Our unique systematic approach to leadership and management always leaves you with newfound hope, tangible next steps, a stronger team, a more effective Board, and the most important thing of all – a school that is better able to meet the needs of its children. Why? Because effective management and leadership changes the lives of each person in your school.
Magnify your witness to God’s love in your neighborhoods and be a magnet for families filling your classes!
Your Strategic Plan is your VISION in action. Develop an amazing relationship between Board and Principal. Everyone is committed to discipline and patience over time under prayer.
Engage your faithful and motivated teachers with a three year rolling plan that serves each child excellently. Stay competitive! Use the resources God has given to drive success for every student.
Lead the Board forward in service to the Principal. See deep thinking develop, trusting relationships flower, and humble servant leadership have the spiritual depth to flourish.
Move from just giving to INSPIRED giving! Nothing is so
much fun as teaching people how to respect, honor, and steward their donors so that they invest even more in the education of children every year.
Time is sacred. Each minute is given to us for a purpose. Leading and serving our children is done sacred minute by sacred minute. Change culture! Take practice to the next level! Maximize each child’s God-given potential!
Your school is genuinely unique. We are here to serve you and will partner with you in the way that is most useful to you. Tell us your custom requirements and we will work together to develop a custom consult meeting your very specific needs.
Let us help you carry out a Management Structure Analysis, navigate an emotional conversation to update the Mission, spur deep thinking about Schedule, train your new Business Manager, work with a Board Committee. No travel! No expenses! Just the satisfaction of your school making transformational progress.
You are the Principal / Head of School. Who reports to you? Who reports to them? That’s management structure! But how do you know whether you have the right positions or structure for the size of school you have, or where you are in your life-cycle?
Talking about Race is hard. And we know that we have to do it in our schools. But how? Partner with CSM and Third Option City to train in ChristianConversation.
The CSM Strategic Health Check considers your Christian school from top to bottom through the lens of
Scripture, research, and experience.
Our pricing structure is proportional to one annual tuition.
Example: Your school’s K-12 tuition is $7,800. If our consulting services costs “.6,” that means $7,800 * .6 = $4,680.
Mission-driven, spiritually committed, and leading by example are the three most important values that a Christian education leader can have, and Aaron Coon exemplifies all three of these areas.
Aaron attended the University of Valley Forge and worked as an executive leader in a Fortune 500 company for 10 years. Since 2003, he has provided strong spiritual, academic, and business leadership as the head of the Calvary Christian Academy in Dover DE. In those 19 years, he served first as a board member providing valuable guidance from his previous experience as an assistant vice-president of one of America’s largest banks, eventually stepping in as school administrator in 2005. At that time the school was experiencing growing pains and financial challenges, which called for experienced management and strategic financial planning. Over the next few years, Aaron developed an outstanding team of experienced teaching professionals to anchor the school’s academic and spiritual commitment to excellence.
Under his steady leadership and care, Calvary Christian Academy has grown spiritually, academically, and financially and now ministers to 380 students on three campuses. Plans for expansion of the school’s outreach are currently underway and will include additional sites across the county and a non-profit business to support the endowment program for the school.
Aaron and his wife Jen have three children, and when not working on the many projects around the school and church, he loves to surf-fishing, enjoy nature and loves to spend time with family.
Gerry has enjoyed serving God by teaching and leading Heritage Christian School in Bozeman, Montana for 19 years. He has seen the joy that comes from seeing God’s faithfulness in providing the teachers, students and families to build the school community that He desires.
Gerry’s first degree is in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at Virginia Tech. He enjoyed more than 20 years working in engineering, planning and scheduling, engineering management, and financial planning and controls management at Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory. During this time, he managed groups that developed schedules for industrial operations as well as strategic plans for initiating and executing $10 million to over $100 million dollar projects. He also managed the financial planning and controls for the entire site that had a yearly budget of over $125 million.
In 2004, God led Gerry to switch careers to begin teaching at Heritage Christian School that was beginning a high school after having K-8 for 25 years. He taught high school math and science classes while getting his master’s degree in Math Education at Montana State University. During these years, he also taught Calculus at Montana State University.
In 2012, Gerry moved into school administration after school enrollment had decreased by 30%. In 2014, Gerry became the Head of School. During Gerry’s leadership time, God faithfully provided:
That the school continued after an arson fire caused $4.5 million in damages.
Increased enrollment from 140 students to 300 students
Increased operation reserves from $0 to $1.3 million
Revitalized annual giving to increase from $20,000 to $200,000 per year
Gerry has experience in strategic planning and strategic financial management, scheduling, management structure and mentoring.
Gerry and his wife Pat have five sons and 7 grandchildren. They thoroughly enjoy riding their tandem bicycle and have logged more than 34,000 miles while biking in more than 25 states and Canada.
Thomas DeJonge serves as Superintendent of Grand Rapids Christian Schools, a private, faith-based school system that enrolls 2,350 students in Preschool – 12th Grade on five (5) campuses located throughout the Grand Rapids community. He has held that position since 2004. Prior to serving as GRCS’ Superintendent, Mr. DeJonge served for 25 years in building-level and central administrative and teaching positions in public schools located throughout West Michigan, including serving two years as Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, three years as Director of Community and Human Relations, 13 years as an elementary principal, and seven years as an elementary special education and early childhood classroom teacher.
Under his leadership as superintendent, Grand Rapids Christian Schools has:
Mr. DeJonge has extensive experience in strategic planning, spearheading three strategic plans in his tenure as GRCS’ superintendent.
Mr. DeJonge resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his wife, Jacquie, a School Psychologist. He has two adult children: Leah DeJonge Rinker, a teacher at Wheaton Academy, a faith-based high school located in suburban Chicago; and Austin DeJonge, a senior art director at VML, an advertising agency located in New Your City.
Patty has been in education for over 45 years. During the first half of her journey she worked in both parochial and public schools as a teacher for students with reading, behavioral and learning challenges. Throughout her teaching career she also served on the boards of the independent and parochial schools her children attended (Children’s House Montessori in Jefferson City, Missouri, St. Therese Catholic Grade School in Kansas City and Pius X High School in Kansas City, Missouri). In 1996, while completing her doctorate in curriculum and instruction, Patty taught classroom management courses at the graduate level while mentoring and supervising pre-service teachers. In 2004 she stepped into educational leadership as Executive Director of Noble Academy in Greensboro, North Carolina, a grade 2 through grade 12 school for students with learning differences. Her most recent18 years have been spent in Schools of the Sacred Heart as Principal of Villa Duchesne in St. Louis, Missouri (grades 7-12) and as Head of School at Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Princeton, New Jersey (preschool – grade 12).
Throughout her career, Patty actively served on and led numerous accreditation teams in schools across the South, Midwest and Northeast. She presented at various local and regional conferences on governance, leadership development, and student engagement. As an administrator Patty developed and implemented highly successful curriculum review processes, innovative performance based teacher evaluation and compensation models, as well as STEM and leadership programming for girls in preschool through grade 12. She oversaw the adoption of two school-wide schedule changes and multiple strategic plans. While Head of School she applied for and received a 2013 E.E.Ford grant for leadership development in young girls which resulted in the establishment of the Stuart’s National Center for Girls’ Leadership and the execution of Stuart’s nationwide, multi-year conference “by girls, for girls” [#LEADLIKEAGIRL]. In 2016 Patty was awarded a Columbia University Klingenstein fellowship and joined twenty Heads of School from around the world in a two-week intensive program examining educational issues and policies facing educators within independent schools.
Patty has a Bachelor of Arts in special education, a master’s degree in communications, an Educational Specialist Degree in educational leadership, and a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.
Patty has been married for over 45 years, has two married sons and four grandchildren. As a lifelong Catholic, she is passionate about the critical importance of faith development in children and is committed to helping schools whose mission is to reveal and make known the love of God through the heart of Christ.
Marlin served in the roles of Chief Financial Officer, Assistant Superintendent, and Assistant Principal at Lancaster Mennonite School, Lancaster PA for 32 years. During his time the school grew to over 1,500 students with five campuses. He managed an annual budget of $18 million. He has experience in admissions, human resources, academic and school leadership, and facilities management and planning. He supervised over $30 million in construction projects for the school.
He also served as a K-8 Principal/Head of School at Lititz Area Mennonite School, Lititz, PA for five years. He taught high school history and government at Bethany Christian School in Goshen IN. He also coached cross country and track.
Marlin has a Master’s Equivalent and Principal’s Certification from Penn State University. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Social Science Education from Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, VA. He also did educational administration graduate work at Notre Dame, Ball State, and Temple Universities.
He has served on and provided leadership for a variety of Boards.
· Board of the Garden Spot Village Retirement Community, New Holland PA. (Board Chair five years.)
· Board for The Mennonite Church Benefits Board and Retirement Trust.
· Founding board member for Wm.Chester Ruth Legacy Project.
· Board of Associated Mennonite Schools and Camps Benefits Plan, Goshen IN. (Board Chair 25 years)
· 2160 Condominium Association Board, Lancaster PA
· He also held an elected office as a Township Supervisor.
· Board member and president of Pequea Valley Public Library
· Camp Hebron Retreat Center– Camp Pastor, Executive Board, Personnel Committee
Special Interests: K-12 school consulting, financial and economic news, podcasts (especially on business, history and politics), reading, home renovation, agriculture, choral and other music, traveling, motorcycling, bicycling, hiking, and outdoors activities. Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). Owner/Operator -Transported RV’s, Rental Property Owner and Manager. Sunday School Teacher, Chorister, Choir, Worship Leader/ Worship Commission.
Family: married, spouse recently retired from law firm administration; three adult children, son is a lawyer in Chicago, daughter is a communications professor, Goshen College, IN, and another daughter is an architect in Chicago.
Memberships:
Association of School Business Officials International
Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society
Lancaster County Historical Society
American Motorcycle Association – AMA
BMW Motorcycle Owners Group
Brian has been serving as a teacher, principal, superintendent, and professor for over 45 years. He has experience working in all kinds of schools: public/private, secular/Christian, day/boarding, on ground/online, K-12/community college/university, and Bible college/seminary in America, Canada, and Switzerland. He has taught at least one full course at every level from second grade to doctorate. He is passionate about excellence in Christian education.
He is the founder of Airdrie Koinonia Christian School (now Airdrie Christian Academy) in Alberta, Canada, growing it from a K-7 school of 54 to a K-12 school of 300 from 1987 to 2007. The school was noted for its operational and academic excellence. Brian managed 20 balanced budgets and ensured that staff got substantial pay increases every year. In 2007 when Alberta was among the top educational jurisdictions in the world, the school was recognized as among the top schools in the province.
As principal and superintendent Brian has consulted with numerous schools on strategic planning and financial management. He particularly enjoys helping struggling schools to find innovative solutions that will enable them to achieve long-term financial stability. As superintendent of Algoma Christian School in Michigan, he brought the school back from the brink of closure by implementing new policies for finance, and by upgrading all aspects of school operation from hiring and facilities to curriculum and assessment.
Brian received his B.Ed. from the University of Saskatchewan, M.A. from Grace Theological Seminary, and Ed.D. from Walden University. He holds a life-time Principals Certificate from ACSI. He currently teaches Educational Leadership as a Special Appointment Professor at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids. He has five adult children, four in the Grand Rapids area, and one serving as a missionary in Thailand.
Simon is co-founder and Executive Director of Christian School Management. Simon is passionate about ensuring that every seat in every Christian school is full and that every student in those seats is having a joyful, transformative experience.
He consults onsite and online with Christian schools across North America. Simon has worked with Christian schools in strategic health checks, strategic planning, strategic financial management, strategic academic planning, scheduling, management structure analysis, mission review, school by-law review, enrollment recovery, inbound and word-of-mouth marketing, Board retreats, Executive Coaching, Growth Conversation and Compensation (teacher), and website content review and development.
Simon started teaching in 1977 and served in Christian residential and day schools for 26 years including acting as Head of School at 3 schools. He keynotes and speaks at conferences across North America. Since 2003, Simon has consulted in 5 countries, 38 states and four provinces. At CSM, he has worked in Christian schools of many types including evangelical, Lutheran, Catholic, Episcopal, Reformed, Orthodox, and non-denominational.
Simon earned his MA from the University of Oxford (School of Modern History), his BEd (Hons.) from the University of Lethbridge, and his MEd (Educational Leadership) from Concordia University. As a believer in life-long learning, he:
Mr. Jeynes is married with four children, two dogs, and a bird. He attends The Gathering Place where he is also an occasional preacher.
He is proud to be a dual Canadian / American citizen.
20 Kyle Drive PO Box 1722, Ridgetown, Ontario, Canada N0P
Inspired by her Australian roots, Jenny’s “walkabout” journey around the world influenced her decision to become an educator. It was during this yearlong sojourn that she walked alongside children from diverse cultures and learned to see through their eyes and to listen through their ears. This spiritual trek ignited her quest to serve children and her commitment to ensuring that every child she encountered along her future path would be joyfully celebrated.
Jenny is a fiercely curious learner, a teacher, a leadership consultant and an administrator. But, more importantly, she is a relentless advocate for children. She taught extensively in private and public schools in Australia and the United States for twenty years prior to launching a career as an administrator. As a student and as a teacher, she consistently valued questions that were generative, insights that were bold and creative and language that led to “YES YOU CAN”!
As a CSM consultant, Jenny partners with schools in Strategic Planning / Strategic Financial Management; Enrollment Growth; Teacher Evaluation; Professional Growth, Conversation and Compensation; Leadership Coaching; and Philanthropy/Annual Fund.
Her consulting experiences include Independent School Management (ISM), Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, Chicago Art Institute and Oak Park Public Schools. Serving on the World Peace Game Foundation as Chairman of the Board and earning The Golden Apple Award for teaching excellence have been among her greatest honors. Jenny has a Bachelor of Arts and Diploma in Education from Macquarie University in Sydney and a Master of Science from Rosary College in Chicago.
Cade Lambert has served as Superintendent of Des Moines Christian School (DMC) in Urbandale, IA, for the last two years. He previously served as Head of School at New Life Academy in Minnesota. His education experience also includes a stint as Elementary Principal at DMC and as a public school classroom teacher. He is passionate about strategically leading organizations in a way that maximizes resources, builds capacity, creates community, and closes the achievement/potential gap. Over his tenure as a school head, he has been involved in two separate capital campaigns that totaled over $15 million in fundraising and construction.
He has lead his schools through the strategic planning process and strategic execution. At Des Moines Christian, he is responsible for a $10 million operating budget, 1100 students, and over 200 full and part-time staff. In addition to his formal work, Cade has served on the Presidential Advisory Team for the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), as a mentor for ACSI’s Leadership U head of school development program, and as an elder in his local church. He is excited about building healthy schools through best practice in school governance, leadership, finances, and fundraising. Cade holds degrees from the University of Northwestern (St. Paul) and Iowa State University in Elementary Education (BS) and Educational Leadership and Administration (M.Ed.), respectively. He and his wife, Jennifer, live in Urbandale with their four children.
Philanthropy is a deeply personal and values-centered desire. God implants the desire in us all. When we embrace it, the spirit of philanthropy generates the most extraordinary kingdom impact, especially when flowing from the heart of a Christ-follower. This truth has guided Martin J. Riggs through 32 years of marriage, fatherhood, and civic and community leadership. He is a seasoned administrator, institutional advancement, and philanthropy professional who prefers understanding his clients’ hearts to help them fulfill their unique charitable objectives.
He has been the Senior Director of Giving and Alumni Relations at Landmark Christian School, GA, since 2009, building a $1 million + annual giving program and led two successful comprehensive, multi-year, multi-million-dollar capital campaigns with the third on its way. He participates in the school’s ongoing strategic planning process and also leads the alumni relations efforts. His previous professional experience includes serving as the Director of Development for Woodward Academy, GA, Special Assistant to the President / Director of Leadership Gifts and Campaigns for the University of Memphis, TN, and Associate Vice President for Advancement at Hanover College, IN.
Riggs is a native of Louisville, Kentucky, a 1987 graduate of Florida State University, and a former captain of the Seminole football team. He met his wife, Heather, a native of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, at FSU. They married in 1990 and are parents of four children – Ashley, 32; Shelby, 30; Sophie, 25; and Mitchell, 22. They are members of Southside Church in Newnan, Georgia.
Bill Simmer, also known as “Wild Bill,” for his entertaining presentation style, and no-nonsense approach to Christian Leadership, has been working with Private/Independent schools on both the secondary and post-secondary levels, for over 25 years. Bill has served as a faculty member, as well as in multiple administrative roles within schools. He has also been both a private school parent and student himself. For the last 14 years Bill has been a consultant and workshop leader to private/independent schools around the nation. He has served schools in the areas of Admissions, Enrollment & Re-Enrollment, Faculty Culture/Performance/
Bill worked in the secular business context through his 20’s, with a focus on marketing, fund raising, and operational leadership. As he approached his 30’s, God called him into ministry. Through his 30’s, Bill taught and worked as a Dean of Students/Director of Student Life at two Seminary’s, International College and Graduate School (Honolulu HI), and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Wake Forest, NC). In both Seminaries, as in his secular work prior to this stage, he made significant progress toward professionalizing programs, attracting and retaining quality personnel, and insisting on a level of excellence that drove the mission and outcomes of the institutions he served.
In the process of trying to help his children’s Classical Christian School professionalize its Admission and Re-Recruitment efforts, Bill came to the conclusion that the K-12 Christian school was “where the action was.” He developed a growing desire to “reach them BEFORE they get to seminary” and to expand his ministry outside of the “seminary bubble.” His passion is to see spiritual formation programs move beyond chapel and some bible classes to true program integration that leads to genuine life transformation in the lives of Children. The end goal is to reach “the Head, the Hand, and the Heart” and to see children truly become a “co-laborer” and “friend” of God.
As a teacher, Bill’s background is in Theology, Philosophy, Western Thought, Rhetoric, and Logic. He created a Worldview curriculum for 8th/9th graders that was highly successful and well received (even loved) by his students. Bill has taught students of all ages, from Kindergarten to College. He has worked with both “gifted” as well as “at-risk” students, as well as both Seminarians and convicts in penal institutions. He has taught on both the graduate and undergraduate level.
Those that have worked with Bill will tell you that Christian schools “run through his veins.” His life mission is to “Empower school leaders to enhance the student experience in ways that transform children’s lives and empower the coming generation to see God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.”
Dan has been a Christian educator for over 30 years, serving in educational leadership roles for over 20 of those years. After starting his career in New Jersey as a mathematics teacher, coach, and advisor, he rapidly ascended to school and district leadership roles, including 15 years as a High School Principal and Superintendent. Under Dan’s tenure as Principal of High Technology High School, the school rose to the #1 rank of US high schools (according to US News & World Report). He has served in Christian School leadership positions for the past five years in New Jersey and North Carolina.
Dan’s outstanding communication skills and ability to create strong school community relationships have been his greatest quality as an educational leader. Student and parent voice has always been a top priority, which is supported by his personalized focus on the needs of each individual student, with unique talents and potential. His servant leadership model has been an inspiration for colleagues and students alike to challenge themselves and aspire for greatness.
Dan is a CSM Consultant, Maxwell Leadership Coach, and Lead Facilitator for Third Option City Similarity Training.
Interested in joining our vibrant mission to restore hope to Christian Schools?
Keep reading.
We are not in this for the money. We are not trying to hoard our knowledge and experience. We are motivated to reach as many Christian schools in North America as we can – Evangelical, Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, Episcopal, non-denominational – wherever the name of Jesus is lifted up. If you’re excited by the prospect of being a hope-bringer, you have at least 10 years of experience as an administrator in a Christian school, and you are filled with energy, we’d love to walk through next steps with you.
Come to a CSM training session held usually in February and/or November of each year.
Decide that you want to join CSM’s community of servant leaders bringing hope and wisdom.
CSM’s Consultant Charter outlining our common vision.
Get Consultant onboarding with Executive Director Simon Jeynes.
Consult with schools along with your Partner colleagues.
Encourage schools to become Members.
