Tiffany McNeese is Mount Juliet High School’s newest assistant principal. Mrs. McNeese has lived in Mount Juliet for twenty-one years and has been teaching for twenty-one years as well. Before becoming a principal, she taught at Mount Juliet Middle School as an English teacher for eighteen years. After that, she was a special education teacher at Mount Juliet High School for three years. She has two children: Madi McNeese, a senior at MJHS, and Trey McNeese, a sophomore at Cumberland University. Outside of school, she likes to spend time with her family, go to the beach, and shop. Mrs. McNeese is also currently the dance and cheer coach at MJHS.
Did you always know you wanted to be an educator?
"When I was a little girl, the only thing that I ever wanted to do was to be a teacher, and growing up, that was the only thing that I ever wanted to do. I never even considered another profession, it was just something that I wanted to do, and I just kind of stuck to it, and that’s the only job that I’ve ever had.”
When did you know you wanted to become a principal?
“In 2012, I got my administrative degree. I did it then because there were several other teachers I was going to school with, and we decided to all go to school together and get ours at the same time. But, I always said that I wanted to wait until my own students graduated from high school because I wanted to be able to attend their extracurricular activities, and I know there’s a lot of extra responsibilities that come along with being a principal.”
She felt that it was finally the right time to make the move to become a principal because her son had already graduated from high school, and her daughter is a senior.
What roles do you have as an assistant principal?
"I am the administrator that oversees the special education department, the CTE department, and the science department. And then I'll be helping out with testing, ACT, and then I have bus duty."
Do you have any short-term goals as principal?
"The short term is just figuring everything out, kind of seeing the different aspects of how the school is run from the classroom to being an assistant principal.”
Do you have any long-term goals as principal?
“Long term is knowing this is where I want to be to finish out my career and being part of just the bigger picture of what’s going on here. Doing the things that would keep MJHS a Reward School, and just hearing the teachers and being a voice for them as well.”
Although she has only had the position for about two weeks, she is very satisfied and happy with her new role.
Do you like your new position?
"So far, I love it. It’s just figuring it all out, and all the roles that come along with this.”