Education Professional

Congratulations to the Four New Community Superintendents at MNPS!

Metro Schools announced today the hiring of four new community superintendents. The new organizational structure, announced in February, will allow for better planning and coordination across all grade levels in support of the district’s new Strategic Framework. The new structure will better equip the district to mobilize local resources to support students and families through expanded collaborations with civic, community, business and faith-based organizations. The community superintendents will serve on the Director’s Executive Leadership Team. They will transition into their new roles on May 31 with July 1 as their official start date. 

The district repurposed four existing executive officer positions to create the four community superintendents, who will each supervise one-quarter of the existing clusters and the schools located within those clusters. The change will eliminate the current tiered supervisory structure for elementary, middle, high and priority schools. The district expects to make additional announcements in the coming weeks regarding other changes required to support this new structure. The community superintendent model is considered a national best practice for K-12 urban school districts by The Council for the Great City Schools, an organization representing the top 100 largest school systems in the country.  

“Our new community superintendents are veteran MNPS educators who have the leadership skills, knowledge of our students’ needs and understanding of community and instructional experience that is critical for supporting greater academic achievement among all students,” said Director of Schools Dr. Shawn Joseph.

The community superintendents, all former principals, were chosen by selection committees composed of parents, central office staff, community and business leaders, members of the Chamber of Commerce, Mayor’s Office representatives, community-based organizations and other partners unique to each of the four new service areas.

Dr. Adrienne Battle will oversee all schools located within the Antioch, Cane Ridge and Glencliff clusters. Dr. Battle brings more than 20 years of academic leadership experience within Metro Schools to her new post. She is currently an executive lead principal for priority and elementary schools, a position she has held since 2016. Prior to that, Dr. Battle spent four years as the executive principal at Antioch High School and two years as the academic principal and assistant principal at Glencliff High School. She held other leadership and teaching positions within Metro Schools for the past 14 years and also served as an adjunct faculty member for the University of Phoenix and Tennessee State University.  She holds master’s, educational specialist, and doctorate degrees from Tennessee State University and a bachelor’s from Missouri State University.

Dr. Dottie Critchlow will oversee all schools located within the Hillsboro, Hillwood and Overton clusters. Dr. Critchlow brings more than 29 years of teaching and administrative experience to her new position. Currently, she is an executive lead principal for elementary schools, a position she has held since 2015.  She taught in school districts in Mississippi and Ohio before joining Metro Schools in 1998. During her tenure at Metro Schools, Dr. Critchlow has served as a teacher, an assistant principal at Haywood Elementary School, a principal at Park Avenue and Hickman Elementary Schools, and executive officer for instructional support. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Akron, Ohio, and a doctorate from Trevecca University.

Dr. Pippa Meriwether will oversee all schools located within the Hunters Lane, Pearl-Cohn and Whites Creek clusters. Dr. Meriwether graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in English and spent several years in the private sector before becoming an educator. She holds master’s, educational specialist and doctorate degrees from Tennessee State University, and has 22 years of teaching and administrative experience.  Dr. Meriwether joined Metro Schools in 1995 and worked as a Title I tutor, classroom teacher and behavior specialist, and served as principal of Kirkpatrick Elementary School before becoming an executive lead principal in 2010.

Dr. Damon Cathey will oversee all schools located within the Stratford, McGavock and Maplewood clusters. Dr. Cathey’s 21-year career includes time spent as a teacher and administrator within Metro Schools, as well as leadership roles in charter schools, private schools and Kingsport City Schools. He currently serves as an executive lead principal with Metro Schools.  He has served as the executive principal for DuPont-Tyler Middle Prep, McKissack K-8 Professional Development School (now McKissack Middle Prep), John Early Paideia Middle School and Jones Paideia Magnet School. He also served as the assistant principal of Donelson Middle and the director of school reform and chief academic officer for the Inspirational Schools Partnership that worked with the district to support 34 of its highest priority schools. In addition, Dr. Cathey served as assistant superintendent for Kingsport City Schools, the director of the Moreno Valley Paideia Charter High School in New Mexico, and was the first headmaster of New Hope Academy in Franklin, Tennessee. Dr. Cathey holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Memphis, an administrative certification from Tennessee State University, and a doctorate from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.