Dr. Kathy Bryant, the principal at DCHS for the last two years, has taken a position in the board of education’s central office.

Bryant will assume the seat vacated by recently retired supervisor of instruction for grades 6-12, Lisa Cripps. Director of Schools Patrick Cripps told the Review that Bryant will be a good fit for the position.

“Dr. Bryant is going to be coming to the central office as supervisor of instruction,” Cripps said. “She will replace Lisa Cripps, who retired. Were excited about having her come up. She’s bright and intelligent, and she’s a progressive thinker. I think she’s going to challenge me.”

He said some roles in the office may change when Bryant comes in.

“We’re going to do some reworking,” he shared. “We’re working on some different roles, and we’re going to do some reorganization within the central office.  People will have some different assignments. When she gets up here full time we plan on doing that. She’s handling both jobs now, and that’s a handful.”

He said relief will come soon, however.

“I plan on hiring a principal at the high school in the next few weeks. We’ll start doing interviews soon,” Cripps concluded

Bryant earned a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies at Middle Tennessee State University in 1996, a Masters Degree in Instructional Leadership at Tennessee Tech in 2008 and an Ed.S. in Instructional Leadership at Tennessee Tech in 2010. She was recently awarded a Doctorate Degree of Education in Instructional Leadership from East Tennessee State University.

A DeKalb County native, Bryant began teaching at Hillsboro Elementary School and at North Coffee Elementary School in Coffee County in 1996. She then moved to Memphis, and taught at Brookmead Elementary School before being named director of the Sylvan Learning Center.

She returned to Smithville in 1999 and taught at Smithville Elementary for two years before moving to the assistant principal position at DeKalb Middle School in 2011. The next year Bryant moved to DCHS as an assistant principal.