Chad Dirkse is currently serving in his 14th year as the President of Chattanooga Christian School (CCS). Prior to his time at CCS, Chad served 5 years as the Superintendent of Westminster Christian School in Elgin, Illinois. In addition to his head of school roles, he has served vocationally in Christian schooling as a Middle School and High School teacher and principal as well as an athletic director and High School basketball and soccer coach.

Chad has been married to his wife Heather for 29 years and they have three children. Their oldest daughter, Clara Wolfe, lives in Chattanooga and is married to Rob. Clara and Rob have two children, Joanna Kate and Mary Ellen. Their son Coleman lives in Charlotte and is married to Zoe. Their youngest daughter Kate is a senior at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee and will return for an extra semester in the fall of 2023 to finish her collegiate soccer career.

Chad is a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Advancement of Christian Education (CACE) where he serves schools across the country primarily through board governance and school operating support as well as strategic planning. He is an ordained ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church of America.

Chad holds a bachelor's degree in education from Covenant College and an MBA with a specialization in School Leadership from LeTourneau University.

Chad and Heather are members at Northshore Fellowship where Heather serves as the Women’s Ministry and Curriculum Coordinator. They enjoy hospitality, the outdoors, Premier League Soccer, and an active lifestyle.

Dear AACS Faculty & Staff,

I am humbled and honored to join you in the good work that God has prepared in advance for us to do. I look forward to meeting each of you and learning more about the unique ways you have been equipped to shape and form the hearts and minds of the students you serve. My role as Head of School is essentially for you to feel unencumbered to work together, connected by a unified purpose and common goals, to do the specific work you are created to do.

The heart and disposition of my work should be anchored in “the emptying” described in Philippians 2:5-8 and the self-awareness of Paul, in 1 Timothy 1:13-15 where he describes himself as the “foremost” sinner. In recognizing both the standard Christ sets and the distortion and rebellion of my particular sin and sinful patterns, I am opened day by day to the full embrace of God’s redeeming, amazing grace. My hope and prayer is that I can lead in ways that encourage and empower you all to help me grow more and more into the image of Christ Jesus. 

I am praying for you as a group and look forward to fellowship together in ways that will allow me to pray for you by name. Heather and I would love for you to pray for us as we close our time in Chattanooga and transition to Annapolis. We look forward to making new friends even while we wrestle with preparations to leave our Tennessee friends. These are very good and very hard things. God’s faithfulness is never ending, and his steadfast love endures forever. 

There is so much good in the past and present of AACS. We await, with eager anticipation, the opportunity to strengthen and sustain the mission of AACS into the future. See you soon!

Grace and Peace,

Chad Dirkse

Dear AACS Students,

My name is Chad Dirkse and I will soon be with you at AACS as the next Head of School. I started attending Christian schools in kindergarten and never really stopped. It has been one of the most significant joys of my life to work each day with students in grades preschool through 12th grade. While much of my work happens behind the scenes, I enjoy walking the halls as much as possible, attending school events, and helping wherever I can to develop vibrant, curricular, co-curricular, and student life experiences.

The reason I love working in Christian schools is most closely tied to the truth of Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.” Our value is anchored in the fact that God knows us by name and designed us to do wonderful things for His glory. The potential each of you has built into you is a priceless treasure. I am humbled to be part of your learning and growth journey. 

Part of God’s design for humanity includes the different ways we represent Him. The joy of Christian schooling is helping students see their unique, individual design and then connecting each person within one community. God knew from the beginning that it wasn’t good for us to be alone. The beauty of God’s purpose for us is that it includes both “me” and “we.” My prayer is that we can grow together to celebrate each person, connected and engaged within a school community where we flourish together. 

I will be praying for you as you continue through this semester and hope to meet some of you in the coming months as I transition from Chattanooga. Please keep my wife Heather and me in your prayers as we say goodbye to our friends here and look forward to making new ones in Annapolis. See you soon!

Go Eagles!!

Chad Dirkse