I hope it is OK for me to dedicate this blog to one of the original thought leaders in the biblical framework for teaching that we call Teaching for Transformation or TfT. As some of you may know, CACE has been partnering with the Prairie Centre for Christian Education (PCCE) in developing and delivering TfT to schools in the United … Read More
Christian School Mission Statements
Developing a Mission and Vision statement is a task that every Christian School has engaged in at one time or perhaps, multiple times throughout their history. A lot is asked of Christian school mission statements. They must sell the school to prospective families and donors alike, rally the community in a multitude of different ways, and direct the overall operations. … Read More
The Toughest Question about Christian Education
This fall I celebrated my 40th first day of school. Those 40 first days include 4 first days as a public high school teacher, 9 as a state university graduate student (including 4 as a graduate assistant), 6 as a public university adjunct instructor, 13 as a student at K-12 Christian schools (across 4 different schools), 1 as a community … Read More
The Redemption and Promise of Service-Learning
You may think that Christian schools—whose missions can often be boiled down to “Serve God, Serve Others”—may be leading the way in implementing service-learning. However, in their new book, Bring It to Life: Christian Education and the Transformative Power of Service-Learning, authors Lynn Swaner and Roger Erdvig say that often the power of service-learning is unrealized in Christian schools. Instead, … Read More
Now or Never: The Research Basis for Innovation in Christian Schools
In Schools at Risk: An Analysis of Factors Endangering the Evangelical Christian School Movement in America (Nichols 2016), I investigated the nature, causes, and contributing factors to Christian school closures in the U.S. since 2006. A goal of the study was to identify implications for practice that these factors held for the future, as well as develop a set of … Read More
The Real Cost of Marketing Research
We live in a world where, when we wonder why something is the way it is or want an answer to a relatively trivial question, we have the ability to find the answer rather quickly. Our expectation is that these curiosities can and should be answered almost immediately. This has contributed to expectations around market research that may be both … Read More
Lessons from the First-Ever Christian School
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