The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) is a core partner in the establishment of the Principal Leadership Academy, a joint effort to train aspiring Hamilton County Schools’ principals. The Academy, which launches this month, is the outcome of a partnership among the Hamilton County Department of Education, the Public Education Foundation (PEF), the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce and The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Professors from the UTC College of Health, Education and Professional Studies and the UTC College of Business will be engaged in this academic endeavor.
“UTC will be actively involved in the Academy,” said Dr. Mary Tanner, dean of the UTC College of Health, Education and Professional Studies. “Our professors will help create and deliver an Academy curriculum focused on leadership and management skills, the use of instructional data and establishing a positive school culture.”
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Dr. Godfrey Saunders has been named director of the Principal Leadership Academy.
Announcement of Saunders’ appointment, as well as the members of the first class of principal candidates and their mentors was made Friday, June 9, at Unum, one of the Academy’s major investors along with Joe Davenport of Pointer Management and an anonymous businessman.
A veteran of 32 years as a public schools science teacher, counselor and administrator, Saunders comes to Chattanooga from Bozeman, Montana, where he served as principal of Bozeman High School and Bridger Alternative School from 1996 to 2009. Saunders wrote his doctoral dissertation on principal mentoring at Montana State University, served on the curriculum leadership and professional development teams in his school district, and trained 13 principal interns during his tenure as principal at Bozeman High.
According to Saunders, directing the Principal Leadership Academy is the next logical step in his career. “After a long career of working directly with teachers and students as a principal, I look forward to helping to prepare Hamilton County’s next generation of school leaders for excellence,” Saunders said. “Although there are other principal preparation programs across the country, the integration of business and instructional leadership skills we’ve planned in the Principal Leadership Academy is groundbreaking.”
The Principal Leadership Academy will involve 13 Hamilton County Schools’ assistant principals who have expressed interest in becoming principals. The Academy will combine a foundation in core business skills with advanced training in instructional leadership. Topics will include culture and climate, building management, finances, human resources, strategic leadership and community relations.
Each Academy participant will be assigned an executive from the business community as a mentor. Academy participants will have opportunities to shadow mentors and receive input and advice regarding leadership issues. Participants will also visit at least one high-performing school outside of Hamilton County.
The Principal Leadership Academy includes a significant business component. “The Chamber is pleased that the Academy will offer prospective principals significant training in business management and finances,” said Tom Edd Wilson, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Chamber. “The mentoring the Academy participants receive through the Business Mentors program will serve our future school leaders well, and we hope will encourage the development of strong and productive ties between the educational and business communities.”
Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Jim Scales said creation of the principal preparation academy fulfills one of his primary objectives. “Being a principal is an incredibly demanding job, and we need to give new principals every tool available to be successful in that role,” Scales said.
“Research shows that no school has ever reached greatness without a strong principal at its helm,” said PEF President Dan Challener. “Helping develop strong school leaders is vital to PEF’s mission of improving student achievement, and we are pleased to work with our partners to administer the Principals Leadership Academy.
“The new director of the Academy will work with the PEF staff and our partners to coordinate all of the elements of the Academy, and to help upcoming principals learn to use data in a targeted way, recognize effective teaching and build the collaboration needed to create academic success for students.”
Saunders holds a bachelor’s degree in science education, a master’s degree in counseling and a doctorate of education degree from Montana State University. He served on the board of directors for the National Merit Scholarship Corp. for nine years and currently serves on the Teachers Education Accreditation Board and the Board of Crime Control for the State of Montana.
Assistant Principals Participating in the Principal Leadership Academy 2010-2011
Randall Bell – Hixson Elementary/Rivermont Elementary
Haley Brown – Normal Park
LaKesha Carson – Howard High
Robin Cayce – Normal Park
Rachel Duke – Sequoyah High
Blake Freeman – Orchard Knob Middle
Preston Gonter – Central Office
Katrina Gravitte – Red Bank Elementary
John Pierce – Red Bank High
Crystal Sorrells – Brainerd High
Jennifer Spates – Shepherd Elementary
LaFrederick Thirkill – Apison Elementary
Cindy Wages – Loftis Middle
Business Mentors
Tim Arnold, Unum
Bob Best, Unum
Jim Brexler, Erlanger Health System
Tom Griscom
Ron Harr, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
Jim Hobson, Memorial Healthcare System
Howard Levine, Miller & Martin PLLC
Michael Mathis, Regions Bank
Darrell Moore, Parkridge
Sonya Nelson, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
Ryan Rose, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Susanne G. Schaefer, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Henry Smith, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
Jim Steffner, Jr., Steff’s Co. & Electric Motor Sales
Tom Thompson, Unum
