New school year brings new administrators and teachers
MADISON – When a new school year starts, administrators and classroom teachers often have received promotions, accepted lateral transfers or transferred. As a result, students and teachers will interact with new personalities who have accepted positions on their campus.
With the 2025-2026 school year, Ryan Foy is working now as Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at James Clemens High School. He had been working as Assistant Principal at Liberty Middle School.
A native of Birmingham, Foy previously taught in Montgomery and Madison County Schools as a Collaborative Teacher. At Alabama State University, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Then at Alabama A & M University, he completed an Education Specialist degree.
With Madison City Schools, Foy has worked as Assistant Principal at Discovery Middle School and Liberty.
Cyrus Swearingen has accepted the positions of Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at Liberty. He had been teaching Physical Education and working as Football Coach, also at Liberty.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree from Athens State University, he earned a master’s degree and an Education Specialist degree at Arkansas State University. He also holds an add-on certificate from the University of North Alabama. Swearingen is a National Board Certified Teacher.
Corey Jones is the new Assistant Principal at Journey Middle School. Originally from Camden, Jones first taught in Selma City Schools for 10 years. Then with Montgomery Public Schools, he worked as a school counselor at both elementary- and middle- school levels.
Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Stillman College and master’s and Education Specialist degrees in School Counseling from the University of West Alabama. He also completed a master’s degree in Instructional Leadership from Auburn University at Montgomery.
Corey and his wife Dollie Jones are parents of three children, Madison City Schools will have two new principals this year: Dr. Kate Wade and Kristin Kolenich.
Wade has been promoted from work as Assistant Principal at Discovery Middle School. Ironically, Discovery was the site of her first teaching assignment.
In August 2013, Wade transitioned to head coach of James Clemens High School’s charter team in swimming and diving, along with teaching algebra and algebraic connections. In January 2015, she transferred to district-level secondary math specialist.
Wade earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. In instructional leadership, she received master’s and educational specialist degrees from the University of West Alabama. She completed a doctorate degree at Samford University.
Kristin Kolenich has been selected as Principal for Madison’s newest campus, Russell Branch Elementary School, which will open for the 2026-2027 school year. Kolenich has been working as Assistant Principal at Heritage Elementary School.
Kolenich graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a master’s degree in Instructional Leadership from Samford University. She worked as a classroom teacher for 15 years.
In 2019, Kolenich accepted the position of Reading Coach at Heritage. In 2021, she transitioned to Assistant Principal at Heritage.
She and husband Daniel are parents of one daughter and one son.
Madison Board of Education will decide on replacements for Wade’s slot as Assistant Principal at Discovery and Kolenich’s Assistant Principal position at Heritage.
