Adventist Education Ken Rogers Director, Youth and Young Adult Ministries Southern Union Conference of SDA

Obstacles & Barriers that prevent Adventist schools from thriving

1. Absence of visionary, transformational leadership 2. Lack of financial resources 3. Shortage of qualified, talented educators

4. Poor accountability structures/ Inconsistent Quality 5. Dysfunction in the denomination’s organizational structure for operating schools 6. Ineffective School Boards

7. Turf wars between local churches & schools / Lack of support from pastors 8. Poor marketing 9. Feelings of inferiority / Misconceptions about quality

10. Outdated teaching methods and text books

SOLUTIONS TO OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES

Offer competitive compensation and professional development opportunities Reinvest in a new education model Create accountability structures

Improve school board selection and training Aggressively pursue talented educators Market more effectively

Set up model schools or “demonstration sites” Nurture community action Develop a leadership program that provides internships, mentoring and administrative residencies

Identify and reward best practices