FINDING BALANCE:

Why Legacy Classical Christian Academy, a University-model microschool, is your child's best educational option... and how it works!

When new families begin to research their school choices, they often stumble onto our website. Most are overjoyed that we exist! All they hear about is public school, private school, and homeschool. None of these provide balance to a family’s home life. The first two options have children on site with 300 - 2000 other children 35 hours a week. Most come home to complete extra school work (called “homework). Many have evening activities like dance, baseball practice, AWANAS, or youth group. Everyone is rushed everywhere and there is no peace (or, what my husband likes to call, “margin”).

The third option, homeschooling, has you at home 24/7 with your precious children that you love and adore. But this option lacks balance and peace as well. When you have a quiet moment, you are reading blogs about homeschooling or writing lesson plans, or scheduling play dates. Some homeschoolers participate in multiple co-ops (the outdoor learning classes, the library story time, the fine arts classes or music lessons plus baseball practice, AWANAS, or youth group!) Either there is no break from your calling or everyone is STILL rushed everywhere and there is no peace.

With a University-model School, you have time to attend Bible study, grocery shop (alone), or go to lunch with friends on the days your children are on campus. On the days at home, you use the curriculum and the school provided checklist of activities and assignments to teach your children. We also provide the art, the foreign language, the music, the scripture study, and the social engagement children long for. To currently homeschooling moms, this sounds like a dream!

To 5-day a week public and private school families, this probably still doesn’t make a lot of sence. Let’s look at some developmental stages, and how a UMS is your best educational option.

For mom’s looking at Kindergarten, the idea of leaving them 35 hours a week with someone else to influence, well, it’s heartbreaking. But, if you are like me, I LOVED Mother’s Day Out. It was the right balance of time to regroup and be a better mom to my kids. Legacy Classical is like Mother’s Day Out for elementary students!

Let’s say your child is in 1st or 2nd grade - these years they are learning to read! Is their nightly homework just to read a list of sight words? Wouldn’t you rather they learn to read by learning the patterns of the English language with phonemes and sounds? Aren’t they more excited to read and “do homework” if they can pick up a book “like what mommy’s has” and decode what is on the page? Doesn’t your child have a greater sense of accomplishment? Aren’t they motivated to “do it again”?

The next grades - oh, my - standardized testing. Beginning in third grade and until they graduate high school, your child is learning how to pass a test (because that is exactly the life skill needed in the workplace! - sarcasm, here). Legacy Classical does assess the children to compare them to educational norms. However, we realize that excellent instruction translates into high norm referenced scores. We use these score to verify that our teaching methods and chosen curriculum is resulting in yearly progress for each child. In fact, we don’t even share the results with the children or families unless we see a serious issue that needs addressing.

No matter what grade your child is in, it is never too late to bring balance back into your home life.

What does it look like on school days at Legacy Classical?

As a microschool, our students are intentionally integrated into combined grade levels. We call these combined grade levels Forms. For more information on this, please refer to the blog, “Do Not Be Conformed To This World.”

Students in Forms 1 - 4 attend classes Tuesday and Thurday. Students in Forms 5 - 7 also attend all day Friday. During this time, qualified teachers provide a quick review of previous learning and then they teach new concepts using direct instruction and guided practice. For teaching fine motor skills such as handwriting or when needing to complete math worksheets, children will be seen sitting at desks. For Bible study, literature or history, they are often in a corner following along or listening and narrating. Science and nature studies is highly hands-on with labs and journaling/drawing their observations like real scientists do! 

During a school day, you may hear the children in choral response of catechisms, reciting memorized scripture, poetry, or content-specific songs (i.e. the Nifty Fifty United States) Children learn to share, to use self-control for their turn, to keep their hands to themselves in a line, and all the typical societal norms you want your child to learn!

What does it look like on home days?

Students in Forms 1 - 4 have a Tuesday to Tuesday turn-in schedule. This means Wednesday’s Home Day assignments are not due until the following Tuesday. Beginning in 7th grade, students begin to turn in their Wednesday Home Day assignments into the instructor on Thursday to eliminate the temptation of procrastination!

Home days should not look like a traditional school day. Families do not need to convert their garage or spare bedroom into a classroom. All you need is for a book case to hold teacher manuals and the curriculum we check out to you and a kitchen table!

The younger the student, the less “paperwork” required. This makes it incredibly important for the Home-Day teacher to be consistent with oral excercises and kinestheic learning. For instance, your teacher probably won’t ask you to write their spelling words 5 x each on a piece of paper and turn it in. Most likely, you will practice writing them in chalk on the driveway, or in sand with their forefinger. 

You will be asked to read certain stories and literature books out loud to your child. This can be something dad can do when he gets home from work or right before bedtime.

Jump on the trampoline while skip counting. Build a fort in the living room for independent readers to have a fun and quiet place so mom can help a younger sibling with phonics.

Do you have a long commute to school? Use the time to practice memorizing the history timeline, counting to 1000, or practice reading road signs. Keep a clipboard and pencil handy and children can get a head start on math worksheets sitting in the back seat on the way home!

Charlotte Mason’s famous quote is “Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life.” Both school and home should make learning feel life-giving and joyful. Learning should be like our relationship with Christ - it is integrated into the  lifestyle of one’s family, and not a separate category.

If you want to learn how your family can become a part of the Legacy family, please text/call 817-363-3652 or email admissions@legacyclassical.org or visit our website at www.legacyclassical.org.

train up

a child in the way they should go;

I read a lot of blogs and someimes I come across some that say just the right thing at the right time. This is how I felt when I read Mr. Middlekauff’s blog from the Charlotte Mason Poetry site. I have a short description below to encourage you to “click through” and read it for yourself!

A CALL TO PARENTS CHARLOTTE MASON POETRY

Summary:

Charlotte Mason's call to parents is centered around the idea that education is the responsibility of parents, not just schools or teachers. According to Mason, parents have a divine call to fill a prophetic office in their children's education, being chosen, commissioned, and empowered by God. This responsibility is comprehensive and cannot be delegated to others, and parents are seen as the means through which God imparts spiritual grace to their children. The priority of this call is paramount, as children are of astonishing worth and there is no substitute for the influence and guidance that parents can provide. Mason emphasizes that parents play a foundational role in creating an educational atmosphere, instilling discipline and habits, and cultivating a life of learning for their children. While schools can have their own strengths, Mason believes that parental involvement is crucial and should supplement and compensate for any deficiencies in school education. The call to parents applies to both mothers and fathers, with Mason stressing the importance of fathers being actively involved in their children's education. Despite the challenges and demands of answering this call, Mason suggests that parents find the time and make sacrifices out of love for their children and their role as educators. Through fulfilling this call, parents can create an environment where children love to learn and grow.

As caring parents, we all want the best for our children's education. We want them to thrive in their academic journey, develop a love for learning, and build the necessary skills for a successful future. When it comes to grading, however, there seems to be a debate between narrative grading and traditional grading methods. So, which one fosters better learning? Let's explore!

Traditional grading, which assigns numerical or letter grades to students' work, has been the norm for years. It provides a clear snapshot of a student's performance, allowing parents and educators to easily assess their progress. However, this rigid approach can sometimes hinder student motivation and discourage a growth mindset. Students may focus solely on achieving high grades rather than truly grasping concepts and deepening their understanding.

On the other hand, narrative grading takes a more holistic approach. Instead of relying solely on a letter or number, it provides personalized feedback on a student's strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. This approach encourages self-reflection and helps students develop a growth mindset. It also helps teachers better understand their students, tailor instruction to their individual needs, and build a strong rapport with them.

In a Christian school environment, where nurturing the whole child is of utmost importance, narrative grading can be particularly beneficial. It promotes a student's character development, as it focuses on qualities such as perseverance, cooperation, and critical thinking. It encourages students to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and understand that mistakes are an essential part of the learning process.

Of course, every child is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. Some students may thrive under traditional grading methods, finding motivation in striving for high grades. However, narrative grading offers a more comprehensive picture of a student's progress and promotes deeper learning.

In conclusion, both narrative grading and traditional grading have their merits. However, for fostering better learning in a private Christian school, narrative grading seems to align more closely with the values and goals of holistic education. By focusing on feedback, growth, and character development, it nurtures students' love for learning and prepares them for a bright future.

INTRODUCTION

“Do not be conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

Legacy Classical has taken three bold moves away from the appearance of the world’s government schools. While our school started with the intent of mimicking what we thought were “best practices”, after 13 years of studying the bible, studying classical education, and learning the history of our current American school system, the leaders concluded that the world’s “best practices” fall short in comparison to God’s design for education. 

God’s design for education begins and ends with the home. He wants us to teach and admonish our children throughout the day as we complete family chores, play with siblings, or serve our neighborhood. 

We truly believe that the last 170 years of education has done more harm than good for the Kingdom of God. Children raised in Christian homes are leaving the faith at an alarming rate and we have to ask why. We believe there is a direct correlation between government-funded public schools and the decline in how Americans “religiously identify.” 

Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

We want God to transform our children, so we should not copy the behavior of the world - even in how we educate our children. We want school days to closely reflect how we learn and grow naturally. For this reason, we have decided to use the following three bold moves:  multi-age classes, narrative grading, and family-centric content. 

WHAT WE ARE DOING

What are multi-age classes? Multi-age classrooms are classrooms where students learn and grow together across more than one grade level. Currently, the grade level system adopted by the government is a k-12 system adopted from Prussia in the early 19th century. Before this, America had smaller schools where multi-age classrooms were common. During this multi-age classroom era, America had excellent literacy rates, some as high as 98%! That is outstanding when compared to today which says 54% of Americans have a literacy rate below the age of 11.

What are the benefits of multi-age classes? The following benefits are summarized from various research studies and have been documented in the journal “The Advantages and Disadvantages of Multiage Classrooms in the Era of NCLB Accountability” 2008.

• Student disobedience is lower

• Higher language development

• Significant gains in reading and language skills

• Higher cognitive developmental level

• Creates a caring environment

• Sense of continuity and connection

• Students learn at an individual pace to reach their full potential

• Improved student attitudes

• Decreased discipline referrals

• Increased attendance

• Improve peer relations among students.

What are the disadvantages of multi-age classes?  According to the article above, the following disadvantages are also summarized.

• Rejection by parents (fear of quality instruction) (however the article states “Often the parents involved more in school life are the ones who promote and prefer to have their children in multiage classrooms.” As a University-model school parent, we are plenty involved!

• Solution: Provide quality instruction!

• Teacher buy-in (fear of preparedness and differentiation, concern for greater workload)

• Solution: Let’s get prepared! Provide instructors with professional development focused on differentiated learning and narrative grading!

• Not compatible with grade-level content state testing

• Solution: Not a problem. We don’t take state tests anyway!

How are Legacy Classical’s multi-age classes structured? We have always enrolled students into grade levels based on their ability more than their age. Having six to seven “forms” supports a philosophy we have held since 2010. Notice there is an overlap in the ages.

• Form 1 (age 4 - 6) typically Prek and Kindergarten

• Form 2 (ages 6 - 8) typically first and second grade

• Form 3 (ages 8 - 10) typically third and fourth grade

• Form 4 (ages 10 - 12) typically fifth and sixth grade

• Form 5 (ages 12 - 14) typically seventh and eighth grade

• Form 6 (ages 14 - 16) typically ninth and tenth grade

• Form 7 (ages 16 - 18) typically eleventh and twelfth grade

How can a teacher teach both first and second-grade curriculum? Simply put, they don’t. Multi-age classrooms are not a “curriculum-centered approach”. Curriculum-centered instruction only came about in the mid-nineteenth century because of immigration and compulsory attendance laws. (Song et al.) Curriculum-centered instruction is only needed if you are teaching to a test. We don’t want our students studying to get a good grade. We want them curious and wondering and seeking out information because it is exciting and enjoyable.

Multi-age classrooms are mastery-based learning. A set of learning targets are determined and the instructor verifies the student is making progress. A first-year Form 2 student would learn what the second-year Form 2 student learns, but the teacher (and parent) would not expect mastery from the first-year Form 2 student. 

What are “learning targets”? Depending on who you ask, these can be called “standards”, “objectives”, or “benchmarks”. We chose the term “learning targets” because they feel very friendly and easy to understand: Here is the target I am going after! Learning targets and assessing with narrative grading (a 1 - 4 scale instead of A-F scale) has anecdotal evidence of reducing teacher workload and grading. By using specific targeted expectations, a teacher can decide on assignments and assessments that literally target it. With the A-F grading scale, if the child received a C nobody would have known what the child needed to improve on. However, with narrative grading, the feedback would be anecdotal such as a rubric or checklist that indicates strengths and weaknesses. 

So narrative grading is our second bold move. While ours will not look exactly like the attached article, it is a great synopsis of what this classical school has been doing for years. “In Defense of Mastery Pt 2”

How about all those levels of curriculum books like Shurley English 3 and 4 or All About Reading 1 and 2 Well, a curriculum-centered approach to education makes a strong, financial case for curriculum companies. Once you pull out the learning targets from Shurley English 3 and 4, there are very few deviations. It’s almost like level 3 is to introduce the skills and level 4 is a review with an expectation of mastery while introducing a shockingly small additional skillset. Honestly, by focusing on the higher “curriculum” book, we are allowing the younger students an opportunity to go further than they would have had otherwise. And if the student does not understand it the first year, they have an additional year to master it.

How about math? Math will always be the outlier. We will still have math as the first period of the day to allow for students who far excel and would need to be in a higher form than the one they spend the rest of the day in. However, it is still possible to provide vertical alignment and curriculum mapping for students to learn math in a multi-age classroom. 

What is vertical alignment and curriculum mapping? This is when an educator breaks down a textbook and lines up all the learning targets (as closely as possible) like a ladder. Let’s say chapter 1 in first grade is calendar and time but calendar and time for 2nd grade is in chapter 3. The educator determines where the learning targets are taught in the book and then creates a chart for the teacher to refer to when teaching. Your child’s assignments may seem “out of order” at times, but they will be scheduled this way deliberately. 

How would a teacher teach first and second-grade math at the same time using vertical alignment? Here is an example: The Learning Target is “I can develop place values of thousands (ages 7 or 8); hundreds, tens, and ones (age 6)”. The teacher begins by teaching all the students about place values for hundreds, tens, and ones. This is new information for the 6-year-old but a review for the 7 or 8-year-old. Once the teacher determines that the 6-year-old has a solid grasp, the first years can move to a math center while the teacher keeps the older students with her for the second part of the lesson: developing place value to the thousands. 

What if my child is a first year student in the Form and can do the higher learning target of place value to the thousands? Hopefully, the teacher is aware of this and includes that first year student with the second-year students. This is where differentiation is so great! 

Our final bold move is called Family-Centric Learning. What is that? This is such a “no-brainer” that we want to apologize for not doing it sooner. As we discussed before, America’s government schools are curriculum-centered for students to score well on mandated tests. When we modeled Legacy Classical after government schools, we did not ask ‘why’ every grade had to learn a completely different science, history, math, and grammar topic. We were sheeple and just followed the template. Now we know better. We know that the BEST learning at home (and at school) happens when we are all on the same page. If we can cycle through content and focus on SKILLS (learning targets), then we can develop great conversations and dig deeper into discussions. We can learn from one another, mentor each other, and grow together!

Post by Dr. Jeffrey Bond

Let's think critically about modern education's love affair with "critical thinking." But why would anyone be critical of critical thinking? Consider, if you will, what "critical thinking" was intended to replace: right reason. So what's the difference?

Critical thinking lacks a telos, as if thinking critically is an end in itself. But what about right reason? At its most basic, right reason is an orderly and valid thought leading to knowledge. As such, it is epitomized by philosophy or scientific inquiry. So whether we are discussing planets or poetry, we must reason rightly, that is, invoke a science proportionate to the subject matter under consideration. Now right reason, by dint of being right, is not only the habit of proceeding correctly in our scientific thinking, but it is also the habit of science itself. The expression "habit of science" refers to a virtue inhering in the intellect that consists in the very content of knowledge about this or that subject matter. In short, reason is right precisely so long as it both proceeds well and, in the process, attains its object, which is science or knowledge. Hence, right reason at the same time is perfective of the individual human subject and yields an objective content that is universally true. So, if we think rightly about critical thinking, we should reject it in favor of the right reason.

In order to make this practical for a teacher, let’s explain the difference in HOW a teacher would approach a lesson using the right reason vs. using critical thinking. -- I have some ideas, but would love to hear yours. Perhaps an example of the same subject in a lesson and how these two ways look quite different when teaching the same lesson. (Adrienne Freas)

Spelling out the difference in detail would take more than a single comment, but it really comes down to the difference between sophistry and philosophy. Perhaps the following would serve as a practical example:

I once endured a presentation by an educational specialist who was making a lot of money traveling around the country promoting the "Socratic seminar." The key to a successful Socratic seminar, she said repeatedly, is to make sure the students understand that there is "no one right answer." With that as the predetermined end, she encouraged the teacher, as if it were a goal in itself, to get the students to express their opinions about the text and to raise objections to challenge and contradict the opinions of their peers. Hence, the goal of such a class—what it meant to train them to be critical thinkers—was the mere expression of opinions where the students learned to keep asking "why" and never rest in the truth. In this scenario, the teacher's job is to bless everything that is said and to make sure that no one position prevails, as if there were no better and worse interpretations of a text. The result of this approach is what Socrates warned us about in the Republic: when students get their first taste of dialectic, they misuse arguments "as though it were play, always using them to contradict; and imitating those men by whom they are refuted, they themselves refute others, like puppies enjoying pulling and tearing with argument at those who happen to be near” (539b). Some will respond, I am sure, that the above is an unfair parody of critical thinking, but I think it illustrates well what critical thinking means for most folks out there in the educational world. If someone endorses critical thinking because they think it is synonymous with right reason, I have no quarrel with that person, but then I wonder why he is reluctant to use the traditional expression, "right reason." Most likely it is because, when push comes to shove, that person has a problem with the word "right" when it comes to reasoning.

A genuinely Socratic lesson, however, if we are to take Socrates seriously as he appears in the Platonic dialogues, would aim at truth, and the disagreements that naturally arise would be evaluated for the sake of reaching truth, or at least eliminating what is not true. Here, the teacher would ask the right questions in the right order and assist the students in the effort to ascend from opinion to truth, as explained in Socrates' divided line. The fact that not every class would come to the truth--and here it obviously depends greatly on the text in question--would not mean that there was no truth, but only that it can be extremely difficult to ascertain it.

One can only imagine how the educational specialist (read: sophist) mentioned above would have responded if Socrates had suddenly appeared and pointed out that her original principle--that there can be no right answer--is self-contradictory since it presents itself as the one right answer and an answer that tyrannically rules out the possibility of arriving at the truth. But for the sophistical expert in critical thinking, such a Socrates would have missed the whole point of a "Socratic seminar." Ah, what a fool Socrates was to think one should forfeit one's life for philosophy when one cannot ultimately distinguish between opinion and truth!

Dr. Jeffrey Bond holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in Political Philosophy. LCCA thanks Dr. Bond for his contribution to our blog and his wisdom and insight into right reasoning.

by Trish Barbarick, Dean of Students Success Center

Have you noticed a shift in our students since the pandemic? Even in the best of pandemic-instruction circumstances, students lost. Our school was able to switch to remote learning in March of 2020 over the course of a weekend and was able to maintain instructional integrity for the remainder of the 2020 school year- something we are quite proud of, actually. Our teachers and families were fully supportive and diligent about keeping up with educational standards at that time. Upon returning in-person Fall of 2020, we were cautious just like everyone else and rode the roller-coaster of questioning “do we or don’t we” when anyone fell ill. We opted to go to remote learning only if and when absolutely necessary. Since that time, however school has gone back to normal. Just like it was before Covid. Hasn’t it?

If you have any connection whatsoever to the world of academia, you likely caught the sarcasm intended above. Nothing is quite like it was before. We now have second graders in our schools who attended Kindergarten completely online. We have fifth graders who cannot read at even a third or fourth grade level. We have eight graders whose attention span and social filters are seemingly nonexistent. Parents who saw the glaring flaws of government schools came seeking private schools, hoping that their children would receive the sort of education they deserve. We- private schools, that is- took them in, integrated them into the appropriate grade levels, met with parents to assess how to best make up for learning losses, and utilized resources to address student academic needs. At the same time, the pandemic is over so they’re supposed to be back to normal (whatever that is). In the rush to maintain everyone’s physical safety and compromise learning as little as possible, it seems we neglected to consider the spiritual well-being of our students.

But God.

The world right now is unsettling. Scary, even. Upside down. We feel it and so do our students. As Classical Christian Educators, we understand that we teach by modeling. And modeling. And modeling. Much repetition is involved in learning and much of that repetition is in the modeling of an academic concept being taught. Since Covid, we’ve been furiously trying to “catch our students up” and to recoup learning loss. Have we done the same with their Faith-loss?

But God. THIS is the main thing. God. God is THE main thing. Soli Deo gloria - all glory to God alone. How have we modeled THE most important concept since Covid? If we’re being completely honest, perhaps not with as much intensity and intentionality as we’ve given to reading and math skills. Friends, this should not be the case. And it’s not too late to shift the focus of our intention.

Remember what The Word says in Deuteronomy 6: 6-9: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

What’s the solution, then? Pray. Repent. Move forward. Consult first the Word of God in your child’s education, in your students’ education, in training your faculty, and in encouraging your pastors. Many pastors do not understand that Classical Christian Education is done according to the above passage in Deuteronomy, Soli Deo gloria! Let’s get back to the main thing- in our homes, in our churches, AND in our schools.

~In His Truth.

Classical Christian Education #classicaldifference #legacyclassical

Reintroduced in the 80s, classical education has seen a steady but slow increase in popularity. The grassroots effort to find a way for education to return to being beautiful and good (and true) is now a few decades old and it found its way to a father named Pete Hegseth. Pete also happens to be a correspondent for FOX News.

This blog is not a political statement for or against a news organization. All modern media is guilty of yellow journalism and inflammatory language, so when I first heard about the January release of a mini-series called the “Miseducation of America,” I was skeptical. While there was plenty of dramatic background music, and it is written quite like a propaganda piece, Mr. David Goodwin (president of the Association of Classical Christian Schools) was steady and sincere. He spoke words of truth with historical context and without any degradation of others.

It is not impossible to believe God can use a secular news organization to proliferate His good and pleasing will. The best example of this is when Nehemiah requested financial support from a pagan king, King Artaxerxes, to rebuild the wall for Jerusalem - a symbol of God’s protection and desire for His people to return and continue to grow.

Who are we to think God cannot do the same for us? To use a media mogul to point Christian families back to the protective walls that is classical Christian education? May God’s people see the “Nehemiah’s” who are working to create a place for His people to return, grow, and multiply!

With this preface, I want to encourage you to watch “The Miseducation of America”, to read a new book co-authored by Pete Hegseth and David Goodwin called “Battle for the American Mind: Uprooting a Century of Miseducation,” and to watch their interview on Fox and Friends (https://www.foxnews.com/media/hegseth-details-progressives-destruction-education-book-fox-nation).

“Sunday morning (June 12) Fox and Friends Weekend featured the book, but of more interest, it featured three students, one each from Veritas Academy in Lancaster, PA, one from Philadelphia Classical School, and one from Grace Christian Academy on Long Island. Nothing tells the story of classical Christian education better than our students.” (Goodwin) https://video.foxnews.com/v/6307651878112#sp=show-clips

David Goodwin sent an email to ACCS schools letting us know there will be an increase in interest for classical schools. He documented how the January release of the miniseries spiked “visits to classicalchristian.org from our average of 2000 per day to over 20,000 per day on the days around the release. The majority of those visitors went directly to our “Find a school” service, which directs an average of 300 school-seekers each year to each school.”

Your friends will begin to seek information from you about classical schools. Legacy Classical Christian Academy is ready to answer their questions. If they cannot participate in a University-Model program, there are other local 5-day Classical schools we can refer them to.

I am including the following links as references for you.

classicaldifference.org– A resource to parents “about classical Christian education.” It directs people to resources, including the two links below.

Battlefortheamericanmind.com– This is the site for the book, it will be updated with coming events as much as possible.

Miseducationofamerica.com is a good site to refer to the documentary and it is still available on FOX Nation. Parents, there is a need for classical Christian education.

davidgoodwin.substack.com – This is where David Goodwin will post ongoing news related to the documentary, book, and mostly classical Christian education. Subscribe if you wish.

https://twitter.com/A_C_C_S – Follow the ACCS on twitter, where ACCS tries to keep everyone up to date on media releases in the coming week. @A_C_C_S

https://twitter.com/goodwind67 – Follow David Goodwin directly on twitter to find out where and what I’m up to in the media, etc. @goodwind67

https://twitter.com/legacyclassical - Follow LCCA on Twitter.

Why have a whole week dedicated to comparing 

our culture's worldview to a Biblical worldview?

Dictionary.com defines Worldview as “a particular philosophy of life”. Alison Gray’s 2011 journal article in International Psychiatry says “Everyone has a worldview. If you think you do not have a worldview then probably your view is the default one of your society, which in the UK’s case is a form of agnostic, capitalist, scientific materialism.” And she defines it this way: “A worldview is a collection of attitudes, values, stories and expectations about the world around us, which inform our every thought and action. Worldview is expressed in ethics, religion, philosophy, scientific beliefs and so on (Sire, 2004). A worldview is how a culture works out in individual practice.” (Gray)

When we (the school board and executive leadership team) say we are imparting a “Biblical Worldview” it is a “new name for an old subject” (Autio) When you sit down to read the scriptures, you are looking for direction from God on how to make sense of your own issues, cultures, problems, and world events. The Bible is “full of Godly wisdom to be used by Bible readers in the construct and development” of questions like Who am I? Where did I come from? What is true and false? Does God exist? If He does, how do I respond to him? We look to God’s word to direct us on “how to interpret our world, [our] morality, and [our] value and belief system.”

The startling reality is that Christian parents are losing. 64% of “18–29-year-olds who grew up in church tell Barna they have withdrawn from church involvement as an adult after having been active as a child or teen”. (Kinnaman) From a Barna study:

The research indicated that everyone has a worldview, but relatively few people have a biblical worldview – even among devoutly religious people. The survey discovered that only 9% of born again Christians have such a perspective on life. The numbers were even lower among other religious classifications: Protestants (7%), adults who attend mainline Protestant churches (2%) and Catholics (less than one-half of 1%). The denominations that produced the highest proportions of adults with a biblical worldview were non-denominational Protestant churches (13%), Pentecostal churches (10%) and Baptist churches (8%).

Among the most prevalent alternative worldviews was postmodernism, which seemed to be the dominant perspective among the two youngest generations (i.e., the Busters and Mosaics).

Our students are in the middle of “working out” their worldview. This week’s topics are subjects our kids are already talking about between each other and see on social media. What they view on social media is a secular humanistic worldview and our children are unwittingly learning to accept these values in a subversive and cryptic way. So, we must be intentional about addressing cultural issues by comparing societies' deceptive belief systems against the Word of God. Now is the time to get them beginning to think about what they believe. 

By providing students with a week focused on these issues and topics, students are hearing what scripture says about socialism, communism, racism, and sexualism. Our students are hearing from theologians and experts in these subjects. They are asking questions in small groups and they are going home and asking their mom and dad even more questions. Maybe, even, they are opening their Bibles and looking for the answers to their questions there. Our desire in bringing in theologians and experts is to give balance to the secular humanism that they live with on a regular basis via social media and Hollywood. I am not going to lie. My sincere hope is they will come to the conclusion of a Biblical worldview. But they must come to that conclusion on their own. Otherwise, it's not their personal faith, it is their parent’s faith. And if my children build their faith upon my faith, it is like that house built in sand: it will not stand up to the persecution they will face. 

Let us not allow ourselves or our children to be deceived by the Deceiver; we must not be afraid to tell our students what scripture says. Let us not shelter our teens from the ugliness and pain of the world; we must give them the ability to decide how to respond to the ugliness and pain. Let us train them up to defend their personal faith with love, compassion, and charity; Without allowing the world to influence their worldview. Let us teach them how to live in the world like Christ lived in the world; as a radical world-changer. (Carey)

 God’s Word

I John 2:26-27

I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

 I John 4:1

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Colossians 2:8

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

 Romans 16:17-18

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

 James 1:22 - 25

Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. 23For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, 24and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so— not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer— he will be blessed in what he does.

 Works Cited

Autio, Clyde. “What Is Your Worldview?” Answers in Genesis, 2 May 2005, answersingenesis.org/christianity/what-is-your-worldview/. Accessed 8 Oct. 2020.

Barna, Group. “A Biblical Worldview Has a Radical Effect on a Person’s Life.” Barna Group, 2009, www.barna.com/research/a-biblical-worldview-has-a-radical-effect-on-a-persons-life/. Accessed 8 Oct. 2020.

Carey, Jesse. “What We Get Wrong About ‘In the World, Not of the World.’” RELEVANT, 14 Jan. 2016, relevantmagazine.com/faith/what-we-get-wrong-about-world-not-world/. Accessed 8 Oct. 2020.

Gray, Alison J. “Worldviews.” International Psychiatry, vol. 8, no. 3, Aug. 2011, pp. 58–60, 10.1192/s1749367600002563. Accessed 8 Oct. 2020.

Kinnaman, David. “Church Dropouts Have Risen to 64%—But What About Those Who Stay?” Barna Group, 2019, www.barna.com/research/resilient-disciples/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20the%20percentage%20of. Accessed 8 Oct. 2020.

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Many schools in the nation have a difficult question to answer: to open in-person classes or not to open. For public schools, this is the beginning and end of their questions. For private schools, we have this same questions, but hovering above us is the question our families must answer: is there value in paying tuition if my child cannot attend classes in-person?

I cannot speak on behalf of what other private schools have accomplished, but I can share why 100% of our families who planned to attend in the fall pre-pandemic are still attending (and paying tuition) post-pandemic. 

First, we held the parent and student to the same standard of excellence with grace that we provide with face-to-face instruction. The students who attended their Zoom meetings and completed their assignment, continued to learn - and learned well. Though we relaxed Late Work policies, we did not loosen our grading standards. The integrity of each child’s grades stayed firmly in relation to their understanding and work ethic, just as it always has.

Second, a purpose, though sometimes unstated, at Legacy is our ability to hold each other accountable - most often in regards to student learning and engagement, but sometimes we talk each other out of the closet and back into the school room. Please don’t underestimate the necessity for this portion of our relationship.

Third, during the quarantine, our teachers made themselves even more available. When my daughter made a 0 on an Algebra test, her teacher called me and we set up one-on-one Zooms. The very next week she scored a 50%. This is a huge accomplishment! Her teacher continued to tutor her for an hour a week so she understands the concepts. She passed her final exam with an 81! This is my story. Many of our parents have similar stories! At Legacy, parents (aka co-teachers) have immediate access to a specialist and experienced individual who has followed God’s calling into teaching. It boosts our confidence as parents to know we have access to qualified instructors. One phone call and you have all their knowledge, experience and compassion to solve any problems you may experience at home. Legacy’s teachers are dedicated to both your child’s education and your family.

Fourth, our children did their school work. We are confident they are all  ready for the next grade at Legacy. For families who choose to solely homeschool, it will be easy for them to continue where we left off. However, if any of our families move to another private or public school, your child will repeat much of this Spring semester's material in the fall. Some private and public schools were only required to complete one assignment per class per week. One assignment per week will not indicate mastery of concepts such as physics or literary devices or spelling or reading. TEA is looking at rewriting the STAAR test and the End-of-Course high school exams so students will be more likely to pass. This is a fair thing to do. You can’t test on something you haven’t learned. But it confirms that, for instance, fifth graders in the fall will be taught the spring 4th grade TEKS. 

Even in the midst of remote learning, at Legacy, your child will continue to learn in a loving environment filled with dedicated teachers and other parents who will cry with you when life gets “too heavy”. We continue to bear one another’s burdens thus fulfilling God’s calling. We continue to pray for one another. We continue to strengthen one another and assist one another in the mandate to train our children in the way they should go.

The format and delivery method may changed. Our mission does not.

By Karen Carlson

Learning a lesson from our football players.  Tirelessly, our Lions battled the foe without victory for three games.  Disappointed, they only competed till half time.  Despite losing, by the fourth game, our players began holding back their opponents.  Mercilessly, they were defeated two more times, but they finished the entire four quarters.  They defeated the Mercy Rule!  Touch down gained game four.  Devoted, our football players practice up to twelve hours per week.  Sore, tired muscles give way to faster, more agile hands and feet.  It is not surprising when our football players, or any sports participant drops from exhaustion.  Nor as parents are we surprised by sweaty, smelly, muddy players.  Perseverance, sweat and tears are expected.  Likewise the brain, is a muscle that must be stretched and strained.  Writing and reading comprehension are like the physical conditioning and drills of football.  These drills cause sweat and tears.  Yet, drill after drill, exercise after exercise, this practice will also result in victory if completed faithfully.  Perseverance pays off.  Rewards result not only in physical exercises, but in academics exercises as well.  As the Apostle Paul, encouraged the body of Christ, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  So be encouraged, when our children, drop from mental exhaustion, grow weary, and shed tears, that eventually they and us will gaze upon sweet victory.  Victory may not appear in six weeks, more like thirty, but success will arrive, and when it does, it will taste sweeter than honey.  Stay faithful!

BTW, Legacy Lions won last night 53-36.  The victory tasted that much sweeter after several defeats!!

I am asked “What is Classical Education?” quite often. It is a pedagogy that is an enigma because it isn’t NEW but our culture is ignorant regarding it.

This matrix is not entirely mine. I found some research written by Dr. Carole Hornsby Haynes. With her format (and much of her information), I tweaked and restated a few things for this blog.

Decoding the Dress Code

By Belinda Henson

When Legacy decided on uniforms, there was not a philosophy behind it. In all transparency, the founders just thought, “Private schools wear uniforms, so we will too!” Today, there is a definite philosophy and purpose to uniforms. Here are the four main reasons.

Cost

Though purchasing a few uniform pieces at the beginning of the year can run you around $100, as you build community, many families exchange their used uniforms. I have only purchased new pieces because our shirts have faded or because I wanted a different logo. It hasn’t been because of something not fitting.

Impartiality

Every school has the “haves and have-nots”. Without a uniform, students who “have-not” stand out with clothes that are torn, worn out, or not “name brand”. Romans 2:11 says, “God shows no partiality” and we should try to do the same. This is much easier if we appear to be on a similar playing field.

Professionalism

Very few companies allow their employees to dress like they are going to a nightclub. They expect them to dress in a serious manner and in such a way to provide efficient work-related results. We want the same of our students. We want our students to understand that “there is a time and a place for everything under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 While at school, it is their “job” to work towards better understanding, moral wisdom, and mastery learning.

Community

School pride is paramount to a growing and healthy school culture. Through the use of uniforms and spirit wear, students (and parents) feel connected to something bigger than themselves.

Dress codes are everywhere: weddings, church, proms, and beaches. What one would wear to a beach would not be appropriate for (most) weddings. The same goes for schools and other professional environments. At Legacy, our dress code for students are more conservative and modest than even the “average” private school. What we request of ourselves, we expect of our students and children. And I am thankful to be surrounded by a group of like-minded parents. We are parents who desire a higher standard of morality for our children.

We are in a spiritual battle for the soul’s of our children. As we all know, today’s society is highly sexualized. Not only in commercials and movies, but at Walmart in the kid’s clothing section! It is so pervasive and “normal” feeling that even Christian parents are okay with their young ladies wearing tight fitting short-shorts or leggings as pants. Not just around the neighborhood but to church as well. These parents are neither convicted nor worried for their daughters. And they are even less concerned about how difficult this is for the young men who have to avert their eyes and who already struggle with impure thoughts on a moment-by-moment basis.

Legacy Classical did not choose uniforms in an effort to suppress the trendy, sexualized styles. Nor were uniforms chosen to intentionally battle spiritual forces! However, this haphazard decision ended up as a blessing of the Lord and a testament to his protection and faithfulness to us!

Docemus Linguam Latinam - We Teach Latin

“For a classical education, Latin is not an option - it is an essential. It is the sine qua, that “without which” a classical education is not classical.” - Martin Cochran

1. Supports our own English Language Learning

Our own English language is based on Latin. In fact, 60% of our vocabulary are direct literary descendants. In addition, 90% of our words with two or more syllables are from Latin.

Though the grammar of English language is no longer taught systematically in our public school, it is still necessary to learn in to have a deep understanding of all foreign languages, not just our own. Learning Latin grammar which is more organized and simplistic is a building block to comprehending the more complex grammar concepts of the English language.

2. Supports the Acquisition of at least Five World Languages

The following languages are spoken in 57 countries: French, Italian, Romanian, Spanish, and Portuguese.  Each of these languages derived 80 - 90% of their vocabulary from Latin. Though the greatest advantage of Latin is toward the previous five languages, students have an edge when learning other inflected languages such as Russian and German. Using Latin as a springboard into other world languages makes future learning of modern language easy and efficient.

3. Supports the College-Bound Student

Not only will students score high on the verbal portion of tests such as the SAT, ACT, or the GRE, but Latin is the basis of most academically driven careers: medicine, science, law, government, logic, theology, and foreign language.

4. Supports Critical Thinking

There are two types of critical thinking: analysis and synthesis. You can also think of this as “compare & contrast”. Latin is like a puzzle. There are many little pieces of information you must “compare and contrast”. Through this critical analysis, Latin is pieced together in order to get to the translation. These pieces are strategic and systematic and can be learned by even young children.

5. Supports our Mission

As a classical, Christian school, we teach Latin.

References

  Bedford, C., & Wing-Davy, Z. Why Latin?. Retrieved from https://www.thelatinprogramme.co.uk/why-latin

  Cochran, M. Memoria Press | Classical Christian Education. Retrieved from https://www.memoriapress.com/

  Moore, K. Classical Academic Press| Why Latin?. Retrieved from https://classicalacademicpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/why_latin.pdf