After nearly 17 years leading one of Tennessee’s top-performing schools, Dr. John Ash will step down as principal of Central Magnet School on June 1 to become the new director of schools in Smith County.
Ash, a native of Smith County, said the decision to leave Central Magnet was difficult but rooted in a desire to give back to the community where he was raised.
“It’s very painful,” Ash said. “Every job I’ve ever had has been the best job I’ve ever had.”
Ash and his wife, Jennifer, are already building a home in Smith County, where they plan to retire. While he said leaving Central Magnet is emotional, he believes the timing is right to return home and contribute to the county that helped shape him.
After graduating from Tennessee Technological University, Ash taught at Smith County High School, Brentwood High School, and LaVergne High School, teaching advanced chemistry and physics courses while also coaching several sports. He later moved into administration as an assistant principal at LaVergne High before becoming the first principal of Christiana Middle School.
Following six years at Christiana Middle, Ash was selected to help create an academic magnet program for grades 6-12 at Central Magnet School. After spending a year hiring staff and building programs, the school officially opened in 2010.
“We tried to make a school where being smart was the goal — where it wasn’t looked down on,” Ash said.
Under Ash’s leadership, Central Magnet earned national recognition, including multiple rankings as Tennessee’s top high school by U.S. News & World Report. Last spring, the publication ranked the school as the third-best high school in the nation.
Ash said one of his proudest accomplishments is the school culture, where students feel accepted and supported.
“We want everybody to feel like this is their home,” he said.
Dr. Clark Blair, current principal of McFadden School of Excellence, has been named Central Magnet’s next principal. Ash said he plans to support Blair if needed but will avoid interfering in the school’s future leadership.
“I want Central to be more successful than it is now,” Ash said. “We try to get better every year.”
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