Readiness is a tricky notion. We humans have a very long history of responding to our callings with some sense of our own shortcomings – Moses, David, Paul, and on and on. And yet, we are still called to change our world and ourselves in response to God’s grace. When we think of being well-equipped for serving students with disabilities, … Read More
Inclusive Education: How Will My School Pay for Additional Educational Support Services? (Part 3 of Welcoming Students of All Abilities at Your School Series)
In some ways, this is the wrong question to ask. As nonprofits, after all, how in the world do we pay for anything? Many prayers, generous donors, and perhaps a bit of luck. But budgets are often seen as reflections of our values. As Christian schools, we value our faith, our people, our teaching, and our communities; educational support services … Read More
Reflections on The Value of a College Education
Recently, one of our juniors asked me, “Do you think the value of a college degree is diminishing? Tuition is rising rapidly, and many college grads seem to have trouble finding jobs.” His question gave me pause. Each day I invite students into conversation about how important it is to give attention to existential (college as part of a pattern … Read More
A Look Back and a Look Ahead 2017
As 2017 begins I took a look back at our blogs since we started CACE to see what resonated with the CACE network. I have highlighted a few of the more popular blogs below as they are worth another read as we begin 2017. A Letter to my Daughter on Her Graduation from High School: This is a timeless piece … Read More
Christian School Identity and Disability: Questions of Faith and Community
It’s a wonder I didn’t quit before I even started. Fresh off from gaining my special education degree (in an era where the famous 94-142 federal bill now known as IDEA was just being implemented), my first job was to teach all the behavior disordered/emotionally disturbed 5th and 6th graders in a public, urban school district. The kids had been … Read More
Amplifying Talent – Part II
In Amplifying Talent – Part I we shared some of Dr. Carrie Leana’s recent research which challenges the current ideology on school reform. I hope that the phrase school reform is not an offensive one to you. Rather, I hope that you embrace this phrase and consider a slight modification. School re-form, the act of continuously finding innovative (simply defined … Read More
More Choices for Parents?
The US educational landscape moved into a new and potentially significant direction last week with the nomination of Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary in the new Trump Administration. Some in non-public (defined in various ways as parochial, or parent controlled, or private) education as well as those in charter schools were delighted with the choice, seeing the possibility that more … Read More
Amplifying Talent – Part I
The year was 1985 and I had just purchased my first car, paid for with a short lifetime of lawn-mowing, grocery aisle-stocking, bean-walking earnings that had been lying dormant for several years, anxiously awaiting this withdrawal. It was a two-door Chevrolet Impala, some shade of orange that could fit seven to eight teen-agers comfortably. It was quite an upgrade for … Read More
Why?
According to Simon Sinek (2011), great leaders and organizations have one thing in common that distinguishes them from their counterparts. It is this: their entire mission, company, or product begins with the WHY. It doesn’t start with what they do or how they do it. Instead, the focus from the beginning is on the purpose, belief, and sense of calling … Read More
Livening up the Blasé Work of Mission and Vision Revision
No matter the terminology used — mission, purpose, direction, core values, belief statements — each provides an opportunity for an organization to gain clarity about what drives decision-making in the short and long term. High-reliability organizations stay “tight” to their vision and mission, aligning their work in ways that help employees build belief in the processes and products. Extensive time … Read More