Meet MLMS Administrators

Meredith Wallace, Principal 

Having served Murray-LaSaine Montessori as the principal for over a decade, Meredith Wallace is committed and invested in ensuring students and families who join the MLMS school community feel welcomed and valued. 

During her tenure at MLMS, the school transitioned from a dual-track traditional/Montessori magnet to full Montessori and expanded its programming to include Grades 6-8. Many improvements to the facility have occurred over the past ten years, including a renovation to the annex, the addition of a mulit-use track, new playgrounds, and the addition of a multi-purpose room/gym that includes a stage for performance and a climbing wall.

Ms. Wallace finds the most joy in the students, staff, and families that are part of the hive. Watching students enter as young learners in Primary and grow, learn, and change through the Adolescent program makes her love light shine. She is grateful for the staff at Murray-LaSaine who make the hard work look easy.

Ms. Wallace holds her Master’s in Educational Leadership and Curriculum and Instruction and her Bachelor’s in Special Education from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. She completed the Montessori Administrators program at Seton Montessori. With over 25 years in public education, she has had an opportunity to work in a variety of settings and roles including special education at an alternative program, school support at a large middle school, reading intervention at an elementary school, and in administration at two Montessori charter schools in Maryland.

Her family lives on James Island. Her children, once Montessori students at Murray-LaSaine, now attend College of Charleston and Clemson. They currently have two cats, Goose and Pepper, and one dog, Willow. Hiking in North Carolina, attending live performances whenever possible, watching movies rated over 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, singing random songs at random times, and traveling  to new places are some of the things that fill her bucket.

Janna Cunningham, Assistant Principal 

Ms. Janna is now in her 20th year at Charleston County School District. Her career began in 2007 in downtown Charleston as a third grade teacher, and she continued to serve students in Title 1 schools throughout her teaching career. She has also worked as a School Based Coach, District Teacher Effectiveness Specialist and Climate Coach. She served as the CCSD School Climate Coordinator, supporting schools across the district with their implementation of tiered systems utilizing the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework. By focusing primarily on positive behavior and social-emotional research-based best practice, her goal was to improve school climate for both staff and students. As a Restorative Practices trainer, she is also a proponent of utilizing the strength of building relationships in school settings to affect change in the overall climate. 

Now in her second year at MLMS, Ms. Janna is grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside teachers and students each day. She loves visiting classrooms, working alongside the amazing staff, connecting with students, and witnessing the countless moments, both big and small, that make MLMS such a special place. She truly loves her work and feels incredibly lucky to experience the energy, relationships, learning, laughter, and sense of community that make the Hive come alive each day. 

Born and raised in Camden, SC, she currently lives on James Island with her family.  In their spare time, they enjoy traveling, visiting the beach, and avoiding the kitchen at all costs by enjoying as many local restaurants as possible. Her son, Felix, is in Lower Elementary at Murray LaSaine and loves having mom join him each day at school!