The Warrior Round Table

Why?

When I was in graduate school, my mentor professor encouraged me to ask “Why?” five times to get to the core issue. My wife quickly noted the wisdom of asking the question (five times) to myself and not out loud.

At a recent conference, the keynote speaker spotlighted a bestselling trade book entitled, Start With Why. (Sinek, 2010) That led me to a video of Sinek on TED where he promotes the idea of a “Golden Circle.” Reminded of our golden triangle, I jumped in with both feet and viewed the video. I can testify it’s worth the 18 minutes.

Why?

Because Sinek makes a strong case that the why behind our mission gives life and real meaning to the daily operation of our mission.

We’ve been so busy “rising up and standing firm” that our blog entries slowed significantly. The hiatus is over. The blog is back! Let's reignite our thinking about why we do what we do with this tease: the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) recently asserted that the purpose of our schools is to transform lives.

I disagree.

Transforming lives is a big order. Too big, I might add, for a school … or, even parents. Noble as “transforming lives” sounds as mission statement, isn’t such transformation the work of the Holy Spirit through the living body of Jesus, the local church?

If so, then, what is our purpose? Why do we do what we do? Why does your family make sacrifices to literally “buy into” Little Rock Christian Academy?  I offer two reasons:

• We do what we do … to advance a holistic education where Jesus and his Word are the true north and anchor of all learning. We exist to grow the mind and heart of God’s people, especially the children. Between K⁴ and 12^th grade, there are 16,000 hours of interaction with teachers and peers. Who is “on duty” for those hours? What will be shared over the course of 16,000 hours? Are those 16,000 hours aligned with your family’s core values? Are those 16,000 hours saturated with a Christian worldview? LRCA lives out good answers to these questions.

 

• We do what we do … to prepare students for collegiate success so that they may influence society for good and for the Kingdom. We tell our families that our job is to make sure their children are ready for life beyond high school. During a recent visit to Hill Country Christian School in Austin, Texas, I noticed the motto: “Preparing for College, Preparing for Life.” Accountable to Jesus and in accord with the believing Church, this is a noble, necessary purpose.

Our primary purpose differs, then, from “transforming lives.” Yes, we eagerly pray for and pursue transformed lives. But, ultimately, transformation remains the work of the Holy Spirit over time. It is rarely complete by age 18. Our job is to faithfully present God’s truth to the next generation, to authentically model God’s truth in our daily lives and provide a Christ-centered foundation on which to produce great readers, thinkers, writers, entrepreneurs, scientists, mathematicians, athletes, artists, teachers, pastors, salespeople, inventors, technicians, mechanics, soldiers, senators, doctors, pharmacists, programmers and more to the glory of God. 

Why LRCA?

Aligned with your core values, we are dedicated to these first principles in pursuit of exceptional results. Ever accountable, we are relentlessly and passionately committed to serve you well by providing an excellent education, saturating the learning process with the truth of Jesus and God’s Word.

Can I get a witness?

Gary Arnold

 

 

The Mind of a Middle Schooler

For a glimpse into the mind of middle school, check out podcast from This American Life. Even the first four minutes are worth the click. 

A fourteen year girl whimsically opens the listener's eyes and ears to what middle schoolers are thinking and how middle school should work. I like her answer to the question: "What would you change about middle school if you could change anything?"  Her answer: "Nothing."

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/449/middle-school

Of course, as with any media clip - especially, NPR -  we are not officially endorsing the message as truth. At the same time, it shines some light on a confusing time of life.

Gary B Arnold

 

I'm Just Saying ...

In November, we privately received ten (count 'em, 10) fresh, good-sized banners from the Arkansas Activities Association, the AAA. the good ol' triple A. We usually receive the banners during the first week of August - in public. The delivery was late this year ... and off the grid.

Hmmm.

Mr. Lance Taylor is the Executive Director of the AAA and a terrific leader. Fair-minded, consistent, energetic, gracious, good-humored, smart, inclusive and upbeat, Lance is an huge asset to Arkansas and Arkansas schools, public and private. The true story I share has nothing to do with Lance. Like me, he is accountable to a board of directors. In his case, that means a board of public school superintendents. I commend him for keeping so many diverse interests as united as possible.

Back to the story.

The banners received, so to speak, in the middle of night were our Academic State Championship banners. Little Rock Christian Academy, once again, received the most academic state championships in the state of Arkansas. 

Two years ago, 10.

Last year, 9.

This year, 10.

And so it goes.

In ten distinct AAA sports, the team GPA of our Warriors ranked #1 in the state compared to every other team GPA in that sport in, at least, 5A competition.

Grade inflation in Warriorville? Easy teachers? Blow-off coursework? Athlete favoritism? Anyone who knows anything about our biblical worldview curriculum knows that is impossible. Imagine Erlo, Howell or Best going easy on a defensive back. Any citizen of Warriorville knows the real story - Warriors play hard and work hard.

It's the way we do things around here. Not counting on D1 scholarships, our athletes know the value of a solid ACT score. The joy of victory in the arena overflows to the classroom and vice versa. Based on self-discipline and merit, we congratulate our academic state champion teams in ten sports.

The sad part of the story is that until 2011, this accomplishment was noted in the general assembly of all school superintendents and heads of school in the state. Ordinarily, Little Rock Christian would be called out and we'd go forward to receive the awards and the applause - albeit meager - of my peers. But things are different now. We still get the banners but the awards ceremony has been dropped from the agenda.

Now, I'm not saying too many private schools were receiving too many academic state championships.  I'm just saying ...

Gary B Arnold

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Oppressive Piety"

On December 11, Frank Bruni of the New York Times was, almost begrudgingly, trying to put a positive, secular spin on Tim Tebow. Unnerved by what Bruni referred to as Tebow's "oppressive piety," the columnist conceded that, despite Tebow's overbearing faith, we should not overlook the power of Tebow's "gospel of optimism."

What does this have to do with LRCA and why we do what we do?

A few seasons ago, our associate director of athletics, Darrell Smith, coined the Warrior four C's - the backbone of the philosophy of our Warrior athletic program. Warrior athletics are:

• Christ-centered
• Competitive
• Character-based
• Committed 

Now, think of Tim Tebow. 

Go back to the 4 C's.

Back to Tebow.

Back to the Warrior 4 C's.

See the connection?

So, when Frank Bruni and the NYT sneer at the Christ-centered, competitive, character-based, contagious spirit of Tim Tebow, they are sneering at the very heart of Warrior athletics. If this were just the NYT, we could let it go as biased pulp. But, Bruni and the NYT are not voices in the wilderness. They are not the angry left; they are the pragmatic left; they speak for millions. Bruni is more than one column in an aging newspaper. He represents the escalating voice of a growing multitude who vocally oppose a biblical worldview. Worse, they sneer at it, mock it and call it "oppressive piety."

Truth be told, darkness does not like the light. Light hurts the eyes and goodness convicts the soul. Truth, to some, is "oppressive." Solution? Turn out the light and push goodness away. When a society feels oppressed, there's always push-back. If Tebow and LRCA are regarded as oppressive, do not be surprised, then, when push back comes our way. Instead, let's learn from Tebow's "gospel of optimism." 

We can win; we will win.

When push back comes, what does Tebow do? Push forward.

When push back comes upon Warriors, what do we do? Push forward.

Even Bruni respects "the gift of hope, confidence and a special composure, all of which keep a person in the game long enough, with enough energy and stability, so that a fickle entity known as luck might break his or her way. For Tebow that state of mind of mind comes from his particular relationship with his chosen God and is a matter of religion. For someone else, it may be understood and experienced as the power of positive thinking and is a matter of psychology. Either way it boils down to stubborn optimism and bequeaths a spark. A swagger. An edge."

Rather than be offended by Bruni's predictable disdain for faith and piety, let's accept his advice to live out Tebow's gospel of optimism. Let's practice stubborn optimism. Let's light that spark. Let's gain that edge.

It dawned on me at a recent candlelight Christmas service, singing "O Holy Night," what drives the "stubborn optimism" of Tim Tebow.

"Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till he appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn."

Rejoice, weary soul. Yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. May no one rob us of the thrill of hope in Christ.

Gary B Arnold

 

Imperfect Decision

"Why is our Christmas break shorter than usual this year?"

Fair question. Here is a less than perfect response about why the leadership team made an imperfect decision.

Every year, as head of school, I have to sign an accreditation form for each of our three accrediting agencies - state, regional and national. One of the quality assurances I must confirm for the Arkansas Nonpublic School Accrediting Association is 178 days of school per year.

[ANSAA accreditation is required for our participation in the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA). The other two accrediting bodies - ACSI and North Central - require conformity to the ANSAA standard.]

Five years ago, the LRCA school board approved a resolution making Memorial Day weekend the traditional marker for summer vacation. In order to conclude our school year by the 2012 Memorial Day weekend and satisfy the requirement of 178 days, we encroached on the full week before Christmas by two days.

There is another factor that shaped our unusual decision to abbreviate Christmas break. After last year's five snow days, the leadership team and I decided to build in a small buffer to protect Good Friday and other calendar breaks from likely snow day make-up.

This accounts for resuming school on Monday, January 2.  

Like you, we love time with your sons and daughters and there is much more to learn this year. On that bright note, we are providing over 18 additional hours of learning to the students.  

Here's my mea culpa. I approved the proposed calendar and I am sorry it shortened your family's holiday time together. Next year we will plan to protect a full two weeks for your family at Christmas - probably Thursday, December 20 through Wednesday, January 2.  

Thank you for your grace and the respect you have displayed in your communication with us. 

Peace.

Gary B Arnold

 

More than a mascot

Our fifth grade head football coach (oh, and President of the pulsating Arkansas Baptist College) forwarded me a "daily reading" from John Eldredge's Ransomed Heart Ministres reminding me that a Warrior is more than a mascot. I share the reading with you:

The Reason For The Warrior: (Ransomed Heart Ministries)

Our God is a Warrior because there are certain things in life worth fighting for, must be fought for. He makes man a Warrior in his own image, because he intends for man to join him in that battle.

One day the young man Moses, prince of Egypt, went out to see for himself the oppression of his kinsmen. When he witnessed firsthand an Egyptian taskmaster beating a Hebrew slave, he couldn't bear it, and killed the man. A rash act, for which he becomes a fugitive, but you see something of the Warrior emerging in him. Years later, God sends him back to set all his people free, and, I might add, it is one intense fight to win that freedom. David also fights, battle after battle, to win the freedom of his people and unite the tribes of Israel. Something in the man compelled him, that same something that wouldn't allow Lincoln to simply sit by and watch the Union tear itself apart, wouldn't permit Churchill-despite the views of many of his own countrymen-to sit by and let the Nazis take over Europe unopposed. For he knew that in the end they would have England, too.

There are certain things worth fighting for. A marriage, for example, or the institution of marriage as a whole. Children, whether they are yours or not. Friendships will have to be fought for, as you've discovered by now, and churches, too, which seem bent on destroying themselves if they are not first destroyed by the enemy who hates them. Many people feel that earth itself is worth fighting for. Doctors fight for the lives of their patients, and teachers for the hearts and futures of their students. Take anything good, true, or beautiful upon this earth and ask yourself, "Can this be protected without a fight?"

Thanks, Coach, for reminding me to put on the armor of God TODAY and be ready for the inevitable fight to protect my family, my church and our school. Please join me in the battle.

Gary B. Arnold 

 

Road signs

Here we are.

Eleven years into the 21st century and it feels like we're traveling at the speed of light. Fiber-optic light, that is.

I'm always amused when I remember that my iPhone has more computing power than the Apollo 13 space capsule ever possessed. It's a massive responsibility and a compelling challenge to make sure we know what to do with all that power in the classroom.  

Yes, we have a rolling three-year technology plan. Yes, we upgrade our tech infrastructure every year. Yes, you have been generous to fund our technology advance in striking ways. (We're grateful!) Yes, we are amping up our teacher training in technology for the classroom. Yes, our students are ready for more.

As we accelerate (up) the winding road, our eyes are scanning the roadside for road signs. Curve ahead. Slow down - School zone. Bump. Merge ahead. Railroad crossing.

Here are two road signs we've encountered in the last mile or so. From the New York TImes series, "Grading the Digital School" -  page one, top center, Sunday edition. 

1. Are school systems finding evidence of increased achievement scores from the infusion of technology in the classroom? Chandler, Arizona posted a helpful road sign.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/technology/a-classroom-software-boom-but-mixed-results-despite-the-hype.html?pagewanted=all

2. Does marketing hype play any role in the push for schools to quickly adopt emerging technologies in the classroom? NYT signals an alert:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/technology/technology-in-schools-faces-questions-on-value.html?_r=3&ref=todayspaper

Mindful of the signs, we'll press on with due caution to learn more and train more for the digital future that lies ahead. As a matter fact, Mr. Neff, Mrs. Chami and our IT Director, Mr. Robertson, will join me at a professional conference in Chicago next week. We'll meet with 60 other leading Christian schools and listen to other pioneers share in real-time how to maximize year-to-year learning gains. The sponsoring group for the conference is the Council for Educational Standards and Accountability. http://cesaschools.org/events Though we'll be focusing on learning assessment, with so many leaders in one place, we're sure to talk about the role of technology in our schools.

Eyes on the road, everybody. We've come along way but we have miles to go before we rest.  

Gary B. Arnold

 

Golden Apples

Did you see the final Andy Rooney segment on 60 minutes this month?

Mr. Rooney, the curmudgeon of curmudgeons, commented how a high school teacher told him on one occasion that he was a good writer. At that moment, because of the teacher’s good word about him, he decided to become a professional writer. Yes, at 92, he noted that his past 70 years of journalistic success are traced back to one teacher’s blessing.

I sent word to our faculty: you may be that teacher to one of your students this year. Or, put another way, MAY you be that teacher to one of your students this year!

Has your son or daughter been blessed by a teacher this year? That is a risky question for me to ask. But, ask it I must. If the answer is Yes!, may God be praised. If the answer is No!, we have some work to do. 

On the threshold of first term report cards, I ask our teachers: are you a blessing to your students?How have you verbally affirmed God's design on their life? Do you realize the power of your words?

How do we make a difference in a child's life?

One golden, apt word at a time.

Proverbs 25:11 - "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver."

Gary B. Arnold

 

  

Me, Too!

"Awed by LRCA teachers and students ..."

A recent chapel speaker (and LRCA parent) elaborates on that observation with text and photos in an important Kingdom blog,  

Gary B Arnold

 

 

 

Uh-oh!

Yesterday, my wife held up a page from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and said, "You need to read this."

Uh-oh, I thought.

Then, she elaborated.

"This is why you guys (that's Chicago-speak for y'all) teach biblical worldview!"

I read the ADG column in question - a piece written by David Brooks of the the New York Times -and I quickly agreed, "Yes, this IS a BIG reason why we invest so much time and dialogue into a sound biblical worldview."

If our partnership of home, church and school does not fill the moral-thinking vacuum, who will? What will?

I urge you to visit the column and consider the same data that caught Brooks' attention. It's an eye-opener. At first, it's depressing. As Brooks notes, "What's disheartening is how bad they are at thinking and talking about morality." What's encouraging is that the void is not caused by rebellion as much as ignorance. Ignorance is something we can fix.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/opinion/if-it-feels-right.html?_r=1&ref=davidbrooks

Unsettling? Yes, but balance that feeling with the assurance that 1,390 students are being taught something different at LRCA. Every day, 1,390 young human beings are being trained to discern right from wrong. Every day, 1,390 children are being coached how to intelligently talk about "moral dilemmas and the meaning of life." Ultimately, every day 1,390 souls are guided in the way in which they should go.

Thanks, Mom and Dad; thanks, local church; thanks, LRCA.

Pray with me that truth will prevail and that each child will come to love and follow Him. 

 Gary B Arnold