Pro Mundo: From Texas to the World's Independent Schools

September 6, 2024

The Baylor Center for School Leadership (BCSL) strives to be the most effective Christian leadership catalyst for educators worldwide. Now that Pro Mundo is officially part of Baylor’s seal, we are excited to accelerate this life giving that allows us to come alongside educators who are serving each student in remarkable ways.

They are living out their calling that goes beyond mere happiness—it's fueled by the deep joy found in a life lived for others, out of an overflow of God's abundant love. 

Jon Eckert teaching on stage

This summer, the BCSL team including Dr. Jon Eckert, Sahira Kodra, and Erik Ellefsen, traveled to independent schools in Central Texas, across the U.S., and as far away as New Zealand. Starting in Central Texas, the BCSL accelerated good work occurring at Woodway Christian, Texas Central Christian, and Round Rock Christian Schools. 

The BCSL team also traveled to Ontario, California, to work with Ontario Christian School and Crossroads Christian School, Timothy Christian School in Elmhurst, Illinois, and St. Augustine Preparatory Academy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

“Bringing Dr. Eckert to speak at our school this summer was all about fostering a culture of collective leadership, joy, effective feedback, engagement, and wellness,” said Patreece Terrell, St. Augustine Preparatory Academy’s Middle School Resident Administrator. “We wanted to kick off the school year with a focus on these core values to ensure everyone—from teachers to students—feels supported and empowered. His insights helped us frame our vision for a more collaborative and positive school environment.”

Brad Mitchell, principal at Timothy Christian School, said Eckert was inspirational and connected well with their staff. 

“Much of what he said was a reinforcement of past training, but with a slightly different voice,” Mitchell said. “I've had a couple veteran staff members with 30 plus years in education say that Dr. Eckert was the best speaker we've ever had at Timothy.”

More than just one day of teaching, the BCSL team hopes to impact school teams to be catalysts for school leadership that

Woman laughing in a crowd

 loves kindness, does justice, and walks humbly (Micah 6:8). Dr. Angela Hertica, elementary school director at Crossroads Christian School, was part of an Emerging Leaders network, led by the BCSL, in the ’23-24 school year. This led her team to attend the Just Schools Academy in 2024. 

“After Just Schools Academy, we joined an improvement community to continue the work, and have been working with schools from around the country to create a positive change at our school,” Hertica said. “This has been such an amazing experience to partner with our colleagues around the country to receive feedback and develop relationships.”

Ultimately, the work is about following Christ’s example and building relationships. Along with the BCSL team, graduate students in the Master of Arts in School Leadership (MASL) program assist across the country with professional learning. At their respective schools, they help facilitate the day and lead sessions, setting examples for leadership development.

Woman smiling in crowd

“Every minute spent reading, doing performance tasks, class discussions, research, Paideia Seminars, etc. has been worth it! Being involved in the MASL and the BCSL has allowed me to grow professional and personal networks with other people committed to improving our schools for our students,” said Kimberly Poe, MASL alumna and director of faith and culture at St. Augustine Preparatory Academy. 

In July, Eckert had the opportunity to work with several hundred Christian school leaders in New Zealand. He was able to visit multiple schools and provide four keynote talks to encourage leaders from Australia and New Zealand. As always, the learning and network provided rich opportunities to improve the work of the BCSL and catalyze the good work of Christian leaders on the other side of the world. The integration of indigenous culture into Christian schools was both encouraging and inspirational.

The good work during professional learning events is just the beginning. As Ben Dirksen, a principal at Pella Christian Schools in Pella, Iowa, describes after engaging with the BCSL for over a year, we have the incredible opportunity to impact the lives of those around us to reach each student.

"Christ is the ultimate purpose, and that unifies us. It gives all of us a North Star to move toward," Dirksen said. "The Baylor Center for School Leadership encourages us to see all people as image-bearers first, that these are beloved sons and daughters of the King, and we need to view them as that. That will then inform our practices, how we look at data, and our pedagogy, and our leadership decisions. These are fellow image-bearers who God cares deeply about. We have a purpose and opportunity to reach into the holistic lives of people."

As we do this work alongside leaders from around the world, we have the joy of living out Baylor’s mission: Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana, Pro Mundo!