The Revival of Classical Education in America

Schools across the U.S. have standards set by the state and local county school boards, and each one can vary significantly. The standards are constantly changing, and these abrupt changes can negatively affect a student’s course of learning. Living in a county that boasts A-rated public schools does not always guarantee an appropriate education. Parents are beginning to realize that trusting the government to educate their children may not be the best decision anymore. Due to the rise in government distrust and overall dissatisfaction with the public school system, parents are now searching for alternative styles of education. One form of education that has proven to stand the test of time is classical education. In recent years, the classical education curriculum has become even more mainstream and sought after in both public and private school settings.

Classical education is not a new concept and has been around for over 1,000 years and has remained almost unchanged. Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Adams, and John Hancock are all the founding fathers of the U.S., and each one had a classical education. These great men had a fluid understanding of ancient Latin and Greek writings, along with the seven liberal arts that are the foundation for this type of learning. Classical education is language-focused and follows a three-part pattern. All forms of learning are interrelated and lead the mind to discover the link between each subject being studied. Throughout a twelve-year classical education, there are three repetitions of the same four-year pattern. The Ancients, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Reformation, and Modern Times all taught at varying levels. The eras are linked to other subjects within the curriculum and the pattern rotates from simple, to more difficult, to complex, until the completion of the cycles in the 12th grade. The systematic and rigorous education develops virtue and cultivates a mind under the truth.

The classical education model can be taught with or without a Christian affiliation. The classical Christian education curriculum includes Christ’s teachings, which are intertwined in every area of study, the focus on the trivium, and how the students learn to apply these teachings to their everyday life. Mrs. Wallis Brooks, who is the founder and principal of the classical Christian school St John’s Academy, recently shared her opinions on why classical education has survived all of these years.

BM: Why do you think that the unchanged classical education model has survived all these years?

Wallis Brooks: I think that the classical model has been around since the Greco/Roman era and has been passed on from generation to generation throughout the world. Our Founding Fathers were beneficiaries of that tradition. I’m sure every culture has made the classical education model uniquely its own in some ways, but the core has remained the same: Latin, Classical Literature, and Western Civilization. St. John’s Academy has inherited the legacy and we are intentional in maintaining the tradition and passing it on to the next generation.

BM: Who do you credit for discovering classical education? How many years have you been involved in classical education?

Wallis Brooks: I would have to personally credit Doug Wilson and Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning, published in 1991, for the beginning of my journey and love of classical Christian education. Also, a trip to the Geneva School in Orlando in 1994 and then an adventure to the Logos School in Moscow, Idaho, and, as they say, the rest is history!

BM: What does a classical education mean to you?

Wallis Brooks: There are probably no words to express what a classical education means to me! It means an open window into the understanding of the past, the beauty of words and expression, secrets of the heart, seeking virtue, and understanding what that means.

BM: Where do you foresee the future of classical education?

Wallis Brooks: Due to the Pandemic and the unmasking of the public education system, the classical movement has received a great deal of attention from the media. I believe we have a short window of time to allow new families and students to discover the treasure of classical education.

Choosing which type of education is the best for your child should not be a stressful event, but unfortunately, it has become just that. Sometimes in life, we must be confronted with a challenge to invoke change and do what is best for the future of our children. Plato is known for saying “the direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life”. Looking to the past, and what has worked well in education is the best way to change the course for the future.