As Hamilton County Schools prepare for the 2022-2023 school year, the district is overhauling its roster of principals.
Deputy Superintendent Dr. Sonia Stewart says the appointment of new principals fulfills one of the district’s greatest obligations.
“Every school deserves a great leader,” Stewart says. “Our principals are responsible for managing the balance between academic press and a culture of care, and we believe we have a well-prepared and excellent cohort of leaders to guide our school communities during this next season to ensure our students thrive and experience a future without limits.”
HCS has named Dr. Ginger Frady principal of Red Bank Middle School. An educator for 26 years, she has served as assistant principal at Nolan Elementary School for the past year.
Before coming to Hamilton County Schools in 2021, Frady spent 18 years as a K-6 Response to Intervention coach and teacher, four years as an elementary and junior high assistant principal and three years as an elementary school principal in Fullerton, California.
Frady earned a doctorate in educational leadership from California State University at Fullerton and a Master of Science in education curriculum and instruction and a Bachelor of Arts in human development from California State University at Long Beach.
During Frady’s time as principal in California, her school received a National Schools to Watch Award in 2018 and she was the recipient of the Teach Rock Trailblazer Award from the Rock & Roll Forever Foundation in 2020 for innovative arts integration.
HCS has named Dr. Aleisha McCallie principal at Tyner Middle Academy. She has served as an assistant principal at Clifton Hills Elementary School since 2020.
McCallie has a 15-year tenure in education. In Hamilton County Schools, she has served as a teacher of mathematics, science and general subjects in grades K-8. She has also served as a mathematics instructional coach at Orchard Knob Middle School and East Brainerd Elementary School.
McCallie earned a doctorate in leadership and professional practice from Trevecca Nazarene University, a Master of Education in early childhood education from Milligan College and a degree in engineering technology from East Tennessee State University.
She earned a middle grades endorsement and a Certificate of School Leadership from the UTC. She completed the Public Education Foundation Leadership Fellows program in 2021, received a Tennessee Educator Fellowship from SCORE in 2019 and received a Butterfield Fellowship from UTC in 2019.
HCS has named Travis Miller principal of Soddy Daisy Middle School. He has served as an assistant principal at Orchard Knob Middle School since 2017.
Before moving to Orchard Knob, Miller served as assistant principal at Soddy Daisy High School during the 2016-2017 school year and Tyner Middle Academy from 2013-2016.
From 2004-2013, he served in various roles at 21st Century Academy/Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts, including health and physical education teacher, dean of students and athletic director.
Miller earned a Master of Arts in instructional leadership from Tennessee Tech University and a Bachelor of Science from UTC.
HCS has named Michael Carson principal at Signal Mountain Middle/High School, where he has served as an assistant principal since 2018.
Carson began his career with Hamilton County Schools in 2014 at East Ridge High School, where he served as a teacher from 2014-2017 and dean of students for the 2017-2018 school year.
Before coming to Hamilton County, Carson spent nine years as a teacher in Knoxville and Kentucky. He holds a post master’s certificate in school leadership from UTC and a master’s and bachelor’s in secondary English education from the University of Kentucky.
He completed the Public Education Foundation Leadership Fellows program in 2016 and was a member of the 2020-2021 Cohort of the Aspiring Principal LEAD program.
HCS has named Tersheia Hayes principal at DuPont Elementary School. She has served as an assistant principal at Calvin Donaldson Elementary School since 2018.
A 17-year educator, Hayes was a classroom teacher at Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences from 2005-2016, serving students in grades K-4.
From 2016-2018, she was an instructional coach at Woodmore Elementary School. During that time, she wrote, received and managed Read to be Ready state grants totaling $92,000 to reduce reading summer slide and increase and sustain student reading abilities.
Hayes holds a bachelor’s degree in human ecology from UTC, a master’s in instructional leadership and an Ed.S. in instructional leadership from Tennessee Technological University.
HCS has named Kristin Childs principal at East Hamilton Middle School. She has served as assistant principal at Soddy Daisy High School for the past year.
Childs was a teacher at the 21st Century Academy from 2005-2009, during which she also served as an instructional coach. From 2011-2018, she served as an assistant principal at Soddy Daisy High School, East Hamilton Middle/High School, Hunter Middle School and Red Bank High School. Child served as associate principal at Tyner Academy from 2018-2021.
Childs holds a post master’s certificate, a master’s in secondary education and a Bachelor of Science in biology from UTC.
HCS has named Dr. Kelley Weiss principal of Wallace A. Smith Elementary School. Weiss was previously principal at DuPont Elementary School.
During her time in Hamilton County, Weiss has served as principal at Alpine Crest Elementary School and director of HCS at Home and Summer Reach.
Before coming to HCS, she was an assistant superintendent in charge of curriculum development and teacher evaluation in LaGrange, Maine. Weiss was the principal at Enfield Station School from 2012-2017. She also spent two years as principal and assistant principal at Millinocket, Maine.
As a classroom teacher, Weiss has taught biology, chemistry, forensic sciences and physics.
She holds a bachelor’s from Coastal Carolina University, a master’s from the University of Maine and a doctorate from Liberty University.
Source: HCS