders will discuss how to best build upon already-existing leadership initiatives offered by PEF, such as the Principal Leadership Academy.
PEF President Dan Challener said he was hopeful the discussions and initiatives stemming from the grant would benefit local schools in the long term.
"Rather than looking for a silver bullet, the McKenzie Foundation is helping to build capacity within our school system," Challener said in a prepared statement. "By investing in a plan that supports people within the schools, they are transforming public education."
Calling the grant an "investment," Superintendent Rick Smith said it would enable partners to thoughtfully build on work already taking place.
"It has always been my goal to create a pathway for our educators to have the support and training they need to become great leaders of schools," he said.
