AACS Today

As Americans, we love our choices. Have you visited the ice cream aisle lately? In this episode, Jamison and Matt discuss school choice and specifically what is happening with school choice in the state of Texas.

In this episode, you'll get to know Olivia Summers, who joined joined the AACS Washington office as the Government Relations Assistant in the summer of 2023. Olivia has many responsibilities including helping to make the Youth Legislative Training Conference a success. 

The post-Christmas political drama on Capitol Hill is in full swing. Jamison and Matt discuss the the latest on spending talks, possible impeachment hearings, foreign aid,  the possibility of a tax bill in the coming year, and even a Hunter Biden sighting at a recent hearing in the House. This episode will get you up-to-speed on the latest from D.C.!

Jamison and Matt break down the top 3 issues Congress will be wrestling with in the new year. Will Congress return to regular order, or will it be business as usual in the D.C.?

Has it really been 2 years since our last podcast? We've missed connecting with you via the podcast, so we're bringing it back to you on a more regular basis. Join Jamison and Matt as they reintroduce the podcast and explain the 4 areas where the Washington office advocates on behalf of our members.

In this episode, the AACS Executive Director, Government Relations Director, and legal counsel join Matt to discuss Christian school responses to mask mandates and other requirements from health departments.

Lions, and tigers, and EANS, oh my!  There's an alphabet soup of acronyms for different COVID-19 funding programs available to private schools.  In this episode, Jamison and Matt discuss the primary differences between EANS 1 and EANS 2.  "EANS" stands for Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools, and these programs are getting a lot of attention in the education world right now. ...

What's your plan to address the COVID gap at your school?  Undoubtedly, many students transferring to your school experienced learning loss due to the conditions surrounding the pandemic.  Do you have a plan to address this challenge as you prepare for the 2021–2022 school year? Join host Matt Ticzkus,  Dr. Jeff Walton, AACS Executive Director, and Bryan Wilson , Administrator at Harford Chri...

Religious liberty is undoubtedly under attack in our nation. Sherri Huston from the Alliance Defending Freedom joins Matt and Jamison to discuss ADF's Ministry Alliance partnership with AACS.  The Ministry Alliance provides schools with access to attorneys and legal resources as well as proactive measures like document review.  ADF will be mailing out 4 legal guides to all AACS schools the we...

On this episode, Jamison and Matt discuss the latest piece of Coronavirus legislation and the impact it has on Christian schools.  The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) has three important provisions that Christian schools must know about: EANS, GEER, and PPP.  For a more in-depth treatment of these provisions, be sure to review the white paper prepared by our...

AACS Legislative Director, Jamison Coppola, joins Matt to discuss what happened with the CARES Act equitable services funds (court cases and confusion).  Jamison and Matt also reflect on the impact that new Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett will have on the Supreme Court.  Finally, Jamison shares some "inside baseball" insight as it relates to THE 2020 presidential election. After...

AACS Legislative Director, Jamison Coppola, joins Matt to discuss how schools should think through local and state regulations that impact a school's ability to offer their students in-person instruction.   Some topics discussed include jurisdictional authority for the purpose of reopening discussions, comparing private schools to child-care centers instead of public schools requests to submi...

Matt is joined by Dr. Mark Zockoll who shares findings from his survey of 140 Christian school teachers from across the United States and Guam.  Dr. Zockoll shares how teachers grew stronger in communication, technology, and assessment as well as personal and spiritual growth. Resources mentioned on the show Article by Dr. Zockoll (Nearly 70 different apps and pieces of software used by teachers a...

Have you considered what it will look like for your students and teachers to return to campus in the fall?  Have you considered communicating this plan to your constituents in writing?  In this episode of AACS Today, we dive into the Re-entry Plan from Victory Baptist Academy in Weatherford, TX. Resources mentioned on the show email podcast feedback to info@aacs.org Sample Christian Academy Re-ent...

It seems that every day brings new rules and guidelines for the CARES Act. On this episode of AACS Today, Jamison and Matt discuss some encouraging updates to the Paycheck Protection Program, including the safe harbor guidance as it relates to the good faith certification required on the PPP application.   Matt and Jamison also discuss a letter from the school choice community that was sent to Con...

When it comes to the plan for your team's professional development this summer, what questions are you asking?  On top of the questions we usually ask about PD and how we can improve our craft, with all the COVID craziness surrounding the last quarter of this school year, you might be tempted to forego any plans that you had for professional development for your team this summer. But is that...

During a typical school year, the spring is filled with special end-of-year traditions and capstone events for the graduating class including banquets, trips and of course, graduation. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic many of these events have been postponed, tweaked, or even canceled. On this episode, four educators from four schools from across the country share how their schools are working har...

AACS Legislative Director, Jamison Coppola, and AACS Legislative Assistant, Hannah DeBruler, join Matt to provide our listeners with additional details about the CARES Act, the AACS Youth Legislative Training Conference, and a look at what's coming next politically in Washington, D.C. Resources mentioned on the podcast AACS podcast page Small Business Administration Covid-19 resources AACS Le...

Christian school leaders must begin planning NOW for possible changes they may need to make as they open their doors this fall. In part 2 of Planning for Reopening in the Fall of 2020, Dr. Jeff Walton, AACS Executive Director, and Ed Francis, AACS Education Director, join Matt to provide perspective on questions raised in "An Open Letter to Independent School Leaders" from Kennesaw State...

Christian school leaders must begin planning NOW for possible changes they may need to make as they open their doors this fall. In part 1 of Planning for Reopening in the Fall of 2020, Dr. Jeff Walton, AACS Executive Director, and Ed Francis, AACS Education Director, join Matt to provide perspective on questions raised in "An Open Letter to Independent School Leaders" from Kennesaw State...

Middle school, high school and even upper elementary students seem to have an easier time adapting to learning online during the Coronavirus pandemic.  But, how can our teachers be most effective in delivering content online to our lower elementary students? In this episode, Matt interviews an experienced panel of educators who provide tips and ideas for teachers who have the challenging task of e...

Scott Barron, Founder and Chief Reinvention Officer at School Growth, joins Matt to help schools begin to think through their planning for the next few months.  Scott identifies 3 key questions school leaders must ask in order to develop an effective 90-day plan.  School leaders who are interested in diving deeper into this process are welcome to access a free one-hour webinar here . School Growth...

AACS Legislative Director, Jamison Coppola, joins Matt to recap the piece of legislation that most Christian schools are wrestling with: the Cares Act.  Jamison also provides deeper insight into the work that his team is doing in Washington. Click here to read the article written by Jamison and Hannah that was recently published in the Daily Signal.

If you're looking for some practical tips and ideas on what's working for other schools right now, don't miss this episode! Matt is joined by 3 educational leaders, Dr. Esther Baker, Assistant Administrator at Bob Jones Academy (Greenville, SC); Dr. Sam Dalton, Administrator at Temple Baptist School (Herndon, VA); and Dr. Dan Brokke, Administrator at Grace Christian School (Huntingt...

Jamison Coppola, AACS Legislative Director, joins Matt to provide us with a deeper look at the CARES Act including why (if you are participating) you should use 100% of the funds for payroll. Jamison also shares some details about two other relief funds from the CARES Act that have been designated for schools. Listeners will also learn what Jamison and his team are hearing in D.C. about the upcomi...