Posted in Community:

The Northeast High School Multi-Agency Disaster Relief Center is closing at 2 p.m. on Monday, December 18. Donations that remain on-site will be distributed to local agencies and the coordinated Clarksville-Montgomery County warehouse space.

The Red Cross Shelter is moving from Northeast High School to Park Lane Church of the Nazarene at 225 Cunningham Lane at 2 p.m. on Monday, December 18. You can access the free Red Cross Emergency app or call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) and select the disaster option for more information about resources from the Red Cross.

FEMA has moved to the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library at 350 Pageant Ln #501. Please call 1-800-621-3362 or visit www.disasterassistance.gov for more information.

World Central Kitchen and Macedonian Missionary Service will serve their last meals at Northeast High today. We appreciate both of these incredible partners for coming to Clarksville-Montgomery County to serve our community. For more information on World Central Kitchen, visit www.wck.org. For more information on Macedonian Missionary Service, visit www.macedonianms.org.

Since Saturday, December 9, over 500 CMCSS employee volunteers and numerous partners have been able to serve thousands of community members in need with tens of thousands of meals, donations, and services. As we close operations at Northeast High, numerous community agencies will continue to need your support over the coming days, weeks, and months. Please visit the City of Clarksville or Montgomery County Government websites and click the “Tornado Information” banners for more information on how you can support.

Thank you, Clarksville-Montgomery County, for showing the world the true meanings of community, empathy, love, and service!

Kenwood Elementary Principal

Ashley Karch has been selected as the principal of Kenwood Elementary School. She has served as the assistant principal at Burt Elementary since 2019. Karch began her career in public education in 2007, and has served as a teacher, Academic Coach, Dean of Students, and cheerleading coach in schools in CMCSS and Cheatham County. She has served in numerous school- and district-level curriculum, instruction and assessment leadership roles. She completed the CMCSS Leadership Class Series, Aspiring Administrators Academy, and McREL Balanced Leadership training. She earned her M.A. in Educational Leadership from Austin Peay State University and B.A. in English and Allied Language Arts from Western Kentucky University.

Carmel Elementary Assistant Principal

Kim Masters has been selected as the assistant principal at Carmel Elementary School. She has served as the principal of Kenwood Elementary since 2012. Previous administrative experience includes principal of Liberty Elementary and an assistant principal at Glenellen and Byrns Darden elementary schools. Masters began her career in CMCSS 30 years ago, serving as an elementary classroom teacher for 14 years before entering administration. She earned her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Trevecca Nazarene University. Masters stated, “I am excited to join the Carmel Community to continue their tradition of excellence and look forward to knowing the students, families, faculty, and staff as we learn together.”

Kenwood High Assistant Principal

Shannon Salyer has been selected as an assistant principal at Kenwood High School. She began her career in public education in 1993 as a teacher and has 20 years of experience in administration as an assistant principal, serving in both CMCSS and Cheatham County. She was selected for and completed the Governor’s Academy for School Leaders through the TN Department of Education and completed the CMCSS Advanced Leadership Training for Assistant Principals. She earned her Ed.S. in Administration & Supervision, M.A.Ed. in Administration and Supervision, and B.S. in Biology from Austin Peay State University.

Montgomery Central High Assistant Principal

Courtney Brown has been selected as an assistant principal at Montgomery Central High School. Since 2015, she has served in several roles at Montgomery Central High, including Academic Coach, Student Support Coordinator, Head Volleyball Coach, and chemistry teacher. She began her career with CMCSS in 2012 as a chemistry teacher at Kenwood High School. She completed the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy and has served in several school- and district-level leadership roles. Brown earned her Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, M.A.T. in Secondary Education, and B.S. in Chemistry and Forensics from Austin Peay State University.

Montgomery Central Middle Assistant Principal

Kelly Parker has been selected as an assistant principal at Montgomery Central Middle School. Parker has most recently served as an assistant principal at Liberty Elementary School, starting the 2021-2022 school year in a split AP position between Liberty and Minglewood elementary schools. Previously, she served as the Student Support Coordinator at Northwest High School and has 13 years of teaching experience at Northwest High, New Providence Middle, and Hopkinsville High schools. She has served as an adjunct instructor at Austin Peay State University and Tennessee Tech University. In 2009, she earned the Green Apple Award. She completed the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy. Parker earned her M.A. in Exercise Science from Tennessee Tech University and her B.S. in Health and Human Performance from Austin Peay State University.

Northeast Middle Assistant Principal

Argelis Buck-Thomas has been selected as an assistant principal at Northeast Middle School. She began her career in CMCSS in 2012, teaching English, Creative Writing, ACT Prep, and other courses at Northwest High School. Additionally, she has served in numerous leadership roles, including Site-Based Induction Specialist, Step Team Coach, Student Government Sponsor, and School-Wide Intervention Period Lead, to name a few. Buck-Thomas earned her M.S. in Educational Leadership, M.A. in Reading Specialist, and B.A. in English from Austin Peay State University.

Rossview Middle Assistant Principal

Dr. Candice Leaverton has been selected as an assistant principal at Rossview Middle School. She has served as an assistant principal at Carmel Elementary School since 2021. Dr. Leaverton began her career in CMCSS in 2017 as a special education teacher and department chair at West Creek High School. Previously, she has served as a special education teacher at schools in Tennessee, Georgia, Alaska, and with DoDEA in Italy. Dr. Leaverton has served in the school-level leadership roles of Testing Team Co-Chairman and After-School Activities Coordinator. She graduated from the CMCSS Aspiring Administrator Academy and participated in the Sumner County Schools Leadership Academy. Dr. Leaverton earned her Ed.D. and Ed.S. from Union University, M.Ed. from Walden University, and B.S. from Austin Peay State University.

West Creek Middle Assistant Principal

Johnathan Stoll has been selected to serve as an assistant principal at West Creek Middle School. He has served as an assistant principal at Montgomery Central Middle School since 2021. Previously, he served as the Student Support Coordinator for three years and science teacher for five years at New Providence Middle School, beginning his career with CMCSS in 2013 as a substitute teacher. Stoll has participated in several school- and district-level 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. He completed the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy and has earned certifications in Restorative Practices and the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI). Stoll earned his Ed.S. in Accountability and Instructional Leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University, M.A. in Teaching from Austin Peay State University, and B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Tennessee at Martin.

West Creek High School Principal

Dr. William (Will) Ferrell has been selected as the principal of West Creek High School, replacing Dr. Damaris Luna who is pursuing career opportunities outside of CMCSS. Dr. Ferrell has been an assistant principal at Montgomery Central High School for the past 12 years and has served as the Athletic Director, Academy Administrator, and in several other leadership roles. He taught for four years at the Alternative School and taught in summer programs at Kenwood and Clarksville high schools. He earned the Green Apple Award for teaching excellence. Before entering public education, he served in management roles in the private sector. Growing up as the son of two active-duty military parents, he deeply understands the importance of supporting military-connected students. Around 50% of West Creek High’s student body is military-connected. Dr. Ferrell earned his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of the Cumberlands, Ed.S. from Lincoln Memorial University, M.A. in Learning and Teaching from Lipscomb University, B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Austin Peay State University, and A.S. from Cleveland State Community College.

Richview Middle School Principal

Kelly Daniel has been selected as the principal of Richview Middle School, replacing Lisa Baker who was selected as the District’s Director of Federal Programs. For the past 12 years, Daniel has been an assistant principal at Northeast Middle School. Previously, she taught ELA at Kenwood Middle School. Over her 22 years in public education, she has served in numerous school-, district-, and state-level leadership roles and earned the Green Apple Award. She completed the High-Performing Assistant Principals Academy, Aspiring Administrators Academy, Leadership Development Class Series, and McREL Balanced Leadership Training for Administrators. Daniel earned her B.A. in English and History from Athens State University and M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Austin Peay State University.

West Creek Middle School Assistant Principal

Shelly Jamison has been selected as an assistant principal at West Creek Middle School. She has served as the school’s Academic Coach since 2020. Previously, she taught at West Creek Middle and Northeast Elementary schools, beginning her career with CMCSS in 2007. Jamison has served in several school- and district-level leadership roles, including mentoring teacher residents. She completed the Aspiring Administrators Academy, Leadership Development Class Series, and McREL Balanced Leadership Training for Administrators. Jamison earned her B.A. in Elementary Education from Austin Peay State University and M.A. in Educational Leadership from Carson-Newman University.

Release provided by the TVA.

Richview Middle School has been awarded a grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority, in partnership with Bicentennial Volunteers, Inc., a TVA retiree organization, to develop science, technology, engineering, and math education projects to help spark student interest in future careers in STEM-related fields.

Teachers across TVA’s seven-state region applied for funding of up to $5,000 for projects, and 233 applications were selected.

Schools that are awarded grants must receive their power from a local power company served by TVA. Richview Middle School is served by CDE Lightband.

Richview Middle School will use the grant to purchase SPIKE™ Prime Sets and Expansion Kits to aid students in applying the engineering and design process as they build and code Lego robots to accomplish specific tasks. Students will work in groups to create prototypes, test, and continually improve their design as they complete challenges with their robots.

“TVA is committed to supporting STEM education to help develop today’s students into tomorrow’s engineers, scientists, and IT professionals,” said Jeannette Mills, TVA executive vice president, and chief external relations officer. “It’s inspiring to be able to contribute to the innovators of the next generation.”
Since 2018, TVA and BVI have awarded nearly $2 million in STEM grants to support local education.
A full list of grant recipients and information on how to apply for a future STEM grant can be found at www.tvastem.com.

This week, CMCSS students in grades 6 – 12 will have the opportunity to voluntarily participate in a short one-question survey regarding ESSER 3.0 funding. The question will be a multi-select ranking question. Data collected will provide the district with another avenue of stakeholder feedback.

The question was specifically designed for students and appeared as follows: 

CMCSS expects to receive a lot of money that we can spend on our schools and students. Please rank the items below from 1 to 7 that you would like to see CMCSS spend more money on with these new funds. 1 = I want CMCSS to spend the most money on this, 7 = I want CMCSS to spend the least amount of money on this

1. Academics and Instruction
2. Arts (Music/Band, Art Classes)
3. Improvements to School Buildings
4. Student Social and Emotional Learning Support
5. More Technology or Technology Improvements
6. Tutoring Opportunities 
7. More Substitute Teachers and Bus Drivers

Stakeholders who have questions regarding ESSER 3.0 can contact [email protected].

Caring individuals always make a difference in the lives of CMCSS students. The district is actively seeking community members who are able to represent the educational interests of students with disabilities.

All children with disabilities are entitled to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) under state and federal special education laws. Included in these laws is a mandate for the parents of children with disabilities to have the opportunity to actively participate in the educational decision-making process. Some children with disabilities may not have parents who can fulfill this very important role, leaving their educational planning solely to representatives from their local school system or other agencies. Federal law, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and state rules, regulations and minimum standards require that an individual must be appointed to make decisions regarding the education students with disabilities must receive.

What is a surrogate parent?

A surrogate parent is a volunteer who is appointed by a local education agency to assist children who do not have parents or family members. The surrogate parent has all of the rights and can make all of the special education or early intervention decisions that are usually made by the child’s parents. Surrogate parents can review educational records; request and consent to evaluations and reevaluations; and challenge the recommendations of the education or early intervention agency by requesting informal and formal dispute resolution procedures. A surrogate parent does not have any rights and responsibilities for the child outside of the special education process.

When does a child require a surrogate parent?

A child with a disability requires a surrogate when:

1. the parent (as defined in § 300.519) or guardian cannot be identified;
2. the LEA, after reasonable efforts, cannot discover the whereabouts of a parent;
3. the child is a ward of the State; or
4. the child is an unaccompanied homeless youth as defined in section 725 (6) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a(6).

What are the responsibilities of a surrogate parent?

The surrogate parent acts as a substitute parent and is given the responsibility of determining the child’s educational experiences. A surrogate parent is not responsible for any financial costs or direct care of the child with disabilities. The surrogate parent represents the child in every step of the education process including identification, evaluation, and educational placement. The Surrogate Parent fulfills the parent role at all Individualized Education Plan (IEP) Team meetings and works to ensure that the child receives FAPE. A surrogate parent is also responsible for keeping confidential all information from the child’s educational, medical, or social services records.

Who can be a surrogate?

Any citizen of the United States of permanent resident who is at least 18 years old and has no conflict of interest concerning the child’s education may serve as an educational surrogate and must be of good moral character. The educational surrogate must act in the best interest of the student he/she represents. Furthermore, an educational surrogate may not be an employee of a public agency providing care, custody, or educational services to the specific child in need of educational surrogate representation.

How much time and money will this commitment take?

Surrogate parents are required to devote approximately three hours to the training provided by Clarksville Montgomery County Schools at least annually. After a student with disabilities is assigned, the educational surrogate reviews the student’s record well enough to understand the student’s needs, strengths, interests as well as their school history. Training is provided free of charge.

If you are interested in attending a training to become a surrogate parent, please email [email protected].