The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) announced Jackson County Superintendent Kristy Brown as the state’s new chief academic officer (CAO). Brown (pictured above) replaces former Deputy Secretary Eve Carney. who recently tendered her resignation effective July 1.
The announcement comes just a week before Lizzette Gonzales Reynolds is slated to assume the role of Tennessee’s new Commissioner of Education at the beginning of July. Reynolds replaces Penny Schwinn, who resigned on June 1.
The new CAO will oversee the divisions of instructional strategy, early learning, special education and intervention programs, and learning acceleration, including the Reading 360 and TN ALL Corps strategic initiatives. She will also oversee Career and Technical Education (CTE), which prepares students for success in their chosen career pathway after high school graduation. Carney covered these responsibilities after the state’s previous CAO Lisa Coons left in February to become Virginia’s superintendent of public instruction.
Interim Commissioner Sam Pearcy calls Brown “a passionate educator who will bring important perspective and experience to support our mission to set all students on a path to success.”
Pearcy added, “Kristy Brown’s leadership at Jackson County Schools has led to strong implementation of innovative programs that support student success, and we are thrilled to have her expertise on our team as we continue our focus on statewide implementation of major academic initiatives and policies set forward by Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly.”
Brown took over as district superintendent in 2018 after leading Jackson County High School(JCHS) for three years. Prior to becoming principal, she had served as the school’s vice-principal. Brown started her education career at JCHS in 2004 as a Spanish teacher.
Under her leadership, Jackson County Schools has been a model district participating in initiatives to boost student academic achievement and learning acceleration, including Reading 360, TN ALL Corps, Innovative School Models, and Grow Your Own. Jackson County Schools became part of Reading 360’s Pre-K-12 Literacy Implementation Network and was named a Reading 360 Model District by demonstrating a strong and clear focus on foundational literacy skills. Through the district’s participation in TN ALL Corps and other strategic initiatives, the district earned the Tennessee Best for All District distinction in 2022.
In surveying Tennessee’s local superintendents, several told The Tennessee Star they were excited to have someone from Tennessee in the role, especially someone with as much experience as a principal as Brown.
Located just northwest of Cookville, Brown’s rural district is home to 1417 students, served by four schools. Nearly half of Jackson County’s students are considered economically disadvantaged. 6% of the district’s students identify as black or Hispanic.
After the 2021/2022 school year, the district received a “satisfactory” designation from the TDOE. Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program results from spring 2023 show that 32 percent of students are proficient in English language Arts (ELA).
Tennessee’s district leaders and parents anxiously await the arrival of new commissioner Reynolds. Since her appointment as the next Tennessee Commissioner of Education, Reynolds has offered little information on her forthcoming agenda, and who would be joining her cabinet. The timing of Brown’s hiring makes it difficult to determine whether she is an early hire by Reynolds or a late hire by the interim commissioner.
Carney’s imminent departure, and that of TDOE’s chief statewide support officer Meghan McLeroy, have left a leadership void at the TDOE. Of Schwinn’s initial cabinet, only chief counsel Christy Ballard and Pearcy remain.
The new CAO officially starts on July 15th.
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TC Weber is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. He also writes the blog Dad Gone Wild. Follow TC on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]. He’s the proud parent of two public school children and the spouse of a public school teacher.
Photo “Kristy Brown” by Jackson County Schools. Background Photo “Classroom” by Wokandapix.
