
By Meredith Knight | Photos by Karen Gnepper Photography
Brianna Robben had a dream. After watching her three girls go through The Pierce Academy and seeing all they gleaned from their time there, the long-time public school educator dreamed of teaching at Pierce herself. “Seeing the character lessons they were taught and the moral compass they were given, I wanted to be a part of offering that to other families,” she said.
Brianna witnessed how this family-owned and operated Christian preschool and childcare center actually teaches children how to learn in school. “They taught my girls the basic skills required to learn at any level,” she said. “I watched students come to public school who didn’t know how to handle conflict or how to respect authority. Then, I saw my own girls who were ready to learn, came to school already reading, and who understood the basic principles of respect for themselves, respect for their peers, and respect for their teacher.”
She still remembers the first day she toured The Pierce Academy. “I could truly feel God’s presence,” Brianna said. “The people who work there want to be there. This is their life’s work. Every teacher my girls had truly celebrated them for who they are and encouraged them to become who God wants them to be. As a working parent, I was able to do my job knowing my girls were in a safe, loving place where our moral beliefs were being reinforced.” Now, Brianna is happy to take part in preparing the next generation of Pierce Academy students.
Paula Orr had two sons attend The Pierce Academy and taught music and story time there for years. “They’ve always had topnotch master teachers who love Jesus and most of them have been there for years,” she said. “When my older son moved into public school, thanks to the ABEKA curriculum at The Pierce Academy, he was reading circles around the other kids.”
For Paula, part of the success of The Pierce Academy is the investment that owners, Craig and Cathy Pierce, make not only in their students, but in their teachers and in students’ families. “They’ve always attracted the cream of the crop in teachers, and they really nurture them. They’re also super supportive of the entire family, not just the students in their classes. It sounds cliché but Pierce Academy is a family.” Paula is thrilled to report that another generation of Orrs is attending The Pierce Academy. Her grandson, Camden, began the three-year-old class this year.
Now Offering Private Kindergarten
The goal of The Pierce Academy is to provide a safe, positive Christian environment for children to become enthusiastic about education and develop a healthy sense of self-worth. They do this through math, science, art, social skills, music, Spanish, and art classes all taught through a biblical lens. Phonics-based learning through the ABEKA program operates under the principle that, once children learn to read, they can read the Word of God. The curriculum also includes a daily Bible time where children are taught Bible stories in a non-denominational manner. And starting in fall 2024, Pierce Academy students will be able to continue developing their love of learning through their kindergarten year, furthering their strong foundation in reading, and deepening core values of love for God and love for other people.
“In our 40 years, we’ve been blessed to impact the lives of thousands of students and their families,” Craig Pierce said. “We began with our first school in 1984, going from two students to 100 that first year. By the second year, we welcomed 260 students.” The school continued to thrive and impact families and eventually, the couple opened their current school in Coppell just five blocks from their home. They were blessed to teach their own three kids and now two of their grandchildren, even as they grew their curriculum to include a two, three, and four-year-old program, as well as pre-K and now private kindergarten.
“Our curriculum is phonics-based and teacher driven,” Craig said. “Our focus is on teaching children to read beginning at two and three with letters and sounds, advancing to blending letters, and by pre-K, they’re reading simple words. Many can read an entire reader.”
There’s also a popular before and after-school care program where kindergarteners through fifth graders can be picked up from their public school, fed a snack, offered help with homework, and enjoy fun activities until 6 PM. And the summer program welcomes kindergarten through fifth-grade children with weekly field trips and fun activities.
Now Coming to Irving
Just as Cathy Pierce came up impacted by her own parents’ preschool, Corbin Pierce not only attended The Pierce Academy as a boy but says he spent much of his childhood there because it’s “where my parents loved to be.” As a husband and father now himself, he’s been praying about leaving a successful corporate career to join the family business of creating extraordinary beginnings for children.
This year, God opened the door for Corbin and his wife, Maddie, a registered nurse, to open their own Pierce Academy inside the Irving Bible Church at 2435 Kinwest Parkway in Irving, Texas. There they will offer the same phonics-based ABEKA curriculum to children 18 months through pre-K and the same safe, loving environment that places God first and children at the center of everything they do.
“My mom has always had a talent for finding rockstar teachers,” he said. “With her help, we’ve been able to hire a group of teachers who truly love kids, love teaching, and love the Lord. We’re excited about continuing the work my parents and grandparents began, building relationships with the community and with the families we serve.” Registration is open now at the new location through ThePierceAcademyTX.com or at the original Coppell location at ThePierceAcademy.com.
CONTACT
150 North Moore Road
Coppell, Texas 75019
(972) 304-0360
ThePierceAcademy.com
ThePierceAcademyTX.com