HR & Employment Law for Christian Schools Workshop - Thursday, April 27
A common challenge for Christian schools is the ability to keep up with all the laws that impact recruiting, interviewing, and hiring employees. Most schools do not have the resources for a Human Resource department to constantly study all the changes federal and state laws that have to do with employment. HR has become a complex issue when dealing with applications, contracts, benefits, and even dismissal if needed. Determining what laws apply can be very challenging for any school leader. This event is designed to help Christian school leaders negotiate the complex process of Human Resources and Employment laws.
This is a six-hour session that includes a CEU for participation.
Speaker: Philip Scott, ACSI Vice President for Legal Affairs
Philip Scott has worked with ACSI since 2011 and currently serves in the Washington, DC office. While he has held multiple roles at ACSI, his current focus is on state advocacy and helping to organize state Christian school voices. Philip’s background is a blend of education, religion, and law. He has taught U.S. Government and Civics to middle and high school students; and most recently has been a lecturer teaching ethics, nonprofit law, and education law. While Philip is admitted to the bar of Colorado he also holds multiple degrees and has studied theology. Philip and his wife, Heather (who met in fifth grade in the Christian school they attended) are outnumbered through three children, a dog, and a cat.
Here are the MAX Bundle Opportunities
Flourish Deeper: Sustainability Workshop - Friday, April 28
While Christian school sustainability depends on the “blocking and tackling” of good financial planning and management, the “field” of Christian education is more challenging and uneven than ever. In this one-day FSI session anchored in the Resources & Expertise Domain, participants will engage with the groundbreaking ACSI-Cardus study entitled Future Ready: Innovative Missions and Models in Christian Education, which explores how Christian schools of all sizes, shapes, and resources are innovating structurally and financially through school mergers, online academies, microschools, Christian school districts and networks, inclusive education, and more. Participants will leave inspired to think and act innovatively, collaboratively, and above all, missionally about the future-readiness of their schools.
Speakers: Lynn Swaner, ACSI Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer and Matthew Lee, ACSI Director of Research
Dr. Lynn E. Swaner is the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at ACSI, where she leads initiatives and develops strategies to address compelling questions and challenges facing Christian education. Dr. Swaner serves as a Cardus Senior Fellow and is the co-author or editor of multiple books on Christian education, including Flourishing Together: A Christian Vision for Students, Educators, and Schools and MindShift: Catalyzing Change in Christian Education. Prior to joining ACSI, she served as a professor of education and a Christian school administrator in New York.
Dr. Matthew Lee is the director of research at the Association of Christian Schools International and an adjunct professor of education policy at Johns Hopkins University, where he teaches a course on education finance. He is co-editor of Religious Liberty and Education (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020) and author of numerous peer-reviewed research articles, book chapters, technical reports, and op-eds on civics education, education leadership, and religious education.
Early Education Workshop - Cultivating Resilience - God's Amazing Design: Teaching and Learning with the Brain in Mind - Saturday, April 29
Learning by definition is a process that changes the brain. Understanding how the brain develops and functions and designing curriculum that cooperates with God's amazing design enhances teaching and learning. We will also explore healthy growth and development to promote active learning.
This understanding can guide teachers to become more effective at designing curriculum that supports all learners. We will also explore healthy growth and development to promote active learning.
Earn up to six (6) clock hours / CEUs for participation.
Speaker: Dr. Barbara Sorrels, Connected Kids
Dr. Barbara Sorrels is the CEO of Connected Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating trauma responsive communities. She authored the award-winning book, Reaching and Teaching and is Oklahoma’s 2022 nominee for the T. Berry Brazelton Friend of Young Children award. The US Department of Education recently identified her as a content expert in trauma and child development. Dr. Sorrels has experience as a classroom teacher, founder and director of two early childhood centers, children’s pastor, and university professor. She consults with state agencies and medical institutions on trauma responsive practices for vulnerable children.