Update from the Head of School

The Impact of Strategic Planning

Tomorrow (Thursday) we officially launch our new long-range planning process. Our facilitator, Ian Symmonds of Ian Symmonds & Associates, will be on campus to meet with the 16 members of our Steering Committee. The planning process will take 5-6 months to complete and will include many more parents, teachers, administrators, and students who will be recruited to serve on various study groups and sub-committees. The agenda will be determined by the results of feedback we receive from the strategic planning survey that was sent to all constituencies two weeks ago. 

I can’t emphasize enough the impact of a well-crafted strategic plan on the health of any organization, especially on a large and complex school like LCA. Earlier this month you received a Final Report on “Soaring Higher: The Legacy Christian Academy Strategic Plan” that was adopted in 2017. The impressive list of major accomplishments did not just happen by chance. They were the result of a detailed, focused strategic plan that defined the work of school leaders over the last four years. Clearly, LCA is thriving today because of its commitment to implementing the strategic initiatives contained in the plan. Our next long-range plan will have a similar impact on the future of the school and I look forward to what God will reveal through the planning process. 

As the planning process unfolds, we will provide periodic updates and progress reports. We anticipate the final plan will be adopted by our Board of Trustees this summer. Until then, please pray that our Steering Committee, the various study groups, and the Board of Trustees will be guided by wisdom and discernment and will submit to God’s will for the future of Legacy.

Pandemic Stress: Taking a Toll on School Leaders

Undoubtedly, you are aware that dozens of North Texas public school superintendents and many more principals and teachers have announced their early retirement or are resigning their positions due to the unrelenting stress caused by the pandemic. This phenomenon is not unique to North Texas or public schools. Janna and I recently attended a retreat for CESA heads of schools and their spouses. It had been over two years since this group of Christian school leaders convened to learn from and encourage one another. In my entire career, I have never observed a group of school leaders who were more “beat down” and exhausted from the stress of making life and death decisions that affected their respective school communities. My heart broke for those leaders who have endured harsh criticism, verbal abuse, and even threats because they made a decision to protect the health and well-being of their students and teachers that proved to be unpopular with a few parents. We were united in our belief that as school leaders we made the best decisions we could with the data available to us.

I share this not looking for personal sympathy since I and my leadership team have received overwhelming support from LCA parents for making these tough decisions. Rather, I share it as a reminder that as a Christian community we are obligated to treat one another with respect, kindness, and dignity even when we disagree. As I’ve said from the beginning of the pandemic, this challenge is going to require every believer to exercise an extra measure of grace. Thank you for exhibiting that grace and helping us to build a covenant community that is a testimony to the faith and values we proclaim. Paraphrasing the great 20th-century theologian, Francis Schaeffer, “We give the world the right to judge Christ by the way we treat one another.”

Legacy Christian Academy is Frisco's preeminent Pre-K through 12 Christian school committed to educating students in a college preparatory environment balanced in academics, athletics, and fine arts–all within the context of a biblical worldview. For more information on Legacy, visit our admissions page.