Schooling America

Dr. 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 schoolJoyful 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 studentsChapters:00:00 Intro & Guest Welcome01:37 Growing Up at St. Mark's Episcopal School07:30 The Power of Joyful Rigor10:30 School Culture & Traditions That Stick14:00 Classical Education at Home Before It Had a Name16:00 Rigor Without Purpose27:00 Moving to Michigan & Hillsdale Academy35:00 The Startup School Experience44:00 University of Dallas & the Core Curriculum52:00 Finding a Calling: Political Philosophy55:00 Teachers as Fellow Students1:01:00 Joyful vs. Joyless Rigor: The Key Difference1:05:00 Hillsdale's K-12 Office TodayResources:Hillsdale K–12 SchoolsArcadia 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.