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Merrol Hyde Magnet School...Home of the Hawks
 


 
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Faculty Bios

For an alphabetical listing of faculty and staff email addresses, CLICK HERE.

Click on a faculty name to read their bio:

•  Bryan Adams
• 
Tracy Armour
• 
Candace Arwood
• 
Karen Barber
• 
Mary Louise Brown
•  Abbye Broche`
•  Rebecca Brown
•  Kerrin Burk
•  Joe Caldwell
• 
Alan M. Clark
• 
Sonya Hampton Coley
  Robert Conner
• 
Sue Cooper

 Regan Cothron
•  Terri Curcio
  Tiffany Denton
•  Tracy Duncan
• 
Frances Gary
• 
Penney Gilliland
• 
Jeannie Harris
•  Scotti Harris
• 
Kim Howard
• 
Betsy Hunter
•  Bill Jung
• 
Kathy Lehman
 Charlie Lewis
• 
Colleen Lloyd
•  Stephanie Lynch
• 
Karen MacKendree
•  Mike Marsh
•  Amy Morgan
• 
Jolyn Mitchell
• 
 Linsay Ozier
•  Melissa Perry
• 
Gayle Pinson
• 
Cheryl Ryckeley
•  Joe David Satterfield
• 
Brad Schreiner
•  Alison Shockley
• 
Lani Skeith
• 
Wynde Sloan
• 
Courtney Spears
• 
Rebecca Stewart
•  Cindy Storey
•  Donna Thurman
•  Valerie Trantum
• 
Debbie Watts
• 
Jennifer Weedman

 

Bryan Adams teaches 6th and 7th grade Math at MHMS. He is our Varsity Boys Basketball Coach. He previously taught at Station Camp High School (9-12) Standard, Honors, and Advanced Algebra II, and Math Foundations II, in addition to serving as the Assistant Varsity Football Coach. He is a graduate of Gallatin High School. He received his undergraduate degree from Western Kentucky University in 2003 while playing on a football scholarship for WKU. In his spare time he enjoys lifting weights and playing basketball. He currently resides in Gallatin.

Tracey Armour is one of our 2nd grade teachers. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Tennessee State University, a Master of Arts degree in Administration and Supervision from Tennessee Technological University, and her plus 30 hours were received from Cumberland University. Mrs. Armour has taught for the past ten years at Bethpage Elementary in Sumner County. Prior to this she taught for four years in her hometown of Lafayette, in Macon County. Tracey is married to Barry, who works for United Parcel Service and also is a preacher. They have one son, Zachary, who also attends Merrol Hyde Magnet School. They live in Hendersonville and attend Victory Missionary Baptist Church. Tracey enjoys reading, shopping, and scrapbooking in her spare time.

Candace (Candy) Arwood is one of our kindergarten teachers.  She previously taught kindergarten at Trousdale County Elementary in Hartsville and Lakeside Park Elementary in Hendersonville.  She is a
graduate of Gallatin High School and Cumberland University in Lebanon, TN.  She enjoys sewing, cooking and reading.  She lives in Hendersonville with her husband Jeff and their two daughters.  Both daughters, Penny and MollyAnne attend Merrol Hyde Magnet School.  Candy and her family are members
of Victory Missionary Baptist Church in Hendersonville, TN.
 

Karen Barber earned her B.S. and M.Ed. at Cumberland University. She went on to Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville and earned her doctorate in Professional Practices in 2002. She taught 4th grade for seven years at Union Elementary before going to Vena Stuart where she taught for more three years. She then taught for two years at Benny Bills Elementary in Gallatin before joining us in 2004. She and her husband, Daryl, live in Gallatin. They share two sons and two daughters. Dr. Barber enjoys jet skiing, reading, and singing in her church choir.

 

Abby Brosche is a high school English, journalism, and creative writing teacher. She graduated from Gallatin High School in 1999 and received bachelors degrees in English and in Allied Language Arts from Western Kentucky University in 2003. She now lives in Gallatin, TN with her husband, Nick, and their dog, Gus. Her passions include reading, theatre, and Grey's Anatomy.

 

Mary Louise Brown  is a lifelong resident of Sumner County.  Her 16 years teaching experience have all been in Sumner County.  She received her B.S. in Elementary Education from Middle Tennessee State University with a minor in math.  During her time as an undergrad student, Mary Louise studied for a semester in England at Harlaxton College the English campus of the University of Evansville. Mary Louise

 received her master's degree  from Cumberland University in curriculum development.  She has two children Mary Katherine (6) and Trey (5).  Mary Louise enjoys spending time with her children.  She also enjoys reading, gardening, and sewing.

 

Kerrin Burk teaches middle and high school French.  She earned her Bachelor's Degree from Olivet Nazarene University in Kankakee, Illinois.  Her husband is in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and will be redeploying to Iraq this fall.  They live in Hendersonville with two of their children, Brittany age 12 and Jesse age 6.  She taught French and English for two years here in Sumner County before taking 7 years off to stay at home with her oldest child.  She returned to teaching 2 years ago in the Metro School System.  She has coached cheerleading squads in Metro and Sumner school systems and plans on assisting with this year's squad at MHMS.
 

Joe Caldwell (fifth grade) comes to Merrol Hyde from Charlotte, North Carolina, although he originally hails from Knoxville. He recieved an undergraduate degree in international business before completing his Masters in elementary education at the University of Tennessee in 2006.  Mr. Caldwell speaks Spanish and French, and has spent summers in both Central Mexico and Normandy. His first great love was the theatre, which lost the title recently to his childhood friend, Tara, when they were married (also in 2006). She taught him how to cook, and now they spend their days creating ever-more-exotic dishes and the occasional customized cake. If you leave the country, please bring Mr. Caldwell a can of green peas from the land you visit, so he and Tara can add it to their collection of "World Peas."

Terri Curcio   teaches kindergarten thru twelfth grade physical education and Wellness.  She lives with her husband, Jarrod and two dogs, Daisy and Rhodi.  Terri has a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a K-12 teaching concentration from East Tennessee State University.  She also has her teachers’ certification for Illinois where she taught school at Loyola University in Chicago for five years.  While in Chicago Terri received her personal trainer’s certification from USA Trainers and trained with world known bodybuilders Charles Durr and Sergio Olivia. She also has certifications for Brian Grasso’s Youth Strength Training, YMCA’s Group Exercise, Spin, and First Aid and CPR.
Terri has taught school for nine years with age’s preschool through grade twelve.  She has also coached varsity basketball, softball, and soccer.  During Terri’s spare time she can be found on the soccer field with our girl’s varsity team or at the Sumner County YMCA where she currently teaches three spin classes and has four personal training clients.

 

Alan M. Clark began his teaching career in Marion County, Tennessee in 1979. In 1981 he was offered a position as a performer and business manager with the nationally renown Jack Daniels' Original Silver Cornet Band. During his time with that group he performed all over the United States, Canada and Mexico, and highlighted that portion of his career with performances at the White House, Carnegie Hall and the Interlochen School of Music. In 1993, the call of teaching returned him to settle in Sumner County as Director of Bands at Knox Doss Middle School and Associate Director at Beech High School. In 1996, he was offered the position of Director of Bands at Ellis Middle School and Assistant Director of Bands at Hendersonville High School. For several years, he directed an adult community band, has been active as an adjudicator, is sought after to assist bands at their summer camps, has served on the Executive Committee of MTSBOA (the regional band and orchestra directors' association), and he has remained active as a performer with the Nashville Wind Ensemble and the Sumner County Symphony. He has been selected as a member of "Who's Who In America's Teachers" each of the past several years.  He was honored during the Governor's School For The Arts by being selected as an "Outstanding Educator In Tennessee" by his students who attended the Governor's School.  Mr. Clark received his undergraduate degree from Tennessee Tech. University, and his graduate degree from Western Kentucky University. He and his wife, Barbara, are actively involved in their church and they maintain a busy scheduled centered around their five children.

Sonya Hampton Coley teaches Art in grades 6-12 at MHMS and is the Head Girls Varsity Basketball Coach. She graduated from King College with a BA in Fine Arts and has completed her Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Walden University. Ms. Coley is in her 15th year as a teacher and basketball coach. She has two children Annika, age 10 and Cade, age 8. During her college basketball playing years, Ms. Coley was a 4 year starter on 3 National Championship teams. She has been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame at Unicoi County High School and King College.

Robert Conner, a native of Georgia, grew up in Fort Oglethorpe.  Robert progressed through the local school-system’s academic program, graduated, and found himself attending the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Having married his childhood friend and high-school sweetheart, Amy, he fathered his first of three children, Toby, while he was in college. Robert managed to graduate cum laude with his undergraduate degree in the College of Liberal Arts while he simultaneously worked toward his Master of Science degree, which he completed.
Over the subsequent years, Robert has increased his family’s size by two, fathering his second son, Ian, and his daughter, Kate. Meanwhile, Robert has taught in a variety of educational venues and classroom settings, including those of the inner-city public school, the residential, psychiatric facility for adolescents, the small-town public school, and various home-school, cooperative tutorials. Robert believes that, everywhere he has been a teacher, he has learned as much from his students as he has taught them, which, he further believes, has, adding to the sum of his experiences, helped him further distinguish shadow from substance, and made him a better teacher.
Robert and his family have established themselves in Sumner County, whose communities they enjoy. The Conners are members of Ascension Lutheran Church in Madison, Tennessee, where Robert is vice president of his local church’s council.
Robert is editing his first novel that he soon hopes to publish.
 

Regan Cothron is excited to begin her teaching career at MHMS.  She will be teaching criminal justice and business classes.  Regan graduated with distinction from the University of Kentucky with a BBA in Finance in 1993.  She then took a year off before attending law school at the University of Louisville graduating in 1997.  Regan has been practicing law for the past ten years.  Most notably as a public defender and as an attorney for the Tennessee Department of Children's Services.  Regan is currently working on a Masters in Education at Tennessee State University and is ready to begin her new career.  Regan and her husband Greg live in Hendersonville with their two children Zoe, who attends MHMS, and Alex, who is 1.  Regan
loves the subject of criminal justice and hopes that the students will love the subject as much as she does.


Sue Cooper
, the school guidance counselor, has 31 years of teaching experience (26 in Sumner County). She received her Masters Degree in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Georgia and her plus 30 from MTSU, Trevecca, and TSU. She is married to Carl Cooper and has 2 grown children who are married and 2 grand children. She is the school golf coach and enjoys golfing and reading in her spare time. She is active in her church and the DKG teacher society.

Tiffany Denton is our elementary art teacher for grades K-4. She has been teaching art for five years; one year in Macon County and the other four in Sumner County. She also teaches at Millersville Elementary. Mrs. Denton attended Tennessee Technological University where she received a degree in Housing and Design, a minor in Fine Art, and an Art Education Certification. She shows her art work all over Tennessee and Kentucky and was recently chosen by Target corporation to have her work in all of their stores nationwide. Her choice medium for creating is fiber art. She is married to Eric and they live in Hendersonville. Her hobbies include being creative, walking, reading, yoga, and spending time with family.

Tracy Duncan is a kindergarten teacher here a MHMS. She earned her B.S.Ed. in Elementary Education from David Lipscomb University and her Master’s from Tennessee Technological University. She has 11 years of experience teaching at the kindergarten level, 8 years in Warren and Coffee Counties and 3 years in Sumner County. Prior to joining the faculty at MHMS, she taught at Watt Hardison in Portland. Outside the school classroom, Tracy continues to be involved with children. She designed, developed, and implemented an on-going complete curriculum of Christian education for a 700-person church in Cannon County, with a systemized training program for children ages 6 months to 4 years. She assists each year in summer youth camps on Short Mountain in Cannon County, where she met her husband, Darrell, a minister at Center Chapel Church of Christ in Mt. Juliet, and who is also a graduate of Lipscomb University. “Miss Tracy” looks forward to each new school year with great anticipation and appreciation for exceptional gift each child brings to her classroom.

Frances Gary has taught children in pre-school through fourth grade. She earned her B. S. in Elementary Education from Middle Tennessee State University and her M. Ed. in Reading Education from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. While working at Vanderbilt she served as a supervisor for pre-service teachers.  She has taught elementary school for 19 years and fourth grade for 15 of those years. She likes to learn about science and history, and she frequently blends family trips with visits to historic sites and museums. She is sometimes known to the students as the "Chicken Lady," because she frequently hatches chickens in her classroom in the spring, and has even presented her embryology project at the National Science Teachers Association. She loves to travel with her scientist husband, and they have three sons.

Penney Gilliland has been a Sumner county teacher for the past nineteen years. She has taught Teen Living, Language Arts and a Reading/Writing Workshop all at Portland Middle School. Mrs. Gilliland was selected Teacher of the Year in 2000 at Portland Middle School. Mrs. Gilliland received her B.S. in Vocational Home Economics from Middle Tennessee State University in 1978. She received her Masters in Education from Trevecca Nazarene College in 1991 in Curriculum and Instruction. Mrs. Gilliland has lived in Hendersonville since 1980 with her husband, Garry.  They have three wonderful, talented children and now has two lovely granddaughters, Elena Grace and Annelyse.   She enjoys working with computers and enjoys building machines and repairing them. She also likes to spend time reading, walking and is an avid sports fan.

Jeannie Harris   teaches physical education and wellness.  Her experience includes working as a health educator in Kentucky as well as teaching physical education in Bowling Green, Kentucky; Orlando, Florida; and here in Tennessee.  Jeannie acquired a BS degree in physical education from Western Kentucky University and a MA in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation from Murray State University.  She plays competitive tennis in leagues in Nashville and also enjoys biking, jogging, yoga, and hiking.  Jeannie believes in “fitness for life”!

Scotti Harris- (K-5 Library Media Specialist) -A native of Upper East Tennessee, Mrs. Harris received a B.S. in Special Education (Gifted/LD concentration) from East Tennessee State University and a M.Ed. in
Administration and Supervision (Library Science concentration) from Middle Tennessee State University. She enjoyed teaching SEARCH classes and other Special Education classes in Sumner County for 15 years prior to joining the MHMS faculty in 2005. Mrs. Harris is a member of FBC-Hendersonville
and enjoys reading, traveling, UT football, creating the MHMS elementary yearbook, and bargain-shopping with her daughter.

Kim Howard graduated from Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina, certifying in Speech/Drama. She worked as a production assistant for William F. Buckley's “Firing Line” and as an on-camera talent for children's programming with Educational Television in Columbia. After marrying Scott Howard in 1975, they moved to Dallas, Texas, where children Beau and Peyton were born. In 1989, the Howard's moved to Hendersonville, TN, and Kim was offered the opportunity to teach Special Education at Portland Middle School. She obtained her certification in special education and elementary education while teaching at Portland Middle and then transferred to Knox Doss Middle School. It was at Knox Doss that Kim discovered a passion for teaching gifted students. She remained at Knox Doss for eight years and following a short break began teaching social studies at T.W. Hunter where she was for two and a half years. Kim has studied at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C and uses Holocaust Literature in her classroom when it is appropriate. She enjoys crossing the curriculum boundaries by combining the study of history and social studies with literature. Kim also serves as the academic coach for Model UN and Youth Legislature on both the middle school and high school levels.  Kim has enjoyed the challenge of teaching at Merrol Hyde Magnet School and looks forward to the new school year with her students.

Betsy Hunter, assistant principal at MHMS is a lifelong resident of Gallatin She has taught in Sumner County for 24 years. She taught kindergarten for 15 years and  taught middle school reading and math for nine years. Betsy received her B.S.Ed. from the University of Memphis and her M.Ed. from Tennessee State University. She is a Career Ladder III teacher. Betsy is married to Jim Hunter, who is General Sessions Judge for Sumner County. They have two children, Robert and Rachel. Betsy is a member of the First United Methodist Church where she is a youth counselor. She also has worked with the Sertoma Club sponsoring the Serteen Club at Rucker Stewart for six years, and has served on the Foster Care Review Board for Youth Services

Bill Jung, Coach Jung, retired from the Sumner County School system in 2001 after teaching for 31 years.  He taught Physical Science at Portland Junior High for 9 years.  He also coached the boys 7th and 8th grade basketball team as well as the high school freshmen team.  He transferred to Beech High School for its opening in 1980.  There he taught Honors Biology, Honors Chemistry, Honors Environmental Science, and AP Biology.  The ecology class was taught before it became a part of the state curriculum.  He also coached at different times, tennis, cross-country, freshmen boys basketball and was assistant boys varsity coach.  From Beech High School, he went to Hendersonville High School where he taught Physical Science, Standard Chemistry, Honors I Chemistry, and Honors II Chemistry.  Mr. Jung received his Bachelors Degree in Science from Memphis State University.  He received his Masters Degree from Middle Tennessee State University and acquired his plus 45 hours from different universities in middle Tennessee.

Mr. Jung owns a small farm in Carroll county where he spends most of his leisure time.  He plants a variety of food plots for the different wildlife.  He also enjoys hunting and fishing as hobbies.

Kathy Lehman graduated Magna Cum Laude from Belmont University with a Bachelors of Music Degree, and has earned a Masters Degree from Trevecca University. Over her twenty-eight years of teaching experience, Kathy has taught music at every grade level from Kindergarten through Grade Twelve. As a Tennessee Career Level III teacher, she taught music and drama for Sumner County's Summer Enrichment Program for eleven years, and in 1999 was appointed site coordinator for the Hendersonville area. Kathy lives in Hendersonville with husband, David. They have two daughters.

Charles Lewis is a Social Studies Teacher and Football Coach. He is a native of Nashville, Tennessee. He was the last baby to be born in Nashville’s Protestant Hospital. The next day, January 1, 1947, the hospital changed its name to Baptist Hospital. He was educated in Nashville’s public schools, and he graduated from Central High School. Charlie graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in History. He completed his Graduate Studies at Tennessee State University. He began teaching in the Metro-Nashville System in 1969. A year later, he accepted a teaching position at Hendersonville High School.  At H.H.S., he taught American History, Drivers Education, and Government. He taught the Honors American History when the program was offered at Hendersonville. He coached football, basketball, and track while he was a teacher. He started the first high school baseball program in Sumner County in 1972. He was the first Sumner County “Coach of the Year” in 1979. He was also voted Nashville “Dugout” Coach of the Year in 1978.  In 1984, Charlie was named Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at Hendersonville High School. In 1998, he was selected Mid-State Athletic Director of the Year by the TSSAA. He served in these positions until his retirement in 2002. Now he has returned to serve our children at Merrol Hyde Magnet.

Colleen Lloyd teaches 8th grade Science and 10th grade Honors Biology. She lives in Castalian Springs with her husband, Hugh and daughter, Alex. She has a dual BS in both Biology and Environmental Resource Management from the University of West Florida. After working at the University of Alabama's Limnology department doing research, she received her Masters degree from UA in Comprehensive Secondary Science Education. In her eight years of teaching, she has taught in both secondary public schools and community colleges in North Carolina and Tennessee. Mrs. Lloyd has taught Industrial Manufacturing, Computer Engineering (based on the A+ industry certification exam), Network Engineering (based on the Network + industry exam), Cisco Networking (Semesters I & II), Total Quality Management, Biology, Computer Applications, various software courses, Diversified Technology, Physical Science and 8th grade Science.

 

Stephanie Lynch  teaches first grade at MHMS.  Previously, she taught one year in 3rd grade and two years in 5th grade.  While attending White House High School Stephanie worked at a day care center where she developed a love for younger children. After graduating from White House she went to  Western Kentucky University where she received her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education.  Aside from teaching she enjoys exercising, shopping, going to movies, and being involved at her church -
Long Hollow Baptist.  Stephanie and her husband Brian, who is an independent landman for oil companies, reside in White House.

Karen MacKendree earned a B.S. in Secondary Education from Mansfield University in Pennsylvania. She taught 8th and 11th grade English at Forest City School, a K-12 school. For several years, she was a trainer and administrator for companies in the business world, including Computerland, Procter and Gamble, and Sylvan Technology Center. For the last four years she has been the Computer Instructor at Jack Anderson Elementary School. Karen is married to Bob, a business manager and choir director. Their son, Kurtis is a high school student at Merrol Hyde Magnet School.

 
 
Mike Marsh teaches Trignometry, PreCalculus, Geometry and Physics at MHMS. He is track coach and sponsor of the Stock market Game Club. He has 15 years of teaching experience including time spent teaching at a college. He received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and a Masters of Engineering from the University of South Carolina. In addition to his experience as a teacher he also served as a Design Engineer and a Quality Engineer.  In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family. He currently resides in White House."

Jolyn Mitchell is a native born Californian but has lived in the south most of her adult life.  She began her teaching career in Sumner County in 1999 and has taught grades 4-8.  She is a graduate of Tennessee State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Education, a MEd in curriculum and instruction with an additional EdS degree in Administration and Supervision and an endorsement as a reading specialist. She and her husband have five children all grown and on their own.   Jolyn loves to read, travel, and hike and experience life first hand. 

 

Amy Ross Morgan teaches marketing and business classes at MHMS. She earned her BA in religion/youth ministry from Belmont University. After graduation, she landed a job in the music industry working for Word Entertainment. She started with the company in the customer service department and then moved into the royalty department calculating and paying copyright royalties. Though she gained valuable office experience and knowledge about the music industry, she realized her passion was working with teenagers and teaching. She returned to the classroom to obtain her master’s degree and teaching certificate. In August 2005, she earned a MBE (Master’s Business Education) from Middle Tennessee State University. Mrs. Morgan student taught at Beech High School, Hendersonville High School and completed a two month interim position at Gallatin High School in the spring semester of 2006. She and her husband, Shane, reside in Inglewood. In her free time, Mrs. Morgan enjoys playing with her Labrador retriever, Samson, gardening, decorating, shopping, cheering on the Chicago Cubs, and playing the piano.

Linsay Ozier teaches Middle and High School Spanish at MHMS. She received her BA in Spanish from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina in 2002. During college, she spent a semester abroad and attended La Universidad de Antonia de Nebrija in Madrid, Spain and has been an avid traveler ever since. A native of Glasgow, Kentucky, Linsay now resides in Nashville with her husband, John, and sweet dog, Lulu.

Melissa Perry teaches Algebra II and PreCalculus.  She received her B.S.
degree in Secondary Education Mathematics from Tennessee Tech University in 1992. 
She began her career in Sumner County at Portland High School where she
taught a variety of advanced math courses.  After teaching in Portland for 8 years,
Mrs. Perry took time off to stay home with her two sons, Cade and Benjamin.  
Cade will be in the first grade at Merrol Hyde Magnet School.  Her husband
Randy is a civil engineer and owner of Perry Engineering.  They reside in
Hendersonville and are active members of First Baptist Church.  Mrs. Perry enjoys
exercising, scrapbooking, and spending time with her family.

 Gayle Pinson “Dede” has been in the teaching profession for twenty years. She completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Middle Tennessee State University. She earned a “Masters of Arts in Teaching” Degree from Webster University in Saint Louis, Missouri. She began her career in Sumner County in 1976 as a second grade teacher. After three years she and her husband moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where she taught the first and second grades. She later moved to Saint Louis, Missouri and continued her teaching career in the first grade. While there, she also had the opportunity of being a “cluster teacher” for gifted children. In 1997 she returned to Sumner County and taught first grade for six years at Walton Ferry. She has been married to her husband Frank for twenty-eight years and has two grown children. She is presently the President of the Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority, an educational sorority for teachers and administrators. During the summer, she enjoys teaching writing and reading workshops for Sumner County teachers.

Cheryl Ryckeley has been teaching for 15 years. She graduated from Alma College in Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She began her career in Nashville as a first grade teacher then taught sixth, seventh, and eighth grades in Cheatham County. She has been teaching third grade in Sumner County for the past six years. Cheryl and her husband, Bryan, have two children who attend Merrol Hyde Magnet School.

Joe David Satterfield celebrates his 16th year teaching. His entire career has been in Sumner County. The first four years he taught a variety of social studies classes at Westmoreland High School and the last eleven years 6th and 7th grade social studies at Rucker-Stewart Middle School in Gallatin. He earned his B.S. degree at Middle Tennessee State University and just recently completed his Masters degree at Cumberland University in educational leadership. Joe David has been married for 27 years to his wife Trudy. They live on a small farm just outside of Gallatin.  Their oldest son David lives and works in Washington D.C. and their other son James is a sophomore at Gallatin High School. Joe David enjoys most all sports, listening to music, and playing golf.  He looks forward to working with and learning from the professional and accomplished faculty at Merrol Hyde Magnet School.

 

Brad Schreiner, principal of Merrol Hyde Magnet School, graduated from MTSU and has her Master’s degree from TTU. Her plus 30 hours are from TSU. Mrs. Schreiner taught at Union Elementary for nine years before going to Portland Middle School as assistant principal for five years. She was the principal at Watt Hardison Elementary for almost five years before opening MHMS. Mrs. Schreiner’s husband, Jim, also teaches in Sumner County and they have two sons. She enjoys reading and running and is active at her church.

 

Alison Shockley is excited to join the Merrol Hyde English department, teaching AP, 10th, and 11th grade English as well as Speech.  A native of Sumner County, Alison is delighted to have the opportunity to teach here.  She graduated Summa Cum Laude from MTSU and holds a B.A. in English with Film Studies and Secondary Education minors.  Not only does she love reading classic literature but she is also slightly obsessed with The Beatles, cheesecake, chocolate, or a mixture of all three.

Lani Skeith has been in the teaching profession for 23 years.  She graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.  After earning her degree, she taught fourth grade.  Wanting to further her education, she returned to the University of Illinois where she earned a master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction.  While there, she was a teaching assistant responsible for supervising Junior Practicum students and leading a weekly discussion.  Upon completion of her Master degree, she moved to Florida where she taught fifth grade.  While in Florida, she met and married her husband, Kevin.  They have two children, Trevor, 11, and Valerie, 10, who currently attend the Magnet School.  She moved to Tennessee with her family in 1999 and has taught in Sumner County for the past seven years.  She is a Past-President of the North Central Reading Association and currently serves on the Board of the Tennessee Reading Association.  On the weekends, she enjoys being a soccer mom.

Wynde Sloan has 20 years of teaching experience in the elementary and middle school. She spent 13 years in special education, teaching autistic, emotionally disturbed, and learning disabled children. She has also taught 8th grade English/Science and 4th grade in the regular classroom. She is currently in her third year teaching English language learners in Sumner County. Mrs. Sloan received a B.S. in Special Education/Elementary Education from the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC. She received a M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction from Tennessee State University. She has 30 additional graduate hours in Elementary Guidance & Counseling from the University of South Carolina at Spartanburg. Mrs. Sloan grew up in Charleston, SC. She is married to Dale Sloan, who is a school psychologist in Nashville. They have two sons. Alex is 13 and will be a freshman at Merrol Hyde Magnet School. Thomas is 8 and attends Jack Anderson Elementary School. Mrs. Sloan is an active member of Rehoboth United Methodist Church. She enjoys her family, music, reading, and spending time in Myrtle Beach!

Courtney Spears graduated from Gallatin High School. As a speech competitor in high school for three years, she was the first student in the county to attend National Forensic League Nationals. After high school, Spears attended Western Kentucky University where she competed on their nationally recognized speech and debate team. Spears was recognized as one of the top speakers at two collegiate national tournaments in 1997 and 1998. She also won several Kentucky State championships in acting and speaking. Spears graduated Summa Cum Laude from Western in 1999 with a B.A. in both English and Speech Communication and is also certified in Theatre Education. She graduated in 2003 with an M.A. in English, also from WKU. In December 2004, she graduated from Tennessee State University with her Education Specialist degree in Administration and Supervision.  Spears resides in Hendersonville with her husband, Andy, and their daughter.

Cindy Storey  earned her B.S. degree in Computer Information Systems and her B.S. degree in Business Administration from Trevecca Nazarene University.   After programming computers for the State of Tennessee and billing Medicare for hospitals such as Vanderbilt and others nationwide, she returned to graduate school to become a teacher.  In 2004 she earned a M.Ed. in Education/Curriculum and Instruction from Tennessee State University.  While in graduate school, she taught special education at Knox Doss Middle School for three years and 7th and 8th grade math at White House Middle School for one year.  She is beginning her 3rd year here at MHMS teaching Keyboarding, Accounting, and Multimedia.  She lives in Hendersonville with her daughter.  She is an avid Tennessee fan and loves to travel and cross-stitch in her spare time.

Rebecca Stewart teaches both elementary French and Spanish. In the spring of 1995, she spent five months in Paris, France studying at the Sorbonne University, and in the spring of 1996, she graduated from Berea College with a bachelor’s degree in French. After earning her BA, Rebecca attended the University of Kentucky, earning a Master’s degree in Education in 1998. For the past six years, Rebecca has been teaching French and Humanities in Owensboro, Kentucky. While teaching at Owensboro Middle School, Rebecca developed and implemented a complete Humanities and French program geared towards eighth grade students, and later on, expanded it to include 6th and 7th graders at three local middle schools. For the last three years, Rebecca has been trained in Paideia educational techniques, and has vigorously incorporated its philosophies into her own teaching style. Rebecca recently moved to Nashville to continue teaching while pursuing a doctorate in Education. She loves teaching and is very pleased to be given the unique opportunity to teach at Merrol Hyde Magnet School.

Donna Thurman has been in the teaching profession for 18 years.  She is a Nashville native and received her undergraduate degree from TTU in Secondary Education English and her master’s degree from MTSU in Guidance and Counseling.  She taught English and Journalism and sponsored the school newspaper in Helena, Arkansas and  Fairview Middle and Brentwood High in Williamson County. For the past nine years, she has been a guidance counselor at Henry County High School  and Hendersonville High School.  Personally, she has been a widow for four years and has two grown children.  She enjoys reading, gardening, sports, and spending time with friends.  She is an active member of First United Methodist Church and her Sunday School Class.

Valerie Trantum is our K-5 Music Teacher. Mrs. Trantum has taught general music and choral music for all ages. She has a Bachelors degree in piano performance from Gettysburg College, and a Masters degree in music education and choral conducting from The Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford. Mrs. Trantum enjoys songs and folk dances from all over the world and likes working with other teachers to incorporate music into every child’s learning every day. Mrs. Trantum lives in Hendersonville with her husband Matt and their two sons. They are active at St. Timothy Lutheran Church and spend time together cooking, traveling, boating and doing other outdoor activities.

Debbie Watts has 17 years' teaching experience in public school, formerly  at Rucker-Stewart Middle School in Sumner County. With an M.A. in English and creative writing, she has had several careers using language arts skills. Those include a staff songwriting position with several cuts to her credit, a 10-year stint writing and producing television at the Nashville Network, an most recently as an author, penning her first book, Eat My Chalk Dust, a humorous look at the teaching profession. In addition she has been a professional piano-vocalist for twenty years, performing in many venues, both locally and nationally. She hopes to combine her musical love into her classroom activities. Part time, she teaches private piano lessons, and she performs professionally as a piano-vocalist.  At MHMS, she has taught English, grades 6 and 7 and journalism.  This past summer, she added Latin tutoring to her resume..

Jennifer Weedman is the school library media specialist. She has a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Tennessee Chattanooga and an M.L.S. from Vanderbilt. She has been in Sumner County since 1986. She has special interests in storytelling and Holocaust education. In 2001, while at Ellis Middle, she wrote and administered a $200,000 grant to implement technology into the curriculum. She has a passion for books, gardening, and travel.

 
 


Merrol Hyde Magnet School
128 Township Drive
Hendersonville, TN  37075
Tel:  615.264.6543
Fax:  615.264.6546
Email:  ContactUs
Web:  http://www.sumnerschools.org/mhm/