Schooling America

Send us Fan MailProfessor Owen Anderson teaches philosophy and religious studies at Arizona State University, where starts every intro philosophy class with "where did your life go so wrong?"  In this conversation, Ryan and Alex trace his journey from a curious teenager in Arizona public schools to a philosophy professor working to recover what education has lost.What's in This Episode:How discovering the Great Books in a school library set Owen on the path to philosophy and why students today still hunger for that kind of intellectual engagementThe farming analogy for education: why cultivating students requires patience, and what teacher narcissism costs a classroom over timeAristotle's proof for the highest good and the eternal—and how Owen uses these arguments in introductory philosophy at ASUJohn Dewey's vision for democratizing education, how it went wrong, and why Mortimer Adler's answer offers a better wayOwen's book The Twelve Arguments and how natural theology connects to the American founding and the Declaration of IndependenceChapters:00:00: Welcome and a Note on Audio Quality00:47: Introducing Professor Owen Anderson02:30: Discovering the Great Books in High School08:49: Early Questions About Faith, Truth, and Certainty13:22: The Farming Analogy: Why Education Takes Time17:00: What Students Lose in the Industrial University26:14: Aristotle on the Good and the Eternal41:09: John Dewey, Mortimer Adler, and the Democratization of Education51:29: Charlie Kirk as the Campus Socrates58:56: The Twelve Arguments, Natural Law, and the American FoundingResources Mentioned:The Twelve Arguments by Owen AndersonAfter Virtue by Alasdair MacIntyreClassical Learning TestArcadia EducationHosted by Ryan Klopak (Arcadia Education) and Alex Julian (CLT). The Furrows podcast features leaders in classical education who have been transformed by classical education. Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios.

Send us Fan MailIn Part 2 of his conversation with Ryan and Alex, Andrew Ellison—veteran classical educator and former headmaster—opens with something he couldn't wait to share: a bucket-list Tallis Scholars concert in Dallas that arrived at exactly the right moment. The story becomes a lens for exploring how classical education transforms not just students, but every person in a school building—teachers, administrators, and ultimately the families and communities around them. What's in This Episode:How a Tallis Scholars concert sparked a reflection on classical education's power to form everyone in a school building—including the headmasterWhere graduates and non-educators can find real communities of lifelong learning once they've left the classroomWhat makes faculty common reading programs genuinely formative and what quietly kills themWhy the shared faculty office is a non-negotiable architectural feature of a classical schoolHow classical education's influence ripples outward from teachers to students to families and how it opened one educator's path to faithChapters:00:00: Catching Up with Andrew—Health Update and a Bucket List Concert05:30: The Tallis Scholars and the Revival of Renaissance Sacred Music14:41: The Veritas Music Teacher Who Changed a Headmaster's Ear22:00: Mortimer Adler on Leisure and the Purpose of Liberal Education28:00: Well-Read Mom and the Quest for Lifelong Learning Communities31:12: Faculty Common Reading—Power, Pitfalls, and What Actually Works42:13: The Shared Faculty Office as a Non-Negotiable47:20: How Classical Culture Ripples to Students and Families53:20: Church Communities and Classical Schools as Cultural Seedbeds55:55: The Way of Beauty—How Classical Education Deepened Andrew's FaithResources Mentioned:The Tallis ScholarsWell-Read Mom"Labor, Leisure, and Liberal Education" by Mortimer J. Adler — The Imaginative ConservativeClassical Learning TestArcadia EducationHosted by Ryan Klopak (Arcadia Education) and Alex Julian (CLT). The Furrows podcast features leaders in classical education who have been transformed by classical education.Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Send us Fan MailAndrew Ellison grew up in the suburbs of Indianapolis with a public school teacher mother who read the Chronicles of Narnia at bedtime and ran summer learning programs at home—and had no idea any of it was "classical." In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, host Alex Julian traces Andrew's path from that curiosity-rich childhood through a soul-killing public junior high, into Trinity School at Greenlawn in South Bend, Indiana, and through his early teaching years at Tempe Prep Academy in Phoenix. Andrew now serves as Vice President of Enrollment Management at the University of Dallas.What's in This Episode:How Andrew's mother—a certified public school teacher—cultivated an educationally rich home that planted the seeds of classical formation long before anyone called it thatThe founding story of Trinity School at Greenlawn and why Andrew's parents sent him there without knowing anything about classical educationWhy Andrew's transition into classical schooling felt like continuity rather than rupture and what that reveals about the difference between a school that panders and one that leadsTwo pages in Wheelock's Latin on the Indo-European language family that "blew his mind" and opened the vertical dimension of knowledge for the first timeHow the classical education movement grew from living room conversations in Tempe, Arizona to the President's cabinet and the internal "30 years war" Andrew fears it must avoidChapters:00:00: Introduction01:49: Andrew's Mother as First Teacher16:14: Middle School and the Pandering Culture20:55: Trinity School at Greenlawn23:45: Latin Tutoring with Bill Walker35:42: Lead and They Will Follow49:06: Wheelock's Latin and the Language Revelation57:48: The Path to Teaching and Great Hearts01:04:38: Good Books and Cultural Inputs01:09:09: The Classical Ed Movement: Past and FutureResources Mentioned:University of DallasGreat Hearts AmericaThe Paideia Proposal by Mortimer J. AdlerArcadia EducationClassical Learning TestHosted by Ryan Klopak (Arcadia Education) and Alex Julian (CLT). The Furrows podcast features leaders in classical education who have been transformed by classical education. Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios.

Send us Fan MailDr. Anthony Sciubba leads one of the largest K–5 classical schools in the Southwest at Great Hearts in the Phoenix Valley. In this conversation, he traces a journey from a public school upbringing in Gilbert, Arizona—where Great Expectations bored him to tears in seventh grade—to a transformative encounter with the great books at Pepperdine, graduate studies at Yale, Oxford, and Emory, and ultimately a calling to bring classical Christian education to children at the elementary level.What's in This Episode:How a great books colloquium at Pepperdine first introduced Anthony to Augustine, the Church Fathers, and the intellectual richness of early ChristianityThe Clement of Alexandria vs. Tertullian debate—and why the question of what Athens has to do with Jerusalem is far more than an academic oneA deep dive into Gregory of Nazianzus—poet, bishop, theologian, and reluctant monk—and the two books Anthony recommends for entering his worldWhy classical Christian education may be the most historically significant and most ecumenical movement in modern American ChristianityHow Anthony's move from higher education to K–12 school leadership reflects the classical conviction that education forms the whole person—mind, heart, and soulChapters:00:00: Introduction / Anthony's Childhood in Arizona02:22: First Encounter with Classical Literature09:19: Great Books Colloquium at Pepperdine14:03: Athens and Jerusalem—Clement of Alexandria vs. Tertullian21:08: Gregory of Nazianzus—Poet, Bishop, and Theologian28:07: C.S. Lewis at The Kilns37:46: Classical Christian Education and the Great Conversation54:17: From Pepperdine to Yale, Oxford, and Great Hearts1:03:33: Why K–12? The Practicality of Classical Education1:10:35: How This Transforms Others: The Classical School MovementResources Mentioned:St. Gregory of Nazianzus: An Intellectual Biography by John A. McGuckinGregory of Nazianzus on the Trinity and the Knowledge of God by Christopher A. BeeleyClassical Learning TestArcadia EducationHosted by Ryan Klopack (Arcadia Education) and Alex Julian (CLT). The Furrows podcast features leaders in classical education who have been transformed by classical education.Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Send us Fan MailDr. Toyin Atolagbe shares how her early education in Nigeria, marked by daily hymns, strict discipline, and a focus on shaping both heart and intellect, formed the habits and virtues that guide her work today. She discusses the power of classical education to instill excellence, the crucial role of parents as first educators, and her current work supporting families through Lighthouse Parenting Hub.What's in This Episode:How Dr. Atolagbe's elementary education in Nigeria shaped her character through daily assemblies, hymns, literature, and high moral standardsThe formation of lifelong habits of excellence, discipline, and virtue through classical-style educationThe importance of beauty, truth, and goodness in shaping young minds and heartsTechnology's impact on children and the need for parents to set clear boundariesSupporting parents through coaching, training, and resources at Lighthouse Parenting HubChapters:00:00: Introduction and welcome01:15: Growing up in Nigerian schools—classical education in practice07:14: Formative experiences—songs of praise, cultural groups, and leadership14:32: The role of discipline and high standards in character formation28:45: Teaching in classical schools and forming student virtue42:18: Parenting philosophy: setting boundaries while supporting growth54:26: Technology use and building discipline in children01:03:02: Lighthouse Parenting Hub: coaching and resources for families01:08:19: Closing thoughtsResources Mentioned:Lighthouse Parenting HubArcadia EducationClassical Learning TestHosted by Ryan Klopak (Arcadia Education) and Alex Julian (CLT). The Furrows podcast features leaders in classical education who have been transformed by classical education.Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Send us Fan MailIn Part 2 of their conversation with Jonathan Mueller, Ryan and Alex pick up where they left off—tracing the circuitous path from Torrey Honors College through Boethius, Plato, and the Phaedo that eventually led Jonathan into classical education. What's in This Episode:How Jonathan went from Biola/Torrey to dancing Greek waiter before finding his way into classical education through the Academy at HCU with John Mark ReynoldsThe encounter with Boethius and Plato at age 19 that harmonized philosophy and theology and set the course for everything sinceWhat Socrates means in the Phaedo when he says philosophy is the preparation for death — and why it's a deeply hopeful claim, not a morbid oneWhy "we don't teach them what to think, we teach them how to think" is a phrase that hasn't aged well, and what students actually need to believe firstMisology, intellectual ferocity, and the moment Jonathan ripped up his eighth graders' homework mid-discussion of The Man Who Was ThursdayChapters:00:00: Introduction15:22: Philosophy as Preparation for Death30:52: Lao Tzu, Plato, and the Return to Christianity34:18: Teaching What to Think vs. How to Think38:08: Intellectual Ferocity and Misology51:43: Marriage and the C.S. Lewis Principle59:56: Great Books for Eighth Graders01:06:18: The Man Who Was Thursday in the ClassroomResources Mentioned:Aristoi Classical AcademyThe Consolation of Philosophy by BoethiusThe Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. ChestertonArcadia EducationClassical Learning TestHosted by Ryan Klopak (Arcadia Education) and Alex Julian (CLT). The Furrows podcast features leaders in classical education who have been transformed by classical education.Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Send us Fan MailJonathan Mueller grew up at the intersection of classical homeschooling and community college, encountering Plato in ninth grade and the Tao Te Ching at seventeen—two texts that cracked open the difference between a conception of God and the eternal thing itself.In part one of this two-part conversation, Jonathan traces a winding path through dialectic and doubt, a year of construction work and wanderlust, and three months teaching English to atheist teenagers in Czech Republic. Along the way, the conversation circles one persistent question: what kind of education can't be taken away from you?What's in This Episode:How Jonathan's homeschool foundation and a ninth-grade encounter with Plato's Euthyphro first opened him to the thrill of dialecticWhat the Tao Te Ching taught a seventeen-year-old about the difference between talking about God and the eternal God himselfThe tension between building faith and testing it—and why classical education treats truth as a tuning fork rather than a fragile inheritanceJonathan's year of construction and waiting tables before heading to Czech Republic, where teaching English to atheist teenagers rekindled his desire to share the faithHow George MacDonald's Phantastes, Plato's Phaedo, and a "concentration camp education" philosophy shape Jonathan's vision for what education should do for the soulChapters:00:00: Welcome and Introduction01:10: Jonathan's Background and Classical Formation03:50: The Euthyphro and the Thrill of Dialectic08:44: The Tao Te Ching and Rethinking God20:38: Building Faith vs. Testing Faith37:47: Foundations for Children—Memory, Story, and Song42:33: Working Construction and Heading to Czech Republic47:50: Encountering Atheism in Prague51:37: Phantastes and "Good Is Always Coming"55:17: Discovering Torrey Honors CollegeResources Mentioned:Torrey Honors Institute at Biola UniversityArcadia EducationClassical Learning TestHosted by Ryan Klopak (Arcadia Education) and Alex Julian (CLT). The Furrows podcast features leaders in classical education who have been transformed by classical education.Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Send us Fan MailBetsy Brown McClelland spent over a decade teaching medieval history and humane letters in the Great Hearts network—watching students encounter saints, suffer through Socratic seminars, and walk out of her classroom different people. In this episode, she traces her own story: from a rich homeschooled childhood into a season of spiritual and intellectual numbness, through a college awakening, and into a classroom conversion she never anticipated. What's in This Episode:How Betsy's transition from homeschool to public school left her desensitized—intellectually and spirituallyThe role of college, Dr. Peter Kreeft, and learning that pursuit itself is the pointHow teaching eighth grade medieval history accidentally led to Betsy's own Catholic conversionWhat a generation of students dealing with social media, COVID, and loneliness taught her about the healing power of great booksWhy Socratic discussion, not social-emotional programming, is the activity that actually unifies intellectual and moral formation                                                                                                                                                  .Chapters:00:00: Welcome and introduction to Betsy McClellan09:47: Homeschooling, early reading, and the first signs of numbness19:14: What was at the center of your education growing up?25:24: College, Dr. Peter Kreeft, and learning to pursue truth35:15: Writing, poetry, and becoming a liberal arts student44:18: How Betsy became a teacher51:30: Teaching eighth grade and medieval history01:00:42: Students, the supernatural, and a generation in crisis01:12:38: Socratic discussion and the healing power of the classroom01:19:55: The community of teachers and a closing poem                                                                                                                                                  .Resources Mentioned:City Nave by Betsy K. BrownThe Anxious Generation by Jonathan HaidtThe Dignity of Dependence by Leah Libresco SargeantArcadia EducationClassical Learning TestHosted by Ryan Klopak (Arcadia Education) and Alex Julian (CLT). The Furrows podcast features leaders in classical education who have been transformed by classical education.Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Send us Fan MailMatt Skinner, longtime head of school at Heritage Classical Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, returns for part two of his conversation with Ryan and Alex. This time, Matt unpacks the four-pillar framework: purpose, people, programs, and place, that guided Heritage from a bold vision to one of the most respected classical high schools in the country.What's in This Episode:Why purpose must come before everything else, and how a clear destination statement creates guardrails for every major decisionHow Matt recruited top-tier talent from within his own community, often before he had a defined role for themThe financial philosophy behind investing in people ahead of revenue, and why a scarcity mindset quietly kills school growthWhat "hoarding talent" actually looks like in practice, and why a three-year investment horizon is essential for developing leadersHow Heritage approached beauty in its facilities as a direct expression of its mission, and why stewarding what you have matters more than the size of your buildingChapters:00:00: Welcome and Introduction01:43: The Heritage Story and the Four P's Framework02:52: Purpose: Building a Clear and Compelling Vision05:17: People: Hiring for Mission Alignment Over Credentials16:09: Fundraising and the Abundance vs. Scarcity Mindset21:00: How to Identify and Recruit Leaders34:27: The Portrait of a Graduate40:22: Programs: Letting People Build What They Believe49:41: Place: Beauty as a Reflection of Mission57:29: The Strategic Financial Plan: Define, Determine, DeliverResources Mentioned:The Herzog FoundationJim Collins, Good to Great (the flywheel concept)C.S. Lewis, "First and Second Things" in God in the DockSociety for Classical LearningArcadia EducationClassical Learning Test (CLT)Hosted by Ryan Klopak (Arcadia Education) and Alex Julian (CLT). The Furrows podcast features leaders in classical education who have been transformed by classical education.Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Send us Fan MailMatt Skinner spent over two decades leading Christian schools—most notably as the longtime head of school at Heritage Preparatory School in Atlanta, Georgia. But he didn't start there. He's a Texas-raised athlete, former CPA, and reluctant educator who found his calling at a school board meeting in 1995—having never once set foot in a school as anything other than a student.Today he does consulting work, helping schools and leaders think through the kind of formation and culture that actually sticks. What's in This Episode:How an athlete and CPA became a head of school—by accidentWhy easy schools produce fragile studentsThe case against snowplow parenting and what to do insteadHow The Lost Tools of Learning flipped his view of Christian educationWhat it actually takes to build a high school from scratchChapters:00:00: Intro & Guest Welcome02:32: Growing Up in Texas04:55: Flaming Out at Rice07:45: A Damascus Moment10:05: Baseball, Tracy, and Starting Over14:26: The Board Retreat That Changed Everything28:04: Failure, Grit, and Snowplow Parenting40:12: Stepping Into the Head of School Role49:55: Discovering Classical Education59:27: Building Heritage's High SchoolResources:The Lost Tools of Learning — Dorothy SayersSociety for Classical LearningArcadia EducationClassical Learning Test (CLT)Heritage Preparatory SchoolHosted by Ryan Klopak (Arcadia Education) and Alex Julian (CLT). The Furrows podcast features leaders in classical education who have been transformed by classical education.Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Send us Fan MailDr. Kathleen O'Toole is the Associate VP for K-12 Education at Hillsdale College. However, she didn't arrive at classical education through a straight line. She grew up attending a good-but-not-classical school, survived a grueling private prep high school, found her footing at Hillsdale Academy, and finally experienced the full power of a classical curriculum at the University of Dallas. Today she leads Hillsdale's K–12 Schools office, helping communities around the country start and sustain classical schools. What's in This Episode: The difference between a good school and a classical school Joyful rigor vs. rigor for rigor's sakeThe moment classical education clickedWhat Hillsdale's K–12 office actually doesWhy K–12 matters for teachers; not just students Chapters: 00:00 Intro & Guest Welcome 01:30 Growing Up at St. Mark's Episcopal School 07:30 The Power of Joyful Rigor 10:30 School Culture & Traditions That Stick 14:00 Classical Education at Home Before It Had a Name 16:00 Rigor Without Purpose 27:00 Moving to Michigan & Hillsdale Academy 35:00 The Startup School Experience 44:00 University of Dallas & the Core Curriculum 52:00 Finding a Calling: Political Philosophy 55:00 Teachers as Fellow Students 1:01:00 Joyful vs. Joyless Rigor: The Key Difference 1:05:00 Hillsdale's K-12 Office Today Resources:Hillsdale K–12 Schools  Arcadia Education Classical Learning Test Hosted by Ryan Klopak (Arcadia Education) and Alex Julian (CLT). The Furrows podcast features leaders in classical education who have been transformed by classical education. Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

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Send us Fan MailIn this compelling episode of Schooling America, we are honored to host James Felton, a renowned leadership coach and organizational health expert. Known for his transformative work with Fortune 500 companies as well as burgeoning startups, James is a trusted consultant in the methodology of Patrick Lencioni, author of seminal works like "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" and "The Advantage."Our conversation dives deep into Lencioni's model for fostering organizational health, a subject that James is deeply passionate about. With a client portfolio that includes diverse companies like The North Face and Ruggable, James brings a wealth of experience to the table. More pertinently, he has invested significant time working with school leadership teams, understanding the unique challenges they encounter in cultivating a vibrant team and school culture.This episode is a must-listen for educational leaders and administrators who aim to elevate trust, morale, and productivity within their institutions. James offers invaluable insights into how schools can achieve not just functional but cohesive and thriving teams, thereby fulfilling their mission with greater efficacy and impact.

Send us Fan MailIn this enlightening episode of Schooling America, we are joined by Todd Davis, the co-founder and former CEO of LifeLock, and a longtime board member and parent at Great Hearts Academies. Todd delves into the captivating journey of LifeLock, sharing insights into the audacious advertising campaign that catapulted the company into the national spotlight. Beyond the world of identity protection, Todd brings his seasoned perspective to the table on the essence of effective leadership. Drawing from his experience in both the corporate realm and the educational landscape, he explores how judicious decision-making can galvanize teams and steer organizations towards their mission. Whether you are an educational leader striving for excellence or an administrator seeking to invigorate your team, this episode offers a treasury of wisdom on leadership, strategy, and the audacity to innovate.

Send us Fan MailThe Schooling America podcast covers issues and ideas relevant to leaders in American education. We bring in the brightest minds in administration, philosophy, culture, and beyond to reflect on topics that directly impact schools, organizations, and the children and families they serve. From cultural issues to operations to curriculum and pedagogy, Schooling America seeks to enrich the ideas, strategy, and execution of education institutions nationwide.