|
The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom and knowledge. In addition, the Word of
God is the source of all truth, religious and secular,
and is authoritative in all matters of life. Therefore,
a thoroughly biblical philosophy of education must
be implemented in all contexts of Christian education.
In addition, the teaching of Bible as a core subject
is essential to the academic curriculum.
Parents have the primary and ultimate
responsibility for the education of their children.
A Christian school education is best achieved through
a partnership between parents and educators. The teachers
may stand in place of the parents in portions of the
educational process but never usurp parental authority
or responsibility.
Morality, values, and character development
must not be compartmentalized; that is, they must
penetrate all areas of life. Therefore, the biblical
integration of every planned learning experience is
crucial to effective Christian education.
Every community benefits from individuals
who have been taught to pursue excellence. Therefore,
the successful Christian school must be committed
to academic excellence, maximizing each student's
potential, in order to prepare students for achieving
future success and reaching their God-given potential.
Mediocrity and poor performance should not be tolerated.
All of our thinking and decision-making
takes place through our worldview. Students must be
trained and learn how to think, process information,
and think critically through a biblical framework.
A positive, safe, and accepting environment
is conducive for maximum learning. Students must learn
self-control, respect for authority, and to take personal
responsibility for their own actions and behavior.
Therefore, the school's discipline policies and procedures
must be consistent, fair, and loving, and designed
to mold hearts as we teach responsibility.
It is imperative that students learn
and retain a core, foundational, body of knowledge
in core subject areas such as math, science, English,
and history at each grade level. In addition, a well-rounded
education addresses the needs of the whole person
(spirit, heart, body, and mind). An emphasis must
be placed on the acquisition of this foundational
learning in the core academic subjects, in addition
to Bible. There must also be related arts programs
and extracurricular programs for the purpose of developing
the total student and providing non-academic options
for personal growth, creativity, and development.
Effective
leaders are the core element in the success of any
organization. The excellent school will hire and retain
the best administrators, teachers, and staff members
for the purpose of accomplishing its goals with excellence.
Christian schoolteachers must have a testimony of
salvation. Professional development of faculty and
leadership are vital for the development and growth
of educators and schools. Appropriate certification
and continued and constant professional, personal,
and spiritual growth is expected of all faculty members.
All leaders must be evaluated regularly commensurate
with their responsibilities in order to enable each
staff member to successfully and productively accomplish
the goals of the school.
The
successful Christian school is a responsible non-profit
corporation. The school is responsible fiscally and
organizationally to a board of trustees. In addition,
the school will be accountable to the accrediting
organization.
Any successful school must be involved
in a plan of consistent evaluation and assessment
for continuous improvement. We must never be content
with the status quo; rather, we must always seek to
improve and grow for the purpose of being the very
best we can be as an educational institution and an
instrument of God in the development of young lives.
Without confusing our Christianity with
blind nationalism, we must study, understand, and
appreciate America 's history and Christian heritage.
For those of us called to live and labor in America
, we have a duty to understand our culture and to
bring the gospel to it.
|
