Welcome
Dear Parents and Community Members:
It is my honor to serve as the Executive Director of HOPE Christian Schools, a network of six college-preparatory schools in Milwaukee and Racine. Our collective mission is to share the unconditional love of Christ with our scholars, to support them to develop a deepening relationship with their Savior, to prepare them for post-secondary education, and to guide them in building personal character and their internal motivation for good decision-making and a fulfilling life beyond the classroom. We are blessed to be the educational home to over 3,000 scholars enrolled in our K-8 schools.
My goal is to bring the mission and vision of HOPE Christian Schools to life by ensuring a high quality educational experience for all of our scholars, by fostering collaboration among members of our school network, and by equipping school leaders with the tools they need to promote academic growth and learning that lasts.
At HOPE, we meet children where they are and help them reach their full potential. We use ongoing assessments to help teachers identify their scholars’ learning growth over time, so progress can be celebrated or instruction adjusted. Our dedicated K4-8 teachers are growing scholars faster in reading and math than the national school average.
At HOPE, we combine rigorous academics with a character formation journey for scholars and their teachers. This journey cultivates a strong sense of personal identity, purpose, and action. Each day, HOPE scholars learn to form the internally motivated character necessary for making good decisions both inside and outside the classroom.
At HOPE, our scholars benefit from our network of experienced educators who share best practices and learn from one another regularly. We provide a career path full of opportunities, enabling our staff to reach their full potential while helping scholars reach theirs. As Executive Director, my duties include coordinating with school leadership teams to develop a school vision, an instructional philosophy, measurable goals and objectives to deliver on our promise of Christ, College, and Character. Using collaborative processes and problem-solving techniques, the network creates opportunities for school leaders at all of our school sites to learn from one another and support their own professional development as reflective practitioners.
In preparation for my role at HOPE, I served in the Wisconsin public education sector for 32 years before joining Open Sky Education. My previous experience as a classroom teacher, district director of curriculum, assessment, instruction and staff development, elementary principal, high school principal, and district superintendent brings to HOPE a depth of practical knowledge about the way students learn and school climate and culture are created. I consider myself a lifelong learner and model this passion for my staff and students. I earned my bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, my master’s degree from Marian University and my doctoral degree in urban education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
I am blessed to play a part in the story of HOPE: a story of God working through His people to unlock potential in His children and to inspire a sense of purpose within them that brings lasting change to lives, families and communities. It takes more than our teachers, support staff, and administrators to accomplish this; we need you as a partner for our schools to reach our shared goal of excellence for our students and community.
I look forward to working with you, our parents and community in the coming year, and if I can be of any assistance, please contact me at 262-542-9546 ext. 4201 or ellen.bartling@openskyeducation.org.