Displays Staff Members
Mrs. Shannon Skipper Campbell retired from teaching in June of 2025 and immediately moved into our secretary position. Before retiring, she taught math at Gadsden Middle School for 11 years then went to Floyd Elementary School to teach Pre-K 4 for several years. After spending a year in the position of Gadsden City School system-wide […]
Hello! I am your school counselor Mrs. Kristen Hollis. I began my career in school based mental health in 2020. I am a lifelong resident of Etowah County. I reside in Rainbow City with my husband Brandon and our two sons Hayden and Hudson. My passion is working with students and ensuring that every student
Mrs. Walker has been a nurse with the Gadsden City School System since 2018. She is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a BS in nursing in 2001. She has worked in many different areas of nursing including PACU, day surgery and ICU. She is married to her husband, John Robert, and has
Catherine Walker RN Read More »
Mr. Hawkins has been part of GMS Staff since Fall 2022. He started teaching in the Fall of 2024 after a successful career with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. He is originally from Virginia where he attended Virginia Commonwealth University and earned a BS Degree from Averett University. He has lived in the Rainbow City
Ms. Cotton has been part of the GMS family since 2021. She is the mother of three children, has four grandchildren, and an avid Alabama fan.
I have been teaching in the Gadsden City School System since 2014. I am a proud graduate of Jacksonville State University, where I earned dual certification in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. Gadsden is home for me, and I enjoy living here with my husband, Jon, and our four wonderful children—Eliana, Connor, Aurelia, and Abigail.
Mrs. Christy Borgersrode has been teaching since 1998. She began her career teaching elementary school. She has been at Gadsden Middle since the fall of 2012, teaching 6th grade math from 2012-2015. Mrs. Borgersrode then taught 8th grade math and Algebra I until the spring of 2022. She has returned to 6th grade where she is
Christy Borgersrode Read More »
My name is Kaitlin Clark, and I am so excited to be at Gadsden Middle School! I am a 2013 graduate of Pisgah High School, and I earned my Bachelor’s in English Language Arts from Athens State University. I later attended The University of West Alabama to earn my Master’s in English Language Arts. I
Mrs. Brittany Harbison is excited to be teaching 6th grade Social Studies at Gadsden Middle School. A proud graduate of Jax State, she holds a degree in Secondary Education. Before returning to the classroom, Mrs. Harbison worked as an Academic Advisor at JSU, where she guided college students on their educational journeys. She also pursued
Mr. Smith teaches 6th grade Math at Gadsden Middle School. He began teaching in 2009 in the Gadsden City School system and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Special Education. He was a member of the Jacksonville State University golf team and is currently helping coach at Gadsden City.
Mrs. Williams teaches 6th grade Science at Gadsden Middle School. She has been teaching in the Gadsden City Schools system since graduating from Auburn University in 2011. Mrs. Williams holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Elementary Education and a 4-8 Grade Middle School Science certificate. She lives in Southside with her husband, Ike, and
My name is Bruce Beasley. I am a Social Studies teacher. I am from Talladega, Alabama. I graduated from Jacksonville State University. I have a Bachelors of Arts in History. I also have both a Masters of Arts in History and a Masters of Science in Education in Social Studies. I have been teaching since
Dr. Sue Bliss currently teaches 7th grade regular and PreAp math. She also sponsors the GMS Scholars Bowl. Dr. Bliss received her Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ed.S from JSU and her Doctorate in Instructional Leadership from Samford University. Dr. Bliss and her husband, Roy have 7 grown children and 9 precious grandchildren. She lives in Southside
Christina Ford currently teaches 7th grade science. She is dual certified in Elementary Education and Secondary General science. She holds a BS from Auburn University and MS from JSU. She and her husband, Craig, have two daughters and live in Altoona. She is a member of First BaptistChurch in Ashville, AL. She enjoys spending time
Mrs. Amanda Wall began teaching Language at Gadsden Middle School in 2019. She grew up in Fort Payne, AL, where she graduated high school. She currently lives in Glencoe with her husband and three children. Mrs. Wall holds a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education with a concentration in English Language Arts from Jacksonville State University.
Coach Michael O’Brien has been at Gadsden Middle School since 2005 and is the 8th-grade math teacher. He is the math department chair and head football coach. He is a 2004 graduate of Jacksonville State University with a concentration in secondary math. He spent six years in the U.S. Navy, being honorably discharged in 1994.
My name is Wesley (Wes) Beck and I am a 6-12th grade Social Studies teacher. Currently, I teach 8th grade World History. I earned my associate’s degree from Gadsden State Community College (2017), my bachelor’s degree from Jacksonville State University (2020), and am currently pursuing my master’s degree with The University of West Alabama. I
Coach Elrod teaches 8th grade math and is part of Gadsden City High School’s baseball coaching staff. He graduated from Jacksonville State University in 2022 with a bachelors in Elementary Education, and holds a 4-8 grade Middle School mathematics certificate. Coach Elrod now resides in Rainbow City with his wife, Mallory, and golden retriever, Sammie.
Mr. Benjamin Kocian has been teaching since 2007 and has spent most of that time at the high school level, including more than a decade as an Advanced Placement instructor in both Language and Literature. He holds a degree in English Language and Literature from Columbus State University in Columbus, GA. He has lived and
My name is Megen McCright, and I am proud to be a Gadsden Middle School Tiger! I am from Attalla, and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education from Jacksonville State University. I have a true passion for science and helping our young learners see science in everyday life. When I am not teaching I
Mr. Peterson has been at Gadsden Middle School since 2004, where he received the honor of Teacher of the Year for the 2012-2013 school year. In 2017, Mr. Peterson became the Media Specialist after teaching 8th grade Physical Science for 13 years. In addition to being the Media Specialist, Mr. Peterson sponsors the GMS Disney
“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible, is music” ~Aldous Huxley~ Brian Bankston – composer, educator, saxophonist and guitarist – has been the Band Director at Gadsden Middle School and Jazz Band Director at Gadsden City High School since 2002. He is a staff composer for RWS music and his concert
Mrs. Lesley Guthrie has been the girls physical education teacher at Gadsden Middle School since 1999. In addition, she sponsors the SGA (student government association) and co-sponsors the Tiger Ambassadors. She earned her master’s degree in educational leadership from Jacksonville State University and bachelor’s degree in physical education from Auburn University. She lives in Gadsden
For 15+ years, I’ve shaped young minds as a physical education teacher. A Jacksonville State University alum, I balance my passion for fitness with my greatest joys: my wife and daughter.
John Paul Madrigal Read More »
Mrs. Leigh Ann Johnson teaches Family and Consumer Science at Gadsden Middle School. In addition, she is the sponsor for both FCCLA and JUNA. She is married and has two children.
Ms. Aleesa Parnell has spent the majority of her life in the music world having taken private lessons from Susan DiBiase, Dr. Steven DiBlase, Thomas Maternik, Dr. Yi-Wen Zhang, Dr. Suren Petrosyan, and world renowned child prodigy Dr. Yi-Min Cai. She grew up performing with the Etowah Youth Orchestras and has continued to perform in
My name is Mr. Ethan Terry and I am the Business Education / Computer Science teacher at Gadsden Middle School. In addition I am also the sponsor for FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America.) I was a first generation college student, graduating from Jacksonville State University with my undergraduate in Finance, then my Master of
Mrs. Kendall Batista started her teaching career at Gadsden Middle School in 2015. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education collaborative from Jacksonville State University. Mrs. Batista lives in Gadsden with her husband, Matt, and their three children, Emma Jane, Etta Jae, and Brooks.
Mrs. Barkley began her teaching career in 2022, following a successful first career before transitioning into education. She spent two years teaching at the high school level and is now in her second year working with middle school students. Mrs. Barkley is passionate about creating a positive and engaging learning environment. Outside of school, she
My name is Jackson Fussell and I am an ESL teacher, with experience teaching both elementary and middle school students. I graduated from Athens State University and I hold an NCST certificate through the National Institute of STEM Education. I strive to create an engaging, supportive environment where language learners can thrive academically and socially.
I am honored and humbled to serve as the principal of Gadsden Middle School. I am very passionate about education and look forward to partnering with you to provide our students with a rigorous, engaging and high quality education. Most of all, I look forward to working with our students and continuing the strong history
Mr. Chance Goodwin Read More »
Ms. Wadley joined the GMS family as Assistant Principal in August 2022. She started working in the Gadsden City School system in 2004 at Litchfield High School. From 2006-2013, she was the Business Education teacher at Emma Sansom Middle School. In 2013, she joined Gadsden City High School as a Business Education teacher. She was
