Mondays with Mike: What our Families Told Us
Dear PCA Families,
Good afternoon! This week’s “Mondays with Mike” is now available.
Over the past two weeks, we have talked about the kind of school PCA is called to be and what strong, coherent teaching and learning should look like.
This week, Nate Paul joins me to put those commitments alongside something equally important: what you told us in the spring family survey.
There is much for which we are grateful.
Families affirmed the Christ-centered character of PCA, strong relationships, teachers and coaches who care deeply for students, and the breadth of opportunities available to our children.
You also asked us to grow—especially in the Upper School—in academic consistency, confidence in teaching, communication, and leadership follow-through.
Listen to Week 3: What Our Families Told Us
Key Takeaways
- There is much at PCA worth protecting.
Families affirmed our Christ-centered community, strong relationships, caring teachers and coaches, and the breadth of opportunities available to students. - Families also asked us to become more consistent.
The strongest concerns, especially in the Upper School, centered on academic consistency, confidence in teaching, communication, and leadership follow-through. - Strong outcomes and an uneven experience can both be true.
Our academic review shows real strength and improvement, while also confirming places where greater consistency is still needed. - Teachers are central—and leadership must support them well.
Strong teaching depends on clear curriculum, coaching, collaboration, professional development, resources, and time. - The work is already underway.
We are continuing Math coherence, strengthening Science, aligning writing across Grades 6–12, and developing more PCA-aligned assessments.
“Coherence doesn’t mean sameness, and improvement does not mean replacement. It means stewarding what is strong while strengthening what is uneven.”
Next week, we will make this even more practical:
What should students and families actually expect to see and experience during the 2026–27 school year?
Thank you for the candor, encouragement, and trust represented in your feedback. We are listening, we are grateful for what is strong, and we take responsibility for what needs to become stronger.
Grateful to be building this with you,
Mike Runey
Head of School
Portsmouth Christian Academy
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