Cultivating a Thriving Christian School Series:
Addressing major components for institutional health in Christian schools
There Are No Quick Fixes
IN
THE EARLY 1980s, American consumers became
increasingly attentive to automobile quality. U.S.
car manufacturers were losing ground to the Japanese
primarily as a result of differences in quality. U.S. automak-
ers attempted to stem the loss of market share by campaign
slogans such as “Quality is Job 1.” After the ads ran, Amer-
icans walked into showrooms and could still see the wide
variances in how the hood aligned with the body. In the
end, the Japanese gained even more market share, and U.S.
auto manufacturers lost not only sales but also their credi-
bility. The fact remained that improving the quality of auto-
mobiles required changes in design, closer tolerances with
tooling, higher quality requirements in supplier contracts,
substantial training for employees and subcontractors, and
different quality assurance practices. These improvements
would take years of diligent engineering, the development
of stronger supply chain partnerships, and more effective
methods of management.
Far too often, we see a similar phenomenon in Christian
schools with heads of schools and board members focused
on increasing enrollment, finding major donors, or receiving
large grants. The euphoria experienced when the unexpect-
ed $100,000 gift is received is undoubtedly a thrill; however,
joy fades quickly under the ongoing struggles of ineffective
systems and poor leadership.
In this series of articles, we will examine the critical
success factors required for Christian schools to mature
and flourish. Sustainable systems and organizations are
not built nor grown with quick-fix solutions. Numerous
verses in Scripture speak clearly of the relationship between
diligent work and the associated rewards. In Proverbs 14:23,
King Solomon reminds us “In all toil there is profit, but mere
talk tends only to poverty.” Other verses such as Psalm 128:2
reflect the benefits of hard work: “You shall eat the fruit of the
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By Ron Gordon & Ron Klein
labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well
with you.” The Bible emphatically supports that we will reap
what we sow.
Increased enrollment follows improved focus and prog-
ress in academics, facilities, and biblical integration.
Stable finances are the result of improved enrollment and
sound financial management. When someone says, “We
just need to get enrollment up,” they are confusing symp-
toms with causes.
Thirty years ago, parents would enroll their children in
a Christian school because they perceived this as a biblical
responsibility. We could call them loyalty parents. Today,
parents are more sensitive to the quality of every aspect of
the school, especially given tuition costs. They want caring
teachers and a Christian environment. They want spiritu-
al discipleship and also expect strong academics. Today’s
parents could be referred to as value parents. While the spir-
itual development and growth of the student should contin-
ue to be of the utmost importance, parents are expecting
more from their Christian school. Forcing a parent to decide
on good academics in a public school with a faulty world-
view versus Christian teachings with poor academics is a
faulty dichotomy.
Too frequently, we see school leadership avoid the hard
work of improvement. Most distressing are the situations
where, desperate for tuition revenue, the school enrolls
more students than they are resourced to educate or enroll
from families who do not share the school’s vision. A few
years later, ACT test scores decline, the culture of the school
shifts, and the school loses more mission-fit families. This is
steady and often irreversible institutional suicide.
Cultivating a thriving Christian school requires uncom-
mon excellence: