In my work in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy I receive contacts from schools that acknowledge their awareness that the current school model is not sustainable and that improvement is needed. They are ready for change but there is a problem: being educated in modern schools themselves, and having no idea where to look for solutions, they are stuck.
There is little to no knowledge of alternatives to the ordinary arrangement and operation of modern K-12 schools. The schools are not goal-oriented and designed for success in the present generation. They are still operating as schools did 30 years ago. Technology is employed for its own sake, rather than used to make learning, assessment and communication as efficient as possible. The unsustainable K-12 school model remains intact with a stranglehold on education and administators who do not know what to do about it.
This morning I chatted with a school community member “looking for suggestions to improve curriculum and teaching methods at our Catholic high school.” This is common. I’m not contacting them — they contact me.
The homeschool movement is a sign of the extent to which parents will go to provide their children with a quality education that serves their convictions, but homeschooling should not be necessary in a society pouring billions of dollars into education. Homeschooling families are paying property (and other) taxes to provide for education, and then refusing to make use of the education provided. That is a radical measure that sends a clear message.
The same is true in private schools, where parents do likewise. They are paying taxes for public education, but choosing to bypass tuition-free public schools for private schools with high tuition. Again, parents want great education, are willing to put money on the table, but it’s just not available.
This is the problem with consumer culture. We assume that if we have enough money we can buy what we want but when it comes to education that’s not true. If quality schools are not established, parents can spend all the money they want and they will not be able to provide excellent education for their children. Homeschooling and private schooling may eliminate some of the problems, but the deepest problems will remain.
The solution to the problems in modern education will not be solved by throwing money in a different direction. There are deep philosophical problems with modern education that most administators, teachers and parents know nothing about. When these philosophical problems are fixed, the solutions will then work their way down to the task-level in classrooms where the results can be measured.
This is the work we’re doing in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy.
If you’d like to begin learning about these issues, I recommend the free book we offer, “Understanding Classical Catholic Education“. It doesn’t matter whether your school is Catholic or not. This book explains the history of the development of classical liberal arts education and where things went wrong in modern times. You’ll understand not only the history of education but the present status of education and what’s wrong with it.
I invite all to read through that book and contact me with questions or issues you’d like to discuss. I’m willing to meet by phone or Zoom meeting to discuss the subject any time. I don’t believe it’s untrue to say that we have the solutions modern schools and parents are looking for — but there’s a lot to learn.
God bless,
Mr. William C. Michael, O.P.
Headmaster
Classical Liberal Arts Academy
