The Longest-Serving Teacher in Knox County Schools
The town of Farragut was mostly farmland when Eddie Courtney began working at the high school in 1976, and he has witnessed quite an evolution during his 47-year career as a teacher and coach.
As a young person entering the profession, he was excited to serve the community in such an integral way.
“Coaching and teaching is very respectable, especially when you’re trying to be an example and positive role model,” he said. “That’s why I got started and what’s kept me here for so long.”
In the near half-century Courtney has been teaching, he’s developed a firm set of beliefs that he applies inside the classroom and out – a standard for presenting yourself as a professional, regardful citizen.
This Code of Conduct is proudly displayed on the wall of his office and he says it’s not just for his athletes and students, but also for him and his coworkers.
Time has granted Courtney the opportunity to meet hundreds of teachers – all at different points in their careers. His best advice on getting started is to “have a passion for helping kids.” To have a career as long as his, earn the trust and respect of your students.
“Just be consistent. When things are going good or when they’re going bad, you have to continue to be the same person.”
The Youngest Teacher in Knox County Schools
Googling “how to become a Tennessee teacher,” provides a pretty clear path: go to an accredited college, earn a bachelor’s degree, complete an approved educator prep program, and pass appropriate Praxis exams.
Knox County is committed to finding innovative ways to recruit new teachers, something that has benefitted Jayla Huddleston, who started her career just one year after becoming a legal adult.
Huddleston has always been drawn to kids. After graduating high school early, she took time off to become a family nanny and a tutor at Gresham Middle.
“After starting as a tutor, I knew I wanted a bigger role here, so I started school and finished faster than normal because I took some accelerated courses,” she said.
A Gresham alumni, she said it was easy to come back to her old school and community–it was familiar because some of her current coworkers were her teachers when she was at the school just a few years ago.
“I’m leaning on the veteran teachers and learning a lot about the importance of building relationships with students,” Huddleston said. “The other math teacher I work with has a connection with almost every student she has and I’m learning that makes teaching easier. I know what I’m doing with math and instruction, but I’m learning how to build relationships like that with my own students.”
Still, she says her biggest learning curve has been reminding herself of her ‘why’ each day, especially the challenging ones. “In the end,” she says, “It’s all worth it because of what I get to do.”
For National Coaches Day, Hall Pass sat down with four Knox County coaches, all of whom are highly respected. For this piece, they dug through a lifetime of memories and shared advice for their students.
Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length or clarity.
Gwen Jackson, Girls Basketball Coach at Austin-East High School
How long have you been coaching, and what initially drew you to be a coach?
I have been coaching since 2005. I tore my ACL and was pregnant with my daughter when I was released from the Phoenix Mercury. I wanted to do something different while I was rehabbing my knee and coaching was it. I started out coaching at my old high school in Eufaula, Alabama where my career began, and coached my baby cousin Terran Condrey. She went on to play at Baylor, and she played and won a National Championship there playing alongside Brittney Griner. Then I coached in the CIAA at Saint Paul’s College for three years as an assistant coach and one year as a head coach. Then I coached at Austin-East High School from 2012 to 2018. I took a small break and then had the opportunity to come back and coach last school year, and I am still here to date. Coaching is my passion, my calling. I love it to the fullest and thank God for the platform.
What is the best memory you have as a coach?
My best memories as a coach are coaching my daughter and my son. Tennessee Knockout Elite is my and my husband’s AAU team and watching my daughter Janiya and my son Jaiden follow my legacy is such an honor and a blessing. Watching them be coached by their father is even bigger. They are truly something special.
What life lessons do you try to teach your student-athletes?
I try to teach them about being a good person, a good student, and then a good athlete. Grades and character are highly important as an athlete. Athletes represent a brand, a name, an organization, or a school. Playing for a team is bigger than you. Then I focus on competing, giving it our all, and being accountable is important.
Eddie Courtney, Football Coach at Farragut High School
How long have you been coaching, and what initially drew you to be a coach?
I’ve been coaching for over 45 years, and I’ve been here at Farragut for most of those years. It’s been a good place to work, teach, coach, and have kids come through here. It’s been a very positive thing for me all these years. That’s why I’ve stayed here. I’ve had some opportunities to go to other places this is where I was comfortable to coach the way I felt like I needed to coach. The community wants successful things going on around them, and they support you. It’s been a very positive thing for us.
What’s your favorite thing about Farragut?
We just try to be the best we can here. In this community, they want people to do well, they support you, and try to give you all the resources they can. I guess now I’ve been through five or six principals all these years, and they’ve all been people who’ve kept up this reputation and tradition we built here. We’ve had some really good principals here. I’ve seen a lot of kids come through here who wanted to go college, get a degree, be successful, and be a good athlete.
What life lessons do you try to teach your student-athletes?
I teach all my kids a little bit about being an adult, decision-making, and being a strong person. You live with integrity. You stand on your own two feet, do the best you can to work hard for things. Things are not going to be given to you. When you have setbacks, you have to revert back to your training or the culture of your program because those are things that carry you through. If those are not solid things, then you’ll stay scattered and not know the direction you’re trying to go. Just be real, take advice, and be coachable. Communicate with your coaches and your teachers, and give them respect because they’re trying to help you. I also tell them to find a passion they really enjoy doing. The sooner you find out what it is you really want to do, the sooner you can apply yourself to be successful in doing it.
Carol Mitchell, Softball Coach at Gibbs High School
How long have you been coaching, and what initially drew you to be a coach?
This is my 31st year of coaching. I initially had no intentions of being an educator or a coach. That was not something that was on my radar. I was a math major and I didn’t know what I was going to do with a math degree. I took some education classes and ended up getting certified to teach. It just so happened that I went to school here and there was a math position available. My old softball coach, who was still here coaching at the time, was like, “Come on, let’s go.” I helped him my very first year, and then the second year, he went to coach baseball, and I took over the softball job. It’s been interesting. It seems like it’s gone by really fast.
What is the best memory you have as a coach?
It’s really hard to narrow it down. The obvious choices would be the state championship teams. In a few of those state championships, we were kind of expected to win. 2017 was our most recent state championship and that one was special. We’d always been a AA school, but for four years we were bumped into AAA. I think I used it as motivation to be better because people knew we were good at AA, but they didn’t think that we would do very well in AAA. When we ended up winning the state, that kind of solidified that we could play at pretty much any level. That was a really proud moment.
What life lessons do you try to teach your student-athletes?
It doesn’t really matter how talented you are, if you work hard to achieve something, you can achieve that goal. I’ve had situations where a kid is a sophomore and doesn’t get to start until their senior year, but they keep working and finally, they make it to starter. Or maybe they never make it to be a starter, but they are one of the leaders on the team because of their work ethic. You can outwork people at work and be a great employee. You can work hard and be a valuable person on a team, at your job, or in life.
Don Madgett, Track & Field and Cross-Country Coach at South-Doyle High School
How long have you been coaching, and what initially drew you to be a coach?
This is my 27th year as head coach in both cross country and track. I think probably my high school experience led me to this life. Cross country has a lifestyle that goes with it. The team culture and being able to maintain that as a coach was something that was appealing to me.
When I started teaching, I knew from reading the paper that there had been some good runners here at South-Doyle. One of them, Anthony Norris, is the principal of South-Doyle Middle. He was an all-state runner-up, but he had run for Coach Prince, who was still here when I got here. He was a mentor of mine for a bit, but what I found was that this place had a rich history in this building. There have only been three coaches ever at South-Doyle since 1968. Melvin Maxwell was the first, and he coached for about 29 years. Then Prince was the coach for a bit, and then I have been the coach for the past 27 years.
I’ve always held the ideal of the long-term teacher coach. Community coaches have value. Some coaches change schools. Some only stay in the profession for a little while, but I think the ideal for me has always been to stay in one place. Once I found my place, I would want to stay forever if I could. As for why I’ve stayed here, as one of our assistant principals said, “At this school, running was sacred.” It was the highest compliment I’ve been paid in my coaching career.
What is the best memory you have as a coach?
Successes are always nice. In my first year, we qualified for state, and we had the region meet down along the river in Sequoyah Hills. There was a little dock going out into the river and the team ran and jumped off it for their celebration afterward. That was the fall of 1997, my first year as head coach.
What life lessons do you try to teach your student-athletes?
Cross country is the sport where you can find that you can do things personally you never thought you could do, and that’s something that you can take into other realms in the larger life and bigger world.
This sport is one where you can come to high school without all the skill sets you might need in other sports, but if you’re willing to work at it, be patient, and put some time in, you can be successful in high school and have a great career.
A famous KCS grad made a significant impact at a local school on Friday by presenting music teacher Tom Walsh with the first Music Teacher of Note award and donating $20,000 to the school’s music program to buy new instruments!
The Morgan Wallen Foundation’s Program Director, Lesli Wallen, taught at Adrian-Burnett Elementary for most of her career, where she met and worked with Walsh.
He is a longtime music teacher, and he is known to rummage around yard sales on weekends to find inexpensive musical instruments for his classroom.
“In all my years of teaching, I have never come in contact with a music teacher like he is,” Wallen said. “I have been so impacted by his love of teaching and his love for the kids.”
She waited weeks to tell her former coworker he’s “not going to have to go to any more yard sales.”
The award and donation were kept under wraps until Friday, when Morgan Wallen spoke to the group in a video congratulating Walsh and thanking him for his years of service to his students.
“I know he gives 100%, is always getting there early in the morning to make sure y’all are getting to practice, and does anything he can to make y’all better,” said Wallen.
Walsh was short in his speech, taking in the sounds of the excited students and his moment on stage: “Honestly, I had no idea about this, and I’m already thinking about what I’m doing to do with this,” he said.
Jaditcia Galyon interviewing for the baker position with College and Career Counselor Caitlin Long, Gibbs Middle School Principal Candace Greer, and Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk.
Gibbs Middle School students are preparing for real life by drafting resumes, filling out applications, and practicing interviews for a school-based cookie company.
These skills are being taught through the college and career counselor Caitlin Long who launched College and Career Cookies at GMS as a way to fundraise for field trips to postsecondary institutions for career exploration.
“The kids get a lot more hands-on experience in the job-embedded piece that makes it a little easier for them when they go out in the real world and have to interview, so it’s not their first time,” Long said.
There are 10 positions students can apply for, with a CEO at the top and a head of baking and head of sales just below. The baking department includes a baker, packager, dough collector, and custodial crew. Sales is comprised of marketing, a data analyst, and a sales associate.
Jaditcia Galyon applied for the baker position and is looking forward to working with a team and gaining workplace skills.
“This is the beginning of a whole story to me,” she said. “We learned a lot when it comes to the future. You really have to have motivation, focus, and look at the bright side of everything.”
When Verónica Calderón-Speed started school as a young girl in south Texas, she spoke Spanish, and it was through her ESL teachers that she was able to learn English. Now at Hardin Valley Academy, she is able to do the same for her students.
Calderón-Speed did not initially plan to become a teacher. She graduated college in Pennsylvania with a degree in social work, and only when she was encouraged by a relative to pursue the profession did she step into the classroom.
She started as a long-term substitute in a pre-algebra class, filling in for a teacher on maternity leave. Even as a sub, Calderón-Speed couldn’t stand not being able to help her students learn.
“I got the textbook, took it home, started teaching myself so I could go back and teach the students,” she said. “By the end of the school year, it felt very gratifying. It was so good to have them say things like, ‘I learned a lot from you. This was really fun. Thank you for doing this.’ And then I just got bit. This was for me.”
She returned to school to earn a teaching certificate and started at HVA as a Spanish teacher. The ESL position was only a part-time opportunity at the time, so she waited patiently until the role opened to a full-time gig. Then, she jumped at the chance.
“I am the product of ESL education, so I understand the students that come in with no English language proficiency and are new to the culture, new to the country, and are very hesitant,” she said. “Once I share my story with them, they feel more at ease.”
Calderón-Speed’s passion for inclusion expands beyond the classroom as well. She aims to promote cultural diversity at HVA by creating a welcoming environment for all students and families.
Last year, she worked to hang flags in the atrium of the school that represent the 57 countries and 29 languages that make up the HVA student body’s DNA. Her next project is partnering with the art teacher to display a sign at the school’s entrance welcoming students, families, and guests in all languages present at HVA.
Her work at the school has earned recognition from the Tennessee Educators of Color Alliance at their inaugural E3: Elevating Excellence in Education Awards Dinner.
KCS is proud to have teachers like Calderón-Speed at our schools, working hard for their students, bolstering their confidence, and making them feel welcome at school every day.
This summer, KCS received news that the district has been chosen as a recipient of the U.S. DOD’s ESGR 2023 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.
Representatives of KCS, including Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk and Interim Assistant Superintendent of Business and Talent Jennifer Hemmelgarn, traveled to Washington, D.C. this week to be formally recognized and accept the award at the Pentagon.
The individual who nominated KCS for the award is a Hardin Valley Academy social studies teacher and a Major in the Tennessee Army National Guard.
Mjr. Michael Hicks has “taught for 10 years in Knox County Schools and have been placed on orders or had extensive drill weekends multiple times,” he said. “They have given me and my family 100% support while serving my country and are very deserving of Employer Support Freedom Award recognition.”
Dr. J.D. Faulconer, now the principal at Kelley Volunteer Academy, previously worked as a CTE specialist who oversaw the JROTC programs in the district.
Faulconer believes that hiring military members is a mutually beneficial relationship. Reservists and Guardsmen receive support from the district, and the schools receive highly skilled teachers.
“They want to be a servant leader, they know how to work as a team, and they know what collaboration looks like,” he said. “They know what grit and determination and resiliency look like in the classroom, and right now that’s what our teachers need. I think that’s what Mjr. Hicks brings to the table, and I think that’s what a lot of our veterans bring to the table.”
The ESGR, or Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve office, states the Freedom Award is the highest recognition given by the U.S. government to employers for their support of Guardsmen and Reservists.
Only 15 employers are chosen out of thousands of applicants each year, and KCS is the only school district to earn the distinction this year.
“If we have veterans coming out of military service and looking to continue to make an impact and they are working for a school district that is now known to support Guard members and Reservists, I think it’s a win-win for being able to recruit,” Faulconer said. “And not only recruit but retain wonderful educators.”
As a young girl, Addie McCallie would often play “teacher,” mirroring what she saw her father do for almost 35 years. With both of her parents working in the school system, McCallie knew she wanted to follow in her dad’s footsteps and become an educator.
Now in the thirteenth year of her career and fresh off a move to Knoxville from Chattanooga, she is finding her footing as she starts her first year at KCS and at Farragut Middle School as a sixth-grade science teacher.
One thing she hopes to continue from her previous school is providing meaningful partnerships with professionals in the field.
“In the past, I was fortunate enough to connect with UGA’s small satellite research lab. My students were able to develop and print 3D models of their own cube satellites,” she said. “I’m hoping to partner with the zoo in our current work with my students. They’re going to be creating products based on orangutans in Indonesia, so I would love for them to actually be able to display their work.”
Working with professionals and providing connections between classroom content and career fields is a large part of the 865 Academies’ goal of preparing students for life after high school. Introducing real-world professions to students in middle school is essential for students to begin thinking about post-secondary plans.
McCallie’s path to middle school science was full of twists that placed her exactly where she needed to be.
Initially planning to teach high school math, it was one of her college professors who guided her in a different direction.
“He taught science instruction, so how to teach science to middle school. All of a sudden, everything just started clicking,” she said. “I remember learning those things in middle school, but it didn’t make sense until I realized this is how you teach it, and this is how you teach it well.”
She also has a soft spot for her sixth-grade students. McCallie pivoted to the middle school path after spending a weekend with students of that age at a church youth retreat, and she’s “never looked back.”
“Middle schoolers are the best,” she said. “I was surprised at how articulate and clever they were and fell in love with their eagerness to learn.”
McCallie recently reflected on why she chose this profession, and she narrowed it down to two main reasons.
“It really comes down to believing that all children should have access to free and high-quality education, and all of us, all of the adults, all of my colleagues, should be able to empower and encourage each other as we’re working together to make all of our students successful,” she said. “Finding places where I can get some rest and also encourage others is really where I find my energy.”
Knox County Schools is committed to ensuring there are Great Educators in Every School. Know someone who should be recognized for next month’s Teacher Spotlight? Reach out to Kaleigh Cortez at kaleigh.cortez@knoxschools.org!
Knox County Schools serves tens of thousands of students every year, from three years old in preschool to seniors in high school. This year, two new preschools have been established as standalone schools to help serve the youngest members of the KCS community.
Separating a preschool from an elementary school means a preschool-specific principal is added to the staff, the number of classrooms available increases to serve more students, and the district is able to make a more targeted effort to support early learners.
Cedar Bluff Preschool, which used to be part of Cedar Bluff Elementary, is being led by principal April Partin. Jason Harris is overseeing Karns Preschool, formerly with Karns Elementary, as principal. Several elementary schools in the district also have preschools that are operated as a singular entity under one principal.
The new preschools are a step toward achieving Excellence in Foundational Skills, one of the district’s Four Priorities.
“I do have some early literacy background that when I was a teacher to learn and focus on literacy,” Partin said. “How the brain develops in its foundational years has always been important to me as a person, as a teacher, as a mom. There’s so many levels of that, that I feel this spotlight on literacy values all of those experiences with preschool.”
Introducing foundational literacy to students at this age is laying the groundwork as they prepare for kindergarten.
Preschool supervisor Beth Lackey explained, “We are working on letters and letter sounds, and how sounds work together to make words, and answering questions, and building vocabulary, and learning to love books.” She continued, “All of those things set them up for success because if we want kids to read on grade level in third grade, we know we need to start early.”
The new preschools also aim to promote growth in other areas of students’ lives, including a behavior liaison who has been added to school staff to promote social-emotional growth in students. Preschool-aged children experience significant brain development and providing a space to learn social skills is essential.
“Going through these skills like working with kids on how to open this, how to ask for help, how to sit your bottom in the chair, how to be in a big group,” Harris said. “Everything we do here, the teachers are involved. They’re interacting with kids on the playground, in breakfast, in lunch, in small groups. No one’s left by themselves doing a worksheet.”
Preschool classrooms are designed to foster rich, social learning. Tables are arranged in groups, and “centers” house interactive materials to teach math and literacy. Brightly colored posters line the walls and stuffed chameleons accompany the Connect 4 Learning curriculum that has been adopted by the preschools.
“It is a STEM-based curriculum, so our students are learning how to think like scientists,” Lackey said.
Being a brand-new school also means principals are looking for community partners to donate time or supplies and create a mutually beneficial relationship in the community.
“We want to work together,” Harris said. “It truly does take a village.”
If you are interested in learning more about preschool at KCS or you are ready to register your student, email Beth Lackey at beth.lackey@knoxschools.org.
KCS is committed to Excellence in Foundational Skills and highlighting the people who do incredible work in our district. Know someone who should be featured in Hall Pass for their dedication to the district’s Four Priorities? Submit their name and story to kaleigh.cortez@knoxschools.org.
Griffin Vann has been a registered pediatric nurse for 21 years, and last fall began teaching at Fulton High School as part of the Educator Preparation Program. Vann said that as a mother of young children, she wanted to be on their schedule, and that she has always loved working with kids.
On a recent morning, 18 people from a variety of career fields – including auto repair, construction, nursing, and culinary arts – gathered in a South Knoxville classroom.
While their professional backgrounds varied widely, their goal was the same: Learning to be an effective teacher.
The attendees were part of the KCS Educator Preparation Program (EPP), which trains industry professionals to be teachers, and provides financial incentives to help them receive certification.
The goal is to not only cast a wide net in identifying and recruiting outstanding educators, but also to find non-traditional candidates with expertise in career fields that are in high demand among employers.
A good example is Griffin Vann, who has been a registered nurse for 21 years and last fall began teaching health science, medical therapeutics, and nursing education at Fulton High School.
Vann said that as a mother of young children, she wanted to be on their schedule, and that she has always loved working with kids. As part of the Educator Prep Program, she works as a teacher at Fulton, while attending several after-hours classes each semester. During the summer, her cohort also attends a week of intensive training.
Vann said the program has been challenging, and helped her realize how hard teachers work.
“There’s a lot of organization behind the scenes that you don’t think about when you just go sit in a class,” she said. “When I was in school, I had no idea how much behind-the-scenes work goes into a lecture or a lab or a class session … This is teaching you how to do that, so that when I stand up in front of a classroom I am confident and organized and I know what I’m doing.”
The EPP training sessions are designed to help participants sharpen skills that they’re already using in the classroom, and gain insights from their peers.
During a recent session at the Sarah Simpson Center, instructor Ulla Carr – the district’s EPP supervisor – asked about the best way to re-engage students who have been working in small groups. The attendees joked about bad ideas – an air horn, for example – while also discussing serious strategies, such as a raised hand or short clap that would prompt students to respond with a similar action.
At the end of the discussion, participants took several minutes to journal on laptops, answering discussion questions about issues and challenges related to problem-based learning.
Carr said participants in the KCS program join the district – or work for other school districts – using a practitioner occupational license, but after three years they move to a regular professional license.
The KCS program is less expensive than many traditional college programs, and teachers who work for the district for three years are reimbursed for the full cost – which not only benefits the participants, but helps KCS meet its retention goals.
Carr said the program is also aligned with the district’s 865 Academies initiative, which aims to prepare high school students for enrolling in college or trade school, enlisting in service to their country, or finding high-wage employment immediately after high school.
Whether a student is interested in a college-bound pathway such as Information Technology or STEM, or a career pathway such as automotive repair or cosmetology, Carr said teachers with industry experience can help instill a sense of passion for that field.
Moving from an industry position to the classroom is also an investment in the broader community. Lauren Longmire, director of regional enhancement for the Knoxville Chamber, said the EPP is an important way that Knox County is taking tangible steps to retain and prepare the future workforce.
“By providing a high-quality, low-cost training option, the KCS EPP is making it possible for professionals to leverage their industry experience in a K-12 setting,” Longmire said. “At a time when the nature of work is shifting, it’s exciting to see the school system find new and dynamic ways to invest in both our current workforce and future workforce.”
Rob Stivers, market executive of Regions Bank and the Knoxville Chamber’s vice chair of talent, said the 865 Academies are the future of secondary schools within KCS, adding that “I’m excited to see that KCS has a program to help people translate their industry experience to catalyze the impact of the 865 Academies.”
Jess Sherrod worked in the manufacturing industry for more than 20 years, and now teaches welding at Carter High, as part of the school’s advanced manufacturing pathway.
At Carter High School, one educator who is leveraging that hard-earned experience is Jess Sherrod, who teaches welding as part of the school’s advanced manufacturing pathway.
Sherrod worked in industry for more than 20 years, eventually becoming a certified welding inspector and working in management positions at facilities in Jefferson City and Morristown.
He said it’s difficult to find good employees with the necessary skills for success – showing up on time, using tools like a tape measure efficiently, and working respectfully with colleagues “even in situations where it’s not really that calm.”
But Sherrod also has been impressed by the leadership qualities of students he’s worked with in the classroom, and is excited about helping give them a foundation for success.
“When given the chance and the opportunity and the understanding, these kids will take the lead, most of them will,” he said.
Interested in moving from an industry position into the classroom? The KCS Educator Preparation Program is accepting applications, and candidates who enroll by July 21 can participate in the 2023-24 cohort. For more information, visit our website.
Following a successful run of Moana Jr., the Holston Middle School Show Choir has begun rehearsals for their first summer performance of Matilda the Musical, a show made possible by a Tennessee Arts Commission grant.
Natalee Elkins, the HMS choral director and Show Choir director, and Taylor Branson, an HMS school counselor and Show Choir production coordinator, applied for the grant last year, and after a months-long application and interview process, they were finally able to bring their vision to life.
“We’ve had the rights for this show for three years. It was supposed to happen pre-COVID,” Elkins said. “We knew that if it was to come to fruition, we were going to need some outside funding. We applied for the grant last year, and, honestly, I don’t think we ever thought anything was going to come of it.”
With the additional funding from TAC, the Show Choir directors were able to open auditions to students, teachers, and even professors from across the county. Most of the cast attend schools in the KCS Regions Four and Five, including Holston, Beaumont, Belle Morris, Central, Fulton, Gibbs, Gresham, Shannondale, and Sterchi.
“We did what they call ‘non-traditional casting,’ which is where we are basically looking to not cast based on physical or ethnic traits. We are casting based on who we felt is best for the part,” Elkins said. “We have a diverse cast of kids coming from everywhere which is really fun.”
This unique opportunity has also allowed educators to grace the stage. Elkins and Branson have roles of their own in the musical, Holston Middle Principal Katie Lutton will play the beloved Ms. Honey, and even University of Tennessee math professor Jack Sturm joined the cast.
“Something really neat about Jack – he’s the UT professor – he teaches math now, but he originally was going to be a theater major,” Branson said. “We’re going to use him as that college and career piece, like ‘Look, he has this other job, but he is still able to do this,’ which also ties into the 865 Academies.”
The Holston Show Choir has been performing for over 15 years, and its repertoire includes several condensed versions of popular Disney films. Prior to this season’s Moana Jr. performance, the group staged Into the Woods, Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, Aladdin, and The Little Mermaid, to name a few.
Elkins and Branson are always brainstorming for the next show, but for now, all the focus is on Matilda.
Tickets for Matilda the Musical are on sale now for July 7 – 9. Buy tickets here.
