Retirements and life changes have resulted in familiar faces filling new roles with Weakley County Schools.
Deborah Perkins concluded a 40-year education career spent in Henry and Weakley Counties when she retired in June. Filling the vacated role of Supervisor of the Special Education Department will be Eva Essary.
Essary brings 18 years of experience -- 7 years at Obion County Central, 4 years at Dresden Middle, and 7 years as a consulting teacher in the areas of behavior, gifted, and special education support for Weakley County Schools’ Special Education Department.
Equipped with a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Tennessee at Martin and a master's degree as a special education instructional specialist from Arkansas State, she values her years of developing professional relationships with special educators, general education teachers, administrators, and parents across the county.
“I see this as an accomplishment because developing relationships with those who work with me and my department to accomplish great things for our students is the key in making progress for our students,” she said.
As for her new role as director, she explained, “I plan to continue to bring energy with an informed, strong sense of information and support to our hard-working special education teachers, the students, general education teachers, administrators, our schools, and their communities throughout our county in the area of special education.”
Wes Morgan, who came to the Central Office as a Math Coach for middle and high school, has assumed the newly created position of Technology Coach where he will assist teachers and administrators in effectively implementing ever-changing applications for teaching.
Morgan began his career at Gleason School, teaching math and chemistry, and then moved to Westview. He was in the classroom for seven years before taking on his first coaching role last year. His assistance across the county in helping teachers maximize tools like Mastery Connect, a competency-based learning platform that helps teachers identify levels of understanding, target students for intervention, and inform instruction, prompted administration to create the new tech role.
He has a bachelor’s degree from UTM in secondary education with a concentration in chemistry.
Assuming the Math Coach position is Ed Baker. “Coach Baker” is a familiar title for the 26-year veteran of the classroom, the majority at Westview as a math teacher and boys basketball coach. A Lieutenant Colonel in the National Guard, he has a BS in Education from the UTM and an MS in Military Leadership from Air University.
Baker says that he hopes to “bring a spirit of support and teamwork from a position of experience” in his new role.
Brian Allen has been named principal at Westview High School. The former assistant principal has been an educator since 2001 and with the Weakley County system since 2006. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 2001 from UTM and his master's in educational leadership from Arkansas State in December 2018.
Allen said he is grateful to the teachers and staff who, in the last year, were receptive to new ideas and supported the students in many ways.
As for the upcoming year and his new role, he noted, “I hope to put more focus toward increasing the academic success of our students and provide an environment where students and faculty members understand the importance of attendance and punctuality.”
Delana Smith will now serve as the school’s assistant
principal, a role vacated by Allen. Beginning her 13-year career in the Weakley County system as a 4th grade teacher at Martin Elementary, she has most recently served as the Westview High School librarian where she also participated on the data team, was testing coordinator, and yearbook adviser.
After obtaining a BS from UTM and an MA in Education from Union University, Smith earned the title of Education Specialist in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State.
Of her new role, she noted, “I hope to bring passion, positivity, hard work, innovative ideas, and a supportive attitude. The most important aspect to me is supporting our students and teachers in every way possible.”
New faces to the school system in 2022-23 are Jessica Parsley, Erica Moore, Sarah Sanders, and Katie Clenney.
Sanders and Clenney will be Speech Language Pathologist Assistants.
Parsley will serve the county as one of two school psychologists. She is moving from a similar position at Lauderdale County School District in Ripley where she has played a role in assessment, referrals, interventions, and led a weekly group session with middle schoolers as part of a school-wide effort to decrease discipline referrals. She holds degrees from Mississippi State University and the University of Memphis.
Moore, assuming the responsibilities of Communications Director, has spent the last 12 years in communications, public relations, and/or marketing, ten of those as the first Communications Director for Weakley County Local Government.
“I plan to build on the firm foundation established by current Communications Director Karen Campbell to inform, engage, and celebrate the amazing work and achievements of our students, faculty, and staff,” she said. “It's my goal to further promote community collaboration, involvement, and partnership in support of our schools. I'm honored to be a part of this essential work and can't wait to get started.”
Moore earned a bachelor's degree in Communications and Public Relations from UTM.