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Schools are inevitably faced with the task of selecting a curriculum, whether they are a new school just starting out or an established school looking to update their current curriculum.
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We asked ACSI Exemplary Accredited educators who serve in the school library what they love most about their role in Christian education. Here's what they shared.
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Through Sevenstar Academy, students like Max can take classes ahead of schedule if they’re able, such as his high-school-level Chinese class. Plus, he can eventually earn a U.S. high school diploma even while in China.
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Michael McNabb swore he was not going to be a teacher. As a young man, he planned to get a science education and work in the oil industry near his home city of Houston. What he didn’t plan on was the tug toward ministry he began to feel when he went away to college.
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It can happen at any school: the staff is hired for the next year, the curriculum established, the textbooks purchased... but are there new families? If parents of potential new students don’t hear about the school, enrollment will inevitably reflect it. So how can Christian schools get the word out?
Rooted Educator Worldview Summit
This June, ACSI and the Colson Center are partnering together for an educators "worldview summit" to discuss how to more effectively engage students in the spiritual formation journey and help develop deeper roots in the flourishing soil of a biblical worldview. Join June 24-26 for the Rooted Educator Worldview Summit in Black Mountain, NC.
Advancing
Leading Christ-centered education toward excellence and flourishing
We want all schools to aspire to, achieve, and remain committed to a biblically-based philosophy of education, standards that are measurable, and flourishing-related criteria. ACSI strives to lead, support, and serve Christian schools, and educators, by placing them on a path of growth and flourishing using the research-based Flourishing Schools Initiative. This model should link leadership and faculty professional development accreditation, and every culture-driving component of a school. A common philosophy, and a flourishing-based metric, would unify our efforts of advancing Christian schools and educators.
Access
Making Christ-centered education available and obtainable
ACSI is committed to making Kingdom education available to as many children and families as desire it, believing that such an education offers students an opportunity to grow in a loving relationship with their Creator, come to know His saving work through Jesus, and flourish in His Ephesians 2:10 calling for their lives. This commitment requires removing barriers to access for those who traditionally have not benefited from Christian school, as well as seeking out new ways to create access points to Kingdom education and the ability to thrive and be successful in that education—for all those who desire it.
ACSI Welcomes “Dynamic Leader” as New Director of Early Education
Colorado Springs, Colo.– The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) is pleased to welcome Dr. Althea Penn as its new Director of Early Education.
Penn brings more than 30 years of experience in organization leadership to ACSI, most recently serving as Executive Director of The Shepherd’s Academy Private School in Snellville, Georgia. She has served dozens of Christian schools as an educational consultant and professional development specialist.
Penn will lead the ACSI Early Education team in developing biblically based resources and providing professional development to support early educators. She will collaborate with other departments to carry out initiatives in alignment with the organization’s strategic plan, including the integration of current research for early childhood program practices.
She begins the role today.
ACSI President Dr. Larry Taylor believes Penn’s devotion and innovation make her the ideal fit to lead ACSI Early Education, together supporting early educators in the critical task of laying a spiritual and academic foundation for young students.
"Dr. Penn is a dynamic leader whose passion and expertise are evident in her work,” he shared. “I have seen her in action as a speaker and writer for ACSI throughout the years and believe she will truly be a blessing and a resource for our educators.”
Penn holds two master’s degrees in Education Administration, a doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership, certification as an Early Childhood Educator, and the National Administrator Credential. She has served as a teacher, children’s ministry director, and principal. Penn has a longstanding relationship with ACSI, serving as a speaker for ACSI Early Education webinars and as a keynote speaker for the Flourishing Schools Institute.
She looks forward to assuming her new position.
“I am honored to serve this team of early education experts, Christian early educators and program administrators,” she shared. “God has prepared us for such a time as this, and I look forward to combining our energy and efforts to develop digital resources that will promote exponential growth for kingdom education.”
Penn has written several books including “Christian Education Mandate,” “Firmly Rooted: Cultivating Faith Development in the Next Generation,” and “Equipping and Empowering Early Educators.”
To learn more about ACSI Early Education, visit the website or contact ACSI Care Team by calling (800) 367-0798 or by emailing careteam@acsi.org.
About ACSI:
Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, ACSI exists to strengthen Christian schools and equip Christian educators worldwide as they prepare students academically and inspire them to become devoted followers of Jesus Christ. ACSI advances excellence in Christian schools by enhancing the professional and personal development of Christian educators and providing vital support functions for Christian schools through multiple services including teacher and administrator certification, school accreditation, legal/legislative assistance, and curriculum publishing. ACSI supports more than 5,000 member schools throughout the United States and around the world, which collectively serve approximately 1.2 million students. Through additional training programs, materials, and expertise provided to other educational groups worldwide, ACSI’s overall influence and positive impact reaches more than 26,000 schools operating in 100 countries, together serving 5.5 million people.
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