Category Archives: Administration

What Do Congregations Expect of Their Teachers?

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Written by Greg Schmill

Clear expectations are always helpful. If we know what is expected, we then can do all we are capable of to meet those expectations. This definitely applies to what is expected of us as called workers. A quick check of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 helps us understand God’s clear expectations of us—above reproach, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, and more. But what are the specific expectations of our calling bodies? What do congregations expect to be true of the teachers who serve in our schools? Continue reading →

Early Childhood Outreach Requires Planning and Teamwork

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Written by Michelle Dobberstein

Early Childhood Ministries (ECM) provide a natural way for churches to share the gospel with children and families. Families seeking early childhood education come for a quality education and end up receiving so much more. They learn about Jesus and his love. Continue reading →

To Voucher or Not to Voucher?

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Written by Rendy Koeppel

That is a question many more WELS school leaders are asking themselves. Government-funded programs that give parents vouchers or tax credits for school tuition are on our national landscape for the foreseeable future. Accepting state funding for tuition in WELS schools has been implemented for at least 20 years. It is a somewhat controversial concept in our Lutheran schools and congregations. Leaders have to decide whether they will participate. And why! Continue reading →

Early Childhood Ministry: Addressing Staffing Challenges

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Written by Julianna Kiecker

Early Childhood Ministries (ECMs) are consistently growing in Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran Synod (WELS) churches! Did you know that 10,754 children attended a WELS ECM in 2017? (Commission on Lutheran Schools, 2017). For some congregations, the results are easy to see: adult confirmations and families joining their congregation. Others struggle to see these blessings from their ECM efforts. “We’ve had the preschool open for years without so much as one worship visitor!” Continue reading →

Working Together in Support of Lutheran Elementary Schools

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Written by Nathan Reich

Historically, most congregations that operated Lutheran elementary schools (LES) did not have any sort of outreach program. They really didn’t need it. It was almost a given that member children would attend the LES. That is not true anymore. Principals, school boards, and councils need to have plans to promote their school among their members and the greater community. Cradle rolls, moms-and-tots outings, and Sunday school programs are excellent ways to promote an LES within a congregation. Continue reading →

Newsletters That Really Deliver, Part 2

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Written by Laurie Gauger-Hested

In “Newsletters That Really Deliver, Part 1,” we discussed the importance of producing high-quality newsletters. As your public face, your newsletter should send two fundamental messages to parents: that you’re professionals who are giving their children an excellent education, and that you’re strong Christians who love Jesus and their children.

Part 1 listed three important directives for achieving this goal: (1) write with a smile on your face; (2) write humbly, which translates to “be brief”; and (3) write for the eye as well as the ear, which means using an easy-to-read format.

Part 2 has three equally important directives. Please read on. Continue reading →

Newsletters That Really Deliver, Part 1

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Written by Laurie Gauger-Hested

Your newsletter is your public face. In fact, for prospective families and for families who don’t have much contact with teachers—because of work schedules or a strained relationship or simple shyness—it may be your only face.

That’s why the quality matters. In both content and format, your newsletter should send two fundamental messages to parents: that you’re professionals who are giving their children an excellent education, and that you’re strong Christians who love Jesus and their children.

How do you send those two messages? Here are a few tips. Continue reading →

What Is the Predominant Role of the Principal?

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Written by Joycelyn Christmas-John

In our Lutheran community, principals wear many hats. They are usually the first to arrive and the last to leave the school. You can find them doing some pretty odd jobs on the school compound. These jobs range from shoveling snow to unclogging toilets because toys are stuck, from taking apart the projector to recharging the battery of a teacher’s car. Many people may wonder: What is the real job of a principal? Continue reading →

Being a Lutheran Teacher Is Awesome!

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Written by Dr. John Meyer

Every teacher is special. Through them, children and young people develop full and productive lives. But Lutheran teachers are more, and being one is an awesome privilege and a tremendous responsibility.

An Awesome Privilege
Lutheran teachers are called. That’s not just a fancy way of saying hired. A call comes from God through a group of believers in Christ (Acts 1) to people whom he has appointed and gifted for ministry (Ephesians 4:11-13). Their contract is with God, and so the call is divine (Gerlach, 1977; Mueller, 1988). Since Lutheran teachers do not seek their positions by putting out résumés (Romans 10:15; Hebrews 5:4), they are confident that God himself has appointed them to serve where they are (Fehlauer, 1968; Gerlach, n.d.; Mueller, 1988). Continue reading →

Most Important Things Parents Look for in a School

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Written by Elizabeth Johnson

Parents have more choices in the type of pasta sauce on their child’s spaghetti than they do in where their child receives their education. For decades, the public school system told families where they would attend school. In many places, voucher programs are giving some of that power back to parents. With the choice comes a responsibility to find out who can best serve them, along with a responsibility for administrators to know what parents want. While a school’s location and demographic can vary the order of preference, parents are most actively seeking private schools that offer . . .

1) A high quality of education

2) A safe learning environment

3) An exceptional school culture Continue reading →