Tim Dernlan

Dr. Timothy Dernlan earned an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership from Ashland University and was named the Outstanding Graduate in 2013. He also holds an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Lehigh and a B.A. in Communication and Education from Purdue. He currently serves as Vice President for the Association of Classical Christian Schools. He has served as Head of School at institutions ranging from 200 to 1300 students and has served on a variety of non-profit boards and committees. He consults with schools and specializes in board governance, strategic planning, organizational structure, and financial stability. He has authored several books including A Guide to Understanding Classical Christian Education and Classical Christian Virtues. Dr. Dernlan and his wife, Kara, were married in 2000 and they have two sons and two daughters (Boaz, Ezekiel, Rebecca, and Anna). They enjoy hiking, reading, camping, exercising, theology, and playing board games together as a family.

 

2024 Speaker Topic

 

Identifying and Training New Board Members

What qualifications, skills, and personality traits should we look for in classical Christian school board members? What is the process for finding board members? How long does it take to find board members? How do we onboard new members and ensure proper training in board governance so that we remain committed to our mission, vision, and strategic plan? If you have asked any of these questions, you are not alone. These are all common questions of classical Christian school boards that will be addressed during this workshop.

 

The Conflict-Free School: Why You Cannot Have One and What to Do About It

Disagreements and disappointments are inevitable for all Trustees and Administrators but few are ready once conflict hits their school culture. After their work helping school leaders and boards through varying degrees of relational turbulence, Dr. Timothy Dernlan and Dr. David Seibel provide a biblical framework navigating challenging the conflicts that can kill a school culture. Attendees will walk away with a simple framework for assessing the degree of conflict as well as a set of strategies for responding to the most common disagreements that occur in schools.