Janice Cook is an accomplished educational leader with more than 30 years of experience in education, mental health, student support and school leadership. She began her career in the Scottish education system, where she developed a strong foundation in relationship-centered teaching. After relocating to Tennessee, she worked in the pediatric psychiatric unit at East Tennessee children’s hospital, developing and leading the EMBRACE diagnostic program to support children and families with complex educational and mental health needs.
Mrs. Cook’s commitment to student advocacy led her to crisis response work across County elementary schools, leading her to join Knox County Schools in 1997 as a consultant. In 2008 she became principal of the Knoxville Adaptive Education Center (K-12), focusing on improving students’ outcomes through intensive social, emotional, and behavioral support. She later served as executive principal of Paul Kelly Volunteer Academy, Knox County’s non-traditional High School, where she implemented innovative strategies to re-engage students at risk of not graduating. She supported the learning of many students to help them achieve graduation through focused academics, accountability, intentional planning, and relationship building. She was recognized nationally for this work by being named as the Simon Youth Foundation National administrator of the year in 2018.
Currently serving as executive director of Whole Child and Family Supports for Knox County schools, Mrs. Cook leads district-wide initiatives in counseling Social Work restorative practices trauma informed systems Behavior Support and threat assessments. Under her leadership, the department has grown to oversee more than 16 programs and directly support 250 staff members district-wide, including providing professional development for over 1500 staff a year. She partners with the Knox County Schools Safety Department and local law enforcement partners to develop, and train School-based threat assessment teams. She partners with other stakeholders to support student case management for the district level threat assessment team. In July, 2026 she was named as East Tennessee’s Core Region Supervisor of the Year.
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