Most Christian schools I know have similar elements in their mission statements. Usually there is a part about spiritual development – its Christian after all. There is also some acknowledgement about academics given that we’re talking about school. And then there is life or culture component, a nod to the impact of the school beyond graduation. These statements also contribute … Read More
Affordability & Christian School Choice
School choice is a popular conversation with Christian parents of school age children. A common element of discussion is often related to the parent’s views on mission as it relates to their involvement with the public school and the public square in general. It is interesting to see how this view of engagement can be influenced by or related to … Read More
Ed Policy Chaos: Why it Matters to Christian Schools
Introduction: Education policy in the United States has moved from a period of change into a time of chaos. The predominant policies and actions of the past fifty years have been turned on their head through federal government legislation, private money, and exceptions to nearly every pre-established rule. In a sense, we are exiting what I call the “Teacher Union … Read More
Teacher Evaluation from a Christian Perspective
What we believe about humans as image-bearers is made manifest in our professional development systems: if we say all people can learn, we should put in place systems of evaluation/professional growth processes that demonstrate that belief and promote growth.
Incarnational Christian Education: More than Concepts, Objectives and Standards
In his recent CACE Blog, Dan Beerens effectively challenges educators to raise levels of student inquiry with well-crafted Essential Questions that engage students in active learning while encouraging a spirit of respect and humility. To illustrate the value of Essential Questions he points us to questions Jesus asked during his incarnational ministry on earth. Jesus’ question “who do you think I … Read More
Charter Schools: The False Choice (Part II)
Charter schools on the whole have not provided the same results of the few excellent charter school networks. A short review of the research and opinions on charter schools provides a much less hopeful narrative that the Three Sector approach can effectively create quality change throughout American education.
Becoming a Digitally-Competent Teacher
It kind of drives me crazy when educators try to argue that they don’t need to be tech savvy. Yes, it takes work to keep up with rapidly changing technologies. No, not every new tech tool (toy?) needs to be adopted into a formal education setting. But it’s not 1989, people. I think it’s safe to say that computer technology … Read More
Charter Schools: The False Choice (Part I)
“Charter schools are the devil,” I blurted out as I listened long enough to two friends talk about the new push for a Three Sector policy approach to educational change in the United States. After they got over their astonishment at my statement realizing it was another one of my strong opinions, they asked for explanation. At this point I … Read More
But I’ve Earned the Right To…
The older I get and the more tread comes off my tires, the more my eyes are opened to my warped sense of identity and value. As I rewind the story of my career as an educator and educational leader, I witness far too many scenes where I have fallen prey to a defensiveness in the face of conflict and … Read More
Heart-Shaped Leadership
As I have observed various organizations over the years, I have repeatedly seen how critical leadership is to the health and flourishing of the organization. One of the most important aspects of leadership in a Christian organization is the spiritual passion/vitality of the leader – it truly does flow down from the top to the rest of the organization and … Read More