SYLACAUGA, Ala. – The Sylacauga Board of Education named Paula Bruno as principal of Indian Valley Elementary School, effective July 1. Earlier this month, Cindy Cleveland was named assistant principal. These two administrators bring a vast knowledge of elementary education experience to Indian Valley.
Indian Valley Elementary is Sylacauga’s K-2 school and includes four classes of Pre-K. The new leadership team will be promoting a culture of fundamental learning in working with the faculty and parents of the school’s 550 young students.
Bruno has been assistant principal at Nichols-Lawson Middle School for the last three years. Prior to that, she taught fourth grade at Pinecrest Elementary for seven years, and second grade and kindergarten at Indian Valley for four years.
She is a graduate of Sylacauga High School and earned her undergraduate degree from Alabama A&M University. Bruno holds a master’s in elementary education from the University of West Alabama, and earned a second master’s in instructional leadership from Jacksonville State University. She completed her educational specialist degree in teacher leadership, also from Jacksonville. She and her husband, Benny Bruno, are the parents of two daughters, Alana and Alivia.
Cindy Cleveland is a graduate of Sylacauga High School and earned her bachelor’s degree from Auburn University in early childhood education. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Montevallo, and completed the educational specialist degree in teacher leadership from Jacksonville State University. In July, Cleveland will complete her administrative certificate from Jacksonville.
Cleveland was a third grade teacher at Stemley Road Elementary School for seven years, and in 2006, returned to Sylacauga as a first grade teacher at Indian Valley. Six years later she undertook the responsibilities of interventionist at Indian Valley and has worked in this position until being named assistant principal. In addition to her work at Indian Valley, Cleveland has been the tennis coach for both boys and girls teams for the last 12 years. She and her husband of 18 years, Jay Cleveland, live in Sylacauga.
Sylacauga superintendent Dr. Jon Segars said, “Indian Valley is a great school where the students always come first, and in education, this is where it all begins. Mrs. Bruno and Mrs. Cleveland are both graduates of our school system. They came back home to teach and stayed here as they have grown professionally. They will be dynamic leaders at Indian Valley as they direct the course for teaching and learning and give students the strong foundation they need for future success.
