CHCA’s new Director of Academics, Dr. Michelle Walker-Glenn, shares her thoughts on technology, curriculum, and the value of a Christian education.
By: Jennifer Cooke, Content Strategy & Communications Manager
In August 2025, Dr. Michelle Walker-Glenn assumed the role as CHCA’s Director of Academics. A familiar face on our campuses (she’s an alum parent and former Board of Trustees member), Dr. Walker-Glenn has spent years in the education space as both a teacher and leader, assisting educators and schools across Southwest Ohio with forward-thinking strategies to enhance success in the classroom and beyond. Here, Dr. Walker-Glenn answers some questions that reveal her heart for Christ-centered education and goals for the future of academics at CHCA.
Q You’ve accomplished some incredible things over your career! Can you share a bit about your background?
I began my career as a high school mathematics teacher and have taught in both public and private schools. I’ve served as a middle school and high school principal and have taught undergraduate courses in teacher leadership at Miami University. My degrees include a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Xavier University, a master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of Cincinnati, and a Doctorate of Philosophy from Miami University, Oxford in Educational Leadership.
I spent a good portion of my career working with approximately 25 schools in Southwest Ohio through my affiliation with High Schools That Work (HSTW) and Making Middle Grades Work (MMGW). In that role, I assisted schools with strategic planning, data analysis, teacher teaming, curriculum alignment, classroom coaching, and implementation of best practices in instruction. I also worked as a mathematics consultant for Butler County Educational Service Center (BCESC)—supporting teachers in the implementation of learning standards, providing professional development and classroom coaching in K–12 math classrooms. I partnered with BCESC and the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) to design curriculum for the Teach to Lead Teacher Preparation Project to support individuals currently working in math and science fields as they earn their teaching credentials.
Fun fact: I began my college education as a dance major at Wright State University but later switched schools and majors. I’ve taught dance classes for over 20 years and have experience teaching ballet, tap, and jazz.
Q Equipping students through a world-class, Christ- centered education is CHCA’s mission. What is the value of integrating theological principles with an academically rigorous curriculum?
Theological integration coupled with rigorous academics ensures that our students graduate not just as knowledgeable individuals, but as wise, compassionate, purpose-driven leaders who are rooted in Christ and equipped to transform the world. Academic rigor isn’t about workload. True rigor means challenging students to think deeply, apply knowledge in meaningful ways, and persist through complex problems.
Academic rigor develops intellectual skills, and theological integration grounds those skills in Christ. Students learn how to think critically and come to understand how that learning should be used to serve others and glorify God.
At CHCA, students are not only prepared for college and careers, but also for lives of service and leadership. The focus is on our students’ future vocation and calling, not merely getting a job. When we couple strong academics with Christ-centeredness, learning moves from acquiring skills and earning grades to helping students find their calling to advance God’s kingdom.
“Educational outcomes are the strongest when parents and school partner together. Parents are the primary educators of their children and play a vital role in reinforcing academic and missional goals at home.”
Q Discussions abound about the impact of technological advances on education and the marketplace. How do you see technology enhancing the learning experience for CHCA students?
As students code, create multimedia projects, engage in virtual simulations, 3D print, use virtual reality (VR) headsets to make abstract concepts more concrete, and collaborate asynchronously with experts, our students are constantly reminded that technology is a gift to be stewarded. Learning with technology is more than simply making the lesson fun or gamified; it’s about making the learning deeper, more meaningful, longer lasting, and transferable to new situations.
Technology enhances the learning environment when it’s implemented with intentionality and purpose. The goal isn’t to use technology to replace traditional activities and materials, like in-class lectures and activities, with digital versions. The goal is to use technology in ways that transform and redefine what learning can look like.
At CHCA, technology isn’t just a tool. It’s an integral part of how we prepare students for a rapidly changing world while remaining rooted in Christ. Our approach to technology is grounded in the SAMR Model for Technology Integration and in alignment with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards. We strive to use technology to deepen learning, foster creativity, and equip students to use their God-given gifts with purpose and integrity.
Technology, when paired with rigorous academics and faith formation, advances our Portrait of an Eagle which develops students who are rooted in Christ, resilient and adaptable, creative and critical thinkers, collaborative communicators, and purpose-driven problem solvers. By engaging with technology in a balanced and purposeful way, CHCA students are not only equipped for success in the marketplace but also for work that furthers God’s kingdom.
Q Learning happens in the classroom but continues long after the final bell rings. In what ways can parents support students in their academic journey, from preschool through graduation?
Educational outcomes are the strongest when parents and school partner together. Parents are the primary educators of their children and play a vital role in reinforcing academic and missional goals at home.
PRESCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY
Reading at home, both to and with your child, is the single most important thing you can do to support academic achievement. Select books across a variety of genres. Include books that match your child’s reading level and books beyond your child’s reading level that you read together. Talk about the books—the setting, the characters, the themes, and connections to your lived experience. Let your child see you reading for pleasure too!
Help your child begin to see mathematics as part of their daily life. Find opportunities to count, sort, and identify patterns. Simple activities like comparing prices at the store, learning to measure ingredients for a recipe, or dividing cookies into equal groups to give friends, all help build early numeracy skills.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Encourage daily independent reading in a book of your child’s choice. Aim for 30-60 minutes a day. Ask open-ended questions and discuss how the book connects to your child’s interests, future career goals, values, friendships, or faith.
If math wasn’t your favorite subject in school, resist the urge to pass along any math fears or phobias. Rather than helping students simply get answers to homework problems by showing a procedure or tricks you know, encourage your child to learn math concepts to develop understanding. Ask your child to explain their thinking and justify their solutions. Math should make sense, not just be a series of answer-getting strategies.
HIGH SCHOOL
Encourage students to not only read what’s required at school, but to also select books for personal growth, interest, and pleasure. Invite your child to select books that will help personalize their learning journey and will build into the goal of becoming a lifelong learner. Discuss how books shape ideas, culture, values, and faith perspective. Select books for a family read—read and discuss those books together.
Rather than helping students directly with homework, support your child in becoming an independent learner. Rather than emailing your child’s teacher about a late assignment, encourage your child to draft and send that email. Begin working with your child to set goals, manage deadlines, and set priorities. Help your child find resources when they struggle, such as online tutorials, teacher office hours, or opportunities for extra help before or after school.
Q As we continue to innovate and prepare for what lies ahead, what is your vision for the future of academics at CHCA?
CHCA will continue to be grounded in the vision and mission established by the Founding Families. We will always be a school that provides a world-class Christian education—preparing students to learn, lead, and serve. Those past foundations remain part of the future vision.
As we look to the future, here are some key ideas regarding the vision for academics at CHCA:
Creating more opportunities for cross-curriculum connections. At the simplest level, learning is about making connections. When the books students are reading and the assignments they are completing foster connections across subject areas, the learning becomes more meaningful. Whenever possible, content should be timed and delivered in ways that allow students to see their learning holistically, not as discrete facts, subjects, or classes. Most importantly, learning at CHCA will be rooted in Kingdom-driven service that inspires students to lives of purpose and impact.
Develop enduring themes over time. Real learning is also cumulative. Rather than focus on discrete learning tasks at any given year of a child’s experience, we want to identify key themes, grounded in shared Christian values, to create meaningful experiences across grade levels. Our goal is to make CHCA’s curriculum cohesive from Pre-K through 12th grade. Ultimately, CHCA students will experience a deliberately designed educational experience that equipes students to embody our Portrait of an Eagle, prepared to fly.
Increasing personalization and choice. True learning is not one size fits all! While standards, benchmarks, and high expectations are critical for all learners, appropriate choice around how to meet those expectations makes learning more meaningful. Allowing students to personalize learning opportunities, create flexible schedules, or engage in blended learning options in age-appropriate ways is a key component of the future of education. Personalization allows students to explore their God-given gifts through advanced coursework, interdisciplinary projects, internships, and experiential learning.
Strengthening partnerships with higher education, business, and ministries. As a learner, have you ever wondered, “When am I ever going to use this?” or, “Why do I have to know this?” Deep learning doesn’t just happen when students have exposure to content, but when they see that content being connected to meaning or purpose—something they can use now or will use in the future. To support those future connections, CHCA will be working to build partnerships with higher education, business, and ministries. Students will see their learning connected to real-world endeavors, future careers, and opportunities to grow God’s kingdom.
Preparing students for emerging fields. Preparing students for the future is about preparing students for jobs that don’t exist yet. Many of these new jobs will be connected to emerging technologies. While technological tools are important, CHCA will strive to teach students the importance of stewarding digital tools not just for efficiency, but for creativity, industry, and service. New tools are exciting, and as Christians, we must learn to employ them with ethical and moral thoughtfulness. The future belongs to God, and our students are called into His story, prepared to embrace the future while remaining grounded in biblical truth.
