Part 1: “Private” – What Does This Word Really Mean?

While mission statements are designed to focus and define, they are often filled with "big ideas" that have little impact on the life of an organization unless purposeful energy is put into translating those ideas into action.  As Head of School, I spend a lot of time thinking about the mission of Shannon Forest Christian School.  Recently, I began defining some of the terms we use to describe our school and giving thought to the implications these terms have on how we think about ourselves as a community.

One of the foundational distinctives of our school is that Shannon is private.  Being private affords us great latitude in defining our mission, yet often times we forget how important it is that we are a private school.  Most notably, being a private school allows us the incredible freedom to determine the best way to prepare our students.

As bureaucrats and unions argue over how to address the crisis in the American educational system, nothing of substance seems to change, and I am not optimistic that a solution is forthcoming.  There are too many factions, too many personal agendas, and no overarching goal. Thus, the solutions offered, be they Common Core, No Child Left Behind, or whatever flavor-of-the month is on the menu, are generic prescriptions that are of little value and use to schools.  Furthermore, these initiatives rob educators of motivation, energy and creativity that could be better spent teaching the very students entrusted to them.  As a private school, we do not have to get caught up in all of the noise associated with such government mandates, and we are free to focus on equipping our students for the future in the most relevant and comprehensive ways.

As we think about the term "private," I also think it is helpful to think about what "private" does not mean.  I often hear people define “private” as “exclusive” or “selective,” like a country club membership. There are private schools all over the country that take this exclusive, just-for-a-select-group-of-people approach, and unfortunately, it is the historical legacy of most of those private schools. At Shannon Forest, the emphasis on private is more about independence and our freedom to choose the educational experience that we deem best serves our mission. (See our mission below.)

The “why” of Shannon Forest should not be influenced by the changing culture or various political viewpoints. The governing influence of what kind of private school we are and will be is found in our choice to be a CHRIST-CENTERED school.  We have the freedom to choose the best approaches, techniques, methodology, and curriculum to fulfill our mission and prepare our students, and we can do all of that with a Christ-centered approach.

Yes, we are a private school and we are a community, although not an exclusive community. We are available to all, just as the Gospel is available to all. We will embrace the obligation this term places on us to chart the best course.  Excellence in executing our mission means that we simply cannot and will not follow the herd.

Next, we will consider the word “Christian” and what it means for our school community.

MISSION STATEMENT: Believing that God is truth and that in Him we find the source of all knowledge, the purpose of Shannon Forest Christian School is to engage students with true knowledge by providing quality education from an evangelical, Biblical perspective, thereby strengthening the Christian home and Church, and equipping students to influence culture and society for Jesus Christ.