Administration

John Manning
Principal
Roshon Kernessant
Assistant Principal - 7th Grade
Yolando Hoard
Assistant Principal - 6th Grade
Cynthia Sneed
Assistant Principal - 8th Grade

Read more about the Deerpark

Administration Team:

John Manning: Principal

Manning has served as the assistant principal of Pearson Ranch Middle School since 2017. During that time, he led the creation of Pearson Ranch’s Equity Task Force to advance learning, reflection, and creating an accepting environment to directly address equity for students and staff on the campus.  He also worked with the campus team to guide the successful implementation of restorative practices, which led to a 27 percent decrease in disciplinary incidents over two years.  He also led the launch of Propel Summer Learning for the McNeil Learning Community to provide enrichment opportunities for students in Project-Based Learning, literacy, and accelerated math. He has a total of 17 years of experience in education, with 14 of those as a classroom teacher. Three of those years as a classroom teacher included serving as the Math Department Chair at Westwood High School.

“I am deeply honored to be joining the Deerpark Middle School community,” Manning said. “I’m excited and eager to partner with students, staff, parents, and the community to support all of our students on their journeys to becoming lifelong learners who will positively impact our society.”

Manning earned his Master’s in Management and Administrative Sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas and his Bachelor’s in Mathematics from the University of the Ozarks.

Roshon Kernessant: Assistant Principal

Mrs. Kernessant attended Texas State University, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Sport Science in 2003, and became a certified physical education teacher. With over 17 years in public education, Ms. Kernessant taught in Killeen ISD for five years. As a teacher, she also served as a coach for volleyball, basketball, and track. She served as cheer sponsor and National Honor Society sponsor.

Mrs. Kernessant moved to Copperas Cove ISD after receiving her Masters in Education in 2007 from Tarleton State University. She served in various capacities, including 504 campus coordinator, RTI campus coordinator; textbook adoption committee; district curriculum writing committee, and District Leadership Design Advisory. Mrs. Kernessant moved to assistant principal in Waco ISD after receiving her principal certification in 2015 from Region 12. In 2021 Mrs. Kernessant moved to the closer Austin area and began working in Jarrell ISD as Dean of Students. As Dean of Students, Mrs. Kernessant worked with at-risk students and served as ESL coordinator; PLCs, 504’s, ARDs, and District Project Lead for the Effective Advising Plan. Mrs. Kernessant is a Doctoral Candidate and plans to receive her degree in 2025.

Mrs. Kernessant enjoys reading research articles, analyzing data in her spare time, and spending time at church and with family. Her passion is working with educational stakeholders to promote equity and social-emotional learning. Mrs. Kernessant understands that academic success can only occur when consideration is given to the whole student.

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Cynthia Sneed: Assistant Principal

Ms. Cynthia Sneed is a native Austinite and comes from a family of educators. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Health from Texas A&M University, obtained her Teaching Certification through Huston-Tillotson University, and her Master’s in Educational Administration from Prairie View
University.

Ms. Sneed is a visionary leader committed to nurturing the academic and social emotional needs of students, empowering teachers, and fostering a culture of collaboration among all stakeholders. With over 24 years of experience in education, she served the students, parents, and community in the greater Austin area as an elementary teacher, Special Education Teacher,Reading Interventionist, Special Education Specialist, Behavior Specialist, Assistant Principal, Academic Dean, Associate Principal, and Principal. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, reading, and traveling around the world with her family.

Yolando Hoard: Assistant Principal