Walker County Superintendent of Schools Melissa Mathis began her tenure with student achievement as her major focus. This focus is now translated in the mission for Walker County Schools: to graduate students ready for work, ready for college and ready for life.

To fulfill this mission, the Board of Education continues to recruit and retain the most highly qualified staff to handle student achievement, school improvement and graduation rate.

Over the summer, Michael Tipton, currently principal at Gilbert Elementary, will join the administrative team at the central office as the coordinator for school improvement.

Tipton began his career teaching the eighth grade and coaching football at North Whitfield Middle School. While there he also coached girls’ basketball and served on the technology committee. In 2000, Tipton moved to Howard Elementary as lead science teacher, balanced literacy study leader, and technology coordinator. At Cherokee Ridge Elementary, he was a first-grade teacher, technology coordinator and after-school program coordinator. He also served on the School Quality Improvement Council.

Tipton served as assistant principal to Fairyland and Rock Spring Elementary before becoming principal at Gilbert in 2005 and president of the Principal’s Association in 2006. He received a bachelor of human science development from Lee University and a masters of education in School Leadership from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

“I am thankful, excited, and humbled to have the opportunity to be the coordinator of school improvement for Walker County Schools. It is an excellent opportunity for me to foster a relationship of support for all stakeholders,” said Tipton. “I will work to continue the very best of opportunities that enrich their lives so that each one of them may reach their maximum potential.”

The coordinator of school improvement is charged with developing, achieving and maintaining the best possible educational programs and services to promote student achievement. Specifically Tipton will supervise teachers of the gifted, media specialists and Web masters to enrich and enhance classroom instruction. He will be responsible for data collection, interpretation and reporting including use of ThinkGate, TestGate and DataSpan.

An important part of this position will be to initiate and manage the new electronic parent information system expected to be in operation when school starts back in August. The school improvement coordinator also facilitates instructional technology and provides media and technical support for the Board of Education and all components of the school system.

“For the parents, I will work to eliminate barriers that impede the establishment and continued development of an informed community that believes in its educational system. For the employees of Walker County Schools, I will support, encourage, and sustain our system as a system of excellence,” said Tipton. “We are doing the ‘right’ work in Walker County to realize our capacity for improvement. With the support and vision of Superintendent Mathis and our board, we have the pieces to the proverbial puzzle that will allow us to seize every future opportunity for our students.”

Gary Record, current Principal of the Year for Hamilton County Schools, will be joining the staff at Ridgeland High School as assistant principal for the Ninth Grade Academy. An educator for 25 years, Record has taught and served as director of student activities, assistant principal and principal.

He spent one year leading Chattanooga High School’s magnet school transition and nine years as the organizing principal at the Chattanooga Center for Creative Arts. Under his leadership, the Center for Creative Arts received the International Network of Performing and Visual Arts New and Emerging School Award, was recognized as a Star School, received the Kennedy Center Creative Ticket School of Excellence Award, and was named Magnet School of Distinction by Magnet Schools of America.

Record holds a bachelor of arts in education from Temple University, a master of arts in education from the Peabody College of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University and a master of divinity from Columbia Seminary.

“I want the Freshman Academy at Ridgeland to continue to be a place where students are challenged academically, cared for personally, and can transition successfully into high school,” said Record. “My philosophy of education is best summarized in the words of astronaut Krista McCauliffe: ‘I touch the future — I teach’.”

Also joining the staff in Walker County Schools next year is Christy Evans, secondary director of math and science for the Hamilton County Department of Education, who will be the math academic coach at Ridgeland High. Evans began her career in 1974 teaching algebra and computer technology at Tyner High in Hamilton County. She taught math at Central High and Hunter Middle, was a curriculum coach/facilitator for Brainerd High and Central High, served as the Magnet grant curriculum facilitator at Brainerd High. Evans was also the coordinator of academic implementation and management for Hamilton County’s Smaller Learning Communities grant program before becoming coordinator of secondary math curriculum.

Evans graduated magna cum laude from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, received her vocational education certification from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and completed a master of arts in education from Tusculum College.

“I am excited about becoming a member of the Walker County school system and look forward to supporting the faculty and staff of Ridgeland High as their Academic Coach,” Evans said.

“I am eager to start working with the teachers and administrators as we begin to implement the new programs and initiatives that have been put in place at the high school in order to further improve student achievement,” said Evans, who received the Hamilton County Board of Education Teaching Excellence Award and the Hunter Middle School Teacher Recognition Award.

Mike Carruth, chairman of the Walker County Board of Education, said he is eager for these key administrators to begin their new responsibilities “to see just what our schools and children can accomplish” in the next few years. “And I feel strongly that Michael Tipton as coordinator of school improvement will impact all our schools in a very positive way,” said Carruth.

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