Workshop Talk | | Leadership & Strategic
Summary
The position of school administrator requires many skill sets. One must be an organizer, an inspirer, a visionary, a planner, and a prayerful servant-leader. There are many unique situations to navigate along the way. Four panelists who have each served as administrators of their schools for over 20 years will share some of the lessons learned throughout their tenures. Mistakes made along the way and ‘best pieces of advice’ will be among the topics shared. Question and answer time will be provided to pursue the ideas in more detail.
Speaker
Ty Fischer has been the Head of School at Veritas Academy in Leola since 1997. He received a BA in history from Grove City College and a Master of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. He has also studied at Cambridge University at the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion. He is a permanent member of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools Board. He has been involved in numerous curricular projects. He was the Managing Editor of the Veritas Press Omnibus Project. Ty and his wife, Emily, are the parents of four daughters: Maddy, Laynie, Karis, and Elyse, and the proud owners of one “periodically obedient” Puggle, Roxy.
Keith Phillips is Head of School at Schaeffer Academy in Rochester, Minnesota, where he has served for the past 26 years. Prior to Schaeffer Academy, Keith served as an administrator at Kauai Christian Academy on the beautiful north shore of Kauai and received an M. A. in Educational Policy and Leadership from The Ohio State University. Keith is a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church and a permanent member, and current chair, of the ACCS Board of Directors.
Tracy Robinson lives in Hickory, North Carolina with his wife, Gayle. The Robinsons have six children, five of whom graduated from Hickory Christian Academy, with the youngest recently completing his senior year at HCA in 2024. Tracy grew up in a Christian home, became a believer in Christ at a young age, and graduated with a degree in math and physics from Appalachian State University in 1992. He taught for five years in the public schools before his oldest daughter became school age. At that time, the Robinsons discovered Classical Christian education at Hickory Christian Academy, became parents, and eventually gained employment there, believing there was much more to education than the government had to offer. He has been the Head of School at Hickory Christian Academy for the past 24 years. During that time, HCA has grown from 175 students to 515, in addition to employing more than 70 faculty and staff and has acquired over $14 million in buildings and land. HCA has been a member of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools since 1997 and has been fully accredited since 2015.
Andy Shapleigh grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and attended the University of Kansas, earning a liberal arts degree before moving to Tulsa, initially in sales and later in a marketing and fund-raising position for a non-profit organization. After nine years in a corporate environment, he accepted the invitation to be the first headmaster for Regent Preparatory School of Oklahoma, which opened in August 2000. The school grew from 61 students in year one to just over 600 students today. Andy and his wife Lori have four children, all of whom are Regent graduates.
tyfischer@veritasacademy.com
phillips.keith@schaefferacademy.org
TRobinson@hickorychristian.com
ashapleigh@rpsok.org
Additional Materials
The Association of Classical & Christian Schools presents Repairing the Ruins, the ACCS annual conference, copyright ACCS. You may make additional copies of this recording for use by your school but please do not sell any copies of the recording, or post it on the internet.
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