Administrative Announcements for August 2024

August 2, 2024

The following administrative announcements were made on August 2, 2024.

CMCSS K-12 Virtual School Assistant Principal

Benita Rene’ Keesler has been selected as the assistant principal at CMCSS K-12 Virtual School. Recently, she served as the interim assistant principal at Burt Elementary School. Previously, she served as the Academic Coach at Burt Elementary since 2018, and she taught for over a decade at the kindergarten, third-grade, and fifth-grade levels at Barkers Mill Elementary. Additionally, she has served as the Summer Learning Camp administrator at Minglewood and Carmel elementary schools and the Before and After-School Programs Administrator at Barkers Mill Elementary School. Keesler has several other professional experiences, including School-Wide Positive Behavior Plan Lead, Behavior Support Program Teacher, and Summer Literacy Program Teacher. She was named a Teacher of the Year in 2017 and 2018. Keesler is a graduate of the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy and completed McREL Balanced Leadership for Administrators. She earned her Ed.S. in Administration and Supervision and M.A. in Elementary Education from Austin Peay State University and her B.S. in Human Resources Management from Hawaii Pacific University.

Minglewood Elementary School Assistant Principal

Alexandera-Reese Winn has been selected as an assistant principal at Minglewood Elementary School. Winn has served as an Academic Coach for math and science at Kenwood Middle School since 2022. She began her career with CMCSS in 2015 and has taught all core content areas at Norman Smith Elementary School and math at Kenwood Middle School. Before entering public education, she served for nearly a decade as a solider and non-commissioned officer in the United States Army and U.S. Army Reserve. Winn has supported educators in numerous school- and district-level curriculum, instruction, and professional learning roles, including Teacher Resident Mentor, Site-Based Induction Specialist, and AVID Coach. She was awarded the Green Apple Award for teaching excellence, and she is a graduate of the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy. Winn is currently completing her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University where she earned her Ed.S. in Accountability and Instructional Leadership. She earned her M.A.Ed. in Reading Specialist and B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Austin Peay State University.

Montgomery Central Middle School Assistant Principal

Dr. Patrick Jesse Rhoton Colston has been selected as an assistant principal at Montgomery Central Middle School. Since 2021, he has served as an assistant principal at Minglewood Elementary School. Previously, Dr. Colston served as the Student Support Coordinator and Assistant Athletic Director at Northeast High School and taught social studies at Kenwood High School and Houston County Middle School, beginning his career in public education in 2014. Dr. Colston has served as an Aspiring Administrators Program Mentor, summer school administrator, lead teacher, professional learning facilitator, and as the chair of several school-level committees. He is a graduate of the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy and completed McREL Balanced Leadership for Administrators. Dr. Colston earned his Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University, M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership from Union University, and B.S. in History from Austin Peay State University.

Northeast Elementary School Assistant Principal

Michelle Cook has been selected as an assistant principal at Northeast Elementary School. Since 2020, she has served as the Academic Coach at Cumberland Heights Elementary School. Cook began her career in public education in 2013 and has served as a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at Norman Smith and Oakland elementary schools and as a substitute teacher in Hardin County. She was named Teacher of the Year in 2017 and was a nominee for the National Honor Society of Leadership and Success in 2024. Cook has served in numerous school-level leadership roles, including lead teacher, new teacher mentor, and summer learning camp administrator, and she has completed several national trainings and earned professional certifications, including Ayers Institute Coaching Academy, Safe Crisis Management Certification, and Kagan Cooperative Learning Training. She is a graduate of the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy and CMCSS Teacher Leadership Academy. Cook earned her Ed.S. from Arkansas State University, M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership and Reading Intervention from Concordia University, and B.S. in Elementary Education from Southeastern Illinois College.