Happy Thanksgiving from the AACS Today Podcast Team! In this episode Matt reminds us of George Washington's first Thanksgiving Proclamation from 1789, and he contrasts Washington's words with a recent statement from the President of the Texas branch of the American Federation of Teachers (teacher's union).

Details about the Proclamation, including a transcript, can be found here.

Jim Boyte, Founder of Active Defender, joins Jamison and Matt to provide some helpful tips on how Christian schools can be as prepared as possible to deal with the threats they face in today's culture. 

Active Defender helps schools get the right information into the hands of everyone so that the best decisions can be made during a crisis.

To contact Jim directly, call 910.783.6300.

As of the recording of this podcast episode, there were still several races where ballots were being counted. However, one thing was clear: Former President Donald Trump has been reelected to serve as the 47th President of the United States. In this episode, Jamison and Matt discuss the election results and the implications for the work of AACS in Washington.

Timothy Goeglein, Vice President of External and Government Relations for Focus on the Family, returns to the podcast to discuss his brand new book, Stumbling Toward Utopia. Listen in as Jamison and Tim discuss the decline of American culture and the hope for revival in our nation.

Veteran pro-life advocate, Tom McClusky joins Jamison and Matt to explain how to effectively advocate with elected officials and their staff members. Tom has more than two decades of experience in our nation's capital as a grassroots advocate for life and religious freedom.

Professor William Wagner, Founder and President of Salt and Light Global, joins Jamison and Matt to discuss the continuing battle over religious liberty not only in the United States, but also around the world.  Be sure to listen as Professor Wagner encourages us to equip ourselves, be fiercely unafraid to stand for truth and to do so with love as Jesus would do.

Be sure to checkout the resource website mentioned by Professor Wagner at slgwitness.com.

Will Estrada, Senior Counsel for the Home School Legal Defense Association, joins Jamison for a conversation about the importance of parental rights as it relates to the education of their children.  Both HSLDA and AACS will continue to advocate for the God-given rights of parents as they relate to education and liberty.

To read a copy of the article that Will referenced in the podcast, click here.

Rachel Burrow, Herzog Foundation Christian Teacher of the Year award recipient, joins Jamison to discuss how she incorporates Christ in her classroom. Rachel teaches 8th grade U.S. history at Bob Jones Academy and engages students in creative ways. Listen in to discover how Rachel learned she was an award recipient and her unique teaching journey.

School leaders from around the country recently gathered in Washington, D.C., for the AACS annual National Legislative Conference. Join Matt and Olivia as they provide a recap of the highlights from this exciting event. Also, be sure to mark you calendars for next year's NLC, which will be held September 8-10, 2025.

In the best teams, each member shares and advances the common vision. However, members that oppose the vision will hinder the team’s ability to carry out its mission. 

In this episode, Jamison and Matt discuss key religious employment cases and how those cases may influence the ability of Christian school leaders to choose employees within their biblically based beliefs and institutional guidelines.