Haslam Announces 2018 Governor's Academy for School Leadership Participants
Assistant principals from across Tennessee selected for third annual academyNASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced the participants selected for the 2018 Governor’s Academy for School Leadership (GASL), a one-year fellowship program for assistant principals to increase their leadership capacity.
The third annual academy is a unique partnership between the state of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College and local school districts to cultivate and develop future school leaders and improve school effectiveness and student performance.
“I cannot think of a more important job than being a leader of a school, and that’s why it’s so important to identify and encourage future school leaders to help our teachers and students excel in the classroom,” Haslam said. “You can walk into a school and tell right away if there is a great principal who is leading effectively. Great principals attract and keep great teachers, and great teachers lead to student success.”
Tennessee students are the fastest improving in the nation in science, according to the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), commonly known as the Nation’s Report Card. And for the fourth year in a row, Tennessee had a record high school graduation rate – 89.1% in the 2016-17 school year.
Each assistant principal selected for the 2018 GASL class will be paired with an experienced principal mentor, must attend monthly group training sessions and a week-long summer institute at Vanderbilt, and intern three days a month at his or her mentor’s school. Upon completion of the academy, participants will be expected to pursue placement as a school principal in their districts or regions.
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.
A list of the third class of GASL participants and mentors is below.
2018 GASL Participants
Merissa Baldwin |
Aspire Hanley Elementary School |
Achievement School District |
Jeni Irwin |
Anderson County High School |
Anderson County |
Heather Byrd |
Eagleton Elementary School |
Blount County |
Melissa Brock |
H Y Livesay Middle School |
Claiborne County |
Milton Nettles |
Cumberland Elementary School |
Davidson County |
Noelle Taylor |
West End Middle School |
Davidson County |
Andrea Beaubien |
Dickson Elementary School |
Dickson County |
Josh Rogers |
Dyersburg Intermediate School |
Dyersburg |
Noelle Smith |
Greeneville High School |
Greeneville |
Travis Miller |
Orchard Knob Middle School |
Hamilton County |
Heather Harris |
Middleton Middle-High School |
Hardeman County |
Jacob Bellissimo |
Jefferson Middle School |
Jefferson County |
Beth Cohen |
Dobyns-Bennett High School |
Kingsport |
Jamey Romeg |
Halls Elementary School |
Knox County |
Sharonda Rose |
Lakeland Elementary School |
Lakeland |
Vanessa Spoon |
Ripley Middle School |
Lauderdale County |
Rachel Wasserman |
Loudon Elementary School |
Loudon County |
Amanda Brabham |
Thelma Barker Elementary School |
Madison County |
Chris Winningham |
Algood Middle School |
Putnam County |
Larry Staggs |
Springfield High School |
Robertson County |
Chris George |
Christiana Middle School |
Rutherford County |
Clint Dowda |
Bluff City Elementary School |
Sullivan County |
Stephen Walker |
Rucker Stewart Middle School |
Sumner County |
Latoya Avery |
Drummonds Elementary School |
Tipton County |
Jordan Hughes |
Boones Creek Elementary School |
Washington County |
Joshua Johnston |
Mt. Juliet High School |
Wilson County |
2018 GASL Mentors
Monique Cincore |
Aspire East Academy |
Achievement School District |
Andrea Russell |
Central office |
Anderson County |
April Herron |
Middlesettlements Elementary School |
Blount County |
Suzanne Anders |
Tazewell-New Tazewell Primary School |
Claiborne County |
Renita Perkins |
Stratton Elementary School |
Davidson County |
Kevin Armstrong |
Dupont-Hadley Middle School |
Davidson County |
Malissa Johnson |
Charlotte Elementary School |
Dickson County |
Cal Johnson |
Dyersburg Middle School |
Dyersburg |
Pat Donaldson |
Central office |
Greeneville |
Chrissy Easterly |
Ooltewah Middle School |
Hamilton County |
Chris Cranford |
Toone Elementary School |
Hardeman County |
Scott Walker |
Jefferson County High School |
Jefferson County |
Holly Flora |
John Sevier Middle School |
Kingsport |
Keith Cotrell |
Cedar Bluff Elementary School |
Knox County |
Kasandra Berry |
Bon Lin Elementary School |
Lakeland |
Susan Farris |
Central office |
Lauderdale County |
Christie Amburn |
Fort Loudoun Middle School |
Loudon County |
Melinda Harris |
Community Montessori School |
Madison County |
Trey Upchurch |
Prescott South Middle School |
Putnam County |
Katie Osborne |
Greenbrier High School |
Robertson County |
Kim Stoecker |
Siegel Middle School |
Rutherford County |
Robin McClellan |
Central office |
Sullivan County |
Brian Smith |
Station Camp Middle School |
Sumner County |
Brooke Shipley |
Brighton Elementary School |
Tipton County |
Kelley Harrell |
Ridgeview Elementary School |
Washington County |
Travis Mayfield |
Wilson Central High School |
Wilson County |