Director of Schools
My name is William Freddy Curtis and this is my thirty-fifth year of being an educator in Cannon County. I was appointed by the Cannon County Board of Education to be the Director of Cannon County Schools on March 29th, 2018. Previously, I served as Interim Director of Schools from December 1st, 2017 thru March 29th, 2018.
From July 1st, 2008 through November 30th, 2017, I was a Teacher of U.S. Government, Sociology, and AP US Government & Politics classes at Cannon County High School in Woodbury, Tennessee. The 2017-2018 School Year was my tenth year at Cannon County High School and thirty-second in the Cannon County School System. I very much enjoyed returning to my passion - classroom teaching. In fact, even though I am Director of Schools, I still consider myself a teacher who is also an administrator, and my classroom is every school in Cannon County and every student in Cannon County is my pupil!
I am the former Principal of West Side Elementary School in Readyville, (Cannon County) Tennessee, and was Principal from February 2002 thru June 2008. Previously to being Principal, I taught 6th, 7th, & 8th Grades for 16 years at West Side Elementary School, starting in 1986. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Social Science - Emphasis History from Lee University in Cleveland, TN in 1986. I also attended MTSU in 1987 adding an endorsement in Elementary Education. In December 2000, I graduated with a Master of Arts in Instructional Leadership from Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, TN. I have added numerous TASL institutes including Beginning Principal's Academy in 2002-2004. In the Summer of 2010, I attended the AP (Advanced Placement) US Government and Politics AP Summer Institute at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY, and the 24th Annual High Schools That Work Staff Development Conference in Louisville, KY. In the Summer of 2011, I attended the C-SPAN Summer Educator's Conference in Washington, DC, and the 25th Annual High Schools That Work Staff Development Conference in Nashville, TN. In early Summer 2013 (June 9th - 17th), I was selected to attend the AP US Government & Politics Reading in Salt Lake City, Utah. I participated in scoring the AP US Government & Politics Free Response Questions. After returning from Salt Lake City, I began Summer work as a National Park Service Teacher-Ranger-Teacher at Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. I very much enjoyed creating lesson plans and working at the battlefield and national cemetery. In Summer 2014 (June 11th - 19th), I was once again selected to attend the AP US Government & Politics Reading in Salt Lake City, Utah. I participated in scoring the AP US Government & Politics Free Response Questions again. I was selected again in the Summer 2015 to attend the AP US Government & Politics Reading in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, I was unable to attend due to the continuing illness and subsequent death of my wife, Trena Willann Braswell Curtis. I returned to Salt Lake City, Utah in the Summer of 2016, 2017, and 2018 to attend the AP US Government & Politics Readings.
I also attended the Tennessee Department of Education Training in Dual Credit Sociology in July 2016 and July 2017.In Spring 2016 I was accepted into the MTSU Graduate School of History. I have taken Historiography, Historical Research, State and Local History, and Seminar in Public History classes thus far. I have enjoyed returning to the university level to study historical topics. My thesis topic is entitled: Divided - The Political History of DeKalb County, Tennessee - 1837 - Present. I have completed the first two parts: Part I: Divided (1837-1870) & Part II: Transitions (1870 - 1900). Subsequent parts are forthcoming as the research continues!
I received a very special award in Spring 2010. I was selected as the Tennessee Outstanding Social Studies Teacher for the High School Level by the Tennessee Council for the Social Studies. This award was special because I had just been back in the classroom for only one and 1/2 years.
In Spring 2014, I was selected as Teacher of the Year 2014 for Cannon County High School. I was then selected as District Teacher of the Year 2014 for Cannon County Schools Grades 9-12. In April 2014 it was announced that I was the Upper Cumberland Regional Teacher of the Year 2014 Grades 9-12. I was very humbled and honored to have been selected by my peers for this prestigious award.
I have been appointed to three very important committees in the State of Tennessee.
In February 2015 I was appointed to the Secretary of State Blue Book Curriculum Task Force by Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett. This committee was tasked to create Lesson Plans for use with the Tennessee Blue Book. I created three lesson plans - The U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights vs. the Tennessee Constitution’s Declaration of Rights; Tennessee City Government, and Tennessee County Government. These lesson plans were used by teachers across the state and this committee ended work in August 2015. Additional Lesson Plans can be found at: http://sos.tn.gov/products/teacher-resources.
In September 2015, The Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett reassigned the Blue Book Task Force to continue working as the Secretary of State's Civic Engagement & Advisory Committee for a two-year term. This committee was tasked with aiding educators and encouraging teachers and students to engage in civic activities. The website is http://sos.tn.gov/civics. The lesson plans are at: http://sos.tn.gov/civics/lessonplans. I created a specific plan dealing with the Voting Process.
In June 2016 I was appointed to the Tennessee Social Studies Standards Recommendation Committee by the Tennessee House of Representatives Speaker Beth Harwell was subsequently elected Vice-Chairman by the committee. Our task was to review the Social Studies Standards of Tennessee to be used starting in the 2019-2020 School Year. The website for review is https://apps.tn.gov/tcas/. Our work was completed in March 2017 and passed the Tennessee State Board of Education on July 28th, 2017 for implementation in 2019-2020.
On a personal basis, I was born in Lebanon, Tennessee, and raised in Alexandria, (DeKalb County) Tennessee. I have 4 sons, 3 daughters-in-law’s, and 4 grandchildren (2 Boys and 2 Girls). I have recently become engaged to a very wonderful lady. I am also an Ordained Minister affiliated with the Church of God (Cleveland, TN).
My hobbies include being an Extra Class Amateur Radio Operator - Callsign W4WFC - former callsign: KC4GUG, and Genealogy / Historical Research of which I get to do a very limited amount these days.
From July 1st, 2008 through November 30th, 2017, I was a Teacher of U.S. Government, Sociology, and AP US Government & Politics classes at Cannon County High School in Woodbury, Tennessee. The 2017-2018 School Year was my tenth year at Cannon County High School and thirty-second in the Cannon County School System. I very much enjoyed returning to my passion - classroom teaching. In fact, even though I am Director of Schools, I still consider myself a teacher who is also an administrator, and my classroom is every school in Cannon County and every student in Cannon County is my pupil!
I am the former Principal of West Side Elementary School in Readyville, (Cannon County) Tennessee, and was Principal from February 2002 thru June 2008. Previously to being Principal, I taught 6th, 7th, & 8th Grades for 16 years at West Side Elementary School, starting in 1986. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Social Science - Emphasis History from Lee University in Cleveland, TN in 1986. I also attended MTSU in 1987 adding an endorsement in Elementary Education. In December 2000, I graduated with a Master of Arts in Instructional Leadership from Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, TN. I have added numerous TASL institutes including Beginning Principal's Academy in 2002-2004. In the Summer of 2010, I attended the AP (Advanced Placement) US Government and Politics AP Summer Institute at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY, and the 24th Annual High Schools That Work Staff Development Conference in Louisville, KY. In the Summer of 2011, I attended the C-SPAN Summer Educator's Conference in Washington, DC, and the 25th Annual High Schools That Work Staff Development Conference in Nashville, TN. In early Summer 2013 (June 9th - 17th), I was selected to attend the AP US Government & Politics Reading in Salt Lake City, Utah. I participated in scoring the AP US Government & Politics Free Response Questions. After returning from Salt Lake City, I began Summer work as a National Park Service Teacher-Ranger-Teacher at Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. I very much enjoyed creating lesson plans and working at the battlefield and national cemetery. In Summer 2014 (June 11th - 19th), I was once again selected to attend the AP US Government & Politics Reading in Salt Lake City, Utah. I participated in scoring the AP US Government & Politics Free Response Questions again. I was selected again in the Summer 2015 to attend the AP US Government & Politics Reading in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, I was unable to attend due to the continuing illness and subsequent death of my wife, Trena Willann Braswell Curtis. I returned to Salt Lake City, Utah in the Summer of 2016, 2017, and 2018 to attend the AP US Government & Politics Readings.
I also attended the Tennessee Department of Education Training in Dual Credit Sociology in July 2016 and July 2017.In Spring 2016 I was accepted into the MTSU Graduate School of History. I have taken Historiography, Historical Research, State and Local History, and Seminar in Public History classes thus far. I have enjoyed returning to the university level to study historical topics. My thesis topic is entitled: Divided - The Political History of DeKalb County, Tennessee - 1837 - Present. I have completed the first two parts: Part I: Divided (1837-1870) & Part II: Transitions (1870 - 1900). Subsequent parts are forthcoming as the research continues!
I received a very special award in Spring 2010. I was selected as the Tennessee Outstanding Social Studies Teacher for the High School Level by the Tennessee Council for the Social Studies. This award was special because I had just been back in the classroom for only one and 1/2 years.
In Spring 2014, I was selected as Teacher of the Year 2014 for Cannon County High School. I was then selected as District Teacher of the Year 2014 for Cannon County Schools Grades 9-12. In April 2014 it was announced that I was the Upper Cumberland Regional Teacher of the Year 2014 Grades 9-12. I was very humbled and honored to have been selected by my peers for this prestigious award.
I have been appointed to three very important committees in the State of Tennessee.
In February 2015 I was appointed to the Secretary of State Blue Book Curriculum Task Force by Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett. This committee was tasked to create Lesson Plans for use with the Tennessee Blue Book. I created three lesson plans - The U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights vs. the Tennessee Constitution’s Declaration of Rights; Tennessee City Government, and Tennessee County Government. These lesson plans were used by teachers across the state and this committee ended work in August 2015. Additional Lesson Plans can be found at: http://sos.tn.gov/products/teacher-resources.
In September 2015, The Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett reassigned the Blue Book Task Force to continue working as the Secretary of State's Civic Engagement & Advisory Committee for a two-year term. This committee was tasked with aiding educators and encouraging teachers and students to engage in civic activities. The website is http://sos.tn.gov/civics. The lesson plans are at: http://sos.tn.gov/civics/lessonplans. I created a specific plan dealing with the Voting Process.
In June 2016 I was appointed to the Tennessee Social Studies Standards Recommendation Committee by the Tennessee House of Representatives Speaker Beth Harwell was subsequently elected Vice-Chairman by the committee. Our task was to review the Social Studies Standards of Tennessee to be used starting in the 2019-2020 School Year. The website for review is https://apps.tn.gov/tcas/. Our work was completed in March 2017 and passed the Tennessee State Board of Education on July 28th, 2017 for implementation in 2019-2020.
On a personal basis, I was born in Lebanon, Tennessee, and raised in Alexandria, (DeKalb County) Tennessee. I have 4 sons, 3 daughters-in-law’s, and 4 grandchildren (2 Boys and 2 Girls). I have recently become engaged to a very wonderful lady. I am also an Ordained Minister affiliated with the Church of God (Cleveland, TN).
My hobbies include being an Extra Class Amateur Radio Operator - Callsign W4WFC - former callsign: KC4GUG, and Genealogy / Historical Research of which I get to do a very limited amount these days.
Vision, Mission, Goals and Beliefs
Contact Information:
Address: Mr. William Freddy Curtis,
Cannon County Schools,
301 West Main Street
Woodbury, TN 37190
Contact Information:
Address: Mr. William Freddy Curtis,
Cannon County Schools,
301 West Main Street
Woodbury, TN 37190
Phone: 629-201-4801 Extension 10101 Fax: 629-201-4830
E-Mail = [email protected]
