Schools United Forging Connections in Christian School Sphere
February 24, 2025
By: Josh Worden
It did not take long for Schools United to see its vision for building camaraderie between Christian educators to come true and then far exceed it.
What began in 2018 as an informal gathering of Christian school leaders in South Florida has developed into a robust organization that connects Christian school professionals across the United States—and soon: beyond.
Schools United’s flagship event is the Schools United Professional Development Day (SUPD) conference, one of the largest events for Christian school educators in the country. The 2025 conference took place on Feb. 14 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, bringing together more than 3,000 attendees and about 500 virtual participants for professional development, fellowship, and the sharing of best practices.
"It was beautiful to see the unity that was on display with the shared goal of glorifying the Lord and strengthening Christian education,” said Kevin Macki, who is on Schools United’s leadership team and serves as Director of School Relations at Calvary Christian Academy in Ft. Lauderdale. “We are thankful to our friends at ACSI for their support and belief in our vision to provide a role-specific peer network for every Christian education professional around the globe."
“It was an honor for me to attend and speak at the conference,” added Dr. David Balik, Vice President of ACSI USA. "ACSI and Schools United enjoy an important strategic alliance that allows us to partner together in helping meet the professional development needs of Christian school teachers and leaders.”
The bond between ACSI and Schools United is strong, with Schools United’s founder, Dr. Jason Rachels, serving as an ACSI Field Director and as the Head of School at ACSI member school Calvary Christian Academy.
The SUPD is also used as a vehicle to promote further connections through peer networks, which allow Christian school professionals to interact with others who share their role.
The specificity of the peer networks allows the participants to collaborate with others in the same position. There are peer networks for almost every job: art teachers, girls’ volleyball coaches, school nurses, security officials, early childhood directors, heads of school, just to list a few.
“Regardless of what you do on a Christian school campus, you are vital to that Christian school,” Macki said.
The interest in peer networks has blossomed. In 2022, Schools United had 27 peer networks, which rose to 44 the next year and reached 78 in 2024.
The peer networks, which typically consist of 10-20 people, meet on Zoom or other platforms. They do not require a large time commitment; most groups meet roughly once per month with the ability to send messages in the meantime.
Schools United allows the groups to function autonomously. In general, group members share their struggles, best practices, and pray for each other.
“We don’t dictate how they run their group, but we are here to help,” Macki said. “We have an app called mySchoolsUnited that’s a tool for resources and message board questions.”
While Schools United’s largest presence is in Florida, the peer networks are expanding across the United States and national borders. Groups in Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico are looking into starting peer networks.
A Christian school leader in Japan recently learned about Schools United through an ACSI post on social media and met with Macki to discuss starting a peer network.
“ACSI has really helped boost the awareness of the groups and showing confidence in what we’re doing,” Macki said. “As we raise awareness, we really feel that people will buy into the model.”
The best part of the networks, according to Macki, is fulfilling what Christ-centered education should be about. As a former head of school, Macki recalls contending with other schools in his area for enrollment numbers. It felt like competition at times, instead of collaboration.
Now, he sees schools working together with the confidence that God will provide what they need.
"Everyone is helping one another, and it doesn’t matter what type of school it is,” Macki said. “The schools are united and it’s all about growing the Kingdom.”