AACS Today
AACS Today is the official podcast from the American Association of Christian Schools. In each episode, we'll tackle the tough topics and questions facing Christian school leaders and teachers in the twenty-first century.
Episodes
Join Olivia, Jamison, and Matt as they discuss the historical first meeting of President Trump's Religious Liberty Commission. Established by a May 1 Executive Order and chaired by Texas Lt. Gov Dan Patrick, the Commission, "shall produce a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty in America, the impact of religious liberty on American society, current threats to domestic religious liberty, strategies ...
Jessica Valente from Tabernacle Christian School in Hickory, North Carolina, was selected as one of the 2025 Teachers of the Year by the Herzog Foundation, and on this episode, she shares her heart for teaching students with special needs. Be sure to listen to catch her suggestions for how you can begin a program at your school!
Jamison and Matt interview AACS interns, Hudson and Hayden, on day 2 of their journey as summer interns for the AACS Washington office. Listen in to get to know them, and be sure to pray for them this summer!
Jamison and Matt discuss how the religious liberty language came to be reinstated in the school choice version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act (ECCA portion). They also break down a few of the potential problems with some of the provisions that remain in the bill. Finally, they break down how religious liberty precedents set by the Supreme Court undergird the need for the religious liberty language to remain in the Senate version of...
*Be sure to listen to the program note at the end of the podcast as there is a very important update since the original recording.
In this episode, Jamison and Matt look at the importance of religious liberty in our country and why its worth fighting for when it comes to federal school choice legislation in the, "big beautiful bill."
In this episode, Jamison and Matt continue their discussion of the philosophy and principles of school choice. In Part 2 of "Back to the Basics," Jamison and Matt look at the different types of school choice programs around the country. From vouchers and ESAs to tax credit scholarships and tax credits, there are a number of programs in states around the country.
If you missed part 1, be sure to listen to it here!
In Part 1 of "Back to the Basics," Jamison and Matt take a journey that goes all the way back to the beginning of public education in the United States even before the country officially formed. The journey continues into the mid 1800s and early 1900s as cultural and philosophical trends as well as legislation and court decisions changed the trajectory of American education and set the stage for the modern day school choi...
Just last week, the Texas House of Representatives passed an education savings account (ESA) bill, and now, the bill is headed for Governor Abbott's desk. On this episode, Jamison interviews Matt about the specifics of the bill and what other state leaders can learn from the process in Texas. Is everything bigger in Texas? Be sure to listen to find out!
Are you known as someone who always chooses to do things "the hard way"? Join Jamison and Matt as they recap the AACS National Competition, which took place April 8-10 on the campus of Bob Jones University. More than 1,800 students from 187 schools and 34 states competed to become a national champion.
Hannah DeBruler, Higher Education Policy Analyst for AACS, joins the podcast to discuss the impact President Trump is having in the world of postsecondary education. In this episode Jamison, Hannah, and Matt break down what's happening with some of the federal funds that have been withheld from certain well-known universities. They also look at how the dismantling of the Department of Education could effect institutions of hig...
On March 20, President Trump signed an executive order to close the Department of Education and to return authority to the states. In this episode, Jamison and Matt discuss the why, the what, and the push back from this executive action.
For anyone interested in seeing pictures of Stumpy, click here.
President Trump has been called an "energetic Executive" as he makes his way through the first one hundred days of his second term. In this episode, Jamison and Matt provide an update on the status of the Department of Education, rogue judges (and their rulings related to Trump's policies) and reconciliation.
Sports are an amazing tool to build leadership skills and work ethic. Over the last several years though, there has been an increasing number of men competing on women's sports teams and invading women's private spaces. On this episode, join Jamison as he interviews Maggie McKneely, a Legislative Strategist with Concerned Women for America, to discuss the latest on this important battle to protect women and girls.
In this episode, Jamison is joined by Chris Reed, Chief Risk Officer and General Counsel for the Nonprofits Insurance Alliance. With more than 27,000 members in 32 states, the NIA's goal is to provide nonprofits with access to a stable source of fair and equitably priced property and liability insurance. Currently, nonprofits can pool liability risk across state lines, but that ability does not yet exist for property insuranc...
While the title might seem peculiar at first, we know you've been hearing about the potential to dismantle the Department of Education. Join Jamison and Matt as they welcome back to the podcast AACS Policy Analyst, Maureen Van Den Berg, to discuss the fate of the Department of Education. Is it dead on arrival? Be sure to tune in to find out!
With the re-election of President Trump, there certainly is a new sheriff in Washington, D.C.! In this episode, Jamison and Matt review some of the executive orders signed by the President, and they discuss how he has certainly become an "energetic executive." The bureaucracy is reeling as Trump continues to move lightning fast!
The annual LEAD Conference was recently held in Peachtree City, GA, and in this episode, Jamison and Matt share some of the biggest takeaways from the leadership sessions and discussion.
Dr. Kelvin Cochran, former City of Atlanta Fire Chief, led two of the leadership sessions, and Alliance Defending Freedom's Senior Counsel, Greg Baylor, spoke in the final session. Be sure to listen in as Jamison and Matt provide encouragement...
Dr. Matthew Mehan, Associate Dean and Assistant Professor of Government in the Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College Washington, D.C. campus, joins Jamison to discuss why children matter in our society. Dr. Mehan hopes to turn the hearts and minds of men back to their children.
Dr. Mehan is the author of the report, The Higher Purpose of Children in American Society, which was published by The Heritage Foundation. He is...
Dr. Jeff Walton, Executive Director of the AACS, joins Jamison and Matt for an in-depth look at school accreditation. In this episode, which is part 2 (be sure to listen to last week's podcast for part 1), Dr. Walton discusses current trends in accreditation as well as the value of AACS accreditation.
Dr. Jeff Walton, Executive Director the AACS, joins Jamison and Matt for 2 episodes dedicated to the topic of school accreditation.
In this episode, Dr. Walton defines accreditation and looks at why Christian schools should pursue accreditation. He also differentiates between a compliance model and a school improvement model of accreditation.
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