CMCSS made the following administrative announcements on Friday, April 12.
Kenwood Middle School Principal
Dr. Karen Miller has been selected as the principal of Kenwood Middle School, beginning the 2024-2025 school year. She has served as the principal at Early Technical College at TCAT since 2021, leading several initiatives that have yielded a positive impact in and outside the classroom and throughout the Clarksville-Montgomery County community, including work-based learning, job shadowing, internships, and dual diploma options. Before joining CMCSS, Dr. Miller served in Metro Nashville Public Schools as an Academy Principal at Whites Creek High School, Dean of Students at Apollo Middle School, and wellness instructor at The Cohn School and Hillwood High School. Additionally, she served for five years as a physical education instructor and athletics coach at the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences. Throughout her 22-year career in public education, Dr. Miller has served in numerous school- and district-level leadership roles and has developed several innovative programs and pathways for students, including the Metro Public Schools Health Science Symposium, a Summer Bridge Enrichment Program, and the “Once a Cobra, Always a Cobra” Scholarship Fund. Dr. Miller earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Carson-Newman University, Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from Tennessee Tech University, and both her M.A. and B.S. in Human Performance and Sport Science Education from Tennessee State University.
East Montgomery Elementary School
Cynthia Kerr has been selected as the principal of East Montgomery Elementary School, beginning the 2024-2025 school year. She is replacing Janet Staggs who is retiring after serving as the principal of the school for nearly 10 years. Kerr has served as the principal of Hazelwood Elementary School since 2016. Previously, she served for two years as an assistant principal at Hazelwood Elementary, two years as an academic coach at Norman Smith Elementary, and nine years as a teacher at Norman Smith, West Creek, and Kenwood elementary schools, beginning her career with CMCSS in 2003. Under her leadership, Hazelwood Elementary School earned TN Reward School status three years in a row. Kerr was named a Distinguished Classroom Teacher in 2010 and earned the Fox 17 Top Teacher of the Week designation in 2007. She is a graduate of the CMCSS Aspiring Administrator Academy. Kerr earned her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University and B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Austin Peay State University.
Cumberland Heights Elementary School
Dr. Rachel Funderburk has been selected as the principal of Cumberland Heights Elementary School, beginning the 2024-2025 school year. She is replacing Dr. Tonya Cunningham who has served as the principal of the school for nearly 20 years. St. Bethlehem Early Learning Center, beginning the 2024-2025 school year. Dr. Funderburk currently serves as the Interim Principal of Burt Elementary School and has served as an assistant principal at the school since 2022. Dr. Funderburk began her career in CMCSS in 2014, and has served as a Primary Modified Teacher, Resource Teacher, and Special Populations Elementary Consulting Teacher. She has served in numerous school, district, and university-level leadership roles, including as a mentor in APSU’s President’s Emerging Leaders Program, a Site-Based Induction Specialist, Support Team Chair, and Lead Special Education Teacher, and she has presented at several professional conferences. Additionally, she has served as an adjunct professor of education at Austin Peay State University, teaching courses in special education, teaching, and school leadership. Dr. Funderburk is a graduate of the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy, and she completed trainings in Cognitive Coaching at the Center for Literacy Education and Employment and the University of Tennessee and McREL Balanced Leadership for Administrators. She earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Ed.S. in Elementary Reading Education, M.A.Ed. in Special Education Curriculum and Instruction, and B.S. in Special Education from Austin Peay State University.
