One lesson I have learned in the world of admissions is the importance of the word intentional or intentionality in our communications to families. Intentionality is something that is done on purpose or intended and is synonymous with words such as designed and planned. Why is this so important and how can we use this word to promote our schools? … Read More
Figuring Out What Really Matters in Curriculum Planning
I often joke in workshops that, as teachers, the day we return from spring break is when we kick in to “fast teaching” mode! We do this because while we were relaxed in November and February, and consequently added a few days to our favorite units, we are now faced with being behind on the content we feel responsible for … Read More
Following Jesus in a Hostile Culture
God calls His people to shine the light of Christ into a world of spiritual darkness so that Christ would be honored and souls might be saved. In this spiritual battle, the demons have a predictable and repeated playbook which they use against the people of God. Dr. Rob Rienow, founder of Visionary Family Ministries, walks through the first few verses … Read More
More Than The Three R’s – The Effectiveness of Christian Schooling
Dr Beth Green is one of the leading thinkers in the field of Christian education. Originally a history teacher, she completed a doctorate at Oxford University and now runs the world’s most significant long-term study into the effectiveness of Christian schooling – the Cardus Education Study. Cardus is a Canadian think tank that specializes in the role of the Christian … Read More
Celebrate Learning!
In the 1960’s World of Inquiry School #58 opened as a progressive, inquiry-based school in the Rochester City School District, and for years parents lined up to put their children’s names on the waiting list. Yet over time the school began to lose its original identity. Parent involvement dwindled, discipline problems increased, student performance declined, and school culture suffered. In … Read More
Thinking Christianly in Curriculum Design
Ralph Tyler, Hilda Taba, and Philip Jackson (with the latter’s reminder that even our definitions are a reflection of our worldviews), are some of the gurus of curriculum design. Their ideas, whether we realize it or not, have helped shape our contemporary understanding of curriculum, including the curriculum construction and application process. For example, Tyler’s work over half a century … Read More
The Hardest Job in School: The Board Member (Part 2)
Surveying a private school with plenty of money, strong enrollment, a winning football team, and selective college admissions during an accreditation visit, a colleague said to me, “Everything’s great when everything’s great.” What he meant, of course, is that over time, even model schools encounter difficulty. It might be a sudden financial downturn, an employee scandal, student misconduct, or vitriolic … Read More
A Few Short Questions to Aid Year End Reflection
In the mad rush to finish a school year we become calendar driven and event oriented. What we sometimes miss is the opportunity to reflect well – we push that off to June after school is over, but by then we are too tired to want to take too much time for reflection. The missed opportunity of reflection robs us … Read More
Schools Bridging Faith and Science
Controversy over religion and science is nothing new. That’s certainly true in the world of education. Indeed, a recent commentary in the Washington Post lamented 60 examples of what the author called “anti-science education legislation” that could affect what American students are taught regarding the evolution-creation debate and global warming. We may even see the odd flare-up of such conflict … Read More
The Hardest Job in School: The Board Member (Part 1)
It’s been eleven years since I was a head of school. Eleven years since I dragged myself home after a late night board meeting to complain for two hours. Eleven years since my staff and I strategized about how to get a controversial policy adopted over the objections of “that” board member. Eleven years since I fielded a call from … Read More