Cheryl Lacey is the creator of First Principles on Education® - a philosophy and framework grounded in reason, individual responsibility, and moral clarity.

Her work supports those who are ready to rethink education, not as a system to navigate, but as a pursuit to lead.

She offers the principles on which education rests, a base for thought and action, applied by educational leaders across sectors in their professional contexts. 

Cheryl works with legal and family services, school leadership teams, policy leaders, and consulting professionals.

Her international experience spans early childhood, primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors. She has contributed to system-level reform with Catholic dioceses across Australia and the Board of Jewish Education in New York and continues to advise boards, policy teams, and consulting professionals who are seeking clarity and principled action.

Cheryl has built and operated businesses in childcare, travel, and consulting. Her first book, self-published in the early 1990s, led to her boutique publishing company and an internationally recognised parenting magazine.

She holds postgraduate qualifications in Parental Alienation, has certification as a mediator, and is a certified Onnetsu therapist.

Cheryl has been awarded a Dame with the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller for her contribution to education, and is a long-standing member of the Rotary Club of Melbourne.

If you’re ready to pursue the purpose of education in your professional context, Cheryl’s advisory on foundational principles ensures the thinking and action are yours.