Education Core Values
Education is more than reading and math. It's a calling to deal honestly, keep our word, and put children before profit. We're guided by the conviction that how we work matters as much as what we achieve —
Our core values aren't just principles we admire — they're commitments we live out. Rooted in a faith that calls us to honesty, stewardship, and service, here's what guides how we work with every child, every day.
Feel free to download our Core Values document.
Recommended Books for Education Professionals
Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work by Timothy Keller
Tim Keller, pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and the New York Times bestselling author of The Reason for God, has taught and counseled students, young professionals, and senior leaders on the subject of work and calling for more than twenty years. Now he pulls his insights into a thoughtful and practical book for readers everywhere.
With deep conviction and often surprising advice, Keller shows readers that biblical wisdom is immensely relevant to our questions about work today. In fact, the Christian view of work—that we work to serve others, not ourselves—can provide the foundation of a thriving professional and balanced personal life. Keller shows how excellence, integrity, discipline, creativity, and passion in the workplace can help others and even be considered acts of worship—not just of self-interest.
Education for Human Flourishing: A Christian Perspective by Paul D. Spears and Steven R. Loomis
Education is arguably the foundation for human flourishing within any society. What do distinctively Christian educators have to contribute within the broad framework of public education found in pluralist societies of the West? How can Christianteachers make their voices heard within an increasingly hostile environment where technique and pragmatism are firmly entrenched and religious views are often suspect?
Far from offering a thin patina of "niceness" spread over standard educational philosophy, Steven Loomis and Paul Spears set forth a vigorous Christian philosophy of education that seeks to transform the practice of education. Beginning with a robust view of human nature, they build a case for a decidedly Christian view of education that still rightfully takes its place within the marketplace of public education.
After surveying the history of educational philosophy, they offer a stimulating analysis of the information economy and its implications for education. This is followed by a concrete proposal for the teaching of social ethics, and finally by a delineation of issues and questions for educational practice, policy and leadership.
Christian Teachers in Public Schools: 13 Essentials for the Classroom by Darlene Vickery Parker
Any educator in the public school system will quickly tell you- it's tough out there! Between parents, administrators, standardized tests, and the constant stream of planning and papers to grade, it's hard for teachers to catch a break. And that's even before adding students to the mix. Christian Teachers in the Public Schools: 13 Essentials for the Classroom is the break teachers have been looking for. Full of personal anecdotes, useful and practical insights, and scriptures for survival in the classroom, it will encourage and equip Christian educators, no matter what grade they teach.
On Christian Teaching: Practicing Faith in the Classroom by David I. Smith
Christian teachers have long been thinking about what content to teach, but little scholarship has been devoted to how faith forms the actual process of teaching. Is there a way to go beyond Christian perspectives on the subject matter and think about the teaching itself as Christian? In this book David I. Smith shows how faith can and should play a critical role in shaping pedagogy and the learning experience.
Faithful and Flourishing: Strategies for Leading Your Christian School with Excellence by Bernard Bull
What kind of Christian school are you called to be? What is your mission, and how do you ensure that it permeates everything your school does? Your school leadership is invited to work through soul-searching questions such as these alongside thought leader Bernard Bull. In this guide, Dr. Bull draws from decades of research and experience working in and with Christian schools to outline the steps schools must take and questions they must consider when striving for Christ-centered excellence.
This thought-provoking guide provides a template for which your school's leaders, school board, or faculty can clarify your professional development plan, creating and sustaining a school that
is closely aligned with your mission;
clearly articulates what differentiates it from other options;
aligns its efforts and activities with Christian convictions; and
serve students and families with Christ-centered excellence.