AACS Today

When it comes to fundraising, donor development, and advancement, church-based Christian schools often struggle to communicate the needs they have in their ministries. How do they build a culture of giving within the school family?  Denny Vauters, Strategist in the Advancement Division at Generis , joins Jamison and Matt to lay out a vision to help schools think beyond a candy sale or fun run to h...

Happy Thanksgiving from the AACS Today Podcast Team! In this episode Matt reminds us of George Washington's first Thanksgiving Proclamation from 1789, and he contrasts Washington's words with a recent statement from the President of the Texas branch of the American Federation of Teachers (teacher's union). Details about the Proclamation, including a transcript, can be found here .

Jim Boyte, Founder of Active Defender , joins Jamison and Matt to provide some helpful tips on how Christian schools can be as prepared as possible to deal with the threats they face in today's culture.  Active Defender helps schools get the right information into the hands of everyone so that the best decisions can be made during a crisis. To contact Jim directly, call 910.783.6300.

As of the recording of this podcast episode, there were still several races where ballots were being counted. However, one thing was clear: Former President Donald Trump has been reelected to serve as the 47th President of the United States. In this episode, Jamison and Matt discuss the election results and the implications for the work of AACS in Washington.

Timothy Goeglein, Vice President of External and Government Relations for Focus on the Family, returns to the podcast to discuss his brand new book, Stumbling Toward Utopia . Listen in as Jamison and Tim discuss the decline of American culture and the hope for revival in our nation.

Veteran pro-life advocate, Tom McClusky joins Jamison and Matt to explain how to effectively advocate with elected officials and their staff members. Tom has more than two decades of experience in our nation's capital as a grassroots advocate for life and religious freedom.

Professor William Wagner, Founder and President of Salt and Light Global , joins Jamison and Matt to discuss the continuing battle over religious liberty not only in the United States, but also around the world.  Be sure to listen as Professor Wagner encourages us to equip ourselves, be fiercely unafraid to stand for truth and to do so with love as Jesus would do. Be sure to checkout the resource...

Will Estrada, Senior Counsel for the Home School Legal Defense Association, joins Jamison for a conversation about the importance of parental rights as it relates to the education of their children.  Both HSLDA and AACS will continue to advocate for the God-given rights of parents as they relate to education and liberty. To read a copy of the article that Will referenced in the podcast, click here...

Rachel Burrow, Herzog Foundation Christian Teacher of the Year award recipient, joins Jamison to discuss how she incorporates Christ in her classroom. Rachel teaches 8th grade U.S. history at Bob Jones Academy and engages students in creative ways. Listen in to discover how Rachel learned she was an award recipient and her unique teaching journey.

School leaders from around the country recently gathered in Washington, D.C., for the AACS annual National Legislative Conference. Join Matt and Olivia as they provide a recap of the highlights from this exciting event. Also, be sure to mark you calendars for next year's NLC, which will be held September 8-10, 2025.

In the best teams, each member shares and advances the common vision. However, members that oppose the vision will hinder the team’s ability to carry out its mission.  In this episode, Jamison and Matt discuss key religious employment cases and how those cases may influence the ability of Christian school leaders to choose employees within their biblically based beliefs and institutional guideline...

Annie Hsiao, Founder and President of Capitol Hill Christian Academy , joins Matt and Jamison to discuss planting a Christian school in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol. You'll be encouraged by Annie's journey of faith as she shares the challenges (curveballs) and the blessings (chocolate cake) of starting a Christian school.

Maureen Van Den Berg, K-12 policy analyst for the AACS, joins Matt and Jamison to discuss the work on protecting parental freedom in child care regulations. The Biden administration is using the regulatory process to chip away at parental freedom in the Child Care Development Fund. Tune in for a discussion about the work of the AACS staff to ensure parental choice is protected in these regulations...

Hannah Debruler, higher ed policy analyst for the AACS, joins Matt and Jamison to discuss the Supreme Court decision Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo . The Loper Bright decision is a powerful tool that can be used to wrest power from the bureaucratic state, restore legislative supremacy, and bring judicial accountability to constitutional boundaries. Tune in for a discussion about the implicat...

Is the summer of 2024 over already? While the official end to summer is still a few weeks away, school is almost back in session! With the unofficial end of summer upon us, the AACS interns are preparing to head back to college. In this episode, Karen and Ashlyn share their biggest takeaways from their AACS internship experience in Washington, D.C. 

Cole Sandlin, Director of Advancement at Family Time Training , joins Jamison and Matt to discuss how his ministry seeks to equip parents to be the primary disciple-makers in their homes. Many Christian school leaders sense that parents may feel inadequate and unprepared for the task of disciplining their children. In this episode, Cole offers practical ways for Christian schools to help parents a...

Jamison, Matt, and Olivia provide updates about the 30th annual YLTC in Washington, D.C. The week included a fabulous mock senate led by renowned instructor and coach Mrs. Gail Nicholas , a day on Capitol Hill, presentations from conservative leaders, and a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. High school students from across the country received scholarships to participate in th...

AACS Summer Interns, Karen Rueda and Ashlyn Moritz join Jamison and Matt to introduce themselves to the AACS Today audience. Both ladies grew up in Christian school and are currently attending a Christian college. Be sure to listen to catch what they identify as the defining historical moments from their lives.  Can you guess what events Jamison and Matt chose?

Do private schools and specifically, religious private schools, produce students that are more civically engaged in their communities? A recent study seems to indicate that this is indeed the case. Alison Johnson, former AACS intern and current Ph. D. student at the University of Arkansas, joins Jamison and Matt to discuss a recently published meta-analysis, The Public Purpose of Private Education...

The bureaucracy is often half-jokingly referred to as the 4th branch of government, and in this episode, Jamison and Matt look at the bureaucratic influence on the Child Care Development Block Grants (commonly referred to as CCDBG). They also discuss the antisemitism bill that is being considered by the Senate and the free speech concerns related to this legislation.  Their discussion finishes wit...

Unrest has been a common theme on college campuses across the United States and around the world. In this episode AACS Higher Ed Policy Analyst, Hannah DeBruler, returns  to the podcast to delve into the discussion of what's really behind the protests that we are all witnessing. 

In this episode, Jamison interviews Tim Goeglein, former special assistant to President George W. Bush and current Vice President of External and Government Relations for Focus on the Family. Tim is the author of four books, including the recently released Toward a More Perfect Union .  Jamison and Tim discuss how having a proper view of history is an essential element to reforming American societ...

Jamison and Matt provide an update regarding the work of AACS Regional Legislative Directors as they recently spent a couple days on Capitol Hill. The hosts also share details about an important court case, which has big implications for churches and Christian schools.

Rep. Kyle Hilbert, who represents Oklahoma's 29th district in the state house, has been elected as the speaker-designate for the upcoming legislative session. At 29 years old, Rep. Hilbert would be the youngest Speaker in the history of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and only the second speaker under age 30 in any state since 1873. In this intriguing conversation with Rep. Hilbert, Jam...

The AACS National Competition was held April 12-14 in Greenville, SC. In this episode, Jamison and Matt recap the week plus they discuss why competition is important and how to help our students think biblically about competition. There is also rigorous debate about the best cheese curds! To view the list of winners from this year's competition, be sure to visit this link .