The Center School District is excited to welcome five new members to the District's leadership team to start the 2023-24 school year.
Dr. Dawn Smith will serve as the Assistant Superintendent of Talent Recruitment & Retention, Equity, and Operations.
Dr. Smith has 25 years of experience in public education and began her career with the DeKalb County School District in Georgia. Ms. Smith has served as an elementary teacher, an instructional coach, and an assistant principal at the middle school level. In 2012, she transitioned to the state level as a School Improvement Specialist for the Georgia Department of Education supporting focus and priority schools. Dr. Smith moved to the Kansas City area in 2014 and worked for Hickman Mills C-1 School District as a high school principal where she and her team was able to increase student achievement, attendance, and graduation rates through the implementation of a high performing culture and climate and smaller learning communities with a focus on career pathways. Dr. Smith served as an Associate Superintendent of Student Services in Hickman Mills C-1 School District and as the Assistant Superintendent of Equity and Student Services in the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District. She most recently served as the Executive Director, Human Resources in the North Kansas City Schools.
She says "I'm eager to start the next journey of my career with the Center School District to support our ongoing efforts, knowing that through personal connections, perseverance, and resiliency, we can accomplish great things as a team. I am looking forward to serving our students, staff, and the community to fulfill the district's mission and vision.”
Mr. Zack Danner will serve as the Director of Operations & Facilities.
He is a 16-year educator with 13 years of coaching experience. He taught special education, while coaching wrestling, football, and tennis. Mr. Danner also served as a process coordinator, Alternative School Assistant Principal, High School Principal, and District level Administrator. At the district level, Mr. Danner served as Director of Buildings and Grounds for the Hardin-Central School District and as Director of Special Education Services in the Odessa School District. In his spare time, he has worked in construction and community development for the past 26 years. Throughout his time in education Mr. Danner's passion for leadership and promoting student success has continued to grow and motivates him to promote excellence in each of his departments.
Mr. Danner says "I am excited to join the Center School District and its rich history of community partnerships and student success. I look forward to learning from and leading the great team of professionals who are currently in place. I am a progressive leader who values tradition and embraces positive change. I'm excited for the many opportunities that await as we continue to ensure equitable facilities and services for all students! "
Ms. Aigne' Cox will serve as the Director of Business Services & Support (Chief Financial Officer).
Aigne’ (pronounced Ahn-Yay) has over 11 years of experience in finance and accounting and has worked in various industries, including facilities, food service, healthcare IT, and higher education. Ms. Cox comes to Center from Kansas City University, where she has served as Senior Accountant overseeing capital projects, and Accounts Payable Manager. Ms. Cox moved to the Kansas City area in 2016 and worked for Cerner Corporation for 5 years. During her tenure there she served on the government finance team supporting the Department of Defense and Veterans Administration as clients. Ms. Cox is an Alumna of Alabama A&M University, where she obtained a B.S in Accounting and a Master’s in Business Administration.
Outside of work, Ms. Cox is the Financial Secretary for the Kansas City Missouri Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., serving on the Budget and Finance Committee, as well as the Executive Committee. She is originally from St. Louis, where most of her family still resides. Ms. Cox finished high school in Atlanta, Georgia. One of her greatest joys is being an Aunt to her nieces and nephews and recently becoming a fur mom to a Havanese named Adonis!
Ms. Cox says, “I am excited to join the Center School District and eager to learn the Yellowjacket way! I believe through collaboration and dedication we can ensure the district's mission and vision, and endeavor to successfully reach our strategic goals."
Dr. Rachel McCarthy will join Center as the new Principal for Center Middle School.
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and most recently residing in Columbia, Missouri, Dr. McCarthy served as the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction at Muriel Williams Battle High School. She led the charge in Tier 1 instruction, MTSS, Equity, New Teacher Professional Development and several other areas. She served at Battle for ten years and was able to help open this comprehensive high school.
Dr. McCarthy has a Bachelors in Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia with certification K-12, a MA in Curriculum and Instruction from MU, and a MA in Education and Educational Leadership from Lindenwood University. She received her Specialist in Educational Leadership and Doctorate from Saint Louis University, with research and publications in the Recruitment and Retention of Educators of Color.
Dr. McCarthy is married and has six children, two grandchildren and a mini goldendoodle named Murphy. They are her life and she loves watching them all grow, discover and develop their passions. She enjoys all things sports and is excited to watch more Royals games! She is a huge MU Tigers fan. She loves to read, travel, and get involved with the community.
Dr. McCarthy says, “I am excited to start this new journey at Center Middle School. Everyone has already been so welcoming, and I look forward to the beginning of wonderful relationships with all of the Center community. I desire to lead Center Middle School to great academic achievement while creating an environment of strong belonging for each student, staff member and family. Much can be accomplished when we work collectively toward a unified goal, and I am thrilled to do this work alongside each of you. To empower and equip each student to be their best is one of the greatest tasks we are given as educators and I know that we can achieve this, together. “
Ms. Jill Rush will be the new Principal at Boone Elementary School.
Jill is actually a former Boone student who also worked in two different roles at Center. She has over 20 years experience in education, spanning a variety of settings including elementary classroom teacher, special education leadership, instructional coaching, and Principal. As an educator she is is driven by a passion for educational equity and a belief that access to high quality education is a basic human right.
She has a B.A. in Elementary and Early Childhood Education along with a Master's Degree in School Administration from the University of Central Missouri.
Finally, Ms. Meagan Patterson is a long-time Center educator who is moving into a new role this year. She will be the Assistant Superintendent for Student Support and Success.
Meagan has been part of the Yellowjacket family since 2000, when she started her career as a Speech-Language Pathologist. Since that time, Meagan has served Center students, especially those with special needs, as a Process Coordinator, District Coordinator of Special Education, and Director/Executive Director of Special Services. Meagan’s leadership has resulted in a Special Education program at Center that is among the best in the metropolitan area. Her work honors and respects her staff, students, and parents; creating opportunities for each person to maximize their learning.
Meagan says, “I am honored to continue to serve the Center School District students, staff, and community in this new capacity as we strive to provide comprehensive support and more closely align the work of the Special Services and Student Services departments. Through collaboration and positive relationships, I remain committed to motivating and empowering those I serve to work as a unified team toward our shared purpose – student achievement!”
We are grateful to welcome all of these wonderful educators to our team and look forward to working with them to fulfill our motto - "We are Center Yellowjackets and, together, we can do hard things!"