My post last month which quoted Dorothy Sayers' The Lost Tools of Learning came out of my wife's and my current study of the Classical Education model versus the Modern Education model. Though we have always assumed we would probably send our kids through the public school system (both my wife and I teach or have taught in it), we are currently reevaluating those plans and being strongly drawn to the classical approach for a variety of reasons. Subsequent posts from this one will be devoted to examining those reasons, but as we have one toddler and one three-year-old who will soon be entering school age, this topic is one we need to think seriously and thoroughly about now; so we've stocked up on some reading material to try and get a handle on the different issues involved. It seems as though our public school system is reaping the harvest of its foundational philosophical commitments ; but meanwhile, a resurgence of the Classical model of education is happening in private and home schools throughout the country, with much success (as I would view it).
Thus I was very interested to read one of the latest posts at The Dawntreader, a blog with a focus similar to mine, that dealt with this very subject (serendipity?). Though my comments here are not very explanatory and brief by design, I would encourage anyone reading with an interest in this to start first with the Sayers essay linked above, or follow the Dawntreader post and the links he provides to find out more. I'll be sharing more thoughts on this later as I move from fact-finding mode to reflection, examination and decision-making, but my initial reaction is that this sounds like the way I would want my children to be taught, and it answers a lot of the concerns I have with the current state of public education in the US.
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Aaron, you may be interested in the educational model of Regents School in Austin, TX. regentsschool.com
An excerpt from "About Regents"
Mission
The mission of Regents School is to provide a classical and Christian education, founded upon and informed by a Christian worldview, that equips students to know, love and practice that which is true, good and beautiful, and challenges them to strive for excellence as they live purposefully and intelligently in the service of God and man.
A Unique Education
Regents School was founded in 1992 and now provides a classical, Christian education to 600 students in grades K-12. Located on an 80-acre wooded campus in southwest Austin, Texas, Regents' unique education revolves around the time-tested western liberal arts tradition with enrichment through our field trips and Science and Nature Center as well as our athletic, fine arts and extra-curricular activities.
Neil
Hey Neil! Thanks for the info. Actually, Regents is exactly the kind of school and curriculum I'm reading about - they're part of this movement (one of the early ones, in fact) to return to the classical model in America. Have you guys had a chance to read much about this stuff? We'd love to talk to you two about it and get your thoughts.
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