Mrs. Kate Thoelke
Kate Thoelke serves as the Senior Advisor to the Co-Interim Principals of Our Savior Lutheran School, following her nearly five years as their school principal, after which her husband, John, accepted the position of VP of Finance at Concordia University-Chicago. Kate and John have raised three daughters and embraced classical Lutheran education as a result of their early years of Lutheran homeschooling. This led to serving as a teacher and principal at St. Paul Lutheran School in Hamel, IL, starting in 2015. Kate now serves the LCMS through the Genesis Project, providing guidance to LCMS churches interested in opening classical Lutheran schools. She has served three years as a member of the WA Board of Directors. Kate is a proud Concordia University - River Forest '96 graduate with an elementary education degree and a Director of Parish Music certification, holds a Master’s degree in education administration from Concordia University-Chicago in 2020, and is now a Concordia University-Chicago Organizational Leadership Ph.D. candidate.
From Calling to Classroom: The Heart of Classical Lutheran Education & the Art of Growing Great Teachers
How do classical school leaders go through the hiring process to find qualified teachers to serve? What requirements and expectations should we look for? What is the responsibility and role of school leaders in this process? This presentation will give you insights into how ongoing training and development are utilized both off-campus and on-campus to ensure that our teachers, the greatest asset of our schools’ operations, beyond the saving grace of God we teach to our scholars, can be addressed to ensure that professionalism, expertise, and knowledge are maximized for the benefit of our schools.