Classical Education News & Articles | November 2022
In addition to reviewing books, ClassicalEd Review provides our readers with a monthly compendium of recent articles and news stories related to classical education and the liberal arts.
Jubilee for Character Education
by Jennifer Frey
Those of us who advocate for character education are often met with incredulous stares. Even educators who recognize the importance of character are often deeply skeptical that educators can impart it to their students because they have never seen that done successfully outside of religious contexts. For this reason, it is important that we draw attention to successful, non-partisan, secular models of exemplary character education.
The Agamemnon Effect
by Patrick B. Whalen
The hustle gospel, commonplace in American work culture and pushed by many corporate leaders, urges us to pursue success in the workplace with a relentless, at-all-costs attitude. Long hours? Frequent trips? Distracted or non-existent family time? All necessary parts of achieving the new American dream. Most of us simply stay on the hamster wheel to bankroll our endemic consumerism.
A False Enlightenment
by Glenn Arbery
Many educators today have fostered a false enlightenment, a so-called “wokeness,” that actually closes off inquiry and darkens the mind. But surely a recognition of this spiritual destitution will convince more and more people to look for real alternatives.
A Classical Education Is Not About Finding Your Passions
by Joshua Gibbs
Gibbs: Allison is having a fine year. She’s interested in class, makes a lot of thoughtful comments, and seems to really enjoy school.
Parent: That’s good to hear. Her mother and I are both excited that she’s here and that she’s figuring out what her passions are.
It’s Not That Boys are Dumb
by Carmel Richardson
Talking about female ascendancy in academia is sort of like talking about crime statistics. We are all quite aware of what is happening, some of us may even have ideas why it’s happening, and absolutely none of us wants to be the one to say it.
Academic Statesmanship Is the Key to Our Civic Recovery
by Andrew D. Carico
As numerous scholars have noted, America is engaged in a “Cold Civil War.” Political differences revolve around adhering to the original Constitution or rejecting it for a living Constitution hollowed of any enduring meaning. In such a situation, the role of civic education could provide a soothing balm to America’s inflamed political passions.
What’s the Point of Civics Education?
by Rick Hess
As a guy who taught high school civics back in the last century, I have some admittedly old-fashioned notions about civics instruction. For instance, it may sound archaic to some, but I still think civics should entail teaching students about our political, social, and economic systems; the rights and responsibilities of citizens; and how to engage in the political process.
Educating the Founders
by Lee Trepanier
Between scandals, impeachments, power-grabs, and disastrous foreign wars, America’s most recent presidents don’t hold up very well when compared to the American Founders. While there are multiple reasons to explain our bad luck, education (or the lack thereof) particularly stands out. What are the ideas, values, and aspirations that formed our leaders when they were young? College students enjoy a brief but critical time when they are impressed by new ideas and begin to reflect on who they are and what their ambitions are to be. As Napoleon put it, “To understand the man you have to know what was happening in the world when he was twenty.”
Black Minds Matter
by Dan Olson
The Black Intellectual Tradition strikes a tone of Christian unity amid lament, gospel hope amid brokenness. The movement the authors endorse—Christian classical education—may provoke in many a question raised by its first champion: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46).
Why Liberal Education Matters
by Steven Mintz
The most distinctive feature of American higher education is the value it places on liberal education. Nor is this simply a legacy of a more elitist education in the past. Even as American colleges and universities broadened their curricula during the 19th century and embraced electives toward the end of that era, these institutions gradually and unevenly adopted gen ed requirements to ensure that all undergraduates achieved the rudiments of a liberal education.
Homeroom Teachers
by Charles Carman
As the CDC and FDA propose mixing a Covid mRNA vaccine in with the current cocktail of required shots for students entering the public school system, now is yet another apt moment to consider one of the original dissidents in the fight over children's education: the homeschooling movement. Since Covid, the number of homeschooling families has nearly doubled, from 3 million to more than 5 million families, and this latest debate will no doubt raise further concerns in the minds of parents.
The Benefits of Tech in the Classroom Have Been Oversold
by Anthony Kinnett
Your child doesn’t need a fancy game with cartoon characters to be taught math or literacy. And excessive screen use comes with consequences.
This School Took Away Smartphones. The Kids Don’t Mind.
by Julie Jargon
A boarding school is conducting a social experiment: a smartphone ban for all students and faculty.