Bedford County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tammy Garrett announced Wednesday that Malcolm Martin has been named assistant principal of Cartwright Elementary School, the newest pre-k – 5th grade elementary school currently under construction and scheduled to open in fall 2024.
“Mr. Martin has done an incredible job as a math teacher, an instructional coach and a leader at Harris Middle School for 5 years and in Rutherford County Schools before that,” said Garrett. “Opening a new school comes with many challenges, but I know that Mr. Martin, teamed up with Principal Whitney Yoes, will yield great results for the future students of Cartwright Elementary.”
Prior to his 10 years of experience in education, Martin spent 10 years in the military where he also earned an Army Tactical Leadership degree from Ft. Lee, Virginia, and minored in Military Science. He earned his Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and a Bachelor of Science in Community and Public Health from MTSU.
Martin is transparent about his background stating that he faced many challenges as a child and a young man. “I did not grow up in the best environment and would be considered by societal norms a walking statistic,” said Martin. “However, I did not let the challenges I faced define the outcome of my life. It has instead helped shape my perspective on how to best help the boys and girls of Bedford County, no matter the outside circumstances they face in life.”
Martin states that he believes students should be able to walk into a safe environment and receive a high-quality education where he says the teachers have the greatest impact on student growth and achievement. Being innovative and proactive in approaches to finding equitable solutions are vital, according to Martin.
“Malcolm has a heart for kids and genuinely wants to make a difference in students’ lives,” said Principal Yoes. “Malcolm realizes that the earlier in life you can impact a child in a positive way, before he or she gets to the upper grades, the better off a child is.”
Yoes stated another reason that Martin was selected for the job is his strength in analyzing and using data to assist learning outcomes. “This will be very impactful for our teachers and our Cartwright students,” said Yoes.
Martin shared that he embraces the diversity present in society and in schools. “It is our responsibility to provide the necessary resources and support structures to ensure all students thrive in a supportive, positive and engaging learning environment.”
“I am excited to work alongside Mrs. Yoes to do what it takes to help both students and teachers succeed in the classroom. I fully understand and appreciate that all stakeholders – students, teachers, parents, family and community members – must feel valued, involved and willing to partner to achieve the goals of our school and school district. I’m blessed to be given this opportunity as BCS is a great place to work with great leadership. I’m ready to lead and inspire the next leaders of America!”
Cartwright Elementary School, located at 1753 Fairfield Pike in Shelbyville, will house 800 students and have 40 classrooms. The mascot will be the colts and school colors will be navy and teal.
