Dr. Lee McDadeCHATTANOOGA (WRCB)- Longtime Lookout Valley Middle/High Principal Dr. Lee McDade has been named Rick Smith's assistant superintendent. McDade will be handling many of the duties formerly handled by Smith, who was deputy superintendent under former Supt. Dr. Jim Scales. No replacement has been named for McDade at Lookout Valley. He had served as principal there for the past ten years, and was principal at Signal Mountain Middle prior to that. Current assistant principal Rick Rushworth is considered to be a likely replacement.
Smith, who was selected for the top job by Hamilton County School Board members Thursday, has begun assembling his top officers. In addition to McDade, Stacy Stewart will be moving into the central office from a principal's position. Ms. Stewart, who had been principal at Red Bank Middle School, replaces Connie Atkins, who has retired as Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources.
Steve Holmes, a former principal at Loftis Middle, Lookout Valley and Sequoyah High School, is coming out of retirement to become the county's Middle Schools Director. Dr. Marvin Lott, a former Brainerd and Dalewood principal currently in the Human Resources Department, has been named the new High School Director.
Ava Warren, most recently an assistant superintendent for curriculum, has been shifted to a director's position in the Human Resources Department.
Smith says he will begin naming new principals for several vacancies, including Lookout Valley and Red Bank Middle next week. A new principal must be named for Daisy Elementary, where Kirk Shrum recently vacated, and Hillcrest Elementary, to replace Katrina Overton, who is being moved to a different position within the district. Other principal changes are possible as well.
