(Pictured: Dr. Taranto passes on his role as principal to Mr. Schrag.)
Director of Curriculum and Instruction Mrs. Grace Lani retired from her position with Canon-McMillan School District at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year. The district thanks her for her sixteen years in the Canon-McMillan School District and twenty-five total years in education!
Her replacements were approved at the September 2022 School Board meeting. They may be recognizable as the former principal of Canonsburg Middle School, Dr. Greg Taranto, and the former principal of Canon-McMillan High School, Mr. Ken Crowley. Dr. Greg Taranto will be taking on the role as the Assistant to the Superintendent for K-6 and Mr. Ken Crowley will be assuming the position of Assistant to the Superintendent for 7-12. Learn more about them below!
With their predecessors taking on these new roles within the district, the School Board approved two new principals for Canon-McMillan High School and Canonsburg Middle School at the recent School Board meeting. Congratulations to Ms. Brittany Taylor for being announced as the new principal for Canon-McMillan High School and Mr. Ken Schrag for being announced as the new principal for the Canonsburg/Canon-McMillan Middle School. Dr. Taranto and Mr. Crowley are both excited for Mr. Schrag and Ms. Taylor,
"I am happy for Mr. Schrag as he begins this next chapter in his career as the new middle school principal. He and I worked together for 16 years, and I can't think of a more qualified person. He and the middle school faculty and staff will continue the tradition of delivering the best academic experience for the students. Expect the best!" - Dr. Taranto, Assistant to the Superintendent
"I would like to congratulate Ms. Taylor on her new role as high school principal. I have had the privilege of working side by side with Ms. Taylor for the past five years and I cannot think of anyone who is more deserving of this promotion than her. I look forward to continuing to work side by side, in my new role, with the high school administrators and staff as we provide our students with one of the best high school experiences in the state." - Mr. Crowley, Assistant to the Superintendent
Learn more about all of these administrators below and congratulations to all!
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Dr. Greg Taranto,
Assistant to the
Superintendent for K-6
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Dr. Taranto served as the principal of Canonsburg Middle School for the past seventeen years and served as the assistant principal for another 1.5 years prior to becoming principal. He also served one interim year at the Canon-McMillan Central Office as an Assistant to the Superintendent. Dr. Taranto holds a Ph.D. in Instructional Management and Leadership from Robert Morris University, M.Ed. from California University of Pennsylvania, M.S. from East Stroudsburg University and B.S. from Slippery Rock University.
Dr. Taranto also serves as an adjunct professor at PennWest University teaching in the Principal Leadership Program. He has published over 20 articles in various educational journals. He was named Pennsylvania’s Middle School Principal of the Year in 2012, received the 2012 Pennsylvania Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Research & Publication Award and the Frank S. Manchester Award for Journalistic Excellence in 2013.
In the time Dr. Taranto was the principal at CMS, the school has been designated: a PA and National Schools to Watch Middle School four times (less than 10 schools in PA hold that designation that many times); a U.S. News & World Report Best Middle School; and recently named in the Pittsburgh Business Times Top 15 in Eighth Grade Achievement out of the 118 western Pennsylvania school districts.
Dr. Taranto shared, “While I will always cherish my time as Canonsburg Middle School’s principal, I look forward to this next chapter to have the opportunity to work with teachers and administrators from all the buildings. CMS is in good hands now with a veteran administrator in Mr. Schrag and a top-notch faculty and staff. I also look forward to working with Mr. Crowley closely, with the support of Mr. Daniels and Mr. Chambers, as we plan and initiate how to best prepare the District’s students for an ever-changing world.
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Mr. Ken Crowley,
Assistant to the
Superintendent for 7-12
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Mr. Crowley served as the principal of Canon-McMillan High School since January 2019 and has been with the Canon-McMillan School District since 2015. Mr. Crowley is currently pursuing his Ed.D. in Leadership and Administration from Point Park University. He obtained a M.S.Ed. in School Administration from Duquesne University and holds both a B.A. and a B.S. from there as well.
During his time as an administrator at CMHS, Mr. Crowley has worked with the students, staff, the School Board, Central Office, and community stakeholders to shift the educational paradigm to ensure that the students are being given the opportunity to hone and apply real world skills. These initiatives have led to the creation of the CM Store and CM Federal Credit Union as well as partnerships with Microsoft, Amazon, and Carnegie Mellon to better our Computer Science program.
The High School team has also worked to increase our offerings of Advanced Placement courses and worked to secure funding from the District to pay for all students to take AP exams. During this time period, they have also increased their College in the High School course offerings and entered into dual enrollment agreements with Pittsburgh Technical College and the Community College of Beaver County. Mr. Crowley looks forward to continuing to work with the High School administrators to grow these initiatives.
During Mr. Crowley’s tenure at CMHS, the school has been named to the AP District Honor Roll, received the Governor’s Civic Engagement Award, and been named a U.S. News & World Report Best High School.
Mr. Crowley noted that, “While I will miss working with the students and staff of Canon-McMillan High School on a daily basis, I am excited to continue to work with Ms. Taylor and the high school faculty and am thrilled to get to work with Mr. Schrag and the faculty of CMS. I look forward to working with Dr. Taranto, as well as Mr. Daniels and Mr. Chambers, to implement initiatives and resources that will position CMSD as one of the best school districts in the region.”
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Mr. Ken Schrag,
Canonsburg Middle School Principal
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Mr. Ken Schrag served as the assistant principal of Canonsburg Middle School for the past sixteen years.
Prior to his administrative role, Mr. Schrag was a science teacher at the Middle School for six years. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Westminster College with a minor in Secondary Education. He received his Master’s of Education in Educational Administration from Westminster College.
Mr. Schrag is honored for this opportunity,
“A significant portion of my time in education has been at the middle-level. While it can be a challenging age to work with, helping these students navigate the transition from elementary to high school has been rewarding. I am honored that the District has given me this opportunity and am looking forward to continuing to work alongside a top-notch staff at our nationally-recognized middle school.”
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Ms. Brittany Taylor,
Canon-McMillan High School Principal
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Brittany Taylor has been an employee at Canon-McMillan High School for 5 years. During her 5 years at Canon-McMillan, she has held the positions of School Counselor and Assistant Principal.
However, Brittany Taylor has been affiliated with the Canon-McMillan School District for 18 years. Brittany is a 2008 graduate, was the 2008 homecoming queen, was voted as a top 10 standout athlete within Washington County and she was heavily involved at Canon-McMillan High School as a student. She has continued this same involvement as an employee. Brittany has coached volleyball, track & field, basketball and sponsored many clubs over the past five years.
Ms. Taylor’s journey to education is unique. Her undergraduate degree is in Pre-Law and her first Master’s degree is in Homeland Security. However, she knew in her heart that her goal was to be in a leadership role in education. Therefore, she pursued a Master’s in School Counseling from California University of Pennsylvania and then a Principal certification from Point Park University. Ms. Taylor will begin her doctoral studies in the spring of 2023 at Penn West University.
Ms. Taylor is honored and excited to continue the tradition of Excellence at the Canon-McMillan School District. She is even more excited to continue working with the faculty, staff, administration, students and the community.
"We will continue to be CM Strong!"
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