Dr. Jason Tindol hopes to bring stability to top position on campus
VANCOUVER — The new superintendent of King’s Way Christian Schools brought a sense of humor to the job.
“Look up the definition of awesome in the dictionary. They finally found that somebody,” Dr. Jason Tindol said with a smile.
“Actually, they couldn’t find him, so they hired me.”
In reality, King’s Way believes it has found the right person for the job, and Tindol expects to be here for an extended period of time.
“God called me here. When God calls, you listen,” Tindol said. “This is not a step toward something. This is a destination. I’m glad God sent me to this destination.”
He had his family — his wife Jody and their three children — are making the move from Missouri.
“We’re not renting. We’re buying,” he said, adding that he does not believe God called him for a short stay in the Northwest.
That should help put parents, students, and school board members at ease. For myriad reasons, King’s Way has had steady turnover at the top. Tindol is the fifth superintendent this decade.
Tindol said everything is set up for long-term success now. He expects to be a superintendent, and a superintendent only. He will not be a principal at any of the schools — the preschool, the elementary school, the middle school, and the high school.
“In a quality institution, you have to have quality leaders,” he said. “We need people to be excellent in a few things instead of good in a lot of things.”
The focus for him, he said, is the mission at King’s Way Christian: “To partner with families to provide a Christ-centered education.”
Tindol started his role in July. His family is expected to arrive later this month, in time for the new school year. His son Weston (an incoming third-grader), and his daughters Avery (seventh grader) and Kinsey (11th grader) will all be students at the campus in Vancouver.
Tindol, who has lived all over the world as a son of a U.S. Army officer, worked as a principal in Nashville, Tenn., for 13 years before moving to St. Joseph, Mo., where he was the superintendent for four years at a smaller private school system similar to that of King’s Way Christian.
He will bring with him a similar philosophy, too. Extra-curricular activities are essential to the success of a school. He will support athletics and he said he is “known for” putting an emphasis on the fine arts.
“If you have great teachers, a great band instructor, a great choir director, you’re going to get great kids,” Tindol said.
Because he is new to King’s Way Christian, he is not sure exactly how he will emphasize these programs just yet. He does promise to look at scheduling, to ensure all students who are interested will have the opportunity to participate in fine arts.
Jesus Christ will be at the center of all things on the campus.
“Folks want something different when they send their kids to King’s Way,” Tindol said. “Some families want more depth when it comes to the Christian philosophy and the Christian worldview. Some families want to go deeper than just Jesus is real. They want an in-depth look at who Jesus was.”
The Northwest will be new for the Tindol family. They know they are where they are supposed to be, though.
“The Lord prompted a call on me to come out here. I obeyed that call,” he said. “Now we’re living here in Washington.”
