Meet Our President
Letter from the President
We are delighted that you are interested in attending Valley Christian Schools (VCS)! Let me take this opportunity to give you an overview of what you can expect. The VCS faculty, staff, and administration are committed to the Quest for Excellence. We define the highest standard of excellence as the nature, character, and works of God, and we believe it is the standard to which we aspire. The Quest for Excellence is to follow Jesus and to become more like Him.
We strive for excellence to glorify God, and not ourselves. “Do everything as unto the Lord, and not unto men,” is our theme verse that accompanies the phrase. (Colossians 3:23) In keeping with the Quest for Excellence, we offer the following commitments to VCS students and parents:
- Effective, well-trained Christian teachers who love the Lord and their students.
- Nurturing classrooms managed by teachers who are committed to their personal Quest for Excellence and who strive to model the fruit of the Spirit in all of their living. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control.” (Gal. 5:22)
- Bible instruction and prayer, with every subject integrated with the truths and Christian values contained in the Bible.
- VCS’ interdenominational integrity includes Biblical truths that followers of Christ have held consistently since the 1st-century church. Our faculty teach Biblical views which are held in common by Bible-believing churches that agree the Bible is the Word of God, and that teaches Jesus Christ is the Risen Son of God, for “in all the world there is no one else whom God has given who can save us.” (Acts 4:12)
- All students are taught to seek forgiveness for sin, accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, take personal initiative to study God’s Word, and make it their primary objective to love, serve, and honor our Lord Jesus. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Mark 12:30-31)
- Quality education at Valley Christian Schools means accepting learners as God created them with varied gifts and abilities. It means teaching students as Jesus learned, increasing “in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52) at their individual level of understanding and providing instruction at a pace at which they can succeed to their highest potential involving a wide range of instructional strategies.
- Valley Christian teachers view parents as the primary educators of their children under God. Christian teachers receive their authority to teach children from parents.
- Parents can expect written or personal communication from teachers to allow parents to provide added assistance to the student in time to raise a grade should an academic grade begin to slip below a “C” level. Parents are always welcome at school and parent/teacher conferences may be arranged through the teacher or school office.
- If student difficulties or differences with the school arise, Valley Christian Schools is committed to working with parents and students to resolve the issue as guided by Matthew 18:15-16.
- Kindergarten classes do not ordinarily exceed 24 students. Primary class sizes are normally no larger than 25 students. Intermediate classes will normally be no larger than 29 students. Most junior high and high school academic classes are below 30 students and seldom exceed 32 students. The principal may approve larger class sizes to resolve scheduling issues.
Excellence in every aspect of our schools is our goal. We look forward to you joining our Quest and becoming a part of the Valley Christian Schools community.
Clifford E. Daugherty, EdD
President
Dr. Daugherty joined Valley Christian Schools on July 21, 1986.
Under his leadership, VCS constructed two separate campuses for three schools where enrollment has more than tripled to 2750 students, including 1600 in high school. Today, the cost to acquire the lands and build facilities would exceed $300 million. Dr. Daugherty serves as Chair of the William Jessup University Board, is the founder of Neighborhood Christian Preschools, the Christian Schools Association of Santa Clara County, the Quest Institute for Quality Education, the Ekklesia in Education, and was the founding principal of Los Altos Christian Schools. Dr. Daugherty received his BS double majoring in English Literature and Bible and Theology, his MA from San Jose State University, and EdD from the University of San Francisco, both in Private School Administration and Special Education. He holds lifetime California and ACSI Teaching and Administrative credentials.
He authored several books, including Quest for Excellence, 2006, Fly with Your Dreams, 2012, and The Quest Continues, 2015. Published in 2019, the Light, Life, and Learning curriculum, co-authored with Cynthia Nardi, includes a storybook, workbook, and instructional manual. The soon to be published second edition of Quest for Quality Education was co-authored with Danny D. Kim.
Dr. Daugherty and his wife, Kris, have two children and six grandchildren.
Valley Christian Schools President
408.513.2500
Contact: president@vcs.net
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
The President’s Report is periodically published to update the VCS community about K-12 events and other relevant information that reflect what becoming a Warrior means to our students as they learn to lead, serve, and impact their communities and the world, making a difference for eternity.
QUEST FOR EXCELLENCE MEDIA
Dr. Daugherty is the author of the Quest Series, which documents God’s amazing faithfulness to Valley Christian Schools in different seasons of the school’s development and growth. The Quest Series and the Light, Life, and Learning curriculum are available through Quest for Excellence Media.
QUEST INSTITUTE
The mission of the Quest Institute for Quality Education is to inspire students and educators in their Quest for Excellence by making transformative educational programs, best practices, and tools accessible globally.
EKKLESIA IN EDUCATION
The purpose of The Ekklesia in Education is to advance Christian education for all preschool through collegiate children and young adults in our communities with the mission to enable every child to hear the truth and have a choice to follow Jesus.