Two more schools getting new principals

    Two Cherokee County schools will be getting new principals March 1.
    Ruby Cutshaw is returning to Andrews Middle School, while Brandy Raper will be heading to Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle School.
    The Cherokee County Board of Education approved the principal assignments Thursday night.
    “Both ladies are native to the school communities and will do an outstanding job in their new assignments,” said Dr. Jeana Conley, superintendent of schools. “We wanted to make sure we place people familiar with the community at these schools.”
    Cutshaw is principal at Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle, while Raper is assistant principal at Ranger Elementary/Middle School. Conley said the personnel decisions made last month in regards to the high school principal moves created a “domino effect in creating vacancies.”
    Chanda Bias, the district’s pre-kindergarten coordinator, was named principal of Andrews Middle in addition to her other duties when those moves were made. Pre-kindergarten registration typically begins in March. Once she hands the principal duties to Cutshaw, she will fill a vacancy in the district’s finance department in addition to her pre-kindergarten position.
    Before becoming principal at Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle in 2018, Cutshaw was a lead teacher and math teacher for two years at Andrews Middle. Prior to that, she taught math at Andrews High School among her 24 years in education.
    “Mrs. Cutshaw is a passionate and creative leader, with the amazing ability to take very few resources and help her teachers and students flourish,” Conley said.
    She had no doubts Raper would do well moving into a principal position.
    “Brandy Raper is an organized and caring educator, who has already demonstrated exceptional leadership in her years at Ranger,” Conley said. “She will do an outstanding job at HDEMS.”
    Raper has been the assistant principal at Ranger Elementary/Middle for four years among her 20 with Cherokee County Schools. Before becoming an administrator, she worked in pre-K and was a Title 1 reading specialist.
    “I’m real nervous, but I’m excited,” Raper said. “I’m ready for the
challenge.”
    Raper graduated from Hiwassee Dam High School and taught pre-K at Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle for one year. She said if she had to be anywhere besides Ranger, Hiwassee Dam is where she’d want to be.
    Cutshaw and Raper met Monday to discuss the transition. Raper planned to continue what Cutshaw had in place at the school.