The Four (by the Association of Classical Christian Schools)

The Four returns to tackle the topic of athletics in the Classical Christian School. There is actually quite a bit to discuss such as if we should even have athletics and to what benefit they may have in the proper scholar's upbringing.The questions covered in this episode:Question 1: Are Athletic programs worth it?Question 2: Does the "athlete scholar" really exist?Question 3: Would you hire a teacher that has an obvious and severe shortcoming in standards of excellence?Question 4: How important is it that a head of school is classically educated?Please comment with questions or feedback! To get more from us - check out The Classical DispatchSubscribe to the Classical Dispatch and get new episodes delivered:https://www.classicaldispatch.org

Daniel Foucachon joins us once more to get into the nitty gritty about what books we should be reading and basing our education around. Definitely check out the episode to catch some spicy takes on both sides of the table! Daniel founded Roman Roads Press in order to help equip those desiring a Classical Christian Education in a modern world. To see what they have been working on check out https://romanroadspress.com/The questions covered in this episode:Question 1: Is there a stable Western canon?Why or why not?Question 2: Tips for choosing your school's reading list?Question 3: How do you choose the right edition of a work to read in your school?Question 4: Does curriculum matter more than thePlease comment with questions or feedback! To get more from us - check out The Classical DispatchSubscribe to the Classical Dispatch and get new episodes delivered:https://www.classicaldispatch.org

We are privileged to have Daniel Foucachon join us in the studio to discuss not only the finest offerings that God's world has to offer - but also the Christian's duty to take part in that world. Daniel founded Roman Roads Press in order to help equip those desiring a Classical Christian Education in a modern world. You can see what they have been working on at https://romanroadspress.com/The questions covered in this episode:Question 1: Is it the role of the classical school to teach how to enjoy "the finer things in life?"Question 2: Does taking a child out the home most of the day go against classical Christian paideia?Question 3: Is there a benefit to intentionally choosing the slow way to do things?Question 4: Is the "Jabberwocky" a good poem? Please comment with questions or feedback! To get more from us - check out The Classical DispatchSubscribe to the Classical Dispatch and get new episodes delivered:https://www.classicaldispatch.org

Did you know that Beauty and Aesthetics are NOT the same thing?David, Devin, and Heather are joined by Nick Duncan who teaches 10th Grade Humanities and is the Mock Trial Coach at The Ambrose School in Meridian, ID.In this episode they discuss the easily overlooked and misunderstood applications of beauty in the classroom experience. #1 Do aesthetics matter in K-1 classrooms? Why or why not?#2 How do schools embrace philosophies that minimize beauty?#3 Do we overlook beauty when teaching literature?#4 Is beauty and cultivation of aesthetic taste ignored/forgotten in our schools?Please comment with questions or feedback! To get more from us - check out The Classical DispatchSubscribe to the Classical Dispatch and get new episodes delivered:https://www.classicaldispatch.org

David, Devin, Heather, and Ty discuss all things related to the government and education. Have Christian schools gone to far in their rejection of public education or tax dollars? Could a compulsory government education ever be seen as a moral good? #1 Are compulsory education laws right?#2 Is it acceptable to have government education provided it is good [moral]?#3 Does it take a village to educate a child?#4 Should the government fund education? Comment with questions or feedback.Classical DispatchSubscribe to the Classical Dispatch and get new episodes delivered:https://www.classicaldispatch.org

David, Devin, Heather, and Ty return to touch on the hard truths of schooling outside of the Christian worldview. Join us for this complex but incredibly important discussion.#1 Can you have classical without Christian?#2 Is a classical charter school better than a non-classical Christian school?#3 Is classical Christian education accomplished better in the home than in the school?#4 Is it a sin to send your kids to the local public school?Please comment with questions or feedback! To get more from us - check out The Classical DispatchSubscribe to the Classical Dispatch and get new episodes delivered:https://www.classicaldispatch.org

Should students be allowed to bring phones to school? In this episode of The Four, school leaders discuss smartphone dangers, phone lockers, parent concerns, and how technology shapes student habits and school culture. Plus, they touch on modesty, discipline, and off-campus behavior.

Question #1 00:49 - Integrated Humanities Courses. Good, bad, worth it?Question #2 08:22 - Does teaching Latin matter if you can’t teach it well?Question #3 12:55 - What’s a practice that every classical school is copying, but is a bad practice?Question #4 20:20 - Should we abolish grades?In this episode of The Four, the hosts welcome Aaron Langer and explore a range of practical questions in classical Christian education: whether integrated humanities is worth the effort (and how history can serve as the “story” that ties disciplines together), how to approach Latin when teachers are still developing confidence, and why schools often copy trendy methods without enough clarity or training. They also discuss discussion models like “Harkness” and how they can fail if teachers step back too far, and finish with a lively debate on grading and assessment—what grades communicate, how they can distort motivation, and why formative feedback and character formation can matter just as much as the letter on a report card.

The Four, Episode 9: Should schools recite the Pledge of Allegiance? Should schools be ecumenical in their doctrine? How should schools teach the Bible while integrating in other classes? Should Protestant schools hire Roman Catholic teachers?

In this episode of The Four, the panel tackles a big question for classical Christian schools: is “servant leadership” actually the right model—or can it become an excuse for weak, indecisive leadership?00:19 Question #1 - Is servant leadership a model for ACCS schools? 12:22 Question #2 - Should leaders desire to be great?24:46 Question #3 - How does authority versus expertise work?25:13 Question #4 - Should all heads of schools have been teachers?13:13 Question #5(Bonus Question) - How do you find a good head of school?In this episode, David Goodwin, Heather Lloyd, Ty Rallens, and Devin O’Donnell argue that good leaders do serve, but they serve the mission and the common good—not just people’s comfort or approval. Real leadership means making decisions, taking responsibility (“extreme ownership”), and building confidence, while still practicing humility without projecting constant weakness. They also discuss what makes a leader “great” from a classical/Christian view: greatness isn’t vanity—it’s moral character, virtue, and practical wisdom, balanced with courage, prudence, and structure. Finally, they talk hiring: struggling schools should prioritize mission fit, often looking locally—promoting someone inside the school or recruiting a mission-aligned parent/community member—because “successful somewhere else” doesn’t always mean “successful here.” #ClassicalChristianEducation #ServantLeadership #ChristianLeadership #SchoolLeadership #HeadOfSchool #LeadershipDevelopment #ExtremeOwnership #ClassicalEducation #EducationalLeadership #TeacherLeadership #SchoolAdministration #LeadershipPrinciples #VirtueEthics #MoralCharacter #AuthorityAndHumility #LeadershipMindset #MissionDriven #PrivateSchoolLeadership #ClassicalSchool #LeadershipTraining #EducationPodcast #ChristianSchools #FacultyLeadership #BoardGovernance #OrganizationalLeadership #LeadershipSkills #DecisionMaking #Accountability #BuildingCulture #LeadingWithVision

In this episode of The Four podcast, Heather Lloyd sits down with Devin, David, and Ty to talk through the real-world questions that come up in classical Christian schools every day: how schools should handle secondary doctrine (like eschatology, baptism, communion, and other denominational distinctives) with clarity for families, and why clear boundaries in handbooks and teacher hiring matter, helping to guide classroom discussion and expectations. The conversation challenges the claim that “classical education is neutral,” and engages the idea that “nothing is neutral.” The podcast next explores what it means for education to be inherently formative—touching on politics, catechesis, prayer as formation, and whether classical Christian schools should have any “ties” to the U.S. Department of Education. If you’re a school leader, teacher, or parent navigating doctrinal clarity, school culture, and faithful formation, this one is for you—like, subscribe, and share to help strengthen Christian education in your community 00:37 Question #1 - Should schools have policies on secondary doctrine?14:07 Question #2 - Is classical education neutral (in respect to religion)?21:19 Question #3 - Should Classical Christian education have ties to the Department of Education?32:22 Question #4 - Is education political?#TheFourPodcast #TheFour #ClassicalChristianEducation #ClassicalEducation #ChristianEducation #ChristianSchools #ACCS #SchoolLeadership #Headmaster #TeacherTraining #FacultyTraining #SchoolCulture #StatementOfFaith #DoctrinalClarity #SecondaryDoctrine #Denominations #NiceneCreed #ApostlesCreed #Eschatology #Premillennialism #Amillennialism #Postmillennialism #Dispensationalism #Baptism #Sacraments #Communion #Catechesis #Discipleship #FaithAndLearning #TruthAndBeauty #EducationPhilosophy #NeutralityInEducation #NothingIsNeutral #ChristianFormation #ClassicalClassroom #SocraticMethod #ClassroomDiscussion #ParentPartnership #SchoolHandbook #PrivateSchool #ClassicalChristianSchool #EducationAndPolitics #DepartmentOfEducation #CulturalEngagement #ChristianWorldview #TakeEveryThoughtCaptive #Apologetics #HomeschoolFamilies #ChristianParents #TeacherSupport #SchoolPolicy #Accreditation #K12Education #ChristianSchoolPodcast

In this special edition of The Four, David Goodwin, Heather Lloyd, and Aaron Laenger take a deep dive into ACCS Accreditation—separating fact from myth and clarifying what accreditation really is (and isn’t).2:50 Question #1 - Will teachers wearing Birkenstocks affect a school's ability to get accredited?8:09 Question #2 - Does front desk appearance matter for ACCS accreditation?23:31 Question #3 - Does ACCS accredit 3&4 day schools, or just 5-day schools?28:17Question #4 - Do teachers have to have their kids at the school?32:30 Question #5 - What is Progressive Education?36:12 Question #6 - Why would sight-word learning be antithetical to classical Christian education?44:05 Question #7 - Does the Board need to have meeting minutes in order to get accredited?46:12 Question #8 - Should black shoes be a required part of the Uniform?48:49 Question #9 - Does the handbook need to have a statement of faith in it?52:08Question #10 - Can an ACCS school have female board members?57:04Question #11 - Does an ACCS school need a school of grammar, logic, and rhetoric?59:53Question #12 - Is ACCS accreditation the hardest out there?01:01:02 Question #13 - What are the most pivotally important aspects to ACCS accreditation?

Four Questions. Four Answers. In this episode of The Four, Ty, David, Heather, and Devin consider what boys and girls are made of. In a gender-confused world, how do we train our young people to glory in their sexed differences and cultivate the unique pieties belonging to men or women. 0:00 Intro0:22 Question #1 → What are solid uniform requirements?12:22 Question #2 → How much combat play is appropriate on the field? 22:09 Question #3 →Are there excessively feminine patterns that exist in our schools?26:30 Question #4 → Why are we doing “mixed schools”? What is the value of coed schools and what is the value of single sex schools?

Four questions. Four answers. Listen as four administrators share their experience and wisdom on the tough questions in classical education. In this episode:0:00 Introduction00:23 Question #1: Does classical education exist without Latin or Greek?6:44 Question #2: What is the best use of your time with faculty? (5:00)15:03 Question #3: Is John Carver's Boards That Make a Difference a good model for CC schools?26:12 Question #4: Should classical Christian schools allow TP chapters?

Heather Lloyd, David Goodwin, and Devin O’Donnell discuss ACCS priorities and what to expect in 2026. The Episode Includes: Introduction - 0:00-0:2000:20 - AmFest / JD Vance Quotes: America as "Christian nation" - debated?08:20 - Transition to ACCS in 2026: Building the future + Concordis relationship08:50 - Repairing the Ruin conference(30-year milestone) + speakers/theme11:02 - Atlas Teacher training + certification program (why it matters, what it includes)13:15 - Book + growth strategy: "Forging the American Mind," Battle for the American School, partnerships, launch goals. 16:04 - Accreditation upgrades + self study tool17:40 - Wrap-up + Concordis relations, + new staffThe Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS) is a membership and accreditation organization for schools committed to classical Christian education in the Protestant tradition. The Four is a podcast of the ACCS to equip school leaders to face the tough questions of classical education in the modern world.

Heather Lloyd (Concordis Partners) and David Goodwin (ACCS) discuss recent events at Turning Point AmFest and the Lessons and Carols event.The Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS) is a membership and accreditation organization for schools committed to classical Christian education in the Protestant tradition. The Four is a podcast of the ACCS to equip school leaders to face the tough questions of classical education in the modern world.

Heather Lloyd, David Goodwin, Devin O'Donnell, and Ty Rallens discuss four questions about classical consequence. This episode's questions include:1. Smartboards in the classroom. Good or Bad?2. Audiobooks - Yes or No? Good or Bad?3. Thesis Projects. Are they still worth it in the age of AI?4. Battle question! What is the classical Christian response to AI?The Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS) is a membership and accreditation organization for schools committed to classical Christian education in the Protestant tradition. The Four is a podcast of the ACCS to equip school leaders to face the tough questions of classical education in the modern world.

The Four Episode 2 - Fighting for School CultureHeather Lloyd, David Goodwin, Devin O'Donnell, and Ty Rallens discuss four questions about classical consequence. This episode's questions include:1. Cheerleaders - Are they Good or Bad?2. Gentle Parenting - Is it Good or Bad?3. Teaching Logic in one grade, teaching Logic across several grades, teaching Logic too early or too late, or not teaching Logic at all. What is the best way to teach Logic?4. Battle question! Are house systems a necessary way to shape school culture—do they work? Why not student council instead?The Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS) is a membership and accreditation organization for schools committed to classical Christian education in the Protestant tradition. The Four is a podcast of the ACCS to equip school leaders to face the tough questions of classical education in the modern world.

Welcome to “The Four” podcast, where we discuss four questions on classical consequence.