Chai Reddy named Head of HS

An experienced global education leader and social studies teacher with two decades of demonstrated history of working with grades 8-12, developing curriculum, and supporting faculty, Chai Reddy, Ed.D. will join USN for the 2024-2025 academic year.
By Juanita I.C. Traughber, Director of Marketing & Communications

Chai Reddy, Ed.D. will join University School of Nashville as Head of High School on July 1, 2024. As Head of High School, Dr. Reddy will steward the division with more than 60 High School faculty and support staff as well as 404 students and their families.

Reporting to the School Director, the Head of High School is deeply experienced in the depth and breadth of divisional leadership. He will oversee the day-to-day operations of the High School including curriculum development, faculty observation and evaluation leading to instructional support, transparent and consistent communication with key constituencies, and engaged community involvement that continues to build on the strong bonds that already exist at USN. The new Head will be able to engage at the highest levels on pedagogical and curricular best practices, will be adept at listening and learning before taking action, will prioritize building trust and relationships, and will stand as the chief communicator and ambassador for USN’s High School.

"Dr. Reddy’s commitment to fostering an inclusive learning environment aligns perfectly with USN’s mission and guiding principles. I am confident that he will prioritize building trust and relationships with our families & students and serve as an exemplary ambassador of our High School while attending admissions events, recruiting faculty, and continuing his work with professional organizations," said Director Amani Reed. "Dr. Reddy has told me that he and his family are excited to move to Nashville to become a part of the USN community. His two young children are already learning how to pronounce 'Tennessee' and 'Nashville.'"

A product of the independent school Holland Hall in Oklahoma, Dr. Reddy earned a Doctor of Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies from Creighton University, a Master of Arts in Humanities from John Carroll University, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Lake Forest College.

He comes to USN from Beaver Country Day School in Massachusetts, where he has worked as Director of the Upper School since 2021. Dr. Reddy began his career as a math and science teaching intern at the Haverford School in Pennsylvania before moving to Hawken School in Ohio where he taught history and humanities, coached, and served on a number of student and faculty committees. Dr. Reddy moved to Punahou School in Hawaii where for 13 years he taught social studies, coached football and basketball, and oversaw the start and growth of a number of global education programs as director of the Wo International Center. He has served on the faculty during the National Association of Independent School’s annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference — which USN student leaders attend each fall — and was the founder and principal consultant for the Shanti Alliance, designed to support educators and students as they enact social change within their school communities.

Dr. Reddy succeeds Quinton P. Walker, Ed.D., who served as Head of High School since July 2016 and assumed the role of Assistant Head of School for Academics in September 2023.
 
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University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.