How They Got Started: Three Christian School Leaders’ Journeys in Education

Jamie Jodrey’s path to school leadership was catalyzed by a laptop. Two, in fact.

As a first-grade teacher in Puerto Rico, Jodrey dabbled in leadership as a department chair and was encouraged by her administrators to pursue a master's degree in educational administration. She was not quick to leave teaching, however.

“It was something I fought with the Lord about, because since I was five years old, I wanted to be a teacher,” she said.

If Jodrey was going to earn a master’s degree, she knew it would have to be online. She decided that if God provided a laptop, she would consider it a confirmation to go back to school.

That year, her school held a volleyball tournament for parents, with the winning team earning a laptop for their children’s teacher. The parents of Jodrey’s students won. Even then, Jodrey was hesitant.

“Sometimes we’re stubborn. I said, ‘Well, it’s a coincidence,’” Jodrey said with a laugh. “I kept on fighting with the Lord.”

Soon after, Scholastic announced a giveaway of 50 laptops for teachers. 

“Puerto Rico is tricky because you never know if you’re eligible for giveaways in the U.S.,” she said. “I just wanted to see if I would win, so I signed up and of course, I won. At that point, I said, ‘Okay, Lord. You gave me two free laptops. I’ll stop fighting this. I’m going back to school.’”

Within a couple of years, Jodrey finished her master’s degree and heard of a school in Panama that needed an elementary principal. She has spent the last nine years at Crossroads Christian Academy, including the last two as the Director.

“Teaching was what I loved, and God equipped me to do that, but it was very comfortable,” Jodrey said. “Now, I’m in a position where I have to continually trust Him, put everything at His feet, and believe that He’s going to do it through me.”



Weston Kurz

Before Weston Kurz became the Executive Director of Dayspring Christian Academy in Colorado in 2012, he had not attended or worked at a Christian school in any capacity. 

Having come to faith as an adult and then falling in love with Christian education as a board member, Kurz felt a calling to leave his job as the executive vice president of a local bank. He was motivated by his life verse, Mark 8:36: “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

"I’ve found that people that are faithful and love Jesus, whatever their background is, can come together in a Christian school and change the next generation for the glory of God,” Kurz said.

That mindset was vastly different than when he was growing up in public school.

“I was from a divorced family, on government programs as a kid. I was motivated by money, thinking college equals money,” Kurz said. “I learned after a while that the ladder was on the wrong wall.”

A big turning point came in 2003 via Patrick Morley’s book, “Seven Seasons of the Man in the Mirror,” which Kurz read as a 30-year-old. Kurz resonated with Morley’s background as a business-minded individual who transformed his life to follow God.

"I had been a believer for nine years at that point. One of the things he encouraged, and I think it’s been a catalyst for any success I’ve had, is to read the Bible in a year,” Kurz said. “I’ve been doing it ever since, this year is my 20th, all praise to God.”

Kurz says that habit equipped him for his job in a way few other things have.

“I don’t have a ministry degree or a seminary degree,” Kurz said. “I don’t have a master’s degree in anything, in fact. I’m the least educated person in my building, but I’ll put my Bible knowledge and reading up with anybody, by the grace of God that He’s allowed me to do that.”

Dr. Joseph Walker

Joseph Walker didn’t realize he had a passion for administration until he tried it. He was happy in his first education job as a history teacher and coach in Fort Worth, Texas.

“I was teaching and coaching everything I could get my hands on,” Walker said.

He went back to school to get a master’s degree in administration to better provide for his family, but still thought he would ultimately be in the classroom and on the field.

When Walker got the call into athletic administration, he initially told his wife he was going to turn it down. Three weeks later, he changed his mind and found that he loved administration as much as teaching, if not more so. 

“Within a month, I thought, ‘Wow, this is really what I want to do,’” he said. “I really loved the idea of helping the entire school to better disciple students, in addition to having opportunities to still personally disciple students in the through teaching and coaching.”

Walker stayed in athletic administration until 2023, when he made another career jump. He recently wrapped up his first year as the Head of School at Lucas Christian Academy in Lucas, Texas.