Dr. Tena Stone has been announced as the special education director for Bradley County Schools.

Stone will be replacing Vicki Beaty, who retired June 30 after 40 years of service.

Stone has served in the education field for more than 25 years, including teaching students with special needs at both the elementary and secondary level. Most recently Stone served as assistant professor at the Lee University College of Education.

“My time at Lee University gave me the opportunity to be involved in the preparation of many undergraduate teacher candidates. I also had the pleasure of teaching several graduate classes where I learned as much from the teachers who took them as they learned from me, maybe more. The lessons, conversations and relationships I take with me from Lee are an invaluable preparation for the task in front of me,” she said.

Stone previously worked in Bradley County Schools from 1985 to 2006. Before leaving in 2006, she served as the curriculum and inclusion coordinator.

“I am thankful to bring a person of Dr. Stone’s caliber back to Bradley County Schools. She is a long-term educator with an enormous heart for children,” said Bradley County Schools Director Johnny McDaniel.

“She is a great mom with outstanding Christian values who will work to fulfill Bradley County’s mission of excellence while serving some of our neediest children. Her tenure at Lee University indicates how highly regarded she was and is in the field of special education,” he said.

Stone holds a bachelor of science degree in special education from Lee and a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She also earned a Doctorate from Tennessee Tech University in exceptional learning. In her career as an educator in special services, Stone has cultivated multiple opportunities to consult with schools systems across Tennessee on a range of topics, including strategies from modifications and accommodations, designing effective inclusion programs, creating collaborative environments, and strategies for at-risk learners.

“Becoming the supervisor of special education for the Bradley County school system is a wonderful and exciting opportunity for me. It is also a responsibility I take very seriously. Parents entrust us with their most valuable possession in the expectation that we will in turn value and enrich the life of their child. I am thankful for the many talented and committed educators in the system who take this task so seriously, and I am honored to be among them,” she said.

Stone will work closely with Dan Glosscock, supervisor of secondary education, and Sheena Newman, supervisor of elementary education, as well as other principals and academic supervisors within the system.

“Dr. Tena Stone is a team leader with a clear commitment to Bradley County youth who need that extra educational attention. She is the right leader to continue a great Bradley County program. Impressively, Tena’s leadership style appears to be built not only on knowledge but also care, resolve and cooperation. As secondary supervisor, I have already experienced her teamwork approach in addressing the needs at our middle and high schools. Our principals, teachers and support staff are excited about Dr. Stone’s addition to the Bradley County team. Her return to Bradley County Schools reflects our confidence in her expertise and leadership,” said Glasscock.

“We are very excited about the expertise that Dr. Stone will bring back to our system. Her past experiences working in special education and her drive for excellence make her an exciting fit on the team,” said Newman.