Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Jim Scales announced new principals at three Hamilton County schools for next year: Battle Academy, East Lake Elementary School and East Ridge High School.
Saunya V. Goss, currently assistant principal at Westview Elementary, will become principal at Battle Academy on July 1. She succeeds Ruth White, who is moving to Lookout Mountain Elementary.
Stacy D. Johnson, currently assistant principal at Clifton Hills Elementary, will be the principal at East Lake Elementary. She replaces Neelie Parker, who is moving to Big Ridge Elementary in July.
Zacery Brown, currently assistant principal at Hixson High School, will be principal of East Ridge High School, replacing Ron Peck, who has resigned.
All three candidates participated in the Principal Workshops this year. The Principal Workshops, a collaboration between HCDE and the Public Education Foundation, gave aspiring principals information about becoming effective leaders on their campuses. The school district partnered with PEF, the Chamber of Commerce and UTC this year to formalize the workshops and will open a formal Principal Leadership Academy this summer.
“These three candidates rose to the top. You can definitely tell the candidates that have participated in the Principal Workshops. They are on their game,” said Dr. Scales. “I am confident these new principals will work hard with their staff, students, parents and community members to continue traditions at each school while improving student achievement.”
Ms. Goss began her education career in 1997 as a classroom assistant at Siskin Children’s Institute. In January 1999 she moved to Big Ridge Elementary as an inclusion and gifted teacher before going to Lakeside Academy later that year. In 2002, Ms. Goss moved to Battle Academy as a gifted and talented teacher and school psychologist. She was promoted to assistant principal at Westview Elementary in 2008. Ms. Goss holds a bachelor of science degree in human services management, a master of education in special education and education specialist in school psychology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She also graduated from the School Leadership Program at UTC.
Ms. Johnson began her career as a third grade teacher at Calvin Donaldson Elementary School in 1994. She moved to Lakeside Elementary in 1997 and then on to Daisy Elementary in 1999. In 2002 she moved to Soddy Elementary School where she stayed until she was promoted to assistant principal at Westview Elementary in 2005. In 2008 she transferred to 21st Century Academy as the elementary assistant principal before going to Bess T. Shepherd as an assistant principal/curriculum coach. In 2009, she moved to Clifton Hills Elementary as an assistant principal.
Ms. Johnson has a bachelor of science in elementary education from Middle Tennessee State University and a master of education in administration and supervision from Trevecca Nazarene University.
Mr. Brown began his career in education as a math teacher at Rhea County High School in 2001. In 2002 he joined the Chattanooga State Technical Community College as an adjunct math professor, where he still teaches. He was promoted to assistant principal at Hixson High School in 2008.
Mr. Brown holds a bachelor of science in mathematics from Bryan College, an educational specialist degree in instructional leadership from Tennessee Technological University and a masters of aArts in mathematics education from Western Governors University in Utah.