Charleston County School District (CCSD) is excited to announce and welcome Michael DeJong as interim principal at Baptist Hill Middle High School. DeJong has served an assistant principal at Baptist Hill since 2017.

DeJong began his career in education in 2009 at Daniel Jenkins Academy as a physical science, biology, and chemisty teacher. A year later, he took his talents to Gordon H. Garrett Academy of Technology where he taught chemistry and environmental science for several years while also serving as a CCSD mentor and homebound instructor.

In addition to teaching science, DeJong served as Garrett’s Athletic Director from 2013 to 2017. He also took a position as an adjunct professor in hospitality management at Trident Technical College’s Culinary Institute of Charleston, a nod to his career before joining the field of education as a food and beverage company owner and manager across the Southeast and Midwest in the 1990s.

While at Baptist Hill, DeJong has been a proven leader, demonstrating leadership in all aspects of overall day to day operations over the past five years. He has been responsible for all student testing and staff training for state and federal assessments, developing the master schedule and class choice registration system for students, conducting formal and informal observations of teacher performance, as well as supporting Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) programs.

DeJong holds a Bachelor of Science in Science and a minor in Business Administration from Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan. He also earned a Master of Education in Education and Administration Leadership from American College of Education.