The School is pleased to announce that Barbara Beachley has been appointed as our Interim Head of School for the 2024-25 school year.
Barbara earned her bachelor’s degree in French and Spanish from Trinity College in Connecticut and her master’s degree in applied linguistics from Boston University. She earned her second master’s degree in education administration from Harvard University and a third master’s degree in independent school leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College, Columbia University. Barbara began her journey as an educator in 1996 serving as a language teacher, department chair, and academic dean.
In 2011, Barbara began working as a consultant with Independent School Management (ISM), a leading, world-wide consulting firm that specializes in supporting independent schools. During her 13-year tenure with ISM, Barbara began as a consultant, became Director of Research, and ultimately sat on ISM’s leadership team as Executive Director of Organizational Learning and Development. Her areas of expertise include academic leadership; employee culture, evaluation, and growth; organizational systems; and student-centered and brain-based pedagogy.
During her time with ISM, she became familiar with Charleston Day School as ISM was retained to assist the Board of Trustees with strategic and long-range planning. This work included spending time on campus and meeting with faculty, staff, students, and parents. This working knowledge of our community and culture makes Barbara uniquely qualified to serve as our Interim Head of School.
Her education, training, and expertise will be a significant asset over the next 12 months as we remain focused on delivering the best possible K-8 education and experience to our students.
It is with great enthusiasm that the Charleston Day Board of Trustees announces that Mr. Jon Meredith will be our next Head of School beginning July 1, 2025.
Mr. Meredith brings over 30 years of educational experience and an outstanding track record of achievement as a classroom educator, a school administrator, and a school leader. Jon is currently the Middle School Director at Durham Academy.
We look forward to welcoming Mr. Meredith and his family to Charleston this summer and are excited to have him join the CDS community.
Visit our dedicated Search Page for the timeline and details about the Head of School search process.
At Charleston Day School, our 15-member volunteer Board is steadfastly committed to strategic planning. The Board utilizes the Strategic Plan as a framework to guide the school’s direction, prioritize resources, and drive decision-making processes. The plan outlines CDS’ mission, vision, goals, and strategies, providing a roadmap for achieving long-term success.
