Chad Gallagher

Safeguarding the Culture of Your School – The Greatest Challenge of Growth

Maintaining a strong and mission-driven culture as schools grow becomes one of the most significant challenges leaders face. This session will explore school leaders’ critical role in preserving their institutions’ identity, values, and excellence while navigating expan- sion. We will discuss practical strategies for engaging parents as partners, cultivating a healthy student body, and fostering staff alignment to ensure that growth enhances—rather than erodes—your school’s culture. Attendees will gain insights into proactively addressing cultural drift, setting clear expectations, and implementing policies that uphold institutional integrity. Above all, this session focuses on every school’s most important battleground: the human heart.

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Chad Gallagher is the Founder of Legacy Academy, a fully accredited K-12 classical Christian school serving families in rural Southwest Arkansas. What began as a deeply personal journey—homeschooling his two eldest children—soon became a calling. With a vision for restoring timeless academic excellence through a classical approach, Gallagher and his wife, Jessica, established Legacy Academy in 2008 with just three kindergarten students. Through his leadership, the school has grown steadily, adding a grade each year and graduating its first class in 2020. Today, Legacy Academy serves 150 students and continues to expand, now including a daycare program to support families in need of early childhood education.

Beyond Legacy Academy, Gallagher has been a driving force in shaping education policy in Arkansas, leveraging his extensive experience in governance, strategic consulting, and business. As a former mayor, political director, and advisor to former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, he has played a key role in advancing initiatives that benefit Christian schools and educational choice across the state.

In addition to his work in education, Gallagher is the founder of a strategic consulting firm serving governors, high-profile individuals, and private-sector clients. He and Jessica, his wife of 28 years, are entrepreneurs with diverse business ventures, including a grass-fed beef farm, a restaurant, and a historic real estate investment firm. He is also a committed church elder and serves on multiple boards and commissions.

Gallagher is a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and history. His passion for faith, education, and community continues to shape the next generation of leaders at Legacy Academy and beyond.