Tennessee Announces 2020-21 Principal, District Supervisor of the Year Finalists
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Victoria Robinson
Tennessee Announces 2020-21 Principal, District Supervisor of the Year Finalists
District and School Leaders Receive State’s Highest Recognition for Commitment to Education
NASHVILLE, TN— Today, the Tennessee Department of Education announced the nine finalists for the 2020-21 Tennessee Principal of the Year and Supervisor of the Year awards. The finalists represent each Center of Regional Excellence (CORE) region in the state, with three finalists in each Grand Division-West, Middle, and East.
“All across the state, our exceptional school and district leaders are working tirelessly to ensure that students are safe, fed and continue to have access to high-quality learning opportunities—all while leading their communities through a totally new era of education,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “Strong leadership is vital to the success of our students and educators, and I am grateful to these incredible leaders who are doing so much to serve students.”
The Tennessee Principal of the Year award is awarded annually to a school leader for outstanding service in education and exceptional leadership that drives overall improvements in his or her school. To qualify, candidates must have a minimum of three years' experience as a principal and a minimum of five years' experience in public schools. In addition, all nominees must have a proven track record of exceptional gains in student learning.
The nine finalists for 2020-21 Principal of the Year are:
West Tennessee
CORE Region |
Principal |
School |
District |
Shelby/Municipals |
Joretha Lockhart |
Lakeland Elementary |
Lakeland Municipal |
Southwest |
Steve Zurhellen |
Alternative Learning Center |
Tipton County |
Northwest |
Gamble Snyder |
Margaret Newton Elementary |
Lake County |
Middle Tennessee
CORE Region |
Principal |
School |
District |
Mid Cumberland |
John (Eric) Bowman |
T.W. Hunter Middle |
Sumner County |
South Central |
Stan Curtis |
J.E. Woodard Elementary |
Maury County |
Upper Cumberland |
Stephanie Barnes |
The Phoenix School |
Cumberland County |
East Tennessee
CORE Region |
Principal |
School |
District |
Southeast |
Leneda Laing |
Cleveland Middle |
Cleveland City |
East Tennessee |
Marvin Feezell |
Philadelphia Elementary |
Loudon County |
First Tennessee |
Matthew Drinnon |
John Hay Elementary |
Hamblen County |
“Congratulations to each of these individuals-- it is such an honor to be named a finalist and so well deserved,” said Dr. LeAndrea Ware, 2019-2020 Tennessee Principal of the Year and Principal of The Howard School. “Tennessee’s outstanding school leaders and supervisors work tirelessly on behalf of their students, teachers, and schools every single day and deserve to be recognized at the state level. It’s been a great experience to be part of this program for the last year, and I am excited for the next cohort of honorees.”
Each year an outstanding public school supervisor earns distinction as the Tennessee Supervisor of the Year. To qualify, candidates must demonstrate a record of implementing innovative programs and managing and motivating students and faculties. Additionally, the nominees must have a minimum of three years' experience as a administrator and a minimum of five years' experience in public schools.
The nine finalists for 2020-21 Supervisor of the Year are:
West Tennessee
CORE Region |
Supervisor |
District |
Shelby/Municipals |
Nancy Kelley |
Collierville Municipal |
Southwest |
Jill Faulkner |
Chester County |
Northwest |
Brandy Milner |
Benton County |
Middle Tennessee
CORE Region |
Supervisor |
District |
Mid Cumberland |
Kay Martin |
Rutherford County |
South Central |
Michael Shuran |
Manchester City |
Upper Cumberland |
Rebecca Farley |
Cumberland County |
East Tennessee
CORE Region |
Supervisor |
District |
Southeast |
Ruth Ann White |
Bradley County |
East Tennessee |
Keith Wilson |
Knox County |
First Tennessee |
Mandy Lloyd |
Hamblen County |
Principal and Supervisor of the Year finalists will proceed to an interview that will be held in in the coming weeks where each will meet with a panel of interviewers made up of department staff and other education leaders. Winners for each Grand Division and the Tennessee Principal and Supervisor of the Year will be selected from this group and announced this fall.
To learn more about the Tennessee Principal of the Year and Supervisor of the Year Awards, click here.
For Tennessse Department of Education media inquiries, contact Edu.MediaInquiries@tn.gov.
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