Fortis Academy is maturing and professionalizing as an academic institution. Our beginnings were grounded in a passion for Christ and for our children that expressed itself through education. In the early days we were driven by homeschoolers who united around a private University Model school, and teachers who taught their students as though each one was their own. Last year the Fortis Board and administration began asking the question of how we can make a Fortis education even better. It is our deep conviction that we can not only increase our academic excellence, but we can distinguish ourselves through an approach to classical Christian education that develops unique Christian thinkers and communicators. All of the changes that are being put in motion are aimed toward this end.
The key to this is restructuring our educational systems and integrating our pedagogical methods to achieve this end. The very first step, however, is to talk about our driving vision ad nauseum. I say that, because many people who get what we are talking about will get tired of hearing it. Yet, repeating the vision over and over again is a major part of implementation. The bottom line is that the more people think about and understand the vision, they become equipped to implement it. Putting the systems in place is vitally essential, but until someone truly “sees” the vision, there is no breath of life in it. When someone truly “sees” the vision, they are able to help others develop as Christian thinkers and communicators. It is only when someone “sees” the vision that the nuts and bolts about implementation will be executed properly. Without a common vision, people will understand the specifics about implementation from a different perspective that moves in a different direction. We need a common vision and a common language before we will have a common execution. The whole process must be a dialogue. Hopefully the repetition of the vision will cause people to ask questions about implementation. It may be excitement and buy in, confusion, or even frustration that inspires the questions, but once the process of dialogue around the vision begins, the vehicle of our academic institution begins driving toward the goal.
That being said, the vision and strategy meeting Monday night at 7:00 will get into the specific ways that we are going to implement the vision. I encourage you to make the meeting if you are able.
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