Governor's Academy for School Leadership Begins This Week
Twenty-four assistant principals from across Tennessee selected for inaugural class
NASHVILLE – This week 24 aspiring principals from across the state will begin participating in the inaugural Governor’s Academy for School Leadership (GASL).
First announced by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam in late 2013, GASL is a partnership between the state of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, and local school districts to build a pipeline of highly-trained school principals and ultimately improve school effectiveness and performance and unlock educational opportunities for all students.
“Successful organizations have great leaders at the top, so one of the most important things we can do to transform our schools is to have each one led by a great principal. Tennessee already has a lot of great principals, and we want even more,” Haslam said. “I appreciate these school leaders – both the assistant principals participating and the principals serving as mentors – making this commitment to their communities and our state and Vanderbilt for partnering with us to create this pipeline of great school leadership in Tennessee.”
Each assistant principal selected for the one-year fellowship has been paired with an experienced principal mentor. In addition to training sessions one weekend a month and a week-long summer institute at Vanderbilt, participants will intern three days a month at his/her mentor’s school and receive six individual coaching sessions with a trained regional coach. Upon completion of the academy, participants will be expected to pursue placement as a school principal in their district or region.
Participants were nominated by their district’s director of schools and selected through an application and interview process conducted by representatives from the Governor’s Office, the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and Vanderbilt University.
“Strong school administration plays an integral role in student success, and it is our honor to further develop the leadership of these dedicated individuals,” TDOE Commissioner Candice McQueen said. “Both the fellows and their mentors represent excellence in their profession, and we are proud to provide a pathway so they can continue serving the districts and students in our state.”
“Peabody College is committed to developing effective leaders for Tennessee schools and the students they serve,” said Camilla Benbow, the Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College. “We are excited to work with Governor Haslam and the Department of Education to offer our expertise and experience to further strengthen education across the state.”
The first class of GASL participants and mentors include:
Participants School District
Diana Bowers Happy Valley High Carter County
Kevin Cline Jefferson County High Jefferson County
Renette Coleman East Elem. & Isaac Lane Elem. Jackson-Madison County
Lane Collins Medina Middle Gibson County Special
Janetta Davenport Liberty Elementary Franklin Special
Kevin Dawson Wilson Central High Wilson County
Melissa Glover Austin-East High Knox County
Farrah Griffith Warren County Middle Warren County
Amy Horton Unicoi County Middle Unicoi County
Mandy Lloyd Lincoln Middle Hamblen County
Tim Mason Henry County High Henry County
Brad McBride Alcoa Intermediate Alcoa City
Lana Page Greeneville High Greeneville City
Bob Pritchard Mayfield Elementary Cleveland City
Michael Ruiz Houston Middle Germantown Municipal
Beatriz Salgado Overton High MNPS
Tressa Sanders Jack Anderson Elementary Sumner County
Deborah Scarlett West Greene High Greene County
Marcus Shead Martin Luther King Jr. College Prep Achievement School District
Josh Simmons Fairmont/Mountain View Johnson City
Michael Smith Hixson High Hamilton County
Amanda Smith Surgoinsville Middle Hawkins County
Robbie Winters Ocoee Middle Bradley County
John Yarbrough Ripley Elementary Lauderdale County
Mentors School District
James Bailey Whites Creek High MNPS
Steve Barnett Towne Acres Elementary Johnson City
Tim Bell Mount Juliet Middle Wilson County
Chris Bogart Unicoi County High Unicoi County
Cindy Bowman South Greene High Greene County
Jeff Bradley Hampton High Carter County
Kyle Cherry Houston High Germantown Municipal
Patricia Donaldson Tusculum View Elementary Greeneville City
Teresa Drinnon Church Hill Elementary Hawkins County
Lisa Earby E.L. Ross Elementary Cleveland City
Kimberly Hopkins-Clark Martin Luther King Jr. Coll. Prep Achievement School District
James Hughes Gibson County High Gibson County Special
Jeff Kinsler Morristown West High Hamblen County
Angela Lawson Michigan Avenue Bradley County
Mike Mansfield Hickory Creek Elementary Warren County
Sabrina McClard JW Wiseman Elementary Sumner County
Justin Robertson Red Bank High Hamilton County
Merna Schott Alcoa Elementary Alcoa City
Catherine Stephens Central Office Franklin Special
Tiffany Taylor North Parkway Middle Jackson-Madison County
Lillie Treadway Ripley Primary Lauderdale County
Amy Veazey Lakewood Elementary Henry County
Kristi Waltke Piedmont Elementary Jefferson County
Cindy White Vine Middle Knox County
Dr. Hank Staggs is the director of the program at TDOE, and Dr. Susan Burns oversees the partnership at Vanderbilt. Both Staggs and Burns are former Tennessee school principals.
The first class of school leaders will complete the academy training in December 2016.