CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System has announced 10 new administrative appointments for the 2021-22 school year.
Barkers Mill Elementary School
According to a news release, Lynne Rains has been selected to be principal of Barkers Mill Elementary School. She replaces Rhonda Kennedy who will be retiring.
Rains has been the principal at West Creek Elementary School since 2010. Previously, she served as an assistant principal at West Creek Elementary School and an academic coach at Kenwood Elementary School. Before becoming an instructional leader, she served as a classroom teacher in Tennessee and Alabama, beginning in 1997. Rains was also an adjunct professor at Nashville State Community College.
She earned her master’s degree from Trevecca Nazarene University and bachelor’s from The University of Alabama. Under Rains’ leadership, West Creek Elementary was a TN Reward School in 2017-18, performing among the top 5% schools in the state.
In addition, Kim B. Smith was selected to serve as an assistant principal at Barkers Mill.
Smith has served as the assistant principal at Carmel Elementary since 2018. She has 13 years of experience in school leadership, having served as principal of Moore Magnet Elementary and assistant principal at Minglewood Elementary. Smith began her tenure with CMCSS in 1990 as a teacher at Ringgold Elementary School and also has taught at St. Bethlehem and Kenwood elementary schools.
Over her 31 years in the district, Smith has earned numerous awards and recognitions, including the NCLB Highly Qualified Teacher designation, the Green Apple Award, Distinguished Classroom Teacher Award, CMCSS K-4 Teacher of the Year in both 2000 and 2005 and was a state finalist for Tennessee Teacher of the Year.
Carmel Elementary School
Ptosha M. Maclin has been announced as principal of Carmel Elementary School, replacing Rosanne Sanford who will be retiring.
Maclin has been the principal at Moore Magnet Elementary STEM School since 2018. Previously, she served as an assistant principal at Carmel Elementary and Kenwood Elementary schools and an academic coach at Barkers Mill Elementary School. She began her tenure with CMCSS in 2002 at Hazelwood Elementary.
She received her Education Leadership Endorsement at the University of Tennessee – Martin. She earned an M.S. in education from Walden University as a math and reading specialist, and her B.S. from Austin Peay State University in elementary education mathematics.
Liberty Elementary School
Donna Gagliardi begins her tenure as the assistant principal at Liberty Elementary School.
Gagliardi has been an assistant principal at Minglewood Elementary School since 2018, previously serving in a split-assistant principal position between Minglewood and Ringgold elementary schools in 2017-18. Before entering school leadership, she was an academic coach at Ringgold and had over 20 years of teaching experience in Tennessee and Illinois.
Moore Magnet Elementary School
Kelsea Cox has been selected to serve as the principal of Moore Magnet Elementary STEM School, replacing the reassigned Ptosha Maclin.
Cox has been an assistant principal at Barkers Mill Elementary School since 2016. Previously, she has served as an academic coach and first-grade teacher at Barkers Mill, beginning her tenure with CMCSS in 2011. She has served on several local and state-level committees, including the APSU Teacher Education Council, Tennessee Teacher-Leader Network and the TN Governor’s ELA Standards Review Committee.
She earned her M.A. in Educational Leadership and B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Austin Peay State University.
West Creek Elementary
Melanie Steinlage takes over as principal of West Creek Elementary School, replacing the transitioning Lynne Rains.
Steinlage has been the assistant principal at Byrns Darden Elementary School since 2018. Previously, she has served as an Academic Coach at Byrns Darden and Hazelwood elementary schools and a teacher at Hazelwood Elementary, beginning her tenure with CMCSS in 2010.
She earned her M.S. in Educational Leadership K-12 from the University of Tennessee – Martin and her B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of South Florida. Steinlage completed the McREL Balanced Leadership Training for Administrators as well as several Kagan Professional Development Workshops.
Montgomery Central Middle School
Johnathan Stoll has been selected to serve as an assistant principal at Montgomery Central Middle School.
Stoll has served as the student support coordinator at New Providence Middle School since June 2018, beginning his teaching career at the school in 2013. Previously, he served as a substitute teacher for CMCSS. Stoll has participated in several professional learning and curriculum roles and was the district’s eighth-grade science lead teacher. He was named the New Providence Teacher of the Year in 2017.
West Creek Middle School
Dr. Dale Land was assigned to serve as an assistant principal at West Creek Middle School.
Dr. Land has been the assistant principal at Liberty Elementary School since 2019. He began his career with CMCSS in 2012, and has served as an academic coach, science teacher at Kenwood Middle and classroom teacher at Ringgold Elementary. Before coming to CMCSS, Land held a 20-year career in the United States Army.
Kenwood High School
Dr. James Bailey has been selected as the principal of Kenwood High School. Dr. Bailey replaces Mr. Keith Parker, who will be the new assistant principal for CMCSS K-12 Virtual School, per the release.
Dr. Bailey has been the adult education and transition to work supervisor for CMCSS since July 2020. Dr. Bailey has over 14 years of administrative experience, serving as the principal of Whites Creek High School in Nashville before joining CMCSS. Under his leadership, Whites Creek experienced a 20 percent increase in graduation rate. Dr. Bailey was named Principal of the Year for Middle Tennessee in February 2020. During his 17 years with Metro Nashville Public Schools, he also served as assistant principal at Hillsboro and Pearl-Cohn high schools and as a teacher at Jere Baxter Middle School.
He earned his doctorate in Administrator Leadership from Walden University, an education specialist degree in Administration and Supervision from Middle Tennessee State University, a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Tennessee State University and a B.A. in Bible and Theology from American Baptist College.
CMCSS K-12 Virtual School
Danielle Head has been tabbed as an assistant principal at CMCSS K-12 Virtual School.
Head has been serving as a technology integration coach for the district since 2017. Previously, she served as a teacher at Carmel and Moore Magnet elementary schools and began her career with CMCSS in 2009 as a substitute teacher. Head has earned several national certifications, including the Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, and she is in the process of completing the International Society for Technology in Education Certification.