New principals for Bearden, Belle Morris, Fountain City, Mount Olive, Northshore

Sandra ClarkOur Town Leaders

Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk has appointed five new principals for Knox County Schools, all effective July 2023.

Porscha Harris, assistant principal at Gibbs Elementary since 2020, is the new principal of Bearden Elementary School. She previously taught at West Haven and Sarah Moore Greene schools here and in Hamilton County. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business marketing from UT-Chattanooga, a master’s from South College and an educational specialist degree from Lincoln Memorial University.

David Guyer, assistant principal at Hardin Valley Academy since 2022, is the new principal at Belle Morris. He previously worked 14 years as a teacher and administrator in California. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Milligan College and a master’s degree in education from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dr. Keith Cottrell comes to Fountain City Elementary School after a tour of various schools since joining KCS in 1998 as a teacher at Cedar Bluff. He has taught at A.L. Lotts, Blue Grass and Sterchi elementary schools. He was assistant principal at Cedar Bluff Elementary and Farragut Primary schools and head principal at Cedar Bluff and Northshore elementary schools. He holds degrees from the University of Tennessee, Carson Newman and LMU.

Robert Angel moves to Mount Olive Elementary School. He currently is assistant principal at Belle Morris and Corryton elementary schools. He joined KCS in 2019 as an assistant principal of Fountain City Elementary. He previously worked for 16 years as a teacher and administrator in Campbell County. He also worked as a project manager for the U.S. Department of Energy-ORAU. His degrees are from the University of Pikeville, the University of the Cumberlands, LMU and Regent University.

Kimberly Harris, a former assistant at Northshore Elementary, will return as head principal. She currently is principal at Bonny Kate Elementary. She joined KCS in 2012 after teaching in Broward County Schools in Florida. In Knox County, she taught at A.L. Lotts and Hardin Valley elementary schools. Her degrees are from Florida Atlantic University and Carson Newman.

Knox County Schools provided information for this report.

 

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