Superintendent Matt Davidson was inducted into Marquis Who’s Who® in America! Amazing! Marquis Who’s Who® in America has been recognizing accomplished individuals and innovators since 1899. Mr. Davidson has been on a mission since he began his career in Christian education 30 years ago. “My desire and my life's work is that our young people would know and believe that God loves them, that He has a purpose for their life, and that nothing will be impossible for them as they live out that purpose for His glory,” Mr. Davidson said. 

It’s that mission that makes Mr. Matt Davidson a truly remarkable addition to Marquis Who’s Who® in America. 

Timothy’s success is not a happenstance. It comes from a well-thought out vision and an enduring commitment to fulfill it. Matt Davidson was hired 14 years ago as Timothy’s superintendent because the board liked what he said he’d bring — and he has delivered. He is a visionary leader. But he’s done so much more that simply can’t be measured by any worldly standards. 

Simply put: He loves his job and he loves kids. He looks for opportunities to deepen his relationships with them. Doing so, allows him to share that the Bible is the best tool to prepare students for real-world experiences.

Mr. Davidson walks through every building every day (and even visits the playground!). Students flock to him — and he knows many of their names. He asks questions about their activities and how school is going. On Wednesday morning, Mr. Davidson leads Unstoppable, a Bible study for high school students, which nearly 20% of the study body attends. Students see him on the sidelines at their games, in the audience at concerts and plays. He seems to have superhero energy and attends every activity — often more than one in a night. 

He also connects with parents often catching up at an activity, at pick up, or even meeting for coffee. Every parent has his cell phone number. When he emails parents, he starts with the same phrase in his salutation: “Team Timothy.” His relationship-focused style of leadership is inspiring. In fact, relationship-focused is one of Timothy’s core values. 

“Starting with me, to every teacher, to every educational assistant, all 280 employees, we work hard to create a challenging, rewarding, and relationship-focused environment for our nearly 1,300 students,” Mr. Davidson said. “We partner with parents to help their children learn and grow in three areas: upholding Biblical truth, igniting academic growth, and inspiring courageous leadership – one student at a time.”

As the largest PS-12th grade Christian school in Illinois and one of the largest in the country, Mr. Davidson admits that Timothy’s mission is a pretty ambitious set of goals. But he said, “By any measure, we are meeting them. We are competitive academically with other top schools, public and private, with the added component of a strong connection rooted in the timeless values of the Bible.”

“We have developed proven teaching/ learning strategies complemented with a perfect blend of innovation,” he added “Instead of teaching all the students in a given class the same material while giving the same assessments at the same pace, we look at data to determine how students are performing and then create a customized and appropriately challenging educational plan for each student. I know it sounds make-believe, but we’re doing it.”

And the students are thriving! 

The elementary school was recently only one of 6 in the state to win the “Whole Child Award” from the Illinois Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development– thus recognizing Timothy’s commitment to student growth in every way. 

High school students are competing at State and National levels. Last year, Timothy’s ACES team (Academic Challenge in Engineering and Science) won the State Championship, which is a highly competitive academic battle of private and public school scholars across Illinois. In 2023, VEI, a student-run virtual business plan, also captured the State title and placed 13th at Nationals.

The Class of 2023, saw 26 seniors named State Scholars, two were named Commended Students in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship program, and three were awarded the pinnacle status of National Merit Finalists — all coming from a high school of 450 students! Timothy students average well above norms for SAT and ACT scores, and seniors are accepted at top-tier colleges and universities, often with college credits they already earned at Timothy Christian High School.

Timothy is a full member of council with CESA (Council on Educational Standards and Accountability) – an organization of the top Christian Schools in the nation. Currently, there are only 50 full members of the council. Timothy is considered a flagship Christian school, often sharing best practices with other schools across the nation.

It’s clear that the leadership of Matt Davidson and ultimately the mission and vision of Timothy Christian Schools resonates with families. With just about every seat filled in every grade level, students come from nearly 700 church-going families from 20 miles every direction. Timothy is a non-denominational Christian school with over 200 churches represented. Families are eager to invest in Christ-centered education. 

It’s obvious that Matt Davidson loves his job. And being selected for Who’s Who in America is quite a professional milestone. But to Matt Davidson his selection is a testament to Team Timothy. He gives credit to extraordinary teammates along the way and the grace of God.

 “Our students are learning how hard work can pay off,” said Mr. Davidson. “One of the keys to winning is to get enough people to care...enough people willing to pay the price for success. Here at Timothy, it’s a community of people who care. We’ve locked arms together behind these simple truths for our youth: God loves you, and He has a purpose for your life. Nothing will be impossible for you as you live out that purpose for His glory.”