The DeKalb County School Board met in its regular monthly meeting last Thursday evening where the 2024-25 personnel report was released along with a list of tenured educators.
Seven DeKalb educators were granted tenure by the Board of Education, with Crystal Barnes, Rachel Hernandez, Stephanie Turner, Claire Cloyd, Amber Howell, John Pryor and Stephanie Fuson being named.
Director of Schools Patrick Cripps spoke at the meeting saying, “These teachers have successfully completed the probationary period of five years, and received evaluations demonstrating an overall performance effectiveness level of above or significantly above expectations as required for tenure. It is my recommendation that these teachers be granted tenure.”
Director Cripps then announced that a total of 232 teachers and other professional personnel have been hired for the 2024-25 school year. Certified personnel at each school are as follows:
DeKalb County High School: Joey Agee, Brandy Alley, Charlotte Blaylock, Amanda Brown, Kevin Burchfield, Brian Cadle, Thomas Cagle, Amee Cantrell, Jeanine Cantrell, Todd Cantrell, Gary Caplinger, Hope Carter, Lisa Craig, Eli Cross, Bruce Curtis, Deborah DePriest, Edward Dillard, Ethan Duke, Luke Dycus, Lauren Ferrell, Amy Fricks, Amanda Fuller, Luke Green, Britney Gulley, Josh Gulley, Lesa Hayes, Bradley Hendrix, Danielle Horton, Sonja House, Brooke Howard, Ann Inglis, Alivia Jared, Angie Johnson, Jon Jones, Lindsay Kennedy, Dylan Kleparek, Brad Leach, Rebecca Miller, Lori Myrick, Jenny Norris, Morgan Oyster, Shelly Painter, Leslie Parsley, Maddison Parsley, Cole Parsley, John Pryor, Cody Randolph, Gabby Robinson, Melissa Ruch, Michael Shaw, Steve Trapp, Erin Turner, Stephanie Turner, Tad Webb, Barbara Weller, Emily Wheeler, Kason Wheeler, Michael Whitefield and Sara Young.
Northside Elementary School: Marla Beshearse, Callie Betencourt, Erica Birmingham, Linda Bush, Sandy Cantrell, Shanea Cantrell, Shaunta Cantrell, Megan Carroll, Allison Collier, Kelsey Cornelius, Tiffany Cowart, Michael Crockett, Alisha Day, Tara Driver, Tabitha Farmer, Megan Ford, Stephanie Fuson, Amanda Goodwin, Carrie Gottlied, Amanda Griffith, Cynthia Hale, Patty Hale, Jennifer Herndon, Shelly Jennings, Angela Johnson, Trey Jones, Lisa Mabe, Jama Martin, Amanda Mathis, Elizabeth Miller, Diana Moon, Melissa Odom, Beth Pafford, Amanda Parker, Kathy Ramsey, Amy Raymond, Bethany Rigsby, Kristen Rowland, Melissa Roysdon, Jennifer Salas, Tammy Sims, Taylor Spare, Carol Tripp, Cheryl Vandagriff and Kristen Van Vranken.
DeKalb West School: Jessica Antoniak, Samantha Antoniak, Crystal Barnes, Vickey Barrett, Dwayne Blair, Mollie Bratten, Whitney Brelje, Jenny Cantrell, Jeanna Caplinger, Rayanna Chapman, Trent Colwell, William Conger, Kim Crook, Kayley Curtis, Rachel Desimone, Tonya Ellis, Sabrina Farler, Rachel Hernandez, Cathleen Humphrey, Kristen Malone, Jennifer Martin, Shelia McMillen, Leslie Moore, Amanda Mullinax, Olivia Neal, Ashley Nokes, Kelly Pyburn, Missy Sliger, Cynthia Snow, Teresa Sullivan, Lori Vandergriff, Susan West, Seth Willoughby and Amy Young.
Smithville Elementary School: Misty Agee, Ashley Barnes, Katie Barrett, Erica Birmingham, Lindsey Bouldin, Priscilla Campbell, Beth Cantrell, Mary Cantrell, Claire Cloyd, Calista Dodd, Ashley Dugaw, Madison Elkins, Dionndra Foster, Caitlin Fox, Karen France, Holly Hendrix, Tanya Howard, Amber Howell, Kelly Huling, Lori Isabell, Ana Jarvis, Sydney Johnson, Emily Lattimore, Sherry Locke, Leah Magness, Adrienne McCormick, Christina Merriman, April Moore, Jacquelyn Overbey, Anita Puckett,, Jane Ramsey, Amanda Rhoady, Janie Roberts, Cristy Spears, Renee Steiner, Cynthia Stoglin, Chloe Sykes, Kaylene Thomason, Allyson Trapp, Brad Trapp, Patricia Ward, Kristy Williams, Lisa Woods, Elizabeth Wright and Crystal Young.
DeKalb Middle School: January Agee, Josh Agee, Suzette Barnes, Kelly Birmingham, Galen Brown, Victoria Christian, Nancy Cowan, Melba Farmer, Amy Fricks, Heather Harney, Amy Hayes, Lori Hendrix, Sarah Jacobs-McGregor, Nikitta Johnson, Bryan Jones, Michelle Jones, Teresa Jones, Alyssa Leslie, Cameron Lester, Kristen Lynch, Martha Melching, LeVaughnda Midgett, Justin Nokes, Colter Norris, Courtney O’Conner, Scott Odom, David Parker, Maxwell Patterson, Hunter Poteete, Justin Poteete, Deb Poteete, Candice Scrabo, Caleb Shehane, Carson Speck, Danni Stahlke, Carol Tallent, Kitty Thomas, Cheryl Vance, Jennifer West and Christie Young
Central Office Staff: Michelle Burklow, Danielle Collins, Elise Driver, Emily Estes, Randy Jennings, Joey Reeder, Lori Rogers and Natasha Vaughn.
Director Cripps also reported that 176 support staff members have been employed for the 2024-25 school year. Those employed are as follows:
DeKalb County High School: Caitlin Anderson, Abby Bates, Dean Broadhead, Kathy Chapman, Jamie Cripps, Rochelle Davis, Tena Edwards, Lori Gallagher, Yvonne Hale, Brooke Hutchings, Isabella Johnson, Tracy Kyle, Patricia Linder, Cheryl Mach, Marsha Martin, Mike Merriman, Tera Mooneyham, Holly Moore, Sara Parker, Santos Sosa, Tim Stribling, Tina Templeton and Vicky Walker.
DeKalb Middle School: Fay Baker, Deanna Brooks, Martha Cantrell, Katie Denton, Trena Ferrell, Brittany Gard, Ester Holder, Tammy Maynard, Lacey McMillen, Lisa Norton, Brandi Patterson, Tina Pedigo, Jessica Tatrow and Miranda Waggoner
Smithville Elementary School: Jennifer Adcock, Charlotte Bertsh, Jamie Bloise, Bethany Bogle, Brenda Beth Cantrell, Brenda G. Cantrell, Darlene Evans, Tavia Gilbert, Betty Griffith, Margie Hale, Tanya Howard, Malia Laird, Talitha Looney, Rita Matthews, Chelsie May, Rebecca Parker, Lori Poss, Brenda Rigney, Jennifer Roller, Jaley Shim, Talitha Shirah, Jackie Stockling, Marie Storie, Allison Taylor, Mary-Margaret Tripp, Tammy Tyler, Harper Wallace and Celia Whaley.
Northside Elementary School: Katie Bates, Kortny Blaylock, Chelsie Bryant, Rosalinda Cervantas, Terrie Ford, Glenda Gassaway, Mary Hancock, Tamara Judkins, LaTonya Kleparek, Ivory Knauer, Ann Knisley, Crystal Moore, Angela O’Connell, Deanna Page, Dennis Patz, Stephanie Reeder, Joy Troncoso, Rita Umstead and Deneene Willingham.
DeKalb West School: Margaret Curtis, Emily Davis, Donna Driver, Makenzie Dunaway, Erica Garrett, Alex Hancock, Alyssa Harvey, Nancy Mulloy, Riley Overstreet, Courtney Reynolds, Tonya Roberts, Christine Roehner, Kristi Sullivan, Danyelle Troyer and Brandi Turney
County Wide Positions: Chandra Adcock, Linda Adcock, Ally Atnip, Amanda Carter, Cindy Childers, James Culberson, Debra Culver, Bettye June Dodd, Christie Driver, Susan Farris, Wade Ferrell, Lacey Foutch, Greg Frasier, Jordon Funk, Donna Hale, Lisa Hale, Judy Hatfield, Rebecca Hawkins, Bernice Hendrixson, Dillon Hicks, Karen Kidd, Ginda Kilgore, Lindsey Knight, Maggie Lawson, Jenean Lawson, Amanda Lawson, Debra London, Shirley Mathis, Greg Matthews, Kirby Morton, Melissa Pirtle, Danny Pirtle, Jr., Cindy Rhody, Frederick Sanders, Roger Sharp, Brooke Shirah, Kathy Stanley, Beverly Starnes, Kimberly Turner, Steve Vandagriff, Jamie Vickers, Penny Walker, Joannie Williams, Mary Williams and Aaron Young.
Transportation: Zack Adams, Debra Bernal, Danny Bond, Dwayne Cantrell, Todd Cantrell, Cathy Driver, Debbie Eaton, Marshall Ferrell, Julie Fitts, Lori Gallagher, Judith Hale, Melissa Hicks, Danny Jenkins, Daniel Lawson, Josh Lawson, Cheryl Mach, Scott McBroom, Mike Merriman, Ronald Merriman, Brandi O’Conner, Linda Gail Pack, Tony Poss, Kelly Pyburn, Ashley Redmon, Myron Rhody, Carol Swope, Nathan Thomas, Mark Violet, Danny Washer, Angela Wilkerson, James Wilkerson and Linda Williams.
In other business at the meeting, Chairman Shaun Tubbs commended Director Cripps for being named as the Upper Cumberland Regional Superintendent of the Year by the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents (TOSS).
“Mr. Jim Beshearse, Mr. Danny Parkerson and I were part of the vetting process when Mr. Cripps applied for the job as Director,” said Tubbs. “I know over these years we have watched him grow and we have grown with him as a board.”
“I remember when we compiled a list of qualities we were looking for when we hired a director. We wanted someone with integrity, someone who was very knowledgeable of the job, someone who would be fair, transparent, and someone who would put the kids interests first and foremost. I think that’s what we have in Mr. Cripps. He is very deserving of this award. I am glad to call him a friend and colleague. Everyone should be proud to call him our director. Congratulations Mr. Cripps on this award,” said Chairman Tubbs.
In response, Director Cripps said, “Thank you. God blessed me with this position. I can’t walk through life without him in it. This award is not about me. It’s about our employees. It starts from the time a kid is picked up on a school bus until after school programs are concluded at the end of the day. It takes all of us working together. If one link is weak it falls apart. I thank our employees and the board for supporting and working with me. Again, it’s not about me and never will be,” said Director Cripps.
Cripps has served as DeKalb County Director of Schools since 2015.
