Dr. James Sullivan named assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. James “Jimmy” Sullivan will serve as the next assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction for Rutherford County Schools beginning July 1.
Director of Schools Bill Spurlock made the announcement today.
“He’s a strong instructional leader with a strong work ethic,” Director Spurlock said. “He will provide some innovative programs and assist with what already is a strong curriculum and instructional department.”
Sullivan currently serves as the principal of Rocky Fork Middle School. He was the first principal of the school, which opened in 2017.
“First, I want to thank Mr. Spurlock for entrusting me with this opportunity,” Sullivan said. “Leaving Rocky Fork Middle, a school we opened and led to success in a short period of time, is bittersweet. However, the opportunity to collaborate with educators across the district to ensure every student receives a high quality education is a way to serve a community that has provided me with so much.”
Sullivan added: “We have an unbelievably talented and dedicated group of teachers and administrators in RCS. Rutherford County has a proud history of achievement, and I look forward to continuing this work so that, together, our students are ready to grasp tomorrow’s opportunities.”
Prior to leading Rocky Fork Middle School, Sullivan served as the principal of Harris Middle School in Bedford County. He served as an agent of change, and within two years of being principal, helped the school reach a Level 5, the highest performance designation a school can receive by the Tennessee Department of Education.
Rocky Fork Middle School also achieved a Level 5 status under Sullivan’s leadership.
Sullivan, a resident of the Christiana community, is a graduate of Oakland High School in Murfreesboro, and he earned his doctoral degree from Lipscomb University in 2014 in Learning Organizations and Strategic Change. He serves as an adjunct professor at Lipscomb and previously taught and coached at Blackman Middle School from 2006-2011.
He also serves as a TNReady Ambassador for the Tennessee Department of Education. In addition, he has served on various committees for item review and item writing for math and English language arts for statewide assessments.
Sullivan succeeds Richard Zago, who has announced his retirement for June 30, 2019. Zago has served in the role since July 2012.
