Administrative Appointments Announced in January

January 21, 2022

Please note: This article was originally posted during a previous school year. Information and/or dates from past events
may be not be relevant for the current school year.

The following administrative appointments were announced on January 21, 2022.

Norman Smith Elementary Principal

Amy Williams has been selected as the principal of Norman Smith Elementary School, replacing Emily Clark who will serve as principal of Glenellen Elementary School.

Williams has served as the assistant principal at Pisgah Elementary School since 2013. Previously, she served for five years as an academic coach at Kenwood Elementary. She began her career in CMCSS in 1998 as a third-grade teacher and also taught Title I Reading. She earned the Distinguished Classroom Teacher distinction in 2006 and 2011 and was named the local Reader’s Choice Favorite Principal in 2016.

She earned her administration endorsement from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, M.A. in Education from Cumberland University, and B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Austin Peay State University.

Kirkwood Middle School Assistant Principals

Laura Boss, Kirkwood Middle School Principal, has selected two assistant principals to serve with her beginning July 2022:

Donna Myers has served as an assistant principal at Northeast Middle School since 2013. Previously, she served for 17 years as a special populations teacher at Kenwood Middle School. Over her 26 years in public education, Myers has served in numerous school and district-level leadership roles.

Myers earned her M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction and administration endorsement from Cumberland University and B.S. in Education from Austin Peay State University.

Scott Wainwright has served as the principal of New Providence Middle School since 2016. Previously, he served as an assistant principal at the school for 12 years and as a history teacher at Richview Middle School for six years. Before entering public education, Wainwright served as an Instructor Pilot in the U.S. Army for 11 years.

Wainwright earned both his M.A.Ed. in Administration and Supervision and his B.S. in History and Geography from Austin Peay State University.

Northeast High School Assistant Principal

Dr. Sheena Hanserd has been selected to serve as an assistant principal at Northeast High School, replacing Dr. Carolyn Kennedy who was selected as a Special Populations Coordinator for the District.

Dr. Hanserd has been with CMCSS since 2019, serving as the Student Access Coordinator, Adult High School Principal, and District 504 Coordinator. Before CMCSS, she had 15 years of experience in various roles in education in Memphis, Nashville, and Franklin, TN, including Special Education Teacher, Exceptional Education Consultant, Director of Special Populations, Educator Engagement Organizer, and Family and School Support Specialist. Additionally, she has served as an adjunct professor in special education at the University of Memphis.

Dr. Hanserd earned her Ed.D. in Leadership and Professional Practice and M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University and her M.Ed. in Special Education and B.S. in Psychology from Tennessee State University. She also earned Diversity and Inclusion Certification from Cornell University.

The following administrative appointments were announced on January 10, 2022.

Employee Relations Specialist

Patti Koloski has been selected as the CMCSS Employee Relations Specialist. This ESSER-funded position will assist the Chief Human Resources Officer in conducting investigations, resolving human relations problems, promoting employee morale and well-being, collecting and analyzing employee retention and recruitment data, and overall focusing on improving retention and employee satisfaction.

Koloski has served as the principal at Glenellen Elementary School since 2015. Previously, she served as an assistant principal at the school for five years. She has 30 years of experience in education, working in public, private, and military school communities. Under her leadership, Glenellen was named a Reward School four times for performing in the top 5% of schools in the state.

She earned her M.A. in Teaching and Learning from Nova Southeastern University and B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of South Florida. She received her Administrative Endorsement from Trevecca Nazarene University.

Glenellen Elementary Principal

Emily Clark has been selected as the principal of Glenellen Elementary School, replacing Patti Koloski who will serve as the District’s Employee Relations Specialist.

Clark has served as the principal of Norman Smith Elementary since 2017. Previously, she was the school’s assistant principal for three years. She began her career in CMCSS in 2009 as a teacher and has taught 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades at Sango, Rossview, and Barkers Mill elementary schools.

She earned her M.A. in Educational Leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University and B.A. in Elementary Education.

West Creek Middle Assistant Principal

Patrice Collins has been selected as an assistant principal at West Creek Middle School.

Collins is currently a teacher at Northeast High School and has taught courses in ACT Prep and Criminal Justice. Previous education experience includes serving as a fourth-grade teacher, college counselor, collaborative teacher, and substitute teacher. Before entering public education, she had roles as a Project Coordinator and Program Director for civic organizations and was a Staff Attorney for Circuit Courts in Kentucky. She served in the U.S. Army for three years active duty and six years reserve.

She earned her M.A.T. in Elementary Education from Trevecca Nazarene University, J.D. from Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and B.S. in Organizational Management and Human Resources from Colorado Christian University. She received her School Administration Certification from Western Kentucky University.

Special Populations Coordinator

Dr. Carolyn Kennedy has been selected as a Special Populations Coordinator for the District.

Dr. Kennedy has served as an assistant principal at Northeast High School since 2016. She began her career with CMCSS in 2014 as a Special Education Teacher. Previously, she had 20 years of experience as a principal, assistant principal, and special education teacher in Tennessee and Texas. Additionally, she has served as an adjunct professor of undergraduate and graduate courses on Special Education for over eight years.

She earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from East Tennessee State University, M.A. in Education from Tusculum College, and B.S. in Management from Park University.

Extended Behavior Support (EBS) Coordinator

Jennifer Ortiz has been selected as the Coordinator of the EBS Program located on the campus of Barkers Mill Elementary.

Ortiz has served as the Student Support Coordinator at Minglewood Elementary School since 2018. Previously, she taught special education for four years at Byrns Darden and Hazelwood elementary schools in CMCSS and one year for the New York City Department of Education. Additionally, she has experience leading school-wide efforts in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), trauma-informed schools, sensory rooms, and other areas.

She earned her M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership from Tennessee State University, M.S. in General and Special Education from Hunter College, and B.A. in English from Stony Brook State University.