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The Preeminence of Christ

Summer Conference 2025

June 25-27, 2025 - Dallas, Texas

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TRAVEL & HOTEL

Rooted in Him

Classical Christian education is ultimately about the glory of God through Christ. Christ’s preeminence has profound implications for our work, defining our understanding of human nature, knowledge, and relationships. Our educational goals are rooted in a person – Jesus Christ. Jesus is the full expression of what it means to be human. He is Truth and Wisdom incarnate. In Christ, the apostle Paul says, are “the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col 2:8) Christ is the centerpiece of history, the Creator of the universe, the Redeemer of mankind, and the Sustainer of all things.

How does our work as educators fully reflect our understanding of and submission to His Lordship? How does it shape our practices, instruction, culture, leadership, and operations? How can we better shape our students with a robust Christ-like ethos? Join us, and educators around the world, as we consider the profound implications of the preeminence of Christ in our work.

Over Two Days, We Will Explore:

Beauty

The beauty of Christ's preeminence and glory

Theology

The theology of formation

Care

How to shepherd students

Tensions

The tensions between our classical and Christian commitments

Duty

How our Christian commitments shape the arts and sciences

Complexity

The complexities of spiritual formation in an institutional setting
Plenary Speakers

John Piper

Justin Whitmel Earley

Neil Anderson

Russ Ramsey

Pre-Conference

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June 25, 2025 (10am-5pm)

Focused on helping you navigate the important issues in our world and in our schools, this in-depth day of learning features workshops that take a deep dive into a specific topic. With interactive discussion and teaching designed for teachers and administrators, you’ll leave equipped with the practical knowledge you need for day-to-day school life.

Pre-Conference ticket sold separately.

REGISTER NOW

Early Bird

Ends April 25
$219
$ 179
  • Non-Member Price:

    $274 $224
  • Group Pricing (4+)

    Member: $169
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Cultivating a Thriving Faculty Culture

with Andrew Elizalde

School Governance and Boards

with Leslie Moeller

Technology and Culture

with Justin Whitmel Earley

Charlotte Mason for Everyone

with Covenant Dallas - Melissa Hill and Team

Featured Breakout Speakers

Keith McCurdy

Carrie Eben

Robert Littlejohn

Chuck Evans

Betsy Howard

David Diener

Chris Perrin

Athena Oden

Keith Nix

Kevin Clark

Davies Owens

Jessica Gombert

Louis Markos

Robyn Burlew

AJ Hanenburg

Date & Location

Date

June 25-27, 2025

Venue

Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center

Address

1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine, TX 76051

BOOK MY ROOM

Conference Schedule

The conference schedule is listed in US Central Time (CT). All scheduling in Whova will be in your local time zone.

Kick-Off

Ends January 31
$519
$ 429
  • Non-Member Price:

    $549 $479
  • Group Pricing (10+)

    Member: $399
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BEST PRICE

Early Bird

Ends April 25
$519
$ 459
  • Non-Member Price:

    $549 $519
  • Group Pricing (10+)

    Member: $439
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Standard

Ends June 24
$ 519
  • Non-Member Price:

    $549
  • Group Pricing (10+)

    Member: $499
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Virtual

Ends April 25
$249
$ 199
  • Non-Member Price:

    $279 $229
  • Group Pricing (10+)

    Member: $179
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Best Price

Register for main conference, pre-conference, and virtual tickets from the links below. If you are a member, log into your member account on the SCL website to find the access code to member pricing! For more information about pre-conference, including pricing, click here!

MEMBER REGISTRATION
NON-MEMBER REGISTRATION
The Gray Havens Concert

We are excited to welcome The Gray Havens to lead worship Thursday and Friday morning at this year’s conference! The Gray Havens are a narrative-pop-folk band from Nashville, Tennessee led by singer-songwriter and producer Dave Radford. In addition to morning worship, they will also offer a Thursday evening concert. Their rich, thoughtful lyrics will surely enrich our time together this summer. 

The Gray Havens Concert will take place on Thursday, June 26, 2025 at 6:30pm in the Tate Ballroom at the Gaylord Texan. Admittance to the concert is open to all, but requires a separate ticket.

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PURCHASE TICKETS

Title Partners

Thriving School Partners

Platinum Partners

Gold Partners

Sponsor Application Information

Apply to be a summer sponsor and connect with hundreds of schools and over 1,500 educators and leaders from around the world. Choose from one of three tiers or access creative a la carte options. We look forward to connecting you to the expanding classical Christian education movement in Dallas, TX this June.

Questions? Contact our Director of Membership and Strategic Partnerships, Lauren Key at lauren@societyforclassicallearning.org

Thank you to our featured early bird 2025 Summer Sponsor Dordt University.

APPLY TO BE A SPONSOR

Frequently Asked Questions

The Gaylord Texan is just six-minutes from the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and 34 minutes from Dallas Love Field Airport.

Please email Sarah Spencer at sarah@societyforclassicallearning.org for more information.

Kick-off pricing will be available through January 31st.  Early Bird pricing will run from February 1st through April 25th.  Full price tickets will be available through June 26th. 

We recommend that conference attendees stay at the Gaylord Texan, in order to maximize their conference experience.  For those choosing to stay at an alternate hotel, there will be day parking available at the Gaylord Texan at a discounted price.

There is plenty of parking available at the Gaylord Texan. Conference attendees will be able to park at a discounted rate.

Please contact Marissa Yanaga (marissa@societyforclassicallearning.org) for help with group ticketing. 

All SCL members should log into their account on our main website to find the password to access member pricing. Further, you should have received an email with the password. If you have any problems accessing your account or finding the member access code, email Grant Wiley (grant@societyforclassicallearning.org).

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VOLUNTEER

John Piper

Author & Theologian

Biography

John Piper serves as founder and lead teacher at Desiring God and is chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, Piper served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church. He has authored more than 50 books, and more than 40 years of his preaching and writing are available free of charge at desiringGod.org. Piper resides in the Minneapolis area with Noël, his wife of 56 years. They have 5 children and 16 grandchildren.

Justin Whitmel Earley

Author & Speaker

Biography

Justin Whitmel Earley is a lawyer, author and speaker from Richmond, VA.  Most of all, he is a husband to Lauren and a father to his four sons – Whit, Asher, Coulter and Shep. But he also graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in English Literature before spending four years in Shanghai, China, teaching and writing. Justin earned his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center, and he now runs his own business law practice, Earley Business Legal.

His book, The Common Rule – Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction, was published with InterVarsity Press in 2019. He frequently speaks at businesses, churches and conferences on habits, technology and mental health. His second book, Habits of the Household – Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms, addresses spiritual formation in ordinary family habits and was published with Zondervan in 2021. His third book, Made for People – Why We Drift into Loneliness and How to Fight for a Life of Friendship, explores the arts and habits of friendship as spiritual discipline and was published with Zondervan in 2023.

Neil Anderson

Head of School

Biography

Neil Anderson has served as the head of school at Trinity Classical School (Houston) since June 2010. The school was founded in 2009 and Mr. Anderson was hired as its first head. TCS is a PreK-12th Christian, classical, and collaborative school with 700 students. Mr. Anderson has a genuine passion for education to the glory of God through the liberal arts. After graduating from Wheaton College with a degree in Biblical Studies, he served as an associate pastor and worship leader at a church in west Chicago. With a growing family of four children, Neil and his wife Marian moved back to his hometown of Houston. Prior to joining Trinity Classical School, Neil worked at a local classical school, serving as a teacher, department chair, and dean of students. During these years, Neil developed a great zeal for classical education and completed a Masters of Liberal Arts degree at Houston Baptist University. Neil is passionate about poetry, classical literature, theology, carpentry, coffee, hiking, running, and children. He also has a dog that he is not passionate about.

Russ Ramsey

Author & Pastor

Biography

Russ Ramsey is a pastor at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, where he lives with his wife and five children. He grew up in the fields of Indiana and studied at Taylor University and Covenant Theological Seminary (MDiv, ThM).  He is the author of Rembrandt is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art through the Eyes of Faith and Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart: What Art Teaches Us About the Wonder and Struggle of Being Alive. 

Andrew Elizalde

Cultivating a Thriving Faculty Culture

Overview

This preconference is designed for administrators and academic leaders who are eager to cultivate a thriving faculty culture. Teachers living in a thriving faculty culture:

  • Know, love, and care for one another
  • Listen to and learn from one another
  • Participate in the liberal arts tradition together; and
  • Study and remember the mission of the school together.

Over the course of four sessions, the principles and practices of these two “one anothers” and two “togethers” will be explored in a way that leaves you equipped to change the faculty culture of your school. Each session is described in more detail below:

Session I: Know, Love, and Care for One Another 

All the ways in which teachers care for one another are rooted in beliefs about one another’s nature, dispositions, and desires. A thriving faculty culture must be grounded in Biblical anthropology. Teachers are made in the image of God and saved by the grace of God. Their disordered dreams and desires are continually being disrupted and transformed as God conforms them unto the image of His Son. The joy and suffering they experience in this life are meant to be celebrated and endured in community with brothers and sisters in Christ. This family is meant to bear one another’s burdens and demonstrate the love of Christ to one another in humble dependence upon the mercy and love of God. In practice, this includes praying and worshiping together, enjoying unhurried fellowship over meals, expressing thankfulness for one another, and choosing to live life together beyond the bounds of the classroom. Sometimes this will include moments of frustration and failure. In such instances it is essential that there exists a common commitment to Biblical peacemaking, clear channels of communication, and respect for the authority and oversight of each position within the organization.

Session II: Listen to and Learn from One Another

Teachers will not grow if they are content and comfortable with turning the pages of the same set of curated lesson plans year after year while they enjoy the autonomy and anonymity of a rarely observed classroom. Teachers who are hungry to grow are also humble enough to acknowledge that they can be sharpened by the strengths and insights of their peers and supervisors. A commitment to regular classroom observations and the normalization of warm (commendations) and cool (constructive criticism) feedback can help teachers learn from one another. Teachers also learn from one another when they refine curriculum maps, practice instructional strategies, and design lesson plans collaboratively in an environment of transparency, generosity, and grace. Strategies for cultivating this kind of sharpening and collaborative environment include Critical Friends Tuning Protocols, dynamic curriculum mapping, sharing files in a common Google drive, and establishing consistent formatting in UbD-based unit design. To eliminate confusion and unnecessary anxiety it is important that a separate formal protocol for evaluation, commendation, and reprimands is also clearly established.

Session III: Participate in the Liberal Arts Tradition Together 

Great teachers commit themselves to a lifetime of learning with the expectation and desire that both their minds and hearts will continue to be ordered and transformed. In a thriving faculty culture, teachers are regularly presented with expectations and opportunities to study anthropology, history, pedagogy, curriculum, and aims of a classical Christian education. Calendars, schedules, and meeting agendas are designed to establish an unhurried rhythm of well-protected moments spread across the school year to study CCE, read great books, and  learn from one another. Great teachers assume that they have not mastered the full depth and breadth of even their own content areas and so they also commit time to faithfully practice and study the arts they have been called to teach. Finally, great teachers also enjoy the margin to freely pursue personal interests (arts, hobbies, exercise, recreation) together and with friends.

Session IV: Study and Remember the Mission of the School Together

A faculty’s collective and general understanding of Christian and classical anthropology, history, philosophy, curriculum, and pedagogy bears fruit as it is applied in the daily grind of an institution on a particular mission serving a particular people. The monthly practice of a Symposium meeting at Covenant Classical School will be presented as a case study. In a three-year cycle of eight repeating categories, faculty engage in regular and focused conversation regarding the key characteristics of the particular and local expression of their mission. In these conversations faculty build a common vocabulary, find inspiration, refine strategies and compose a winsome apologetic for the specific instructional methods, curricular core, support systems, liturgical practices, comportment to spaces, and allocation of time that shape the minds and hearts of their students.

Biography

Andrew Elizalde’s earliest years in the classroom included teaching subjects ranging from elementary mathematics to advanced calculus and physics. He has served as a mathematics and science department chair through critical seasons of textbook adoption and curriculum reform. His pedagogy highlights a thoughtful balance of didactic and dialectic instruction with emphasis on learning through problem-solving. Since 2010 he has served as an executive administrator at two different flagship schools in the classical renewal movement including his current tenure as Upper School Head at Covenant Classical School in Fort Worth, Texas. His work most notably includes leading curriculum reform projects, launching student support programs, transforming faculty culture through meaningful professional development, scaling and refining operational systems and protocol, and educating both teachers and parents about the liberal arts tradition. He holds a B.A. degree from Depauw University; a teaching credential from California State University Long Beach, and Master of Arts in Leadership with special emphasis in Classical Education from Gordon College. Andrew offers consulting services to classical Christian schools and regularly presents at SCL conferences and retreats. He and his wife Brooke have three daughters and attend Paradox Church. In his free time he enjoys reading, songwriting, climbing, and camping.

Leslie Moeller

School Governance and Boards

Biography

Leslie Moeller has recently been named Head of School for the Geneva School of Boerne, Texas. She also serves on the boards of the Society for Classical Learning; Veritas School in Richmond, Virginia; New Covenant Schools in Lynchburg, Virginia; and the Board of Academic Advisors for the Classic Learning Test. She teaches a class on law and governance for the Gordon College Masters in Educational Leadership program and consults with heads and boards of classical, Christian schools around the country. Leslie received her J.D. from Boston College and her B.A. in Economics and English Literature from the University of Virginia. She and her husband Eric have three children who have all graduated from classical, Christian schools.

Justin Whitmel Earley

Technology and Culture

Biography

Justin Whitmel Earley is a lawyer, author and speaker from Richmond, VA.  Most of all, he is a husband to Lauren and a father to his four sons – Whit, Asher, Coulter and Shep. But he also graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in English Literature before spending four years in Shanghai, China, teaching and writing. Justin got his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center and he now runs his own business law practice under the Earley Business Legal.

His book, The Common Rule – Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction, was published with InterVarsity Press in 2019. He frequently speaks at businesses, churches and conferences on habits, technology and mental health. His second book, Habits of the Household – Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms, addresses spiritual formation in ordinary family habits, and was published with Zondervan in 2021.  His third book, Made for People – Why We Drift into Loneliness and How to Fight for a Life of Friendship, explores the arts and habits of friendship as spiritual discipline and was published with Zondervan in 2023.

Covenant Dallas, Melissa Hill and Team

Charlotte Mason for Everyone: Transformative Principles and Practices for K-12 Education

Description

Recent years have seen a surge of interest in the principles and practices of 19th-century educator Charlotte Mason. What’s the appeal? What does Mason offer the classical movement, and how might her principles and practices improve our schools’ culture and learning? In these sessions, you will learn about Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education and practices like narration, nature study, and picture study–simple tools that achieve profound and lasting results for students in all disciplines and across all grade levels.

Session 1 – An Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life: An Introduction to Charlotte Mason ( Laura Mountjoy, Melissa Hill, Christopher D. Schmidt)

Description: Charlotte Mason’s principles and practices are life-giving. Learn how they have shaped The Covenant School of Dallas program, K-12.

Session 2 – Narration: Cultivating the Habit of Memory ( Christopher D. Schmidt, breakouts with Covenant Admin and Teachers)

Description: The practice of narration trains students to sharpen their attentiveness and their long-term memories. Learn how it can transform your classroom culture, no matter the discipline or the age of students. In this session, you will practice building a lesson that you can use in your own classroom.

Session 3 – No Neutral Ground – A Panel Discussion with Teachers and Administrators about the Inevitability of Habits (Melissa Hill and Covenant Teachers)

Description: Because habits are inevitable, every day our students are building up good habits or bad. Learn more about the variety of ways we help build good character in our students, inspired by the teachings of Charlotte Mason.

Session 4 – Leaving Room for Imagination

Description: Taking time for students to sit and wonder about the rich feast of ideas set before them is important. Learn about some of the practices we use at Covenant to leave room for students to participate in imaginative and meaningful ways. Practice building that space into your own lessons. (Brett Tohlen, breakouts with Covenant Admin and Teachers)

Biography

Melissa Hill is an experienced leader at The Covenant School of Dallas, currently serving as the Logic School Head. Like Charlotte Mason, she understands how vital building relationships is to the success of students, faculty, and parents and the roles all of us take in building school culture consistent with our mission as a classical Christian Charlotte Mason-inspired school. Following Robert Littlejohn’s retirement, Melissa will assume Covenant’s Head of School role in July.

Laura Mountjoy is Grammar School Head at The Covenant School of Dallas where she passionately leads the mission of equipping students with the tools necessary to discern, reason, and defend truth in service to the Lord Jesus Christ. With over 25 years of experience in education, Laura has seen how Charlotte Mason’s principles and practices help nurture a love of learning and prepare the whole student to thrive.

Christopher D. Schmidt is Rhetoric School Head at the Covenant School. Before becoming an administrator, he taught high school English for 17 years in both public and private schools, and he has seen first-hand the difference that a Charlotte Mason-inspired classical education makes in students’ academic and moral habits.

Brett Tohlen is Academic Dean at the Covenant School of Dallas. After 19 years at Covenant, teaching both Logic and Rhetoric age students, and now, as a professional development and curriculum guide, he has seen how inspiring and life-giving Charlotte Mason practices can be and how deeply indebted she is to the liberal arts tradition.

Keith McCurdy

Total Life Counseling

Abstract

There are many components of shaping school and family culture. Two that are often overlooked in practical ways are how we deal with conflict and developing a consumer to contributor culture that informs Identity Formation.

C.S Lewis stated “Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best indicator of what sort of man he is.” How we as a school community engage parents when they are frustrated or students when struggling communicates a great deal about who we are. When we have a unified approach across all grades it provides a wonderful context for clarity in our community…..you learn a lot about a person or organization by how they respond to conflict.
“Healthy Struggle is the engine to growth and maturity” is a key part of raising sturdy kids in our homes, engaging early stages of Identity Formation, and developing a health culture in our schools. When we onboard our kids and students to responsibility early and along the way in life, we ignite this growth mindset. 

Biography

Keith has worked with families, children, parents, and individuals for over 35 years in the field of mental health, working with more than 30,000 individuals and families. He received his Master of Arts and Education Specialist degrees from James Madison University. He is currently the President and CEO of Total Life Counseling, Inc., and is licensed in the state of Virginia as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

Keith provides counseling and consulting services as well as a variety of workshops on improving parenting skills, building strong marriages, and maintaining healthy relationships. He has developed and regularly offers parenting retreats entitled “Raising Sturdy Kids” to help parents operate from the correct paradigm with their children and has extended and customized this powerful program for schools and students.

For many years Keith has been a consultant and speaker nationally to businesses, churches, and schools both within and outside of the world of Classical Education. Keith is a frequent speaker at SCL.

He previously served as Chairman of the Board at Faith Christian School, a Christian classical school in Roanoke, VA. Keith has been a regular contributor to The Roanoke Star with articles on children, parenting, and marriage. Keith has been featured on the Circe Institute’s podcast “The Commons” , “BaseCamp Live”, and “Crosspolitic” podcasts respectively, discussing topics related to raising sturdy kids. His primary focus is helping others better understand how a Christian worldview, not psychology, should be the primary influence in parenting and relationships today. A significant part of his work has been helping parents understand the needed benefit of allowing their children to struggle to learn to do hard things.

Keith is an avid outdoorsman and has been actively involved with Boy Scouts of America and coaching high school basketball. He and his wife Lynnie have been married for 30 years with two adult children, both classically educated.

Carrie Eben

Classical Eben Consulting

Abstract

Charlotte Mason encouraged the habit of narration for students to practice articulating and arranging their ideas about worthy stories from classic literature and history while incorporating student dialogue. She knew that the simple principle of telling others helped students learn deeply. Dr. Christopher Perrin’s and Carrie Eben’s new book, The Good Teacher: Ten Key Pedagogical Principles That Will Transform Your Teaching, highlights this principle Docendo Discimus, “by teaching we learn” and how narration can help students learn well. A narration form tailored for various subjects helps students practice their rhetoric skills and solidify learning across many strands of knowledge. This session will demonstrate how grammar schoolteachers can practically adapt narration throughout their curriculum for optimum student engagement and growth, helping their students teach to learn.

Biography

For over twenty-five years, Carrie Eben has championed classical education in both the private school classroom and homeschool arenas. She currently serves as founding board member at Sager Classical Academy and an adjunct instructor of humanities at John Brown University, both in Siloam Springs, AR. As a consultant, she develops and delivers customized workshops for administrators, teachers, and parents in both classical school and homeschool settings (www.classicaleben.com). Carrie is a CiRCE Institute Master Teacher who holds a BSE in Intermediate Education from John Brown University, a MSEd in Curriculum and Instruction from Oklahoma State University and is a PhD student in the Humanities program at Faulkner University. She is co-author of The Good Teacher: Ten Key Pedagogical Principles That Will Transform Your Teaching with Dr. Christopher Perrin.

Robert Littlejohn

The Covenant School of Dallas

Abstract

Coming soon!

Biography

Robert Littlejohn is coauthor with Charles T. Evans of Wisdom and Eloquence: A Christian Paradigm for Classical Learning, published by Crossway Books (2006) and Wisdom and Eloquence for Parents: How Classical Christian Education Can Transform your Children, your Family, and the World, published by Classical Academic Press (2025). Robert has served as Head of School at The Covenant School in Dallas, Texas since April of 2018, and previously served thirteen years as Head of School at Trinity Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina, four years as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA, and three years as a Distance Learning Director for the Minnesota State College and University System. He was founding Headmaster for New Covenant Schools in Virginia, founding Director and Publisher for the Society for Classical Learning (originally doing business as The Eastern Consortium for Classical Christian Schooling – ECCCS), and a founding board member for the American School of Lyon, France (a classical Christian international school). Robert is an ordained Anglican cleric, and he and wife, Teresa, are parents to three adult children, and grandparents to six granddaughters.

Chuck Evans

Covenant Christian Academy

Abstract

Independent schooling is a tough business. The economics are counter-intuitive and efficiency is almost impossible to achieve without undermining our fundamental value proposition: Attentiveness to each student’s capacities and unique identity. So, how do a board and financial team build a sustainable long-term plan?

Biography

Charles T. (Chuck) Evans is a co-founder of SCL. The former head of Regents School of Austin, over nineteen years Chuck has helped dozens of Christian schools by designing customized, multi-year financial plans. For the past nine years, he has taught a course called Fiscal Dimensions of Independent Schools in the masters program for independent school leadership at Vanderbilt University/Peabody College.

Betsy Howard

Bethlehem College and Seminary

Abstract

Coming soon!

Biography

Dr. Howard obtained a doctorate in English from the University of Minnesota. Her dissertation is titled “The Labor of the Elegies in the long Nineteenth Century.” She earned an M.A. in English from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul in 2014. She graduated as Hillsdale College’s Valedictorian in 2010 with B.A.s in English, Religion, and Spanish. At Bethlehem, Howard has taught courses on Renaissance and Medieval Literature, Poetry, and Ancient Epics, as well as courses on rhetoric, grammar, and research writing. She also served as Bethlehem’s accreditation liaison during Bethlehem’s initial accreditation with the Association for Biblical Higher Education (2012-2014). Currently she is the faculty advisor for the Bethlehem student literary journal Artos.

David Diener

Hillsdale College

Abstract

The contemporary classical education movement has grown rapidly, but what exactly is classical education? This talk attempts to answer that question by explaining ten principles that have characterized the tradition of classical education throughout history. While not exhaustive, these ten principles represent central tenants of the long tradition of classical education. They thus provide a philosophically and historically grounded means by which to differentiate classical education from other educational paradigms.

Biography

Dr. David Diener works at Hillsdale College where he is an Assistant Professor of Education. Previously he spent fifteen years in K-12 private education, eleven of those in administration and eight as headmaster of classical Christian schools. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Society for Classical Learning and the Board of Academic Advisors for the Classic Learning Test. He is the Executive Director of the Alcuin Fellowship, a member of the National Council of Classical Educators, and regularly provides consulting services and teacher training to classical schools.

He is the author of Plato: The Great Philosopher-Educator and has published articles on Plato, Kierkegaard, and various topics in philosophy of education. He also serves as the series editor for Classical Academic Press’ series Giants in the History of Education and is an associate editor for the journal Principia: a Journal of Classical Education. He holds a BA in Philosophy and Ancient Languages from Wheaton College as well as an MA in Philosophy, an MS in History and Philosophy of Education, and a dual PhD in Philosophy and Philosophy of Education from Indiana University.

Chris Perrin

Classical Academic Press

Abstract

This seminar will underline just how important it is for teachers to think clearly about pedagogical principles rather than techniques, because the principles serve to generate and organize the teaching techniques that we employ. It will also highlight just how critically important it is for teachers to model all those virtues they want to see developed in their students. Teachers will leave knowing 1) they should find time and ways to kindle love for what they teach 2) they should review key pedagogical principles rather than techniques when they do lesson planning.

Biography

Christopher Perrin, MDiv, PhD, is the CEO with Classical Academic Press, and a national leader, author, and speaker for the renewal of classical education. He is the author of An Introduction to Classical Education: A Guide for Parents, Greek for Children Primer A, The Scholé Way: Bringing Restful Learning Back to School and Homeschool, and co-author of The Good Teacher: Ten Key Pedagogical Principles that Will Transform Your Teaching, as well as the Latin for Children series. He serves as a consultant to classical Christian schools, schools converting to the classical model, and homeschool co-ops. He is the board president of the Alcuin Fellowship, former co-chair of the Society for Classical Learning, and an adjunct professor with the honor’s program at Messiah College and with the Classical School Leadership master’s program at Gordon College. Chris previously served for ten years as a headmaster of a classical Christian school in Harrisburg, PA.

Athena Oden

Ready Bodies, Learning Minds

Abstract

Would you like your classroom of young students to be a joyful space filled with wonder and achievement, a place that supports them academically, emotionally, and developmentally? This session focuses on students aged 3 to 8 years which is categorized as “Early Childhood” according to our federal guidelines. What does this “Early Childhood” look like in our classical schools, and how can we best serve this group? We have a unique opportunity to consider a model that revolutionizes the conventional methods used in public schools and even within some of our own institutions! Ideas about classroom setup, curriculum, pedagogy, behavior management, and JOY will be shared.

Biography

Athena Oden earned her degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Texas Medical Branch and has spent the past 35 years in pediatrics. She is the owner and operator of Ready Bodies, Learning Minds and consults with public and private schools and non-profit organizations for children. Athena has presented at the local, state, national, and international level on topics dealing with the neurological and physiological development of the child in the classroom. As author of Ready Bodies, Learning Minds: Cultivating the Complete Child, she hopes to help children and schools perform at their peak. She has a passion for classical education, old musty books, and a good cup of tea. Athena and her husband David classically homeschooled their three children and live in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, where she currently serves on the Board of Gloria Deo Academy.

Keith Nix

Veritas School

Abstract

Coming soon!

Biography

Keith Nix has served as the Head of School at Veritas School in Richmond, VA, since 2010. Prior to his tenure at Veritas, he served as a board member and later as Head of School at The Westminster School in Birmingham, AL. Keith draws from his extensive experience to support other leaders and schools in the classical education movement, frequently providing consultation and coaching to school boards and leaders. Keith is a member of the President’s Advisory Council for The Society for Classical Learning (SCL), where he previously served as the Chairman of the Board. Keith also served as the inaugural Board President of the Classic Learning Test (CLT) and is an ongoing member of the Board of Academic Advisors. In addition, he serves as the Co-Director and an adjunct professor at Gordon College, where he guides and mentors classical Christian school leaders through their Graduate Leadership Program.
 
Outside of his professional endeavors, Keith enjoys pursuits such as tennis, golf, and reading. He is married to Kim, an accomplished artist, and together they have three grown children and four grandchildren.

Kevin Clark

Ecclesial Schools Initiative

Abstract

Coming soon!

Biography

Dr. Kevin Clark is the Founder and President of The Ecclesial Schools Initiative, whose mission is to expand access to extraordinary education by creating a network of neighborhood classical Christian schools, planted in local churches. The Ecclesial Schools opened its first campus location at St. Alban’s Church, Oviedo, FL in 2020 in collaboration with the Drexel Fund and Spreading Hope Network. The second neighborhood campus opened at Northland Church, Longwood, FL in 2023, with more locations planned in the next three years. 

Kevin’s experience in classical Christian education spans more than 20 years, including 15 years teaching in the classroom and more than 10 years in academic leadership. He serves as a teaching fellow for Gordon College’s MA program in Classical School Leadership, as a board member of The Society for Classical Learning, where he is part of a team that is piloting school accreditation and developing resources for SCL’s thriving schools initiative, and as a founding member of the Alcuin Fellowship, which regularly hosts retreats in conjunction with SCL’s Arete Fellowship. 

Kevin earned a doctorate from Georgetown University, where he wrote his thesis on the interdisciplinary practice of liberal arts education in light of hermeneutic philosophy. He is coauthor of the book The Liberal Arts Tradition: A Philosophy of Christian Classical Education (Classical Academic Press), now in its third edition, which is read widely by classical Christian school leaders and teachers.

W. Davies Owens

ZipCast & BaseCamp Live

Abstract

-A better understanding of the unique expectations and assumptions that Millennial and Gen Z parents are bringing to our schools…

-Specific, actionable initiatives that schools around the country are using to better partner with their parents

-A plan for parent education that goes beyond the new parent orientation to look at the entire K-12 journey

-Practical tools to enhance “on the go” communication with parents to ensure effective equipping and foster appreciation, understanding, and support of classical Christian education and your school.

Biography

Dr. W. Davies Owens is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience in classical Christian education. As a speaker, teacher, school administrator, and serial entrepreneur, Davies has dedicated his career to inspiring parents and schools to raise the next generation with purpose and clarity. His leadership journey includes serving as Head of School at Heritage Preparatory School in Atlanta and later as the Head of Vision and Advancement and Upper School Dean at The Ambrose School in Boise, Idaho.

Davies is deeply invested in advancing the classical Christian education movement nationally. He recently served as the Executive Director of the Society for Classical Learning and is currently the CEO of ZipCast, an innovative media platform connecting schools with trusted national voices through engaging 10-minute weekly podcasts designed to equip and mentor busy parents and school leaders. In addition, Davies is the host of the highly regarded BaseCamp Live podcast, a leading voice in the classical Christian education movement now in its eighth year.

Beyond his leadership and entrepreneurial work, Davies teaches in the master’s program for classical school leadership at Gordon College as an adjunct professor and serves on the Board of Academic Advisors for the Classic Learning Test (CLT). He holds an M.Div. from Duke Divinity School and a doctorate from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Passionate about integrating media, ministry, and education, Davies regularly speaks at schools and conferences, equipping parents and educators to navigate the challenges of raising children in a complex world. He and his wife, Holly, have been married for over 30 years and are the proud parents of three grown children, all of whom have thrived in K-12 classical Christian education.

Jessica Gombert

Geneva School of Boerne

Abstract

What filter do you use when making decisions about how your teachers and students spend their time? I think we would all agree that our schools should move beyond ideas and theories and strive to be places where truth, goodness, beauty, and virtue are experienced and embodied. We are called to cultivate the human soul (the whole child) for the good life, to be humans fully formed, alive and virtuous. If we believe this, then every decision made, as leaders and teachers, should have this end in mind-asking the question does this decision point students toward or away from virtue. If practical decision making points toward virtue, we can be confident students will be well educated and trained up in the way they should go.


Join me as we discuss how to make virtue come to life in the culture of the school and in the hearts and minds of students. We will discuss practical ways of introducing virtue to our students by creating a lens to see and cultivate virtue in every aspect of the school day.

Biography

Jessica Gombert has been the Grammar School headmaster for 17 years at the Geneva School of Boerne. She holds a MA in Education and has been involved in many aspects of education for over 30 years. Teaching experiences include: special education, kindergarten, adult classes for Region 20 Alternative Certification program, and university student teacher supervision. She has a passion for teaching students to become lifelong learners, encouraging and leading teachers, and for Christian and classical education. Jessica has led the SCL Grammar School Heads cohort for two years and has presented at several conferences. She is currently writing children’s readers to supplement the phonics curriculum. She also has a love for serving and teaching children in Africa. She has taught and trained teachers in Zambia and is currently helping to build a classical and Christian Grammar School in Uganda.

Louis Markos

Houston Christian University

Abstract

Coming soon!

Biography

Dr. Louis Markos, Professor in English & Scholar in Residence at Houston Christian University, holds the Robert H. Ray Chair in Humanities. His 26 books include Myth Made Fact: Reading Greek and Roman Mythology through Christian Eyes, Plato to Christ, Achilles to Christ, Literature: A Student’s Guide, CSL: An Apologist for Education, and 3 Canon Press Worldview Guides to the Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid. In 2025, IVP Academic will be publishing his Passing the Torch: An Apology for Classical Christian Education and From Aristotle to Christ. His son and daughter teach at classical schools.

Robyn Burlew

Veritas School

Abstract

Schools need handbooks that communicate policies and practices to faculty, parents and students. A handbook that is largely philosophical risks a lack of clarity, while a handbook that is very clear may give off a legalistic vibe. Veritas (Richmond) handbooks were cited for their formational tone in the school’s recent SCL accreditation report. This workshop will look at the principles of handbook design using Veritas handbooks as examples.

Biography

Robyn serves as Upper School Head and Associate Head of School at Veritas School in Richmond, Virginia, and is in her 26th year of work in classical Christian education. She enjoys a variety of outdoor, musical, and craft hobbies but most of all enjoys time with her four grandchildren. Robyn leads Upper School Heads cohorts, serves as an Alcuin Fellow, and is a contributor to ClassicalU. She has a BA in Biology from Houghton College and a MEd in Integrated Curriculum & Instruction from Covenant College.

AJ Hanenburg

Veritas Academy

Abstract

On the first day of class, I ask my students why they are there. Most often, they can’t tell me. I spend the rest of the class revealing the North Star that should guide the ship of education. If you’re at all curious about what you can say when a student asks, “Why are we doing this?” I can tell you.

Biography

A.J. Hanenburg has a Bachelor’s in Theology from Whitworth University, but did most of his real learning during his fifteen-year tenure at Veritas Academy in Austin, TX. He now runs both the Humanities and Rhetoric departments whenever he isn’t recording episodes of the podcast “Classical Stuff You Should Know.”

Aaron howard

Founder & CEO

Session: Hospitality and the Gospel

Session Abstract

Hospitality, in cultures around the world, is an esteemed and treasured virtue. The ancient Greeks viewed hospitality, called xenia in Greek, as a foundational part of their culture, and Zeus was sometimes called Zeus Xenios, or “protector of strangers.” The Center for Western Studies states, “all the problems in the Odyssey were caused by poor xenia.” Hospitality preserved the relationships and social cooperation necessary in a rapidly expanding society.

Similarly, ancient Jewish culture valued hospitality and considered it a divine imperative. From the inception of the Jewish nation in God’s covenant with Abraham, kindness and compassion toward strangers was of preeminent importance. In the New Testament, as the people of Israel begin to share the gospel with their neighbors, they are encouraged to remain hospitable. For example, Hebrews 13:2 encourages believers, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

In a culture that remains politically, religiously, culturally, and racially divided, what can classical education learn from the ancient Greek, Jewish, and Christian traditions? How can classical education demonstrate a model of hospitality that promotes the best of these traditions to disrupt and overcome the division that plagues our society? What are some themes, ideas, and practices we should keep in mind? 

Biography

Aaron Howard is Founder and CEO of As One Christian Diversity Staffing, a consulting and recruiting organization that provides biblical solutions to Christian schools, universities, and organizations pursuing kingdom diversity and belonging. He has over twenty-five years experience serving in leadership roles in diverse schools, organizations, and churches. He will begin serving this fall as Assistant Professor of Ethics, Reconciliation, and Worship at Lipscomb University. He currently serves as Director of Diversity, Community, and Inclusion at Franklin Road Academy, an independent Christian school in Nashville, TN.

Dr. Howard received his Ph.D. in Ethics and Society from Vanderbilt University, an MA in Theology, Biblical Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary, an MA in Education from San Diego State University, and a BA in Anthropology from UCLA. He also completed a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.

David Bailey

Founder & Chief Vision Officer - Arrabon

Session: The 5 Challenges to Being a Reconciling Community

Session Abstract

People form communities and communities form people. Christian communities ought to be reconciling communities, but unfortunately, too many Christian communities mirror the same practices as secular communities around conflict and division. In this breakout session, we’ll introduce the five practices leaders need to build a reconciling community within their organization.

Biography

David M. Bailey is a public theologian, culture maker, and catalyst focused on building reconciling communities. David is the founder and Chief Vision Officer of Arrabon, a spiritual formation ministry that equips the American Church to actively and creatively pursue racial healing in their communities. He is the co-author of the study series, A People, A Place, and A Just Society, and the executive producer of the documentary 11 am: Hope for America’s Most Segregated Hour and the Urban Doxology Project. David is rooted at East End Covenant Fellowship, serving on the preaching team, and his greatest honor is to be married to his wonderful wife, Joy.

Joseph Pearce

Best-Selling Author

Session: Wit, Wisdom, and Wonder: Life Lessons from G.K. Chesterton

Session Abstract

Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly whereas the devil takes himself far too seriously, falling by the force of his own gravity. So says G. K. Chesterton, the self-described “jolly journalist” who is worth taking seriously because he took himself so lightly. With wit, wisdom and eyes wide open with wonder, Chesterton shows us the way to paradise by way of paradox. Joseph Pearce, author of Wisdom and Innocence: A Life of G. K. Chesterton, gives a guided tour of Chesterton’s life, work, wit, wisdom and legacy.

Biography

A native of England, Joseph Pearce is the internationally acclaimed author of many books, which include bestsellers such as The Quest for Shakespeare, Tolkien: Man and Myth, The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde, C. S. Lewis and The Catholic Church, Literary Converts, Wisdom and Innocence: A Life of G.K. Chesterton, Solzhenitsyn: A Soul in Exile and Old Thunder: A Life of Hilaire Belloc. His books have been published and translated into Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Croatian and Polish.
 
He has hosted two 13-part television series about Shakespeare on EWTN, and has also written and presented documentaries on EWTN on the Catholicism of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. His verse drama, Death Comes for the War Poets, was performed off-Broadway to critical acclaim. He has participated and lectured at a wide variety of international and literary
events at major colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, Britain, Europe, Africa and South America.
 
He is editor of the St. Austin Review (https://staustinreview.org/), series editor of the Ignatius Critical Editions (www.ignatiuscriticaleditions.com), senior instructor with Homeschool Connections (www.homeschoolconnectionsonline.com), and senior contributor at the Imaginative Conservative and Crisis Magazine. In 2022, he was awarded the St. John Henry
Newman Visiting Chair of Catholic Studies at Thomas More College (Merrimack, NH). His personal website is http://www.jpearce.co.

Kelly Kapic

Author & Professor - Covenant College

Session: Learning to Value Process: God Likes to Take His Time

Session Abstract

We know that God is perfect and complete, but we are not. In our time together we will consider how God loves process. While we often judge only according to finished products, God has always been comfortable with process, and learning to appreciate this truth about God can free us to more fully embrace the process of growth and learning. The implications of this for Christian education are enormous, as we see our work not merely in terms of a ‘final product,’ but in terms of the value of formation and growth.
 

Biography

Kelly M. Kapic (PhD, King’s College, University of London) is a professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where he has taught for twenty years. He is an award-winning author or editor of more than fifteen books, including You’re Only Human and Embodied Hope, which each won a Christianity Today Book Award. Kapic, a popular speaker, has been featured in Christianity Today and The Gospel Coalition, has worked on research teams funded by the John Templeton Foundation, and contributes to the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care and various other journals.
 

SANDRA McCRACKEN

GUEST MUSICIAN

Performances

Sandra McCracken will be leading worship from the main stage in the morning and afternoon of Friday, June 16, followed by her highly-anticipated concert at 6:00pm. See the conference schedule for further information!

Biography

Sandra McCracken is a singer-songwriter and hymn writer from Nashville, Tennessee. A prolific recording artist, McCracken has produced 14 solo albums over two decades. Her best selling release, Psalms (2015) received critical acclaim, followed by God’s Highway (2017) which made the top 50 on Billboard Heatseekers chart without a major label. She has had songs featured in TV, including ‘Ten Thousand Angels’ on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and has over 15 million streams. Blending the old and new, Sandra has also shown a unique ability to recast sacred scripture texts into theologically rich yet accessible songs. Her thoughtful lyrics and gospel melodies in songs like “We Will Feast In The House Of Zion,” “Steadfast” and “Thy Mercy My God” have become staple anthems in churches across the U.S. As a published writer, she contributes a regular column in Christianity Today and released her first book “Send Out Your Light” in September 2021.

Pano Kanelos

President - University of Austin

Session: Coming Soon

Session Abstract

COMING SOON!

Biography

Panayiotis (Pano) Kanelos is the founding president of the University of Austin.
 
From 2017 to 2021, Dr. Kanelos served as the 24th President of St. John’s College, Annapolis. After earning degrees from Northwestern University (B.A.), Boston University (M.A.), and the University of Chicago (Ph.D.), he taught at Stanford University, the University of San Diego, and Loyola University Chicago.
 

He served most recently as dean of Christ College, the Honors College of Valparaiso University. An outspoken advocate for liberal education, he oversaw the Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts, comprising a network of more than 100 colleges and universities. Among the earliest participants in the Teach for America program, President Kanelos is as passionate about teaching as he is about writing and scholarship. He founded the Cropper Center for Creative Writing at the University of San Diego and is a noted Shakespeare scholar, having served as the resident Shakespearean in the Old Globe MFA Program and the founding director of the Interdisciplinary Shakespeare Studies Program at Loyola University Chicago.

Beck A. Taylor

President - Samford University

Session: Coming Soon

Session Abstract

COMING SOON!

Biography

Beck A. Taylor comes to Samford University after serving as the 18th president of Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, since 2010. Prior to this appointment, Taylor served as dean and professor of economics for Samford’s Brock School of Business (2005-2010), and associate dean for research and faculty development for Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business (1997-2005).

Taylor’s tenure at Whitworth was highlighted by a renewed emphasis on community involvement; efforts to enhance academic programs and quality; the building of new campus infrastructure to facilitate the university’s academic, athletic, and student life programs; the creation of newly endowed faculty positions and centers; leading Whitworth’s largest-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign; and an emphasis on overall institutional effectiveness.

After earning his undergraduate degree from Baylor with majors in economics and finance, Taylor was employed as an analyst for Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in Houston, Texas. He went on to earn his M.S. and Ph.D. in economics from Purdue University. After returning to the Baylor faculty, Taylor was named the first holder of the W.H. Smith Professorship in Economics. In 2002, he was appointed as a visiting scholar by Harvard University where he spent one year in residence at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

As dean of Samford’s Brock School of Business, Taylor led the rapid transformation of the business school, including its renaming to honor Harry B. Brock, Jr., founder of Compass Bank. Taylor led the Brock School of Business to establish eight new academic programs, as well as the school’s new honors program. The school’s entrepreneurship program was recognized in 2010 as the nation’s top emerging program by the U.S. Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship. In an effort to build bridges between students and the Birmingham business community, Taylor established the Samford Business Network, as well as a 45-member advisory board of the region’s top business leaders.

As a scholar, Taylor has published dozens of studies in economics journals such as Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Labor Economics, Journal of Human Resources and Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking. Illustrating his diverse research interests and his connections to the social sciences, Taylor has also published groundbreaking research in public health and child developmental psychology. His research has been cited in testimony given before the U.S. Congress, the Federal Trade Commission, and the California State Assembly, and also has been referenced in publications such as The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Christian Science Monitor.

Taylor is a member of numerous professional and academic organizations, and he has served as a strategic business consultant for dozens of organizations. Taylor and his wife of 28 years, Julie, have three children: Zachary, 25, a Nashville-based music recording artist, Lauren, 22, a recent Whitworth graduate, and Chloe, 14.

Savannah Kimberlin

Associate VP of Church Engagement - Barna Group

Session: Faith & Culture

Session Abstract

Barna Group has researched faith trends in the United States and around the world for more than 40 years, specializing in the study of generations and the intersection of faith and culture. Together, let’s explore a handful of key cultural shifts and their impact on and implications for our organizations.

Biography

Savannah serves as the Associate Vice President of Church Engagement at Barna. Savannah loves facilitating Barna’s mission to provide the Church with knowledge to navigate a changing world through consulting services, CoLab learning cohorts and research efforts. She is passionate about taking Barna’s research and synthesizing it into helpful, actionable insights for Christian leaders.
 
As a certified data miner and predictive modeler, Savannah specializes in advanced analytics. Prior to her time at Barna, she worked in the big data and software development spaces.
 
She earned her B.S. in Mathematics from Samford University and her M.S. in Decision Analytics from the University of Alabama. Savannah currently lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband Josh and her daughter Zoe.