Leadership Networks - Early Education
Connect and network with us!
Join alongside early education program administrators, owners, directors, curriculum specialists and leaders for the opportunity to share ideas, challenges, and engage in building Biblical community. There are two different free opportunities per month to grow in leadership and earn CEUs.
EE Leader Connect
With Dr. Cindy Barnum, Kim Brucker, and Dr. Suzie Mohler
Connect with Early Education Leaders for a time of topical discussion and collaboration for solutions to the challenges you face as a leader. Gain a sense of community with other leaders and be inspired with ideas, encouragement, and especially prayer. Register to attend EE Leader Connect for an impactful one-hour gathering where leaders spur one another on in their calling to Kingdom Education. CEUs are available as a member benefit. Take a look at the upcoming topics and make plans to join us for a roundtable format of discussion on the 2nd Thursday of each month at
10:00 AM PT | 11:00 AM MT | 12:00 PM CT | 1:00 PM ET
Select the Meeting below to register. Upon registration a confirmation email will include the Meeting link.
Register once for the new season and plan to attend any or all the meetings.
2024-2025 Meetings⬇️
Join us for an eye-opening session where you'll discover the hidden connections between social-emotional development and classroom harmony. We'll dive into:
- Uncover the social-emotional factors that shape classroom interactions
- Learn to create an environment that nurtures positive behavior
- Design strategies that really work, tailored to your unique classroom needs
Leave equipped with practical tools to transform challenging moments into opportunities for growth and learning
October 10 - Calm and in Control: Supporting Students Unique Needs
Join us for a transformative session to explore the link between social emotional development and classroom behavior. Learn how to implement an effective behavior plan tailored to your program's needs. Gain practical strategies for applying student support principles to help every child thrive. Enhance your skills and make a lasting impact in your center!
Participants will be able to:
Understand how social emotional development impacts classroom behaviors
Identify ways a classroom behavior plan couple be used in their program
Apply principles of student support in their center
Student learning outcomes describe the knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors children should be able to demonstrate. We’ll talk about the elements of learning outcomes, and how to connect them to lesson planning, and how to effectively measure them.
Participants will be able to:Describe the knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors children should be able to demonstrate
Identify the elements of learning outcomes
Demonstrate their understanding of how learning outcomes connect to lesson planning, and how to effectively measure them.
January 9 - Hiring, Firing, and Helping Staff Grow
With the changes and challenges of staffing in, not only early education programs, but globally in organizations, hiring and keeping quality Christian employees remains a priority. Join us as we look at documentation and process, but also review research on the value of recognition for cultivating an environment where the employees and your school flourish.
Participants will be able to:
Identify strengths in their program with regard to hiring practicesApply knowledge regarding proper documentation procedures on healthy HR
Identify and summarize the importance of recognition, targeting three action items in this area.
February 13 - Building a Bridge between Curriculum Guides and Daily Instruction
What teacher behaviors create connections between curriculum and instruction? What evaluation strategies do you use to ensure that your lessons are hitting the mark? Come discuss and share.
Participants will be able to:Identify specific teacher behaviors that enhance/deter instructional growth
Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship of curriculum plan to instruction
Analyze the evaluations used in their program and note two areas for improvement.
March 13 - Classroom Learning Environments: Beyond Managing Behaviors
Participants will be able to design a plan that includes routines and procedures for effective classroom strategies. Discuss what is involved in designing a safe environment where young learners can thrive.
Participants will be able to:Design a plan that includes routines and procedures for effective classroom strategies.
Identify what is involved in designing a safe environment
Analyze areas for growth in their programs.
April 10 - The Key to a Successful Team: Strategies for Communication
How do you speak so that others listen? Can you identify the speaking and listening styles of your team? How can you support everyone to communicate clearly and effectively? We’ll look at team dynamics and discuss strategies for helping everyone “get along” and work together toward the mission.
Participants will be able to:Identify two positive and two negative communication dynamics in their team
Determine areas where additional training in communication is needed
Analyze how mission alignment contributes to good communication skills
May 8 - Roots in the Past and Eyes on the Future
Join us for an inspiring session designed to help you reflect on your past school year, celebrating achievements and addressing unmet goals. You'll identify three key goals for the upcoming year, complete with actionable strategies to achieve them. Push your vision further by articulating a moon-shot goal for your environmental education (EE) program. Take this opportunity to rejuvenate your passion and set your program on a path to success!
Participants will be able to:Reflect on goals attained and goals unmet over the past school year
Identify three goals for the coming year and strategies to achieve them
Articulate a moon-shot goal for their EE program.
EE Leadership Network
With Dr. Althea Penn
Network with Early Education Leaders who aspire to higher levels of competency through a lens of a biblical worldview. Register to attend monthly EE Leadership Network meetings where we will utilize the Peer Support Network model to facilitate forums, identify issues, provide resources, explore best practices, and examine relevant needs in Christian early education programs. CEUs are available as a member benefit. Take a look at the upcoming topics and plan to join us for fresh and relevant topics on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 11:00 AM PT | 12:00 PM MT | 1:00 PM CT | 2:00 PM ET.
Select the Meeting below to register. Upon registration a confirmation email will include the Meeting link.
Register once for the new season and plan to attend any or all the meetings.
2024-2025 Meetings⬇️
August 28 - Best Practices in Collective Leadership
Henry Blackaby defines leadership as “moving people onto God’s agenda.” The body of Christ flourishes when each joint contributes to the collective wellbeing of the body. When leadership is not about a position, personality type, or person, the emphasis shifts. A catalyst is defined as something that speeds up a reaction without being used up. Students, schools, and our world need more catalytic leaders because those leaders are sustainable, powerful, collaborative, and their leadership is inspiring. Collective leaders are anchored in their identity in Christ, relationship with God, and act as catalysts who exhibit confident humility in pursuit of a shared goal.
By the end of the meeting, participants will be equipped with the knowledge, tools, and strategies necessary to foster collective leadership within their schools, creating a culture of sustained improvement and engagement among stakeholders. The learning objectives aim to bridge the gap between individual and collective leadership, empowering participants to become catalysts for positive change in their educational communities.
What are challenges of practice that you are facing that could use the collective expertise of your school? What would you like to work on with other schools and parachurch ministries? Who are your external partners that ensure student with special needs are being served and your school is financially sustainable?
September 25 - Resolve to Be Ready: Emergency Preparedness for Christian Early Education Programs
October 23 - Supportive Leadership: Being Culturally Sensitive
January 22 - Using Data to Improve Practices
February 26 - Promoting Spiritual Growth in Your Stakeholders
March 26 - Empowering Practices
April 23 - Navigating Quality Improvement Rating Systems
Dr. Cindy Barnum, Eastern Division
Favorite Leadership Quote - For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Paul (Eph 2:10)
Kim Brucker, Central Division
Favorite Leadership Quote - "Good leaders must communicate vision clearly, creatively, and continually. However, the vision doesn't come alive until the leader models it." - John Maxwell
Dr. Suzie Mohler, Western Division
Favorite Leadership Quote - "Tell me what you are called to do and why it matters. If you commit to the what and are consumed by your why, you will figure out the how." - Craig Groeschel
Dr. Althea Penn, ACSI Director of Early Education
Dr. Penn has over 30 years of experience as a primary and secondary instructor, in organizational leadership as an educational consultant and professional development specialist. Dr. Penn has earned 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. Dr. Penn has authored several
books, including “Christian Education Mandate,” “Firmly Rooted: Cultivating Faith Development in the Next Generation,” and “Equipping and Empowering Early Educators.”
Favorite Leadership Quote - "Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration motivated by passion, generated by vision, produced by conviction, ignited by a purpose." - Dr. Myles Munroe
The objectives of the Network are:
- To reduce isolation expressed by leaders in Christian early education, and
- To form a Biblical community and cohort of mutually supportive members
- To enhance their professional practice together. As such, the Network is designed to be accessible, easy, and fast to use
The Network model achieves this by:
- Connecting leaders in early education to identify common professional challenges and explore potential solutions through discussion, webinars, and resource sharing
- Facilitating forums for Directors and Educational Leaders to share and source expertise, advice, and information
identifying topical issues that will be addressed via live and in-person conferences and webinars - Providing online resource library of information, research, and tools
- To remain current and relevant to the changing needs of ACSI Members
- Offering the service free to Members and ambassadors in Christian early education
Member Access to Leader discussions, session recordings and resources below:
Florida Approval Program (FAP) Leader Connect with Tammy Hicks
3rd Thursday each month, 1:00 PM ET
Register to attend the FAP Leader Connect
