Together - Not the Same

This week, I have been on an accreditation visiting team.  That means I got to help evaluate and affirm a Christian school that is seeking the renewal of their accreditation.  In the training documents, the following statement is highlighted.

"There is no one type of school. Nor is there just one approach to teaching and learning. Yet regardless of a school’s size, location, philosophy or education model, it benefits from intensive, ongoing diagnostic reviews of its work, carried out by knowledgeable, well-trained, independent reviewers."

Around the same time I began this training, a commercial started airing on television.  For the life of me, I can't figure out what it has to do with Android products (The first time I saw it, I thought it was going to be a PSA about tolerance or bullying or something), but I like the ad itself.  Also, I may be strange, but I like the song he is playing where all the keys are the same as well.  I guess I just like the rhythm.  

These two things made me think of how glad I am that GRACE is not the only school or the only type of school.  Because people are different, their educational needs are certainly different.  While I don't think I could have handled the Montessori approach when I was in school, I have no doubt that there are those who thrive in that type of school.  My school's athletic rival is a very strict classical school.  While I COULD NOT teach there because the structure is too much for me, there are students who absolutely need that structure in order to feel secure.  The school we are evaluating is a very small community, but their people are fully supportive of each other and their students on every level.  I observed some classes that I didn't want to leave. 

 Christian schools have many things in common.  We all want to see spiritual growth and development in students as they make the transition from childhood faith in their parent's church to their own relationship with Christ.  We all want to see students educated in such a way that they can pursue whatever path God has for them.  We all want to mentor our students in citizenship, a lifelong love of learning, and just decision making.  

While all the Christian schools in the world have these things in common, they approach meeting these goals in hundreds of different ways.  Some of them focus heavily on their academic programs while others place a higher priority on student / teacher relationships.  Some are heavily STEM while others place a high priority on their fine arts programs.  Some schools try to meet the needs of all types of students while others enroll only students whose needs they are already capable of meeting.  No one Christian school can accomplish God's plan by itself.  When parents are looking at Christian schools, it is important that they know what matters to them.  Most schools will cover the true essentials, so parents should also look for the school that is a "good fit" for their child.  

As Christian schools, we are together; but we are not the same.  We are all heading in the same direction.  We are just driving different cars.