Education Articles

Adventist education is well represented in New York City with 21 schools and 211 teachers. Thank you to superintendents of schools Marlene Romeo (MR), Greater New York Conference, and Viola Chapman (VC), Northeastern Conference, who agreed to share their thoughts about the vision and mission of Adventist education in the city. JG: When you think … Read more

“The Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding”— Testimonies, vol. 6, p.126. If we believe this, then we should indeed be the head and not the tail. If we believe this, then our schools should be places where wisdom is gained and where students are the head and not the tail. … Read more

The world has changed. Family structure has changed. Children are maturing physically, mentally, and (sometimes) spiritually faster than previous generations. Parents and other adults in their sphere of influence have open conversations and the children hear and see it all. Children today have more independence and freedom than children of previous generations, with less supervision … Read more

“And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: . . . Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God”—Luke 18:15-16. As Seventh-day Adventist Christians, we have read and heard this text many times. The Bayberry school on Cape Cod experienced … Read more

Imagine 2 Kings 5 as a parable of a little girl who longed once again to be in the Jordan River Adventist School. She was sent away from home, through no fault of her own, and living with people who didn’t fear God. Whatever the circumstances, she remembered the formative years spent in the Jordan … Read more

“And work with your hands”—1 Thessalonians 4:11, NIV. “Stop going to school and go to work!” Those words seem like heresy. For nearly a century, the philosophy has been, “Go to school and make something of yourself.” High schools are rated on their percentage of graduates that are going on to college. Salaries have traditionally … Read more

It was early in the spring of 1995, and I was actively involved in the process of drafting résumés and cover letters in an attempt to get my first job as a teacher. It was exciting. Where would I end up, and what would my first classroom in my first school be like? As I … Read more

Grace is not only a teaching, but a teacher. Consider what Paul writes in Titus 2:11-13, NKJV. “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and … Read more

It is no secret that K-12 education is changing at a hectic pace. Part of the job of the Atlantic Union Conference Office of Education (AUCOE) is to find the good and discard the bad in this race to educate our children. AUCOE, in collaboration with the six conferences, seeks to support the structure and … Read more

Often we think of the secular college as the turning point where Adventist young people leave the church. Our young adults go off to public university, and when they return home we have a hard time recognizing them as the sweet Christian youth we sent off into the world. Statistically, many of our young people … Read more

What are we doing to give our students an advantage? Three things you need to know about your church school: 1. Science Curriculum STEM is coming. What is STEM? STEM is a curriculum emphasis that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. As the world of work has shifted to get- ting jobs that involve … Read more

Wow! Have you ever noticed how time passes by so quickly? School starts—then it ends; and another year is over. For me, that cycle has continued for almost 42 years; but this year that cycle ends, as I have retired from denominational work. Oh, at the time of this writing I’m still working three-quarter time, … Read more

Is it time for our children to leave the cities? That may sound like a strange question, but, dear reader, don’t tune out just yet. Let me tell you what’s been on my mind. On September 1, 1939, the British government began execution of a plan called “Operation Pied Piper.” The purpose of Pied Piper … Read more

The Master Teacher shows us by example that training is necessary to effect change, growth, and development, and we are also admonished to train up our children in the way that they should go. Throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, God has provided various symbols, methods, and lessons to develop our character into one … Read more

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man”—Luke 2:52. It is an incredible thought that Jesus not only grew physically, but mentally, as well. He didn’t come to earth pre-programmed with knowledge of the scriptures and His rescue mission. He learned, just as we do. Mary and Joseph had … Read more

At the beginning of his reign Solomon’s response to the Lord was, “I am but a little child.” There are three types of professionals that can make an eternal impact on a child’s life: doctors, policemen, and teachers. Students are like wet cement, whatever imprints are left on their molds, will stay with them for … Read more

In 2009, the Atlantic Union Conference ministerial and education departments led a Pastors and Teachers Convention in Providence Rhode Island. To plan this event, union and conference ministerial directors met with their counterparts in education, including the academy principals. These joint planning sessions became part of the spring education council for two years prior to … Read more

Ask any person involved in Seventh-day Adventist education and they will tell you the simple truth: shrinking schools is a common theme in our denomination. Not only are many of the schools shrinking in size, but most conferences have notably fewer schools now than they did a decade ago. Why is this? Why are people,  … Read more

Some time ago, I heard a family tell about how they wanted to send their child to an Adventist Christian school. The family started planning in the spring, making a spreadsheet listing the schools and visiting each school. After reviewing the positives and negatives, one school was chosen. They sent an application and deposit to … Read more

Teaching is undoubtedly one of the most essential tasks with which Christians were entrusted by God. It is upon this commission that our church founded the ministry of Christian education. Oftentimes, as Christian educators in Seventh-day Adventist schools, while we are diligent in teaching our students about God, our primary focus becomes academic performance and … Read more

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”—Proverbs 22:6 In these tough economic times, Christian parents find themselves wrestling with the decision to make a choice regarding their children’s education. They recognize the trust that God has placed on them to love … Read more

The Center for Research on K-12 Adventist Education (CRAE) launched a brand new initiative in February 2015 called Ambassadors for Adventist Christian Education (AACE), an organization created to recruit, organize, and support volunteers for the K-12 Adventist educational system. The catalyst for AACE was the number of people who would approach me after my presentations … Read more

There are those moments in time when you wonder, Why? That’s not necessarily a bad question—it’s just such a personal one when dealing with issues in one’s own personal life. Such issues as when an unexpected death of a loved one occurs, or you experience a personal illness, or you face challenges on your job, … Read more

It is now bothersome to me when I hear that our youth are “our future,” although I’ve said it before, not understanding the message it implies. I have used this term with the intention of conveying the fact that our young people are the future leaders of this church and the expenditure of our resources … Read more

Scores of educators boarded buses, vans, and cars as they wended their way last fall to Camp Victory Lake in Hyde Park, New York. This was the first time in the history of the Northeastern Conference that teachers and pastors convened for workers meeting. As they disembarked, cemented smiles glowed from the faces of friends … Read more

It was on an ordinary day at an ordinary chapel where Lisa* learned about the importance of sharing. Several Oakwood University students, who volunteer with NAPS (National Association for the Prevention of Starvation), stopped by the Berea Academy in Mattapan, Massachusetts, to share stories with the children about their mission trips. They spoke about their … Read more

The concept of outdoor school is one that many school systems have adopted in recent years. We love the idea of spending time outdoors with our students, especially when we read about the schools of the prophets and Ellen White’s counsel regarding such venues for education. Outdoor school is perhaps one of the greatest gifts … Read more

2014 will be remembered as the year in which three experienced educators serving in the capacity of superintendent of schools retired from Atlantic Union Conference education team. In addition to their length of service in their respective conference offices, they will always be remembered for their dedication and commitment to improving Adventist education. Their legacy … Read more

The education leaders in the Atlantic Union Conference and the North American Division are concerned about declining enrollment in Seventh-day Adventist schools. Despite numerous brainstorming and marketing summits, enrollment continues to plummet. Last January, the Atlantic Union Conference Office of Education was selected by the Center for Research in K-12 Education at La Sierra University … Read more

Seventy-one years ago a small band of believers had a vision of providing Christian education to the young people in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Bermuda. After many challenges, a school was started in the Southampton church basement with 13 students and one teacher. There are now more than 300 students and 30 teachers living … Read more

Within the boundaries of the Southern New England Conference four one-teacher schools are thriving. These schools are staffed by teachers who are on the front line of Christian education every day, basically by themselves. It’s hard to imagine being the only adult at school day by day, having no other adults to talk with about … Read more

Inquiry (noun): : an official effort to collect and examine information : the act of asking questions in order to gather or collect information (www.merriam-webster.com)   “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord”—Isaiah 1:18.   “He [Jesus] said unto him, What is written in the law? How readest thou?”—Luke 10:26.   Would … Read more

I had the honor of being the executrix of an estate for one of my mother’s many first cousins. I was also in charge of her health care. I say it was an honor because she was like a sister to my mother who had only brothers, so she was like an aunt to me. … Read more

Fifty-four students participated in a Math Clinic at the Brooklyn school on June 24-28. It was one of several clinics scheduled this year in conjunction with the NY13 evangelistic meetings. For the entire week math skills were taught using the Bible as a textbook. Adventist as well as non-Adventist students from the neighborhood were challenged … Read more

In his devotional book, The Chosen, Dwight Nelson shares the following statistic regarding people who have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior: 75 percent of all Christians in America today accepted Christ before the age of 14. This means that three out of four men and women who are Christians chose Him as their Savior … Read more

We can boldly declare that students in Seventh-day Adventist schools receive a complete education—strong academics as revealed in the CognitiveGenesis study, in which our students at all grade levels outperformed the national average in all subjects. High academic standards combined with spiritual nurture create an unparalleled culture of excellence at each of our schools. Our … Read more

Adventist Christian education grows leaders. Many programs are introduced in schools to develop leadership skills in students. More importantly, Adventist education instills the concept of service as a paramount tenet of leadership. There are more than 350 working definitions of leadership. A simple definition is “leadership is influence,” by John Maxwell. There is also a … Read more

“Children are a heritage of the Lord”—Psalm 127:3, NIV. He owns them because He created them and He redeemed them through His death on Calvary. They are His offspring, and through them He expects His legacy to continue. He has made us stewards of His heritage so that we can teach them and give them … Read more

School is the one place that many students feel safe. Unfortunately, Joseph did not have a school to protect him from bullying. Bullying nearly cost him his life. A safe learning environment is the highest priority of every Adventist school and teacher. Schools in the Atlantic Union have policies to prevent bullying and ensure the … Read more