This month’s podcast features Becki Rust, ACSI Thought Leadership Project Coordinator, who interviews Dr. Maria Varlet, Head of Research and Innovation at Crest Education in Melbourne, Australia, about the importance of women's leadership in Christian education. They discuss ways to develop women’s leadership through mentoring, building a leadership network, and taking a strengths-based approach, as well as Maria's recent blog post for the new Women Leaders for Christian Education blog.

ACSI: Moving Forward with Lynn Swaner

How to Support Women’s Leadership in Christian Schools

This month’s podcast features Betsy Winkle, Director of Evaluation Services at All Belong. Guest host Dr. Charlotte Marshall Powell speaks with Betsy about ways that trauma-informed perspectives can help both students and teachers adjust back to school life during COVID-19. This podcast provides a helpful follow up to Betsy’s earlier blog post on the same topic of trauma-informed instruction for students and support for educators.

Returning to School with a Trauma-Informed Perspective

This podcast features Phil Puleo, Superintendent of the Christian School Association of Greater Harrisburg (CSAGH), an organization that oversees both Harrisburg Christian School (HCS) and West Shore Christian Academy (WSCA) in the Pennsylvania capital.  I talk with Phil about the process of bringing these two schools together, the promise that mergers and acquisitions have for Christian school sustainability, and lessons he’s learned about collaboration that apply to the COVID-19 crisis.   View the blog

School Mergers and Collaborative Christian Education

This month’s podcast features Dan Beerens and Erik Ellefsen, who are co-editors of the new book MindShift: Catalyzing Change in Christian Education, along with podcast host Lynn Swaner. The editors discuss their two-year journey with over 60 leading educators through a Christian education “mindshift,” which is a transformational process of dialogue and exploration pioneered by futurist Rex Miller. With nearly 11,000 copies of the book picked up by educators since its release in early fall 2019, schools and leaders are eager to not just face the challenges of today’s marketplace and educational environment—but also seize new opportunities to provide a deeper and more authentic Christian education, share stories of love and hope with our neighbors, and catalyze the growth of the church and the Kingdom.

Learning from the Future

This month’s podcast features Tom Rudmik, who is the CEO and Founder of Master’s Academy and College, an award-winning R&D Christian school located in Calgary, Canada. I interview Tom about Master’s Future Ready Model of Education and the innovative methods that Master’s uses to prepare students to “learn from the future.” Tom also shares insights for Christian school leaders as they work to inspire their staff and teachers toward transformation.   Additional Resources: Check out Tom Rudmik’s post on the ACSI blog, How Do Students Learn from the Future? for an overview of Master’s future ready model, including examples of student work. 

This month’s podcast features Rex Miller, author of upcoming book, WHOLE: What Teachers Need to Help Students Thrive, which examines ways to create a healthy workplace in our schools. I talk with Rex about the negative impact of stress on teachers—including at Christian schools—and how it also has implications for students, school cultures, and our communities.

Teacher Well Being

This month’s podcast features Joel Gaines, High School Principal at The City School of Philadelphia, and Jenny Brady, Director of Diversity at Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas. I talk with Joel and Jenny about their national work spearheading efforts to create diverse and inclusive communities in Christian schools, as well as the philosophy, programs, and practices they use in their own school settings.

Creating Diversity in Christian Schools

This month’s podcast features Jake Becker, Head of School at The City School in Philadelphia. I talk with Jake about the what makes The City School unique, including the school’s history of multiple successful mergers, their emphasis on socioeconomic diversity, and their schoolwide focus on shalom as a unifying concept for an open admissions school. Jake also shares insights on navigating the challenges facing today’s Christian schools with courage and a willingness to take risks, as well as what lies ahead for the next generation of Christian school leaders. Read the ACSI Blog.

Pursuing Shalom: Christian Education in the City

This month’s podcast features guest host Dan Beerens, CACE Fellow, as he interviews Lynn Swaner and Roger Erdvig about their new book, Bring it to Life: Christian Education and the Power of Service-Learning. Ultimately, service-learning can help students to grow in their identity in Christ, and in their ability to be His agents of restoration in a broken world. They can learn about how they are uniquely created for good works (Ephesians 2:10) and can gain practical experience in walking in those works, with Christian school teachers as helpful mentors and guides.

Becoming More Intentional about Serving and Learning

This month’s podcast features Tim Greener, Superintendent of Christian Academy of Louisville School System, as he discusses the concept of creating “schools within a school” as a way to meet students’ unique interests and learning needs—and to grow your enrollment and better engage your community in the process.

Developing “Schools within a School” in Christian Education

How to create inclusive communities in Christian schools, which are welcoming of learners from all backgrounds and abilities.

Creating Inclusive Communities in Christian Schools

Christian school students present with a number of mental health needs and challenges.  School leaders can benefit from  learning about best practices for addressing those needs and challenges in the Christian school setting.   

Addressing Mental Health Needs and Challenges in Christian Schools

The joint Barna-ACSI research report entitled “Multiple Choice: How Parents Sort Education Options in a Changing Market” which came out in 2017, addresses the educational needs of today’s families, how they make schooling choices in a competitive schooling market, and the implications for Christian schools.

Making Schooling Choices in a Competitive Schooling Market

The “flexible office” concept is an innovative approach to designing spaces for the school leadership team. However, this approach isn’t really about the space—but more about creating a collaborative culture, building relationships, and modeling a Christ-centered community for teachers, students, and families.

Change Your Space, Change Your Culture

Conversation with Lynn Swaner EdD and other leaders in Christian Education

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ACSI: Moving Forward with Lynn Swaner

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