Catechetical School of Alexandria Learning from the founding of the First-Ever Christian School (Note to the reader: Most of what follows is gleaned from Dr. Willem Oliver’s research summaries here and here on the history of the Catechetical School.) The Catechetical School of Alexandria was started in Alexandria, Egypt in the 5th decade of the first century — less than … Read More
What? How? Why? Who?
In the last week, my Instagram and Facebook feeds have been inundated with images of the first days of school. Teachers displaying their tidy bulletin boards and kids sporting new outfits and smiling faces grace my screen. I love seeing these beginnings – the new year brings excitement and a re-energizing spirit. School year beginnings make me think of the … Read More
World Cup Leadership Lessons
One of the great highlights for our family this summer was watching the World Cup. One article reported 3.4 billion people watched some portion of this year’s tournament, almost half of the world’s population. There were so many riveting games, beautiful goals, compelling storylines and examples of great leadership. Sports provide incredible lessons of leadership for us both in the … Read More
Making Way for Millennials in Leadership
Position Vacant: School Principal Qualifications: Wisdom of a sage, vision of a Chief Executive Officer, intellect of a scholar, leadership of a point guard, compassion of a counselor, moral strength of a nun, courage of a firefighter, craft knowledge of a surgeon, political savvy of a senator, toughness of a soldier, listening skills of a blind man, humility of a … Read More
What Do We Mean by Christian Deeper Learning? A Draft Document for Your Consideration
Tucked into my blog post report this past January on the first ever Christian Deeper Learning conference, I alluded to a small core group working on a definition and explication of what deeper learning looks like in the Christian school context. Out of honor to the small group that composed it and because I believe it deserves more than just … Read More
“Horace Mann Had It All Wrong” and School Choice: Conversation with Corey DeAngelis
Introduction: I recently started following Corey DeAngelis on Twitter (@DeAngelisCorey) because of a battle of ideas he got into with some of the traditional education policy wonks that I also like to follow. I was impressed by Corey’s wit, his defense of not only school choice policies, and his knowledge of the research in regards to the effects of private … Read More
What If Assessment Was A Gift?
Each fall when I teach a graduate course in assessment, I begin by having my students engage with a powerful article by Elaine Brouwer called “Assessment as Gift: A Vision,” in which she posits that assessment should be a gift that honors our students as image bearers. My students and I wrestle with this idea throughout the course. It is … Read More
College Prep: What Do We Mean?
This past weekend my oldest daughter graduated from high school. Graduation parties and family coming to town to celebrate made the weekend extra special. My wife displayed pictures from her first day of kindergarten up through her senior year and those memories are still vivid in my mind, as I have watched her grow, mature and ultimately walk across the … Read More
Your Board’s a Bad Board, and It’s Probably Your Fault: Conversation with Chuck Evans
Introduction and Podcast with Chuck Evans: I had the opportunity to have another conversation with Chuck Evans of Better Schools about his work with school boards, heads of schools, and his recent stint as an interim head of school. I’ve written many times about the lack of stability in leadership and the consternation that heads of schools consistently discuss … Read More
Transform Learning: Let Students Do the Planning
A courageous principal can have an amazing impact. Darren Spyksma, SCSBC Director of Learning, uses this TEDx presentation to share how one decision by his principal significantly increased the quality of learning in an intermediate classroom. While navigating risks and errors, Darren shares how learning focused on personalization, inquiry, and engagement, can lead to deep, authentic learning which also meets … Read More