Email Mrs. Carla Cato

A two-time Teacher of the Year for Spartanburg School District 7 and Rock Hill School District 3, Mrs. Cato was an assistant principal at Drayton Mills Elementary before becoming principal in 2024. She was instrumental in helping to open Drayton Mills as a new school, developing and maintaining a positive school culture and climate, and fostering community building between two schools as they merged into one. She played a pivotal role in creating a school culture of support for students and families through curriculum initiatives, through focused work from the counseling department, and through collaboration among support staff to assist with student and staff well-being as well as social and emotional learning. Her leadership was also instrumental in helping Drayton Mills make significant academic gains on its SC School Report Card, advancing three levels to “Good” in 2023.

Prior to becoming an administrator, Mrs. Cato was a school counselor at Chapman Elementary and Whitlock Junior High in District 7 as well as at Sunset Park Elementary in Rock Hill District 3 and Hunter Street Elementary in York School District 1. She began her education career as a fourth grade teacher at Hickory Grove-Sharon Elementary in York District 1. She holds National Board Certification in School Counseling/Early Childhood Through Young Adulthood and has Gifted and Talented endorsement from Converse College. Active in numerous professional and community organizations, she is particularly proud to be a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and to have served as vice president of the Spartanburg chapter of the SC State University Alumni Association.

Mrs. Cato holds an undergraduate degree in education from South Carolina State University, a Master of Education in Counseling and Development from Winthrop University, and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from South Carolina State University. She is married to Desmond and they have three boys, Justin, Jonathan, and Joshua.

Email Mr. Evans

Over the course of Mr. Thurman Evans’ educational career, he has served as a middle school Social Studies teacher in Saluda County and Spartanburg School District 7. Mr. Evans holds a Bachelor’s degree from Benedict College, an MBA from Brenau University, and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Gardner Webb University. Along with his educational certification, he holds certification as a Financial Literacy Master teacher. 

Mr. Evans enjoys working with students and helping them to become lifelong learners. During his time in District 7, he served as a mentor through the AbanAya program, working with students to improve mentorees socially and academically. He has also served as a teacher leader on the Instructional Framework team. 

He resides in Spartanburg County and is married to Marietta Evans. They have two children, Chris and Christina.

Email Mrs. McDaniel

Adena McDaniel is an inaugural staff member of Drayton Mills Elementary School, having served as music teacher and helping to build a student-centered, arts enriched community prior to her appointment as assistant principal. Prior to Drayton Mills, she was the music teacher at Houston Elementary where she received Teacher of the Year in 2018. Mrs. McDaniel began her career as an assistant band director at Spartanburg High School in 1999. She is proud to have served all 25 years of her teaching career in District 7.

With a passion for supporting teachers and teacher effectiveness, Mrs. McDaniel has formally mentored teachers for District 7 since 2011 and has helped train new classes of mentor teachers. She firmly believes that to foster great teachers, one must share their knowledge, and most of all their time, with those who are called to teach.

When not at school loving life as a Dalmatian, Mrs. McDaniel is an active percussionist in the Spartanburg area performing as co-principal percussionist with the Spartanburg Philharmonic and serving as the Instructor of Percussion at Converse University. She enjoys family time with her husband, Matt, and sons, Killian and Finnigan, riding roller coasters, and playing board games.

Mrs. McDaniel earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Georgia State University, a Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Southern Mississippi, and an Educational Specialist degree in Instructional Leadership from Lincoln Memorial University in TN. She holds a Gifted and Talented Endorsement from Converse University and is a National Board Certified Teacher.