With every day, it seems, the classical schooling movement grows by leaps and bounds. More and more schools open across the country, with ever increasing variety and excellence in their offerings, and the promise of real cultural change resulting from the work of classical educators becomes more and more palpable. With this growth has come an increased public awareness of all that classical schools purport to offer, and all that makes them unique. Inevitably, like all things in an era of marketing and publicity, classical education has become a brand.
Like you, I'm deeply drawn to the classical movement for its promise. However, I worry that it is currently not more than a particular facade placed on an otherwise christian private school. Yes, our curriculum slightly differs and the people we attract are usually of a particular sort, but the learning environment we provide faintly differs from those in private or public schools. That is, we are functioning in the same paradigm.
To achieve classical should not require teachers to constantly strive against the boundaries of the modern paradigm assumed by their school. As such, our schools fall into "going through the motions" because our we 'assumed' those motions in establishing our schools. We would be served much better from developing an inherently 'classical' paradigm whose motions move us even when we are at rest and whose rhythms we would be proud to "go through."
There's much more to say, but that's enough for one note. Always happy to talk more. Thanks for the article.
Like you, I'm deeply drawn to the classical movement for its promise. However, I worry that it is currently not more than a particular facade placed on an otherwise christian private school. Yes, our curriculum slightly differs and the people we attract are usually of a particular sort, but the learning environment we provide faintly differs from those in private or public schools. That is, we are functioning in the same paradigm.
To achieve classical should not require teachers to constantly strive against the boundaries of the modern paradigm assumed by their school. As such, our schools fall into "going through the motions" because our we 'assumed' those motions in establishing our schools. We would be served much better from developing an inherently 'classical' paradigm whose motions move us even when we are at rest and whose rhythms we would be proud to "go through."
There's much more to say, but that's enough for one note. Always happy to talk more. Thanks for the article.