Dr. Barry Shealy, FPD Associate Head of School and Director of Curriculum, has announced his resignation effective at the end of the 2020-21 school year. Dr. Shealy has served at FPD since 1998 as a faculty member, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and Associate Head of School. Under his leadership, First Presbyterian Day School, has achieved tremendous growth in its academic program and performance. Among many accomplishments, Dr. Shealy spearheaded the launch of FPD’s 1-to-1 technology initiative in 2012 and led the way for FPD being named as a National Blue Ribbon School for Exemplary Performance three times. Furthermore, FPD received accreditation from CESA (Council of Educational Standards & Accountability) and is one of only 17 schools to receive exemplary accreditation from ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International).
Dr. Shealy has accepted a position as Director of Learning with Sekolah Pelita Harapan (https://sph.edu/), a system of Christian international schools based in Jakarta, Indonesia. He will oversee curriculum, faculty development, and school improvement.
“It has been an honor to serve at FPD for the past 23 years. I have enjoyed working with so many wonderful faculty members, students, and families to advance God’s Kingdom in Middle Georgia through Christian education,” said Dr. Shealy. “FPD has been a wonderful home for me, Laurie, and our sons. Now that our sons have graduated college and established their homes, we decided it was time to answer God’s call to serve elsewhere in the world. It is something we have wanted to do for quite some time and are honored that we will be able to share a Christ-centered education with students in southeast Asia. I truly believe that FPD is in great hands with the leadership of Dr. Patterson and the leadership team. The future is bright, and I look forward to seeing how God will use FPD to advance His Kingdom in middle Georgia.”
“One of the reasons that First Presbyterian Day School is the highly-acclaimed, Christ-centered, academically-strong school it is today is related to Dr. Shealy’s leadership,” noted Dr. Patterson. “I believe I can speak on behalf of all of Viking Nation in saying that we are grateful for the humble, Godly example he set for all of us. I trust God has some amazing plans in place for he and Laurie as they move into this new journey.”
Dr. Shealy will continue to serve as FPD’s Director of Curriculum until June 2021. He and his wife, Laurie (who serves as a Middle School Bible Teacher at FPD), will be relocating to Jakarta, Indonesia, in July.