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 Governor 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," officials said.
“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 Comm. 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," officials said.
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; and 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 Governor 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.
|
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
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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 School
|
For more information on the network, contact Hank Staggs, director of governor’s academy for school leadership, at Hank.Staggs@tn.gov.