Spring Hill Elementary School announces the addition of Jo Schmidt as assistant principal.
Schmidt comes to Maury County Public Schools from Williamson County where she was an English/Language Arts teacher at both Chapman’s Retreat and Longview Elementary Schools. Before that, she served as a reading interventionist at Nolensville Elementary School. Schmidt also worked as the Elementary Subpopulations Interventionist in Williamson County.
Prior to her time in Tennessee, Schmidt was an elementary teacher for nearly 10 years in Washington with the Puyallup School District near Seattle. Her work has proven successful with a track record of closing learning gaps for students. Schmidt also drives instruction with data-driven decision-making to maximize student learning and teacher effectiveness.
Schmidt is already in place with the teachers and students at Spring Hill Elementary and remarked about her new position saying, “When I visited the school to meet the principal [Renata Powell], some teachers and parents, I felt like I hit the jackpot. What a wonderful place to be for teaching and learning. There is so much support there; support for each other as teachers and support with our school families.”
Renata Powell was named the principal of Spring Hill Elementary last month where she’d been serving as interim for a number of months. Previously, she was in the role of assistant principal. Powell says she is eager to begin this new school year with Schmidt. “When our team met Jo, I could see right away that she is an active listener. She understands the importance of communication and accountability, and she is right in sync with our striving towards higher-order thinking and problem solving.”
Schmidt earned her Educational Leadership master’s degree from Lipscomb University. Her bachelor of arts comes from Western Washington University in Bellingham. Schmidt was hired and recommended to the superintendent by a Spring Hill Elementary-based selection committee consisting of parents, teachers and staff, and administrators.
Visit MCPS online at mauryk12.org.
