WHY CESA?
CESA History
In 2010, fifteen nationally and internationally exemplary Christian schools determined that institutional excellence and integrity were their priorities, and therefore came together with the Council on Educational Standards and Accountability leadership team to brainstorm and develop plans for an organization of Christian schools that would seek to impact education both nationally and internationally.
These fifteen schools committed time, intellectual capital, and financial capital to ensure CESA would be born, would be thoughtfully and strategically developed, and would provide resources for Christian schools to realize their potential as rigorous academic institutions committed to programmatic excellence and distinction, for the glory of God. CESA is an organization that believes deeply in and was founded upon the concept of Christian community; we believe transparency and accountability allow us to be the best schools we can be. We believe that when school leaders come into the CESA community humbly, transparently, and with the desire to improve, transformational leadership and practices will allow our schools to thrive for Christ.
Today, CESA serves Christian schools through purposeful and strong networking, best-in-class events, and resourcing school leaders with the knowledge and information necessary to make the best decisions for their schools. The CESA Standards ofAccountability© and the related Institutional Review are the foundation of membership. Coming alongside schools and organizations, CESA seeks to enable Christian schools with rigorous, objective standards to guide their development, providing schools with the tools necessary to reach such standards and the networks necessary to propel Christian schools with excellence and accountability as their hallmarks. Members of CESA are committed to one another; our leaders invest in their peers for the greater good of the movement. The continuous input of other school leaders and accountability to the Council allows for real school improvement based upon aspirational standards.
“I attended my first CESA Symposium in 2012 and was encouraged by the passion of the founders to drive excellence in Christian education. I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of this movement and began implementing standards at my school.”
– J. Ambler, Head of School, The Woodlands Christian Academy