AACS Today

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 .

Does an organization's status as tax exempt make it a recipient of Federal Financial Aid?  An affirmative answer to this question has big implications for Christian schools and ministries. In this episode, Jamison and Matt discuss a recent court victory on this issue as well as some other cases making their way through the courts. They also share a proposed piece of legislation that could bri...

In part 2 of their discussion, Jamison and Matt tackle how the negative use of the Christian Nationalist label shows up in culture against Christians who are vocal about their faith. They close the discussion by answering whether or not Christians should embrace the term.

In part 1 of their discussion on Christian Nationalism, Jamison and Matt seek to provide a definition of the term to help listeners understand what an individual might mean when they use the term, "Christian Nationalism." Christians who are vocal about applying their beliefs to all aspects of life should be prepared to be called a Christian Nationalist.

For a Christian school to thrive, there is no relationship more important than between the pastor and school administrator.  In this episode, listeners will glean relational nuggets from Pastor Redlin's three decades of ministry experience.  For nine years, co-host, Jamison Coppola and Pastor Redlin served together at a church in Colorado, and this conversation reflects back on their time tog...

The AACS Youth Legislative Training Conference (YLTC) is just around the corner. In this episode, YLTC alumnus, Peter Holland, joins Jamison and Matt to talk about the impact the program had on him and how it has helped shape his career in Washington, D.C. The application deadline for this summer's program is March 25, so be sure to get applications to your state office today! Click here for...

As a representative for Ohio's 88th District, Gary Click has been a fierce advocate for religious liberty and protecting children. In this episode, Rep. Click provides insight into the passage of a recent constitutional amendment in Ohio. Rep. Click also shares some important updates on what's happening in the battle for school choice in his state.

As a representative for Ohio's 88th District, Gary Click has been a fierce advocate for religious liberty and protecting children. In this episode, Rep. Click provides insight into the passage of the SAFE (Save Adolescents from Experimentation) Act in Ohio. Rep. Click also shares some of the important background information that led to the bill's creation as well as what the bill prohibi...

While border policy is not an area of major focus for the Washington office, much of the energy in the Capitol has been focused on the border bill that has been recently presented. Jamison provides some perspective on the bill to help us better understand the larger implications of this proposed legislative compromise.

By a unanimous vote of the Board of Directors and Board of State Representatives, Dr. Richard Callahan has been elected to serve as the next President of the AACS. Dr. Callahan serves as the Senior Pastor of the Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Archdale, North Carolina, and he has been actively involved in Christian education for more than four decades through his leadership of Mount Calvary Christ...

Love is in the air, and thankfully, the AACS K-12 Policy Analyst loves her work on behalf of our members. Tune in to hear about how Maureen Van Den Berg keeps tabs on what's happening with the bureaucracy as they seek to write rules that impact schools.

In this episode, get to know Hannah DeBruler, Policy Analyst for Higher Education for the AACS. Jamison, Matt and Hannah discuss why higher education has become the "tip of the policy spear" for issues related to education.