Superintendent Matt Davidson and longtime high school teacher and Mock Trial coach Scott Roelofs were each awarded Excellence in Education for Meritorious Service by the Illinois State Board of Education. Mr. Davidson and Mr. Roelofs were among only 490 teachers and administrators recognized statewide. Moreover, very few private schools were recognized, and Timothy was the only private school with two award winners. 

Since 1970, the Illinois State Board of Education has sponsored the Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year programs to honor educators who have made significant contributions to public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools. Application materials, which consisted of several essays, recommendations, and even photos and videos, were evaluated by a selection committee comprised of representatives from a variety of educational organizations. 

While we like winning awards and receiving accolades, that isn’t what drives Mr. Roelofs and Mr. Davidson. Take a moment to read about what inspires Mr. Roelofs and Mr. Davidson to keep marching into work day after day, year after year.

Mr. Scott Roelofs Mock Trial Coach & Classroom Legend

Mr. Roelofs is in his 44th year of teaching at Timothy Christian High School. As a newly minted college graduate, Mr. Roelofs joined Team Timothy in 1979, which means he’s taught over the span of 6 different decades. He’s taught Christianity in Western Civilization, government, and economics. Over his tenure he has taught hundreds of students (and many, many children of alumni!). If you ask any student, they’ll tell you Mr. Roelofs is best known for his frequent and vivid storytelling; they would use phrases like “he’s the G.O.A.T.” (Greatest of all Time) or “he’s a legend.” 

If you peeked into Mr. Roelofs class, you’d see students sitting in rapt attention. Although he teaches historical facts, his most important goal is to teach students how to live as “salt of the earth.” (Matthew 5:13)

“History is not a series of random events, but is the unfolding of God’s plan,” Mr. Roelofs says. “I try to help my students realize they each have a role in God’s plan. I believe that all classes I teach provide a great opportunity. They provide an opportunity to develop Christian thinkers as we attempt to understand the world, and they provide an opportunity for a practical application of our Christian beliefs.”

“I try to help my students realize they each have a role in God’s plan. I believe that all classes I teach provide a great opportunity. They provide an opportunity to develop Christian thinkers as we attempt to understand the world, and they provide an opportunity for a practical application of our Christian beliefs.” —Mr. Scott Roelofs

He’s certainly earned legendary status, not only as a teacher, but also as the Mock Trial coach, a team he started in 1983 when a student mentioned he liked courtroom dramas. Over the years, Mr. Roelofs has led the team to 8 State Championships (the most recent in 2022) and 8 National appearances (placing 4th in the nation in 1998, 6th in 2004, 3rd in 2006, and top 20 in 2022). 

Even though his Mock Trial team competes at a high level (and often, against much larger public schools), Mr. Roelofs’ most pressing concern is not a State title or even a National one. He first and foremost wants students to be representatives of Christ. 

“What I am most concerned with is how we represent our school and our faith in a God-honoring way. That’s what will be remembered — not the trophies,” Mr. Roelofs says. 

If it seems countercultural, that’s because it is.

Mr. Roelofs has taught and, more importantly, modeled how to be a Christ-like servant leader. As a teacher and a coach, his most important goal is to raise up the next generation of courageous leaders — who do everything for the glory of God!

Champion for Students, Matt Davidson, Superintendent

Pick any weekday, and you’ll find superintendent Matt Davidson high-fiving students as they make their way to class. He calls them out by name. He remembers who plays basketball, who loves theater, who is a musician. It’s also not unusual for him to be on the playground, talking to our youngest students. On Wednesday mornings before school, every high school student is invited to attend Unstoppable, Mr. Davidson’s Bible study. Over 20% of the student body attends regularly! 

It’s these personal connections that define Mr. Davidson and ultimately Timothy Christian Schools. It’s also these connections — the ones that inspire our youth to dream, excel, and work hard — that ultimately shape the Christ-centered community at Timothy. 

To the Timothy community, Mr. Davidson is part CEO, part teacher, part mentor, and the biggest fan of the students.

“The underpinnings of the Christian school must be both faith and excellence. They are inseparable values and objectives of Timothy Christian Schools.” —Mr. Matt Davidson

Mr. Davidson has an impressive resume. He began his tenured career in Christian education as a high school history and Bible teacher. He also coached basketball and baseball at Aurora Christian during much of that span. Over the years, he served as a Dean of Students and eventually Principal at Aurora Christian and then superintendent for Northwest Christian School in Phoenix – the largest private school in Arizona. He joined Team Timothy as the superintendent in 2010. 

At Timothy, he has overseen nearly $60MM in capital campaigns, including the WAC, Trojan Stadium, the high school renovation, and dozens of other projects. He was also instrumental in earning a National Blue Ribbon of Excellence, eight consecutive years of enrollment growth, and Timothy’s CESA accreditation, which has rigorous standards and is currently composed of the top 50 Christian schools in the country. 

Mr. Davidson is excellence-driven in everything he does. “The underpinnings of the Christian school must be both faith and excellence,” Mr. Davidson says. “They are inseparable values and objectives of Timothy Christian Schools. We have pledged to be a school where Jesus Christ has the highest place. So we are committed to growth, improvement, and excellence in every aspect of our school programming.” 

Mr. Davidson is dedicated to keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing. In fact, he had that painted in big, bold letters on a wall in the middle school as a reminder. 

Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing is why he gets up early to pray with students on a Saturday morning before they head off to a State competition, or why you’ll see a student sitting in his office seeking counsel and advice, and why he learns names of just about every student (it’s really quite amazing!). 

He’s dedicated his entire career to Christ-centered, Biblically-based education. He’s been instrumental in developing Timothy Christian Schools as a premier, private school. But to Mr. Davidson, more programs and an increase in enrollment means the opportunity to share the life and love of Jesus with more and more students. Mr. Davidson’s main goal: To train young people to stand on the promises of God and to uphold Biblical virtues and values — and to do it all for the glory of God!