King's Schools
King's Schools is a private, Christian school with students in preschool through – 12th grade. Located on a 55-acre campus in Shoreline, Washington, the school has an enrollment of more than 1250 students.  King's is based on the foundation of four principles: academic excellence, Christian commitment, caring community, and rich heritage.   Erick Streelman is Head of School at King's Schools History. King's Schools was founded in 1950 by Mike and Vivian Martin. Originally called King's Garden, in 1979 the name was changed to CRISTA Ministries and the school became King's Schools .  Academics. King's Schools is fully accredited with the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and COGNIA. King's Preschool is a faith-based preschool for children ages 18 months to 5 years old. It is committed to providing each child with a thoughtful, creative, and cooperative learning curriculum that equips them in body, mind, and spirit for God's purpose and glory.    King's Elementary includes direct and differentiated instruction, everyday STEM, integrated lessons, teamwork, and cooperative learning experiences. They also have the option of enrolling in the Spanish Immersion Program from kindergarten through sixth grade.   King's Junior  High provides rigorous academics, leadership training, and sportsmanship in a structured, nurturing community where students mature beyond the elementary years and prepare for high school.  King's High School is a college-prep high school with honors courses, Advance Placement classes, and concurrent college credit options. Concurrent credit provides students with the opportunity to take college-level courses on campus and graduate with over 40 college units. Taught by KHS faculty, 14 courses are offered through Northwest University. Ninety-eight percent of King's High School graduates pursue higher education.  Extracurricular Activities. Robotics – 2010 to present: King's Schools has  Robotics teams at elementary, junior high, and high school levels. The Robotics program at King's has competed in four Washington State championships; has placed second, third, and fourth in World's; and has won multiple honors at the State and World's levels such as the Inspire Award, Chairman's Award, and PNW Rookie All Star Award.   Mock Trial – 2010 to present: Mock Trial is a competition in which students simulate a real trial. It competes regularly at the State level, has placed in the top three of districts 10 times, and won Best Attorney and Witness awards eight  times at various levels.   DECA – 2008 to present: DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management in high schools and colleges around the globe.  Students qualify to compete at the state and national levels every year, and this year one team placed first in International competition. Students also take the National Financial Capability Challenge each year.   Athletics – King's athletic teams have won 44 State championships, 33 Academic State championships, and have been recognized with multiple individual honors for coaches and athletes at conference and state levels. King's earned the WIAA Scholastic Cup  for eight years in a row.  Drama/Fine Arts – All students at King's have the opportunity to participate in choir, band, orchestra, drama, and the fine arts.    Controversy over Anti-LGBTQ stance. In September 2019, it was revealed through multiple media sources around the globe that King's Schools (and their parent organization Crista Ministries), had hardened their stance on acceptance of homosexuality at the school. This policy required teachers to disavow same-sex relationships, both on the job and in their personal lives. It further required that they teach that homosexuality is “a result of the failure to  worship God,” a belief that has little to no biblical support. Once notified of this policy, numerous teachers left of their own accord and more were forced out of the school. However, non-disclosure agreements prevented many of those teachers from speaking about the issue and the true impact on the school. Megan Troutman, an English teacher who left as a result of the new policy, noted that she "cannot, in good faith or conscience, teach in a place that creates policies that negatively impact an entire section of the student population...I could not be complicit in a  policy that could harm or ostracize any student.” As a result of these actions, many families left the school because they did not support or did not want to fund a discriminatory organization. It was expected that many more teachers and families would follow suit, raising questions about the direction that doctrinal direction that King's School would take, with many concerned over extreme right-wing influences. Comments on social media and other platforms indicated an increasing divide between groups supporting King's anti-LGBTQ stance and those opposing it. Much of the blame for the new policy was attributed  to Jacinta Tegman, the new CEO of Crista Ministries. Tegman was formerly the executive director of "Sound the Alarm," which sought to use political action to repeal gay marriage as well as legal protections for LGBTQ citizens. Tegman's effort, Referendum 65, ultimately failed as she was unable to obtain enough signatures to place it on the ballot.