Blog

Supporting Offline Studies

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Dear friends, Since starting the CLAA, we have made use of online quizzes and exams to help with assessment. These online assessments have given us many benefits, but there are also significant problems caused by them. First, online quizzes require that children spend time on the internet. Many parents feel uncomfortable with this–and reasonably so. It is very difficult to supervise online actvity; sometimes impossible. Second, online quizzes require irrational answer-key grading that can be very frustrating. To have a student submit a 50 question quiz and have questions marked wrong before an extra space was added after a word, … Continue

New! K-12 Student Planners

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Dear friends, Last week, I published a complete set of K-12 Study Plans, which lay out all of the recommended courses for students in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy working to both (a) satisfy modern K-12 requirements and (b) progress in classical Catholic studies. Viewable study plans are available for all users, while editable study plans are available for enrolled students on the Study Center. Today, I have published a complete set of K-12 Student Planners, which are designed to allow the progress of students to be tracked as they work through the K-12 Study Plans. These planners will be … Continue

The CLAA Will Become Simpler Over Time

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Last week, I published Study Plans for the Classical Liberal Arts Academy that marked a great milestone in the Academy’s development. With the publication of those Study Plans, parents and students were provided with a much clearer vision for how real classical Catholic studies can be enjoyed in the 21st century. This, however, is just the beginning. In 2024-2025, the Classical Liberal Arts Academy will become simpler and clearer. I will continue to work to make classical Catholic education easier to understand. I will continue to make classical Catholic studies more efficient. I will continue to make classical Catholic studies … Continue

“Faith and Reason” Or “Faith and Science”?

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Among all of the guiding voices in my life in my late teens and early twenties, there was one voice which, in God’s Providence, helped me the most to orient my life towards noble goals. That voice was that of Pope St. John Paul II. I remember when I was given a small piece of paper by a youth leader with a quote from one of his speeches. It read, “It is Jesus that  you seek when you dream of happiness. He is waiting for you when nothing else satisfies.” Those words gave me the courage at a young age … Continue

The Real Differences Among ‘Classical’ Catholic Schools

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In this essay, I wish to compare the curriculum offered by Saint Francis Classical Catholic Academy in Bally, PA (SFCCA) and the Classical Liberal Arts Academy (CLAA), both of which claim to be “classical Catholic” programs. While SFCCA is a small local school, it is representative of many other Catholic schools which are advertising themselves as classical. The points of comparison are likely applicable to other programs. This comparison is meant to offer an honest assessment of the school’s public statements as compared with those of the CLAA. It is not meant to disparage the work of those at this particular school, rather, to … Continue

For Real Education, We Must Read the Ancients

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Living in the information age, we imagine that we are well-informed. The problem we have however is that our information is popular and shallow. We know very little about many subjects. Moreover, the quality or certainty of the information we know is very poor; much of it is opinion, rumor or theory. Much of what we think and say is uncertain at best. The subjects we know about are the subjects of the local newspaper, not the subjects of real education and culture. If we were to move back in history beyond the advent of the internet, television and radio, … Continue

Why Homeschools Fail and How to Avoid It

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In this talk, Mr. William C. Michael of the Classical Liberal Arts Academy explans why homeschools commonly fail and how parents can avoid making the same mistakes many others make. Mr. William C. Michael, O.P. Classical Liberal Arts Academy https://classicalliberalarts.om

First Principles for a Homeschooling Mother

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Recently I’ve been contacted by several mothers, who are new to homeschooling, asking for advice on how to get started. In response, I’d like to begin a series of articles directed to these young mothers, who, in addition to their school-age children, may have other young children, toddlers, and babies to care for. Homeschooling can appear daunting at first, and that is a good thing. What you are about to undertake is serious business and should not be taken lightly. But with planning and the right principles in place, you can have a peaceful and fruitful homeschool.  As you begin … Continue

How Fathers Can Balance Work and Homeschooling

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In this talk, Mr. William C. Michael of the Classical Liberal Arts Academy discusses how fathers concerned about their children’s education can balance work and homeschool responsibilities. Mr. William C. Michael, O.P. Classical Liberal Arts Acdemy https://classicalliberalarts.com

What a Lay Dominican Meeting Looks Like

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One Sunday afternoon every month, our Lay Dominican group meets at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Charlotte, NC. This monthly meeting is where our formation takes place and where the culture and charism of the Dominican life is learned and practiced. Here’s what the schedule of a monthly meeting looks like: Our group meets at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte which is largest (or second largest) Catholic parish in the US. It’s a beautiful place with great facilities. Most members of the group attend the 10:45 Mass at St. Matthew, but Dania and I attend at our own parish on … Continue