Kelsey Cannon

Chattanooga Preparatory School

Chattanooga is a city with a rich history and a bright future, a community with boundless capacity for innovation, transformation, and economic prosperity. Unfortunately, these opportunities are not equitably accessible for all members of our community. For too many residents of urban core neighborhoods, the social determinants associated with poverty create intergenerational cycles of poor academic attainment, un- / under-employment, and disproportionately poor health and social outcomes. These challenges have a disproportionate impact on young men of color. Inspired by the success of the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy (CGLA) in changing the trajectory of girls from underperforming schools and moved by the tremendous needs among boys and young men in Chattanooga, in 2016 a visionary group of innovators led by Ted and Kelly Alling initiated a planning process to create an all-boys public charter to extend the benefits of single-gender, leadership-focused education to young men.The purpose of the school is to change the lives of young men who face multiple challenges to academic success. Chattanooga Preparatory expects to open its doors August 2018.