About Us

Located in Board of Education District 1 and the Preschool region of Knox County Schools, Fort Sanders Educational Development Center is a small school tucked away in the heart of downtown at the corner of S. 21st Street and Clinch Avenue.

Opened in 1957, the school houses around 175 students, including students in preschool, as well as a Comprehensive Developmental Classroom serving students K-12. Our amazing staff is made up of certified teachers, teaching assistants, a slew of certified therapists (ie, Occupational, Physical, Speech & Language, and Vision), as well as a Social Worker. In addition, our building houses the Knox County Child Find office.

Fort Sanders Educational Development Center is committed to providing a nurturing learning environment for all children with individualized opportunities for social, emotional, physical and academic growth.

Principal

Jessica Schaefer Ruiz

Mrs. Schaefer Ruiz has been with Knox County Schools for over twenty years. She began her two-decade career as an intern at Beaumont Magnet Academy in a 3rd grade classroom. The next 6 years were filled with enriching students’ lives in both 4th and 1st grades. In 2010, she began her career as an instructional leader in the role of Instructional Coach at Beaumont Magnet School. Following that tenure, Mrs. Schaefer Ruiz became a TAP Master Teacher at Sarah Moore Greene for one year before moving into the Leadership Academy. For the next 11 years, she was an Assistant Principal at both Green Magnet Academy and Dogwood Elementary School. In 2023, Mrs. Schaefer Ruiz was appointed principal at Fort Sanders, where she is thrilled to remain today.

Mrs. Schaefer Ruiz holds a bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Studies, a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, a master’s in Educational Leadership, and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership, all from the University of Tennessee.

Email Mrs. Schaefer Ruiz

Assistant Administrator

Sarah Kee

Mrs. Kee is a seasoned educator and instructional leader with nearly two decades of experience in various educational roles. She began her career in education in 2004 as a teacher at Harper Elementary, in Riverdale, GA, where she taught Kindergarten until 2006. She began her career in Knox County Schools in 2006, as a Kindergarten teacher at Dogwood Elementary. In 2013, she became a Master Teacher through the TAP program in Knox County, remaining in that position at Dogwood Elementary until 2025. During that time, she coached teachers in grades Pre-K through 2nd grade, evaluated teachers and other staff members, led Professional development for the school and district, and continued to teach small groups of kids, as needed. This is her first year as an administrator, which is a role that she is thrilled to take on within the Pre-K communities of Fort Sanders Educational Development Center and Fair Garden Preschool.

Mrs. Kee holds a bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and a master’s degree in Sports Management, both from the University of Tennessee, as well as an Educational Specialist degree in Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University.

Email Mrs. Kee

Staff Directory

Our staff directory provides a comprehensive and easily accessible listing of school and district personnel. Searches can be made by name, job title, or facility location.

Search Directory

Calendar

Fort Sanders Ed. Dev Center follows an academic calendar approved by the Board of Education that identifies the first and last day of school; student and teacher in-service days; early release days; school holidays; and grading periods.

These calendars are detailed by school year.

See School Calendar

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