Our Board

The Board of Governors believes in and is committed to governing Rosslyn Academy as a Christian school in an international setting, seeking to provide high quality education which meets North American school accreditation standards and explicitly espouses and promotes Christian values, principles and faith.

2023-2024 Board of Governors

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Board Structure and Philosophy

Rosslyn Academy is governed and administered in accordance with a Constitution as approved by Rosslyn’s Sponsoring Agencies: the Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM), the Eastern Mennonite Mission (EMM), and the International Mission Board (IMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention. The Board consists of six to eight members, plus the school’s Superintendent, who is an ex-officio (non-voting) member.

The Board of Rosslyn Academy has adopted a governance model known as Policy Governance. This model, also known as the Carver Model, is used widely by NGOs and educational institutions around the world. Policy Governance can be most simply and clearly explained through the following analogy:

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River Analogy

Imagine a boat on a river. The boat has owners, a captain, and is headed to an intended destination. At Rosslyn Academy, Policy Governance can be explained by noting that the owners of the boat (the Sponsoring Agencies represented by the Board) want their boat (Rosslyn Academy) to get to a desired destination (Rosslyn’s mission and purpose statements). The owners hire a competent captain (the Superintendent) to get the boat to its destination. The owners give the captain a simple but comprehensive and empowering order: “As long as you demonstrate (via regular monitoring reports to the Board) that the boat is heading in the right direction (the Board’s global 'Ends Statement'), and is staying in the water between the river banks (the Board’s policies, created in alignment with Rosslyn’s mission and purpose statements), you have the freedom to get to the destination the way you think is best.” And, conversely, “if you (the captain) can’t get to our desired destination or are not staying within the river banks (within the Board’s policies), we will find another captain.”

The destination of the boat is clear: You can find this in Rosslyn’s mission and purpose statement. But what is the right direction of the boat en route to its destination, and where are the river banks? Here are a few examples from the Board’s Policy Manual:

Rosslyn’s Direction (from the Board’s global Ends Statement)

Students will develop holistically to maximize their God-given potential, resulting in visionary leadership and service in the world community.

  • Spiritually, students will make progress towards living honest spiritual lives with high personal character and ethics, based on an encounter with Jesus Christ and his teachings.
  • Academically, students will develop virtuous intellectual character and outstanding academic abilities, skills, and a knowledge base relative to their grade and aptitude level.
  • Physically, artistically, and relationally, students will move towards healthy lifestyles and the development of skills which express their unique God-given gifts.
  • Socially, students will be inspired and equipped for Christ-like service through meaningful service opportunities at school and in the world. 

The River Banks (a selection of our Board Policies)

  • The Superintendent must manage Rosslyn ethically, lawfully, prudently, and in accordance with the Ends Statement.
  • Staff, students, and volunteers must be managed fairly, safely, with dignity, with appropriate confidentiality, and consistently with Rosslyn’s values.
  • Facilities must be purchased, planned, developed and constructed without placing Rosslyn in financial jeopardy and in accordance with Rosslyn’s multi-year architectural and financial plan.
  • All internal and external threats will be managed proactively via an ongoing contingency plan.
  • Rosslyn must maintain accreditation with a recognized North American accreditation body that supports Rosslyn’s values and beliefs.
  • The Board’s sole connection to Rosslyn operationally will be through the Superintendent.
  • The Board will communicate appropriate channels that should be followed when a complaint is brought forward. Parents and Staff will be instructed to follow the proper steps of the grievance policy as outlined in the Parent/Student handbook (ES, MS, HS).
  • The Board recognizes that while Rosslyn is owned by the three Sponsoring Agencies, as a nonprofit Christian school, Rosslyn also has “owners” comprised of its students and parents of students.