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
Going Deeper into Rooftop Perspectives
In my preceding blog post I wrote a review of Eric Reender’s compelling book, Rooftop Perspectives. In this post, Eric responds to several questions related to the book. What prompted you to write the book? Moving to China and teaching in a Christian school there was a big change. I was an experienced teacher but my experience was all in public … Read More
School Safety & Building Culture with Mark Hamstra
School safety and security have been at the forefront of our minds because of the recent tragedy in Parkland, FL. It seems as if the conversation around safety and security have taken a different tone, and this is why I was glad to read the Chicago Sun-Times Op-Ed by my friend Mark Hamstra, Dedicated teachers — not gun-toting teachers — … Read More
Women’s Leadership and Mentoring in Christian Schools
A tweet from Jen Schwanke in Education Week Teacher that keeps popping up in my feed says: “The biggest challenge I face as a leader is carrying the burdens, worries, frustrations, and challenges of so many other people.” This hasn’t popped up just once, but I seem to see it weekly. As Christian educators, we should be pretty clear about … Read More
Women’s Leadership: Making Room at the Table
I grew up in an idyllic small town in Minnesota as the youngest of four kids. I had more people to look up to then anyone could ever ask for, and my siblings and parents helped me understand my place in the world by the expectations they set for me. As an admittedly exasperating little sister, I was always a … Read More