Internal Promotions Create Growth Opportunities for Julie Billiart Schools: Principal and Director of Academics and Teacher Development Announced

Tuesday, March 01, 2022

[Lyndhurst, OH, March 1] On March 1, 2022, Julie Billiart Schools (JBS), a network of schools that serve children with learning and social differences, announced two promotions that will lead to sustained growth for JBS and its students.

First, after serving as the Principal of JB Lyndhurst for 15 years, Jodi Johnston, M.Ed., has been promoted to Director of Academics and Teacher Development. As Johnston moves into her new role, Chris McCloskey, a JB Intervention Specialist and Beyond Camp Director of nearly nine years, has been promoted to Principal of JB Lyndhurst. Both roles will begin July 1, 2022.

Johnston has been a member of the JB faculty for more than 24 years. Her roles have included Intervention Specialist, Assistant Principal and Director of Special Education, and her current role of Principal. In her new role, Johnston will oversee the operations of all Julie Billiart Schools and will manage curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, and teacher hiring/development.

“During my time as Principal, I’ve had the pleasure of working with our amazing teaching staff and hundreds of students and their families. I’ve gotten to watch and support JBS as we expanded to three campuses,” said Johnston. “This role will allow me to support teachers and operations at all of our campuses. I’m honored to continue to grow with Julie Billiart Schools.”

“We’ve seen years and years of success at our Lyndhurst campus because of the strong leadership from Jodi,” said Lannie Davis-Frecker, President/CEO Julie Billiart Schools. “Now, we have the opportunity to share her leadership with all of our campuses. I can think of no one better suited for this new position within the Julie Billiart Network.”

With Johnston’s promotion to Director of Academics, an opening was created for the Principal position at JB Lyndhurst. As much as possible, JBS prefers to promote internal candidates who understand and embody the “JB Way.” Chris McCloskey, M.Ed., will assume the role of Principal.

“I am honored to be named Principal of JB Lyndhurst. Jodi has been an outstanding example to me over the past nine years and I am eager to continue the great work and leadership here,” said McCloskey. “I look forward to serving the mission and developing even stronger relationships with the students, staff, and families at JB Lyndhurst.”

For more than nine years, McCloskey gained valuable experience in Special Education as both an Intervention Specialist at Julie Billiart Schools and at Mentor High School as a Lead Intervention Specialist for the SUCCEED Program; a program that nurtures and empowers at-risk youth through a variety of behavioral, social, and emotional-based teaching approaches. He has also been instrumental in leading Julie Billiart Schools’ award-winning Beyond Camp for the past six years.

“When it comes to finding a Principal, we look for someone who embodies the JB way, someone who knows our kids, and someone who is going to continue to help us to grow. That’s exactly what we found in Chris McCloskey” said Davis-Frecker. “We know that our students and their families will love Chris’ kind and energetic approach to leading JB Lyndhurst.”

Julie Billiart School Lyndhurst, JBS’ flagship campus, opened in 1954 to meet the educational and social needs of children with learning differences. Interest in the JBS model soared across Northeast Ohio. Following that need, JBS opened its first expansion school in Akron, Ohio in 2017. In 2021, JB Westlake opened to grades K-4 and will open to grades 5-8 in 2022. JBS plans to open a fourth school in the coming years to offer even more opportunities to children in need of JBS’ unique setting. To learn more, visit www.juliebilliartschools.org.

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Julie Billiart Schools, a community of schools with campuses in Lyndhurst, Akron, and Westlake, strive to build self-confidence, inspire Christian values, and empower K-8 students with skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm for life-long learning. Small class sizes, onsite specialized therapies, and highly experienced intervention specialists are just a few ways that Julie Billiart Schools take students with mild to moderate autism, ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning difficulties beyond education, and beyond expectations.