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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!

“Oh man, all these kids? It’s going to be loud,” John Washington laughs as he explains his first thoughts about stepping into Northeast Elementary as part of their new Dad’s Actively Participating (DAP) program. In the month since the program’s inception, the school has seen the difference these positive male role models have on students.

Across the nation, school districts and families are having conversations surrounding parent engagement in schools, including an increased presence of families during the school day. At Northeast Elementary School, the administration began the Dad’s Actively Participating program, allowing students’ fathers, grandfathers, and more to apply to serve as volunteers with the Pre-K through 5th-grade classes. The school has seen success in similar programs, including one they lovingly call the “Grannies Program,” where retired women can come in to play games and assist with one-on-one help. When Washington, a military veteran and father of three, first learned about the DAP program, he was intrigued.

On this particular day, the school’s noise level was at an all-time high as students nearly burst with excitement for the annual Northeast High Senior Walk. Students lined the halls with colorful signs, posters, and cards, cheering, “Let’s Go Eagles.” Washington embraced the volume and interacted with students, offering high fives and engaging in conversations.

“Number one, I get to spend more time with my kids, but also for those kids who don’t have that father figure,” he said. He explained that the goal is not to step in as a parent or teacher but instead to serve as a consistent presence for children struggling to find a positive male adult.

“A lot of kids, I’ll see them, and they look down,” he says, slumping his shoulders and hanging his head. “So I’ll tap them and say, “What’s up man, what’s wrong with you?” He says even that simple recognition will encourage the children to stand taller, and he hopes to engage them in further conversation.

Studies show that children with a consistent adult male presence perform better academically, socially, and emotionally. Washington shared his perspective, saying, “If you have both parents, cool. Mom talking to you and Dad talking to you is two different things, though, especially to many little boys. There are a lot of dads that want to be here but can’t be here. I’m fortunate to step in and help with that.”

As he interacts with the students, he is mindful of respecting the authority of the teachers. As a football and baseball coach, Washington understands the importance of children building respect and listening to their teacher. Ultimately the DAP participants serve as volunteers to support the faculty and staff. Their role is to show the students that adults are willing to take the time and be present.

There are two different shifts from which volunteers can choose. In the morning, dads will welcome students to school, giving high-fives as they get off the bus and walking students into the building. Mid-morning and into the lunch hour, volunteers will be inside the cafeteria, speaking with students and walking through the halls during transition periods.

Washington cautions that supporting the school and students requires patience. “You are not these kids’ parents,” he said. “You have to be mindful of how you come at them.” The program’s goal is to increase family engagement, which will then positively impact student behavior.

He’s seen the positive impact of his presence first-hand. When he began volunteering, Washington noticed a student struggling to make good choices. After watching how he interacted with other students, Washington said, “You could tell he was not getting the support and needed attention at home.“ He took it upon himself to mindfully connect with the student in simple ways. “Just speaking with him, talking to him, being around him,” he said. The consistent presence produced significant results. Today, Washington says the student will find him in the hallways to share news of his day. “He comes up to me and says, ‘I’m being good today,’ or ‘I’ll be good the rest of the day.’” Washington says the student wants to share his progress, even though their relationship never centered on or discussed behavior.

When asked if he would continue volunteering with the program next year, Washington smiles and says, “I’ll do it as long as my boys are okay with it. They’re still young, so they’re not at that embarrassed stage yet. I’m still Cool Dad.”

The following administrative announcements were made on Friday, April 27, 2023.

Glenellen Elementary School Principal

Abby Binkley has been appointed the principal of Glenellen Elementary School for the 2023-2024 school year. She currently serves as the principal of Minglewood Elementary School. Previous administrative experience includes serving as an assistant principal at Minglewood Elementary, assistant principal at Glenellen Elementary, the Executive Director of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Foundation, and an assistant principal at Northeast High. Binkley has nine years of teaching experience in CMCSS at Rossview High, Rossview Elementary, and West Creek Elementary schools. She is a graduate of Leadership Middle Tennessee and Leadership Clarksville. Binkley completed the CMCSS Leadership Class Series, Aspiring Administrators Academy, and McREL Balanced Leadership training. She earned her M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision from Bethel University and B.S. in education from Kennesaw State University.

Minglewood Elementary School Principal

Emily Clark has been appointed the principal of Minglewood Elementary School for the 2023-2024 school year. She currently serves as the principal of Glenellen Elementary School. Previously, she served as the principal of Norman Smith Elementary for five years and as an assistant principal at the school 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 from Oakland City University in Indiana.

Kirkwood and Rossview Middle Schools Split-Position Assistant Principal

Dr. Lauren McCurdy has been selected as an assistant principal at Kirkwood and Rossview middle schools for the 2023-2024 school year. Currently, she serves as an assistant principal at Rossview High School. She has 15 years of teaching experience at Rossview High and in Trigg County. Dr. McCurdy has served in several school- and district-level leadership roles, and she graduated from the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy in 2019. She earned her Ed.D. in Leadership and Professional Practice, Ed.S. in Accountability and Instructional Leadership, and M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University and her B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.

CMCSS made the following administrative appointments on April 15, 2023.

Employee Relations Specialist

Staci Sohn has been selected as the CMCSS Employee Relations Specialist, replacing Patti Koloski who was selected as the Director of Certified Employment. This ESSER-funded position assists 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 focusing on improving retention and employee satisfaction.

Sohn has served as the Online Professional Learning Facilitator for 10 years. She began her career in public education in 2003 and has served as a teacher, cheerleading coach, and new teacher mentor in CMCSS and Henry County Schools. Before beginning her 20-year career in public education, she was a business manager in the private sector. Sohn has earned several national trainer certifications, including Classroom Organization and Management Program (COMP) and the Ruby Payne Framework for Understanding Poverty, and is a graduate of the Learning Forward Academy. She earned her M.S. in Advanced Secondary Education from the University of Tennessee at Martin and B.A. in Spanish, Anthropology, and Business Administration from Murray State University.

Barksdale Elementary School Assistant Principal

Sabrina McAllister has been selected as an assistant principal at Barksdale Elementary School, beginning the 2023-2024 school year. Currently, she serves as an assistant principal at Pisgah Elementary School. McAllister began her career with CMCSS in 2000 as a teacher at Barksdale Elementary School, serving there for 18 years, and serving for three years as an Academic Coach at Ringgold Elementary. She has served in numerous school and district-level leadership roles, including STEM Coordinator, Site-Based Induction Specialist, Before- and After-School Program Administrator, and Camp Invention Director. She earned her M.A. in Educational Leadership and Administration and her B.A. in Education from Austin Peay State University. McAllister is a graduate of the CMCSS Aspiring Administrator Academy and McREL Balanced Leadership Training.

Barkers Mill Elementary School Assistant Principal

Brock Wilee has been selected as an assistant principal at Barkers Mill Elementary School, beginning the 2023-2024 school year. He began his career with CMCSS in 2005 and has served as a 4th and 5th grade classroom teacher and health and physical education teacher at West Creek and Moore Magnet elementary schools. Over his 18 years in public education, he has served in numerous school and district-level leadership roles. Wilee was named Teacher of the Year in 2022 and won the Green Apple Award in 2006 and 2007, in addition to several other awards, honors, and grants. He earned his Ed.S. in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University and both his M.S. and B.S. in Health and Human Performance from Austin Peay State University.

Hazelwood Elementary School Assistant Principal

Tonilynn Mosley has been selected as an assistant principal at Hazelwood Elementary School, beginning the 2023-2024 school year. Currently, she serves as an assistant principal at Glenellen Elementary School. Previously, she served as an Academic Coach and teacher at Glenellen Elementary, beginning her career with CMCSS at the school in 2010. Mosley has served in several school, district, and state-level leadership roles, including the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network Cohort, Tennessee Department of Education K-2 Science Standards Facilitator, CMCSS STEM Externship Mentor, and CMCSS STEM Lead Teacher. Mosley was named a Teacher of the Year in 2016 and 2018 and a CMCSS Difference Maker in 2016. She earned her M.S. in Educational Leadership from Western Governor’s University and her B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies K-6 from Austin Peay State University. She is a graduate of the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy and McREL Balanced Leadership Training.

Northeast Elementary School Assistant Principal

Eleya Robertson has been selected as an assistant principal at Northeast Elementary School, beginning the 2023-2024 school year. She has served as a Second-Grade Multi-Classroom Leader at West Creek Elementary School since 2019, leading and mentoring a team of teachers and Teacher Residents. She began her career with CMCSS in 2010 as a classroom teacher. Robertson earned her Endorsement in K-12 Special Education from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, M.S. in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State, and B.S. in Education from the University of Southern Illinois.

Rossview Elementary and Oakland Elementary Schools Split-Position Assistant Principal

Molly Willis has been selected as a split-position assistant principal at Rossview and Oakland elementary schools, beginning the 2023-2024 school year. She entered school leadership in 2016 and has served as an assistant principal at Moore Magnet and Hazelwood elementary schools. Willis began her career in public education in 2005 and has served as an academic coach, K-6 teacher, and RTI Coordinator in schools in Kentucky and Tennessee. Willis completed the Instructional Leadership License Program from Bethel University, and she earned both an M.A. and a B.A. in Elementary Education from Oakland City University in Indiana.

Sango Elementary School Assistant Principal

Wimberly (Katie) Hackett has been selected as an assistant principal at Sango Elementary School, beginning the 2023-2024 school year. She has served as an Academic Coach at Sango Elementary since 2020. Hackett began her career with CMCSS in 2009 and has served as a classroom teacher and visual arts teacher at Barkers Mill and Carmel elementary schools. She has served in numerous school- and district-level curriculum and instruction leadership roles. She earned her M.A. in Educational Leadership, B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies, and A.S. in Liberal Studies from Austin Peay State University. Hackett is currently completing the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy.

Parents and guardians who wish to apply for the CMCSS Voluntary Pre-K Program (VPK), should review the following process:

• VPK applications will open on April 4, 2022.
• Income guidelines for Voluntary Pre-K.
• Visit cmcss.net/Pre-K and start the “enrollment/application” process. Please choose VPK.
• Once the Pre-K team receives your application one of the team members will contact you, via email, to meet via Zoom, to verify your family’s income and the child’s birth certificate.
• If you qualify for the CMCSS VPK program, you will receive an email from the Pre-K Coordinator at the beginning of July if you have been accepted. If you qualify but are on the waiting list, your email in July will state that you are on the waiting list. If we have a spot become available, we will contact you throughout the year.
• Our VPK program is a grant-funded program. You do have to meet the income requirements that the state has set forth to qualify for a spot.
• A month’s worth of pay stubs (TN requires gross income, therefore pay-stub must show gross income)
• Military: most recent LES (TN requires both BAH & Base pay to be added)
• Recent food stamp letter (must show eligibility dates, case number, and parent’s name)
• SS award letter
• 2021 Income Tax (form 1040 or W2)
• Unemployment benefits
• Disability benefits
• Children do have to be 4-years-old by or on August 15, 2022, to qualify.
• If you don’t have access to a laptop or a desktop, please contact Melinda Smith, Pre-K Coordinator, at 931-648-5653 to schedule a time to come to the Learning Center and use a district laptop.

Dates for zoom meetings:

April 6 – April 8
April 12 – April 14
April 18
April 19
April 22
April 26
April 28
May 2
May 6
May 10
May 12
May 17
May 19
and then as needed over the summer.

Evaluation for Special Education Services

Parents and guardians who wish to refer their child for an evaluation for special education services, please follow these steps. This would include transfer students, students that are receiving outside therapy, or if the district should schedule a screener.

• “Transfer Referral” – Visit cmcss.net/Pre-K and start the enrollment process. Please choose “transfer” referral if you have a current eligibility/IEP from the location that you are moving from. Please email the current eligibility and IEP to Melinda Smith, Pre-K Coordinator, at [email protected]
• “Parent Referral” – Visit cmcss.net/Pre-K and start the enrollment process. Please choose a “parent” referral if your child is receiving outside therapy and/or if your child isn’t receiving outside therapy and you need to schedule a screener. Please email any outside therapy reports (if applicable) to Melinda Smith, Pre-K Coordinator, at [email protected]

Tennessee Early Intervention Systems

Parents and guardians, if your child is with TEIS (TN Early Intervention Systems), please see below for more information. If your child is receiving services through TEIS, we will have a transition planning conference with the Pre-K Coordinator, your TEIS Service Coordinator, and your Early Interventionist to go over the process from TEIS and the school system.

• Visit cmcss.net/Pre-K and start the enrollment process. Please choose “TEIS” referral. Once we have our TPC and receive information for the referral as well as information from your service coordinator, the Pre-K Coordinator will send this referral to the school for which you are zoned.

Peer Model Program

Our peer model program is for peers to attend one of our special education PreK classrooms to serve as peer models for our students receiving special education services. Both programs use the same curriculum, the teachers and EA’s train together, and they both have the same scope and sequence, among other things. Parents and guardians who are interested in their child participating in the Peer Model Program, please follow these steps:

• Please fill out the information from this link – Peer Model Application
• To be considered as a Peer Model, the child(ren) can’t be receiving any type of therapy (ST, OT, PT, etc.) or have an active IEP.
• Once we receive this information, we will be in contact to schedule a screener
• Students must be 4 by or on August 15, 2022
• Please contact Melinda Smith – Pre-K Coordinator, [email protected] for more information.

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].

The USDA approved for CMCSS to continue serving free curbside meal pick-up to all children 18 and under. The USDA stated that these free meals will be available through June 2022, or until funds run out.

Meals are available for all children 18 and under in Montgomery County, including children not enrolled in CMCSS schools.

Curbside meals will be available for pick-up at any of the traditional high school locations on Wednesday, each week, from 10:00 – 11:00 am. Families with multiple children can pick up all meals in one location. 

Children are not required to be present for curbside pick-up. The person picking up meals will need to provide the name of the child(ren) not present.