Kevin Mosley, Head of School, Legacy Christian Academy

When it comes to technology, schools need to take care not to overdo it, particularly regarding how children are adopting technology, according to Kevin Mosley, head of school at Legacy Christian Academy.  “We’re beginning to see some of the challenges of putting too much technology in our kids’ hands too quickly,” he told Invest:.

Which of the Legacy Christian Academy’s accomplishments stand out for you?

We’ve innovated and expanded what we’re doing in the STEAM area – science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. We have a fully developed K3-12 STEAM program at our school now. We took the time to invest in that program over the last couple of years so we could provide it across the board. We had it in pockets, such as competitive robotics teams, programming groups, and teams competing in e-sports. We had those things going on, but we haven’t had them streamed together in a comprehensive program beginning as early as 3 years old. That’s something that we have done in the last year or two that we’re super-excited about. 

We’re also continuing to expand a unique element at our school, which is our professional schools program. This will be interesting because we have over 75 business partners that work with our high-school students. Our four professional schools are related to medicine, engineering and technology, business, and the arts and humanities. These are proper schools, with a dean in each school. Beginning in ninth grade, our kids choose a career to begin exploring, and they explore it by curriculum. We invite leaders to speak on campus at what we call symposiums. We have over 75 partners in the area. Eighty-nine percent of our seniors also participate in internships with area businesses in their senior year. 

This program is similar to others that are in the area in that it provides opportunities to work with businesses. What’s unique about it is that we offer it to every student, not just the honor students or a certain segmented population of a school community. It is for every student. We want to help expose our students to what it is to be out in the workplace and to do those things.

What trends are emerging in the educational landscape?

One trend is the desire to see parents have more choices and more say in their schools. Another trend is how AI is impacting our schools and education. The healthy rub there is that there is still a necessary personal aspect of education and teacher-student mentorship, which in our Christian faith, we see as important. How do you balance that? How do you use AI as a tool, but keep the major tenets of learning and thinking protected? Those are some of the trends that I’m seeing.

How are you incorporating technology into your programs?

We’re beginning to see some of the challenges of putting too much technology in our kids’ hands too quickly. There’s a lot of new research out there suggests rapid technology adoption is contributing to some of the social and emotional challenges that our children are having. Everyone is looking at how we can responsibly deploy and utilize technology in the learning process. We have safeguards in place. We believe that cellphones need to be limited in the classroom. So, while we allow students to have cellphones, we do not allow our students to use them here at school. 

At the same time, we have computers and iPads that are handled by the teachers who provide their students with appropriate screen technology use and engagement. It’s the same thing with AI. You need to put some boundaries and parameters around AI. We want students to interact with it well and learn to deploy it well, because it’s not going away. But we need to learn to use it and deploy it well, and in a way that can be trusted, in a way that we know is based on truth and that’s not being manipulated. We are looking to leverage technology and use it appropriately for our students, recognizing that it’s here to stay.

How are you adapting your strategy to maintain affordability and still deliver quality?

It is getting more and more expensive to educate. Even what public schools are spending per student is going up. We spend a lot in America on education. Sometimes the results have been okay. Sometimes it has not produced the results that we wanted. But you need to charge what it costs, particularly in the independent schools. We don’t receive state funding. Our parents are paying for the state-funded education and they’re also paying for private education because they value it. They value what it provides. They’re willing to pay what it costs. 

Of course, we have some folks who can’t pay what it costs. So, we work hard to make it accessible. We do offer need-based financial assistance for families in the area. That’s important to ensure we have socioeconomic diversity in our school. We want to be a community. We want to be a school that reflects the community around us because we believe that’s how Jesus would do it. We have opportunities. We have an indexed tuition program, a financial aid program for families who can’t afford to come to a place like Legacy Christian or another similar school.

What are your top priorities and goals for Legacy Christian Academy for the next two to three years?

We’ve experienced unprecedented growth. We’ve grown almost 30% since COVID. Going forward, it is about how we manage that growth and manage the tremendous demand in our area for Christian education. I meet with other Christian leaders of schools in the area, and that’s something that’s on all our minds because we’re at capacity. How do we meet that need? What role should we play? How do we partner with others to make that role a reality? 

We’re continuing to focus on our mission to develop, and be even better at what we’re doing. God has planted us. He’s planted us in a vibrant, growing area where we have the potential for high impact. We’re just going to be better and better at what we do, serve our families well, continue to make our school as accessible for as many families as we can, and look forward to seeing what God does in and through us over the next two to three years. Or maybe the next 25, since we just celebrated the past 25. We’re asking, what does God want to do with us for the next 25 years?