Administration & Staff

Dr. James P. McIntyre, Jr. is the Dean of the College of Education at Belmont University.  Prior to his appointment as Dean, he served as Director of the Center for Educational Leadership and Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.  In this role, Dr. McIntyre managed the University’s Leadership Academy for aspiring school principals, facilitated the Tennessee Rural Principals Network, and provided targeted support and leadership coaching to school and district leaders across Tennessee and around the country.

Before transitioning to the University of Tennessee in 2016, Jim served for eight years as Superintendent of the Knox County Schools, the 60,000 student public school district of Knoxville, Tennessee. Under his leadership, the school district saw extraordinary growth in student learning and success. The district’s four-year high school graduation rate increased from 79.3% in 2008 to 90.3% for the class of 2016, and the Knox County Schools was named by the Tennessee Department of Education as one of only twelve "Exemplary” School Districts state-wide, and the only large metropolitan school system to ever earn this distinction in the Volunteer State.

Preceding his appointment as Superintendent in Knoxville, Dr. McIntyre served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Boston Public Schools, where he was responsible for the day to day operations of the school district. Jim had also previously served as the Budget Director for the Boston Public Schools for several years. During Dr. McIntyre’s tenure, the Boston Public Schools was named one of the top performing urban school systems in the nation. As a teacher at Vincent Grey Alternative High School in East St. Louis, Illinois early in his career, McIntyre taught English, anatomy, and physical education to a diverse group of at-risk students between the ages of 16-21. He began his career in higher education, serving in various administrative roles at Boston University and at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York.  

McIntyre has served on numerous state-level and national working groups aimed at enhancing public education, and participated as a fellow in the prestigious Broad Foundation Superintendent’s Academy, an intensive fellowship in the urban public school superintendency. He is also a proud graduate of the Aspen Institute’s Pahara Fellowship in Entrepreneurial Education. Jim has provided advice on education policy to two successful candidates for governor: one a progressive Democrat in Massachusetts, the other a conservative Republican in Tennessee.  In 2010, Governor Phil Bredesen invited Dr. McIntyre and three others to join him in presenting Tennessee’s Race to the Top proposal to the United States Department of Education. Tennessee was one of only two states in the country to be selected in the first round of this national competition, and was awarded $501 million for school reform and improvement.

As a parent of two graduates of the Knox County Schools, Dr. McIntyre is incredibly honored that the state-wide Parent Teacher Association (PTA) named him the Tennessee Outstanding Superintendent of the Year in four of his eight years (2009, 2010, 2011, and 2014) at the helm of the Knox County Schools.  He has also been honored with the Life Achievement Award from the National PTA, the Excellence in Educational Leadership Award from the University Council for Educational Administration, and the John H. Tunstall Outstanding Faculty Award.  Dr. McIntyre holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Boston College, a Master of Science degree in Education Administration from Canisius College, a Master of Urban Affairs from Boston University, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts.

Dr. Cathy Eschete has more than 18 years of experience working in the field of education. Following the completion of her bachelor’s degree from Louisiana College in Elementary and Special Education, she served as a resource and inclusion middle school teacher. Upon relocating to California, she served as a Clinical Supervisor providing early intervention services for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as providing consultation services to area school districts seeking to improve their special education programs.

She received a master’s degree from California State University Stanislaus in Special Education and her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Special Education from Louisiana State University. During her PhD program, she served as a graduate assistant and taught special education courses at Louisiana State University. Following the completion of her PhD, Dr. Eschete served as Assistant Professor and Director of Field Experience in the School of Education at Louisiana College. She has presented at numerous professional conferences on topics, such as behavior management, instructional strategies to increase engagement, and supporting children in the foster care system.

Growing up in a family of educators, she has always had a desire to work in the field of education. She and her husband, Dylan Eschete, have three daughters, Isabella, Presley, and Kennedy. Dr. Eschete enjoys being active in her church, ministering to children in the foster care system, serving in her community, cheering on the LSU Tiger football team, shopping, and making memories with her family.