More Than Classrooms: Building Schools That Last
At SCL, we’ve seen firsthand how classical Christian schools shine in their mission – the discipleship, teaching, and formation of students. But thriving schools require more than joyful classrooms. They also need steady support systems: advancement that unites their story, finances that sustain their mission, culture that shapes hearts and minds, and lower schools that lay a deep foundation.
That’s why this fall, our cohorts focus on these four essentials. These represent the needs we are seeing most right now. Together, they represent the difference between schools that are flourishing in one sense, but fragile in another—and schools that flourish for generations.
Cohorts are not lectures or checklists. They are conversations among peers, guided by experienced practitioners who know what it means to lead faithfully. They are places where leaders ask hard questions, gain clarity, and build courage to lead well.
If you are a head of school, division head, or director, these cohorts are for you. They will help you not only grow in your own role, but also see how the pieces connect: how advancement, finance, culture, and curriculum together create lasting, thriving schools.
Why These Four Cohorts?
We’ve chosen these topics for this year because they represent the needs or improvement areas most often named in accreditation visits and leadership conversations.
- Lower School (Standards 1 & 2) – Because thriving schools begin with courageously Christian and deeply classical foundations.
- Upper School Culture (Standards 3 & 4) – Because culture, not just curriculum, forms wise and virtuous young men and women, and working that out in the upper school setting is complex
- Financial Resilience (Standard 7) – Because no mission can flourish without long-term financial stability, and financial skills are often new to heads of school
- Strategic Advancement (Standard 8) – Because schools must unify admissions, marketing, and fundraising into one mission-driven discipline, and this unified concept is often new to executive teams.
Fall 2025 Cohort Offerings
Cohort Format & Details
- Structure: 8 monthly online sessions (60–90 minutes each) beginning October 2025
- Community: Minimum of 12 registrants per cohort to ensure rich discussion
- Price: Member $1999 | Non-Member $2499. (Year 1 and accredited schools receive 40% off the member price!)
Registration: Opens September 8 and closes October 3
Who it’s for
This cohort is for Grammar School leaders, and aspiring lower school administrators who want to ensure their youngest students are formed in wisdom and virtue through distinctly classical and Christian practices.
Why it matters now
The lower school lays the foundation for everything that follows. If the earliest years focus only on curriculum coverage or test performance, students miss the deeper formation of loves and habits that shape the whole person. A thriving school begins with a lower school that is both courageously Christian and deeply classical, rooting children in truth, goodness, beauty, and joy in learning.
What you’ll gain
In this cohort, you’ll learn how to:
- Build a lower school culture rooted in Scripture, virtue training, and a Biblical worldview
- Hire and train teachers who model wisdom and shepherd students’ hearts
- Design curriculum and scope and sequence that reflect classical distinctives
- Apply classical teaching practices such as memorization, narration, Socratic discussion, and poetic knowledge
- Navigate real-time leadership challenges with prayer, wisdom, and peer support
Together, we will clarify how a truly classical, Christian lower school differs from modern education—and how it shapes students not only for academic success, but for a lifetime of loving God and neighbor.
- Start Date: October 9, 2025
- Meeting Time: 11:00am–12:30pm CST
- Meeting Dates: 10/9, 11/13, 12/11, 1/22, 2/19, 3/5, 4/16, 5/7
- Recommended Reading: The Liberal Arts Tradition and Poetic Knowledge
Leader Biography:
Jessica Gombert is in her 25th year in classical, Christian education and 21st year as the Grammar School Headmaster at Geneva School of Boerne. She holds a M.A. in Education. She delights in teaching students to become life-long learners and in leading and encouraging educators. She is dedicated to classical, Christian education and believes it shapes and forms students to become liberal artists who can read, write, speak, listen, think, understand and create, while growing in virtue.
Jessica has led The Society for Classical Learning’s Grammar School Head Cohort for several years and has presented at numerous conferences. She is passionate about reading instruction and is currently writing a series of phonics readers. She also has a love for serving children and educators in Africa. She has taught and trained teachers in Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda and Nigeria. Jessica is married to Ronnie, her husband of 34 years, and has two married children who were blessed to be classically educated.
She and her French Bulldog, Hamilton, are a trained therapy team and visit nursing homes to bring joy.
Who it’s for
This cohort is for heads of school, upper school principals, and academic leaders who want to intentionally shape the culture of their upper school as students move through the critical teenage years.
Why it matters now
Culture is the heart of a school—a living expression of what the community values most. Yet the upper school years are often where culture is most fragile. Schools may emphasize content and college preparation, while overlooking the deeper formation of virtue, relationships, and joy. A thriving upper school culture doesn’t just happen; it requires clear vision, wise leadership, and intentional practices.
What you’ll gain
In this cohort, you’ll learn how to:
- Define and articulate your school’s cultural vision.
- Align faculty and parent culture with your mission.
- Shape the classroom experience to reflect truth, goodness, and beauty.
- Address student discipline through formative, restorative approaches.
- Strengthen relationships among faculty, students, and families.
- Use time—calendars, schedules, and routines—to reinforce values.
- Monitor and sustain a healthy culture year after year.
Together, we’ll explore how to cultivate an upper school environment that fosters wisdom and virtue, equipping students not just for college, but for life in Christ.
- Start Date: October 13, 2025
- Meeting Time: 6:00–7:30pm CST
- Meeting Dates: 10/13, 11/3, 12/8, 1/12, 2/9, 3/9, 4/13, 5/11
Leader Biography:
Riley Gilmore is the Principal of St. Stephen’s Academy in Beaverton, Oregon. He has been an educator for thirteen years, initially as a science teacher with Teach for America before joining the faculty, and later administration, of St. Stephen’s Academy.
Riley holds a BS in Physical Science from Biola University, a M.Ed in Secondary Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and is a perpetual member of the Torrey Honors College.
He and his wife are raising their four children in Oregon’s beautiful Willamette Valley.
Who it’s for
This cohort is for heads of school, finance leaders, and board members who want to strengthen the long-term financial health of their schools and lead with confidence in this vital area.
Why it matters now
Even schools with strong academics and culture cannot thrive if they are financially fragile. Too often, leaders operate year-to-year, leaving schools vulnerable to unexpected changes or unprepared for growth. A thriving school requires strategic financial leadership—planning that not only sustains the mission today, but secures its future for generations.
What you’ll gain
In this cohort, you’ll learn how to:
- Build budgets that are mission-driven and sustainable.
- Use forecasting and dashboards to guide decision-making.
- Develop a long-term strategic financial plan.
- Communicate financial realities clearly with boards, faculty, and parents.
- Prepare for capital campaigns and manage reserves wisely.
- Grow as a head of school in the role of financial leader.
Together, we’ll address the core financial practices that underpin healthy schools and provide the clarity needed to lead with wisdom and stability.
- Start Date: October 9, 2025
- Meeting Time: 12:30–2:00pm CST
- Meeting Dates: 10/9, 11/6, 12/4, 1/15, 2/12, 3/5, 4/9, 5/8
Leader Biography:
Keith Nix has served as the Head of School at Veritas School in Richmond, VA, since 2010. Keith draws from his extensive experience to support other leaders and schools in the classical Christian 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, travel, and reading. He is married to Kim, an accomplished artist and realtor, and together they have three grown children and four grandchildren who all live in Richmond.
Who it’s for
This cohort is for heads of school, advancement directors, and enrollment marketing leaders who want to build thriving communities through mission-driven advancement.
Why it matters now
Many schools excel in teaching and discipleship but struggle to unify advancement efforts—treating fundraising, admissions, and communications as separate tasks. In today’s climate of increasing enrollment pressure and donor fatigue, advancement must be more than transactions. Thriving schools build trust and loyalty by aligning culture, communication, and generosity into a single, coherent strategy.
What you’ll gain
In this cohort, you’ll learn how to:
- Align your school’s internal culture with its external voice
- Establish principled admissions and retention practices
- Foster a culture of generosity and hospitality that builds shared ownership across your community
Together, we’ll consider the essential question: How do we ensure our external voice reflects our internal culture? The answers will help you cultivate long-term health and sustainability in your school.
- Start Date: October 13, 2025
- Meeting Time: 12:00–1:30pm CST
- Meeting Dates: 10/13, 11/10, 12/8, 1/12, 2/9, 3/9, 4/13, 5/11
Leader Biography:
Elizabeth Perkins is stepping into the role of Director of Advancement for SCL, but has spent the past few years specializing in enrollment marketing for K–12 independent schools with Tassel Marketing. Previously, she served over nine years as Director of Enrollment & Outreach at Westminster Academy in Memphis, Tennessee, achieving over 60% enrollment growth, significantly improving retention, and consistently exceeding budget targets. Her efforts included growing student ambassador programs, launching digital marketing campaigns, developing the school’s first comprehensive admissions policy, and digitizing the admissions and enrollment processes.
Elizabeth has led SCL’s Admissions and Marketing cohort, facilitating collaboration among enrollment and marketing professionals. She regularly presents on admission and marketing strategies at national conferences, including those hosted by SCL, ACCS, ERB, and AISAP. Additionally, Elizabeth contributes to the arts as Director of the Memphis Ostrander Awards, recognizing excellence in local theatre, and serves as a judge for the National High School Musical Theatre Awards. She is a board member at Theatre Memphis.
Elizabeth holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Memphis, an MBA from Union University, and earned her Certification for Admission and Enrollment Professionals from AISAP in 2018.
Ready To Take The Next Step?
Join us this year to be strengthened for the calling you’ve received. Together, we’ll build schools that thrive now and flourish for generations. Cohort registration opens September 8 and closes October 3. Spaces are limited, and each group requires a minimum of 12 participants.
In Each Cohort, Attendees Will:
Here’s What Our Members Are Saying
“My cohort was a highlight of my week. The resources and ideas that were discussed were extremely helpful, and the people were a great encouragement to me. What a joy it was to walk this CCE road together.”
– 24/25 Cohort Member
“The Upper School Heads cohort has been a lifeline to me during difficult moments of this school year. It has been a place for sharing common struggles and offering solutions. It’s kept me grounded and passionate about the good work we get to do for our schools. ”
-Aaron Cosner from Upper School Heads Cohort
“I appreciated the opportunity to connect with others who work in positions like mine and talk about issues we’ve had at our schools. We could laugh, share about tough situations, and offer encouragement to one another.”
– SCL Attendee
