News Release: 9/18/2018 - Tn Department of Education

For Immediate Release

September 17, 2018

 

 

Tennessee Department of Education Names 52 School Leaders for Rural Principal Network

State Creates Opportunity to Develop School Leaders in Rural Communities Around the State

Warren County Schools has 3 principals included in the network.

 

Director of Schools Mr. Bobby Cox announced today Warren County Schools Principals Michelle Lewis (West Elementary), Mike Mansfield (Hickory Creek Elementary) and Dr. Carol Prater (Eastside Elementary) have been chosen by the State Department of Education to participate in the Rural Principal Network. Mr. Cox stated, “I am extremely excited that Warren County has had three Principals chosen to engage in this work by the Tennessee Department of Education. This is a wonderful opportunity to share and learn from other Principals across the state and I commend Ms. Lewis, Mr. Mansfield, and Dr. Prater on their appointment to this network.”

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 14, 2018

 

CONTACT: Sara Gast

OFFICE: (615) 532-6260

 

 

Tennessee Department of Education Names 52 School Leaders for Rural Principal Network

State Creates Opportunity to Develop School Leaders in Rural Communities Around the State

 

NASHVILLE—Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced today the 52 principals who will serve in the inaugural class of the Tennessee Rural Principals Network, one part of Gov. Bill Haslam’s Transforming School Leadership Initiative, which is a comprehensive approach to improve the preparation, retention, and development of Tennessee’s principals. The department is also providing funding for scholarships to support professional development for up to 200 additional rural principals.

 

Principals in rural schools are often unable to take advantage of leadership development due to the cost of registration and travel and have few networking opportunities to learn from other school leaders. To address this need, the department is implementing a two-prong approach by creating a professional network for 52 rural principals, who will also receive funding to attend state-led

conferences and training opportunities, and by providing scholarships for up to 200 additional rural principals to attend state-provided training opportunities.

 

“We must ensure that every school, no matter where it is located in Tennessee, is led by a principal who is supported and developed to his or her fullest potential and able to guide our teachers and students to success,” said Commissioner McQueen. “The Tennessee Rural Principals Network is an innovative approach to meet the unique needs of school leaders in our rural communities and allow them to grow professionally and learn from one another to ultimately benefit our students.”

 

The department and school districts have supported school leaders in part by implementing an effective evaluation system and offering robust professional learning; however, opportunities for school leaders in rural communities are still limited. Addressing Tennessee’s broader leadership challenges involves making sure that the state is also targeting rural school leaders with access to high-quality professional learning.

 

The participants selected for the Tennessee Rural Principals Network will receive funding to support their attendance and learning at five events during the 2018-19 school year designed to provide them with professional learning aligned to help address those challenges that are unique to rural leadership.

 

The Tennessee Rural Principals Network recognizes the importance of providing a sustained opportunity for rural principals by providing them the ability to participate in:

* Ongoing professional learning from state and national experts on evidence-based strategies that improve educator effectiveness and student outcomes in a rural setting

* Opportunities to exchange ideas, strategies, resources, and common challenges with peers in a safe and supportive setting

* Opportunities to work with a smaller group of peers in a community of practice focused on a common challenge to identify best practices currently in use and to reduce isolation

 

The Transforming School Leadership Initiative was announced by Gov. Bill Haslam in March 2018 and leverages both state and private dollars to improve leader pipeline programs, reward and retain individuals effectively leading our state’s lowest performing schools, and provide networking opportunities and support for principals in our rural communities. Gov. Haslam has dedicated more than $3.5 million in this year’s budget to advance this work, and additionally, the Ayers Foundation, Scarlett Family Foundation, and the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) have invested a combined $600,000 to the efforts.

 

A full list of members of the Tennessee Rural Principals Network is below. For more information on the network, please contact Hank Staggs, director of governor’s academy for school leadership, at Hank.Staggs@tn.gov. For media inquiries, please contact Sara Gast, director of communications, at Sara.Gast@tn.gov and (615) 532-6260.

 

Name School District School

Karri Hobby Anderson County Norwood Elementary

Beth Roeder Anderson County Andersonville Elementary

Brooks Rawson Bells City School Bells Elementary School

Teresa Robinson Blount County Lanier Elementary

Sandi Wilson Campbell County Homer A. Rutherford Learning Academy

Angela Cossey Cannon County Woodland School

Diana Bowers Carter County Unaka Elementary

Melinda Broyles Cheatham County Ashland City Elementary

Melissa Brock Claiborne County H.Y. Livesay Middle School

Sharon Tolliver Claiborne County Midway Elementary School

Justin Whittenbarger Cumberland County Stone Elementary

Lenita Click Dyersburg City Schools Dyersburg Intermediate School

Linda DeBerry Dyersburg City Schools Dyersburg Primary School

Kim Worley Dyersburg City Schools Dyersburg High School

Sheri York Fentress County Pine Haven Elementary

James Hughes Gibson Co Special School District Gibson County High School

Ginny McElhaney Grainger County Washburn School

Jack Evans Greeneville City Schools Greeneville Middle School

Patrick Fraley Greeneville City Schools Greeneville High School

Shelia Newland Greeneville City Schools Highland Elementary

Mitch Cantwell Hancock County Hancock County Middle/High School

Cameshia Emerson Hardeman County Bolivar Central High School

Carmen Blankenship Hardin County West Hardin Elementary

Renee Bernard Hawkins County McPheeter's Bend Elementary School

Mary Ann Davis Hawkins County St. Clair Elementary

Scott Jones Hawkins County Church Hill Middle School

Keri Hanes Hickman County East Hickman Intermediate School

Melanie Simpson Jefferson County Piedmont Elementary School

Teresa Stansberry Johnson County Doe Elementary

David Ayers Lake County Lara Kendall Elementary

Gamble Snyder Lake County Margaret Newton Elementary

Patty Franks Lawrence County Summertown High School

Michael Casteel Loudon County Greenback Public School

Kristen Hix Macon County Lafayette Elementary School

Kimberly Shurett Marion County Jasper Elementary

John Bush Marshall County Marshall County High School

Michael Ford Maury County Randolph Howell Elementary School

Laura Bunch Morgan County Petros Joyner Elementary School

Greg Barclay Obion County Obion County Central High School

Kimberly Jackson Obion County South Fulton Middle and High School

Chip Gray Paris Special Schools Paris Elementary

Tamra Lanning Polk County Polk Innovative Learning Academy

Scott Calahan Roane County Harriman High School

William Childers Sequatchie County Griffith Elementary School

Sabrina McClard Sumner County J.W. Wiseman Elementary

Paul Pillow Trenton Special School District Trenton Rosenwald Middle School

Michelle Lewis Warren County West Elementary

Mike Mansfield Warren County Hickory Creek Elementary

Carol Prater Warren County Eastside Elementary

John McKinney Washington County South Central Elementary

Rachel Price Washington County Grandview Elementary School

Farrah Griffith White County White County Middle Schoo