Meet the Principal

I am elated and humbled to serve as Principal of West Fannin Elementary (WFES). I have been in the education profession for almost 21 years, 18 of which have been at WFES. During this time, I had the opportunity to teach Kindergarten, 1^st, 3^rd, and 4^th grades and most recently served as Assistant Principal.

In 1997, I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in Human Service Management and immediately began working as a case manager for the Department of Family and Children Services. I quickly realized this was not my true calling or passion, so I pursued my teacher certification from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. I later received my Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia and my Educational Specialist in Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee.

I have had the pleasure of watching STEM transform from a simple vision to an integral part of the West Fannin Elementary culture and how it can truly benefit ALL students. My vision is for us to continue to grow in STEM education and add STEAM certification to our accolades. The curriculum we are required to teach students has not changed over the years, but the depth and rigor for the students understanding has grown. We are no longer teaching our students to simply go through the motions of completing assignments, but to have an understanding of the importance of these skills and knowledge they are learning. We are developing students into critical thinkers and giving them the ability to solve problems in real life.

West Fannin Elementary is very dear to my heart. I attended West Fannin when it was a junior high and was then giving the opportunity to come back to teach. I was fortunate to teach with my own Kindergarten teacher and with individuals that I have known my whole life. These individuals are my family and over the years the relationships I have established with many of the parents and students of West Fannin have also become family. I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to give back to this community what they were able to give me.

My husband, Darren Danner, is also employed by the Fannin County School System as Assistant Superintendent. We have one son, Hayden, who currently attends Fannin County High School. As a family, we enjoy spending time together, watching Hayden play baseball and most of all cheering for the Tennessee Vols.