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The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS) will host a Teacher Job Fair on Thurs., March 14, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Applicants who hold a current TN Teaching License or are actively pursuing a TN Teaching License are invited to attend. The event will be held at the Wilma Rudolph Event Center in Clarksville, and interested candidates are encouraged to register before the event.

CMCSS is looking to fill nearly 100 teaching positions at over 40 schools. While available teaching positions exist in almost every school, high-needs areas include Special Education, elementary teachers, secondary math and science, and school counselors. The complete list of openings is available at cmcss.net/best. 

While at the job fair, interested applicants can meet school administrators and learn more about the school culture. From 4:00 – 5:30 p.m., attendees will have an open session to network and make connections. School administrators will host interviews from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and principals may set up interviews on the spot.  

As the district continues to grow, so will the need for dedicated, high-quality teachers. In 2023, with the support of the CMCSS School Board, Montgomery County Commission, and the community, the district implemented a mid-year, 5% pay increase for all employees. 

CMCSS is one of the few districts in the state with a three-year teacher induction program, offering extensive opportunities for professional development. The district also remains committed to providing a superior employee benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement plans, and other supports.

Alternative licensure opportunities may be available if you are a college graduate interested in a career with a meaningful purpose. To learn more, visit cmcss.net/teach. If you have questions, email Ashley Calhoun, Certified Application & Recruitment Representative, at [email protected]. 

Register for the CMCSS Teacher Job Fair on March 14 and receive career-related information at cmcss.net/best.

About CMCSS

The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System in Clarksville, Tennessee, is an award-winning, nationally recognized district with 39,000 students across 45 schools. CMCSS employs over 5,400 difference makers and has been named the “Best in State Employer” two years in a row. Clarksville continues to be a nationally-ranked community for people of all ages. It has been named the Best Place to Live in America by Money.com, one of the top three cities where millennials buy homes, and the 4th in the nation for talent attraction.

Northeast High School, 3701 Trenton Road, will be a Multi-Agency Disaster Relief Center through Tuesday, December 19, coordinated by CMCSS and Northeast High School administration. The Red Cross Shelter only will be open through Friday, December 29, at the latest, to allow time for Northeast High School to prepare for classes to resume on January 4. Our doors are open for anyone who has been impacted by the tornado and is in need of support or resources.

The Red Cross Shelter will be open 24 hours a day. Other services will be available only between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Law enforcement will be on-site 24 hours a day.

At this time, there is not a need for additional volunteers to show up at Northeast High School. Hundreds of CMCSS employees have been volunteering and are continuing to sign up to assist at Northeast High School.

Please see below for the services provided at the Multi-Agency Disaster Relief Center:

Meals

CMCSS has coordinated a meal service and distribution center. With support from World Central Kitchen, Macedonian Missionary Service, Red Cross, Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Foundation, and numerous restaurants, food trucks, and community partners, Northeast High School will be serving and distributing over 3,000 meals per day. Volunteers will be delivering hot meals to affected areas across the community every afternoon.

Warm meals will also be served on site for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

We appreciate the support, but CMCSS is following Red Cross policies and not accepting donations of warm meals from citizens. For the health and safety of recipients, meals are being prepared by ServSafe certified organizations. CMCSS is accepting donations of non-perishable food items. See donations section below.

Red Cross Shelter

The Red Cross Shelter at Northeast High School has beds for those who have been displaced by the tornado. The shelter provides a warm place to sleep at night and showers, in addition to the other services provided by CMCSS.

The Red Cross is providing help for immediate medical needs, including lost prescriptions or medical equipment needs.

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.

Donations

CMCSS is coordinating donations at Northeast High. Anyone who needs clothing, non-perishable food items, toiletries, and other supplies are encouraged to come to Northeast High School.

If you would like to donate, for the health and safety of recipients, items must be new and may be brought to the Northeast High School location at 3701 Trenton Road until Friday, December 15. After Friday, December 15, donations can still be brought to Spring Creek Baptist Church at 2760 Trenton Road or one of the other community donation drop-off centers in the community.

Monetary donations are encouraged to allow people to buy items. The official donation link is under the “Tornado Information” banner on the City of Clarksville and Montgomery County Government websites.

Food

• Non-perishable food items
• Juices
• Sodas
• Fresh fruit
• Snacks
• Baby formula

Personal

• Vaseline
• Lip balm
• Hot Hands
• Diapers
• Pull-ups
• Sweatpants (All sizes/genders)
• Underwear (All sizes/genders)
• Children/adult socks

Household

• Pillows
• Towels
• Blankets
• Facial tissue
• Gallon zipper storage bags
• 13-gallon trash bags
• Small first-aid kits
• Baby bottles
• Cat/dog food
• Flashlights
• Laundry detergent
• Suitcases/bags

There are numerous other partners across the community accepting and providing donations to survivors. Please refer to the City of Clarksville and Montgomery County Government websites.

Transportation

CMCSS will be supporting the Clarksville Transit System with transporting survivors from affected areas to the Northeast High School Multi-Agency Disaster Relief Center as well as other shelters and centers for support.

CMCSS buses will also be supporting community service providers by transporting volunteers for clean-up efforts to and from affected areas.

Laundry Services

An LG mobile laundry trailer is available at Northeast High School.

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!

CMCSS made the following administrator announcements in July 2023.

Director of Instruction and Curriculum 9-12

Dr. Becky Padgett has been selected as the Director of Instruction and Curriculum 9-12. She has served as an assistant principal at Rossview High School since 2017. Dr. Padgett began her career with CMCSS in 2005 and has previously served as an English teacher, AVID coordinator and teacher, academic coach, and head women’s basketball coach. Before beginning her career with CMCSS, Dr. Padgett served as an adjunct professor and women’s basketball coach at the collegiate level. She was named a CMCSS and Rossview High Teacher of the Year, received the Green Apple Award, and was honored as The Leaf-Chronicle’s Girls Basketball Coach of the Year. Dr. Padgett has presented at state and national conferences and has served in several school- and district-level leadership roles, including CMCSS ACT Prep Lead Teacher, TN Department of Education Standards Training Site Operations Manager, and TN Teacher Leader Guidebook Contributor. She earned her Ed.d. in Learning Organizations and Strategic Change from Lipscomb University, M.S. in Health and Human Performance from Austin Peay State University, and B.A. in Communications, Broadcast Journalism from the University of Tennessee at Martin.

ILP-D Coordinator

Ashley Forbis has been selected as the District’s ILP-D Coordinator. In this role, she will support the ongoing development and improvement of Individualized Learning Plans (ILP) for students with characteristics of dyslexia. Forbis has served as an ELA Consulting Teacher since 2018. She began her career with CMCSS in 2004 as a classroom teacher and also served for three years as an academic coach. During her nearly 20-year career in public education, Forbis has led numerous initiatives and professional development efforts to support literacy. She completed extensive training to earn a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) license and has focused on providing specialized and intensive support for students with dyslexia. Forbis earned her M.S. in Education from Nova Southeastern University and B.S. in Elementary Education from Austin Peay State University.

Liberty Elementary Assistant Principal

Kelly Hall has been selected as an assistant principal at Liberty Elementary School. Hall has served as a First-Grade Multi-Classroom Leader at Minglewood Elementary School since 2019. She began her career in CMCSS in 2006 and has served as a special education resource assistant, classroom teacher, and K-2 RLA lead teacher, serving at East Montgomery, Pisgah, and Minglewood elementary schools. Additionally, she served as a childcare teacher and caregiver for three years and has been a senior youth pastor since 2009. Hall has served on school and district-level curriculum and assessment development teams and has earned several Green Apple Awards. She earned her M.A. in Administration from Austin Peay State University, B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Western Governors University, and B.L.A. from the University of South Carolina. Hall completed the CMCSS Teacher Leader Academy, CMCSS Leadership Development Course, and the APSU Aspiring Assistant Principal Program.

Montgomery Central High School Assistant Principal

Jessica Drudy has been selected as a half-time assistant principal at Montgomery Central High School. Drudy currently serves as an academic coach at the school. She began her career with CMCSS in 2014 as a teacher and soccer coach and has served at both Kenwood and Montgomery Central high schools. Additionally, she has served as a National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) Educational Coach since 2020. Drudy was named a CMCSS Teacher of the Year district finalist, earned the Mike Brown Award of Excellence, and was a Green Apple Award recipient and district finalist. She has served in numerous school- and district-level leadership roles, including Student Support and Testing Coordinator, Site-Based Induction Specialist, and CMCSS’ English III lead teacher. Drudy earned her Ed.S. in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University and her M.S.Ed. in Interdisciplinary English and B.S.Ed. in Secondary English from the University of Tennessee at Martin. She is a graduate of the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy and completed the CMCSS Teacher Leader Academy.

Rossview High School Assistant Principal

Dr. Lauren McCurdy, who was previously selected as an assistant principal at Kirkwood and Rossview middle schools, will remain at Rossview High School as an assistant principal. 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.

Class of 2022 tnAchieves mentor recruitment is underway!

Begin the process of becoming a tnAchieves mentor by visiting the tnAchieves website. Applications are available for new and returning mentors.

After completing a mentor application/renewal, you will receive a confirmation email with the next steps. After applying, all tnAchieves mentors must complete mentor training to be paired with Class of 2022 TN Promise students. tnAchieves will communicate training details as soon as they are available.

tnAchieves mentors play a critical role in the success of students across the state of Tennessee as they pursue a post-secondary credential. Many students need just a little extra help in navigating the college-going process. tnAchieves mentors provide that support by offering encouragement and personal guidance to students in their community.

What are the responsibilities of a mentor?

tnAchieves Mentors are asked to serve three essential roles for their students from mid-February 2022 through their first semester of college. Mentoring only takes one hour per month, but that one hour can make a significant difference in a student’s life!

Mentors invest 12 hours annually assisting 5-10 high school seniors. tnAchieves has designed the mentor role so that even the busiest executive, parent, or young professional can make a meaningful impact. If you do not have experience working in education, do not worry! All mentors receive online training, a handbook, and support from the tnAchieves staff.

Questions? Email: [email protected]

Learn more at tnAchieves.org.

This week, CMCSS students in grades 6 – 12 will have the opportunity to voluntarily participate in a short one-question survey regarding ESSER 3.0 funding. The question will be a multi-select ranking question. Data collected will provide the district with another avenue of stakeholder feedback.

The question was specifically designed for students and appeared as follows: 

CMCSS expects to receive a lot of money that we can spend on our schools and students. Please rank the items below from 1 to 7 that you would like to see CMCSS spend more money on with these new funds. 1 = I want CMCSS to spend the most money on this, 7 = I want CMCSS to spend the least amount of money on this

1. Academics and Instruction
2. Arts (Music/Band, Art Classes)
3. Improvements to School Buildings
4. Student Social and Emotional Learning Support
5. More Technology or Technology Improvements
6. Tutoring Opportunities 
7. More Substitute Teachers and Bus Drivers

Stakeholders who have questions regarding ESSER 3.0 can contact [email protected].

Strength and resiliency can be found in many places, yet none are as inspiring as seeing it in our students. Through the tumultuous 2020-21 school year, several CMCSS students within the JROTC program proved grit and determination can produce excellent results.

In July, three teams from two CMCSS high schools, Northwest and Rossview, competed during the JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl (JLAB) National Competition in Washington, D.C. Northwest High School was represented by their Leadership and Academic teams. Rossview High School Academic Team qualified for the national competition.

The overall finish of each team represents the highest level each school has ever received. The Northwest High Leadership team took 11th-place out of 1,500 teams across the nation. The school’s Academic Team was one of the Top 16 in the country, out of over 1,700 academic teams. Rossview High Academic Team also placed in the Top 16 and has the added distinction of receiving the highest score of any CMCSS JROTC academic team to date.

These achievements would be tremendous even in a traditional year. To accomplish this feat through the uncertainty of last year is astounding. The cadets humbly acknowledge their success and bring the credit back to the unity of the team and the foundational support of the program.

“Freshman me was this little shell of a person that didn’t want to expand much,” said Bridger Helm, a senior at Northwest. He explains how CSM (Ret.) Glenn Louk took him aside and began to assign specific responsibilities. The experience pushed him to try more, and it made all the difference.

Kaylee Coon, a senior at Northwest, and Madeline Pufall, a sophomore at Rossview, share similar experiences of being shy and unsure of themselves. Through their journey with JROTC, the cadets have grown more confident in their abilities. “Everything with JROTC has taught me a lot about myself,” said Kaylee. “I found a lot of strength. It taught me to be proud of myself.”

The JROTC program offers multiple avenues of exploration along with leadership and academics. Students can also try raider, drill, S.T.E.M. opportunities of Robotics, Drone and Cyber Patriot, and rifle teams. Cadets are assigned to the team that best fits their interests and abilities. They insist the program is not simply a ‘military focused’ mindset and instead has provided a much stronger frame of mind.

“When you think about JROTC, you think military,” Madeline explained. “But I relate it more to a life skills class. How to be a better citizen, how to work with what you have, and how to give back to the community.”

Through JROTC and their trip to Washington, D.C., the students also had a deeper understanding of the importance of relationships and teamwork.

“Teammates are definitely important, even through normal life activities,” said Kaylee. Now that she and Bridger have assumed leadership roles with their program, they both insist that teamwork and group effort are critical to achieving their goals.

They all agree the experience has left them with a better understanding of communication. For Kaylee, she admits the time spent in Washington reminded her how important balance is to her overall wellness. While she went in thinking the entire experience had to be serious and focused, she found herself becoming more anxious. “[I learned] you can have fun even if you’re doing something serious.”

Thinking back to last year, they realize the impact of the program. “It was something that didn’t change. I knew it was always going to be there,” said Bridger. Madeline nodded in agreement. “I had JROTC to look forward to. My people were there, and it was my own little outlet,” she said.

As the students made the trip to Washington, fear of the unknown ran through their minds. “I had no idea what I was walking into,” admits Madeline, as this was her first time attending the national competition. For Bridger and Kaylee, they were nervous all of their training would be forgotten.

“My biggest fear was not remembering anything,” admits Bridger. He then reflected on the foundation he learned through JROTC. “Remembering you’re not one person. You’re part of a team.”

The students all rallied around each other, even if they were competing for different schools. “We were all in the auditorium together as they announced the playoffs,” said CSM (Ret) Louk. “There were 16 teams in the country that made the playoffs, and CMCSS had two.”

“Rossview was just as happy that Northwest was in the Top 16,” said MAJ (Ret) Braun, the Rossview High JROTC instructor. While the schools retained their healthy competition, overall, the instructor support drove the students to succeed.

Moving into a new school year, the teams are excited about the potential. Individually the students are hopeful that their peers will find a place in school where they feel comfortable and supported. For them, that place was the JROTC program. “JROTC changed my life for the better,” said Kaylee. She offered her insight to other students. “You’ll learn so many things about yourself, and it will widen your perspective.”

Applications are now open for the Teacher Residency Programs within the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System. The programs allow community members, current CMCSS employees, and high school seniors a non-traditional approach to becoming a teacher.

“It’s about investing in your own community with an apprenticeship approach to developing teachers,” stated Dr. Sean Impeartrice, Chief Academic Officer for CMCSS.

Residents work towards their licensure, degree, and/or certification while gaining first-hand experience as an Educational Assistant within the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System. This experience provides instructional and non-instructional support to students while learning best practices for a career in education from a certified CMCSS educator.

Now in its third year of the program, CMCSS has partnered with several colleges and universities in the surrounding area, including Austin Peay State University, Nashville State Community College, and Lipscomb University. Residents incur no expenses for tuition or textbooks.

“We are proactively addressing the national teacher shortage,” said Dr. Phyllis Casebolt, Director of Federal Projects, including the Teacher Residency Programs. “These programs provide residents an opportunity to work with high-performing teachers while completing the requirements to earn a teaching license.  Wrap-around supports are in place to ensure the academic success of the residents.  Our district recognizes the positive impact of employees committed to meeting the needs of all students.”

There are three teacher residency pathways available for the 2021-2022 school year: Early-Learning Teacher Residency in partnership with Nashville State Community College and Austin Peay State University, Lipscomb Teacher Residency, and Lipscomb Middle Teacher Residency in partnership with Lipscomb University.

Applications for community members are due February 10, 2021. High School seniors must submit their applications by March 5, 2021. All applications and required paperwork can be found on the district website, www.cmcss.net/trp.

“I’ve always had a passion for teaching since I was little. This was an excellent opportunity that I could not pass up,” said Ms. Raquel Blackley, a Teacher Resident who is currently serving at West Creek Elementary School.

Each program’s eligibility criteria and requirements can be found on the district website, www.cmcss.net/trp, along with videos and links to frequently asked questions. For more information, email the Teacher Pipeline Facilitators at [email protected].

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (October 7, 2020) – tnAchieves, the local partnering organization for TN Promise, which provides two years of tuition-free attendance at a community or technical college in Tennessee, is looking for both high school applicants and mentors to assist seniors in pursuing higher education. In Clarksville-Montgomery County, both the number of students who have applied for the scholarship and the adult mentors has seen a significant drop in 2020. 

TNPromise Applicants

The deadline for high school seniors submitting a TN Promise application is November 2, 2020. Due to disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, most Tennessee high schools are significantly behind last year’s TN Promise application rate. High school seniors who are interested should complete the TN Promise application, submit a FAFSA, and apply to a college.

Tennessee high school seniors can submit a TN Promise application by visiting www.TNPromise.gov and applying online.

As indicated, the scholarship will provide two years of tuition-free attendance at a community or technical college in Tennessee. Tennessee Promise is a last-dollar scholarship, meaning it will cover the cost of tuition and mandatory fees not met by Pell, Hope, or the Tennessee Student Assistance Award. As part of the program, students will be paired with a partnering organization, provided with a mentor who will support them during the college application process and complete the community service requirement. 

Mentor a High School Senior

tnAchieves, the local partnering organization for TN Promise, needs volunteers to serve as mentors for the Class of 2021. tnAchieves mentors will serve their community virtually, working with local students to offer support throughout the college-going process.

TN Promise allows any graduating high school senior the opportunity to attend a community or technical college tuition and mandatory fee-free. Many of the students will be the first in their family to attend college and may also need some additional, non-financial support. tnAchieves provides this support by pairing each scholarship applicant with a volunteer mentor. The program needs more than 9,000 mentors across the state!

tnAchieves mentors spend about one hour per month working with a group of students to help them achieve their college-going goals. In 2021, mentors will serve their students using tnAchieves CONNECT. tnAchieves CONNECT is a new virtual mentoring tool that allows mentors to remain connected to their students in a safe, online environment. It will also enable mentors to serve from their home and on their schedule!

Mentors remind students of important deadlines, serve as a trusted college resource and, most importantly, encourage students to reach their full potential. While the time commitment is small, the impact on the students can be life-changing. To learn more and apply, you can visit www.tnachieves.org/mentors/apply or contact Tyler Ford at [email protected] or (309) 945-3446