Tillis Fights for Education

For Immediate Release:  April 15, 2006
Contact: Press Office, 704-248-2980

During the 2004-2005 school year, safety and discipline problems were on the rise at Hopewell High School and teacher morale was at an all-time low.  In the face of rising concerns at Hopewell, Thom Tillis founded an organization called Hopewell High School Project Hope.  In a few short months, the organization grew to more than 300 concerned parents and teachers, and Tillis led the effort to create one voice in support of the dedicated teachers and staff and to take on the serious issues confronting the school.

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Combining forces with community leaders, including Mayor Kim Phillips, Mayor Gary Knox and other officials, the community was able to come together to produce real results.  The impact of the Project Hope effort was fast and decisive.  Nearly 20 students with a long record of discipline problems that should have forced their removal earlier were removed from the classrooms.  Efforts to support the teachers were stepped up and problem students were put on notice that failure to obey the rules could result in removal from the school.

A year later, parents and teachers all agree that Hopewell High School has undergone a tremendous change for the better.  The incidents of serious discipline problems are significantly down while teacher morale has dramatically improved.  While Thom Tillis is quick to point to credit other parents and volunteers, Hopewell administration/faculty, and community leaders as important contributors to bringing about the change, Tillis' leadership in establishing Project Hope helped unite the community so that our voice was heard.

After leading the Project Hope effort, Thom Tillis was asked to serve as President of the PTSA at Hopewell for the 2005/2006 school year.  With the support of a dedicated group of parent volunteers, the membership of the PTSA has gone from less than 500 members to nearly 1,100 members.  The volunteer ranks have increased by a factor of 4 times from 30 to more than 120.  There is a renewed sense of optimism and an increased number of parents willing to continue the effort to improve the school.