Advice for Opening a New Classical School with Chad and Melody Fowler

About the Guests

MELODY FOWLER: Roots Farm Education Founder, Director, Form III Instructor Ages 10-12
Melody is a happy wife of 28 years, a proud mother of three and now an over-the-moon grandma of four grandchildren. She was born in El Paso, Texas, and moved to Redding when she was five years old. She loved learning as a child and her favorite pastime was to play school in her garage with younger siblings and neighborhood friends on vintage desks her father bought at local yard sales.

After receiving her Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Studies and teaching credential from Simpson University, Melody taught a self-contained fifth grade classroom for 11 years before moving on to the 8th grade teaching English and U.S. History for four years. She finds it essential to teach the next generation to revere and protect the rich inheritance of liberty they have been gifted. She also completed her administrative credential in Educational Leadership and wrote her Master's paper on Charlotte Mason.

She participated in the Northern California Arts Project, the Shasta County Math Grant, and a three-year ELL grammar program teaching English as a second language. Melody was involved in her site’s leadership team, acted as a site council member, and successfully advocated for funding creative problem-solving programs like Odyssey of the Mind for the gifted and talented. She also volunteered to coach other activities like student government, softball, and cheer.

In her free time, she enjoys learning about education, philosophy, economics, history, gardening, and spending time with her family and six dogs.

CHAD FOWLER: Roots Farm Education  Founder, Director, and Form II Instructor Ages 8-9

Chad was born and raised in Shasta County. He and his wife Melody have three children with the youngest almost 16. From an early age, Chad had an interest in gardening and animals and participated in Shasta County 4-H. Chad worked his family business as well as other working retail management for many years. After helping in his son's kindergarten class and coming from a family of teachers, Chad decided his place needed to be in the classroom and he went back to school. He received his BA in Liberal Studies and teaching credential through Simpson University. He later completed his administrative credential and Masters degree in Educational Leadership through National University. 

He has been a public school educator since 2008 and served as a Master Teacher, Teacher in Charge, Activities Director and Lead Teacher. He has participated in the Shasta County Math Grant, the Northern California Arts Project for teachers, Gates Literacy Grant and other teacher development trainings since 2008. Chad enjoys time in the garden growing vegetables, fruits and flowers, camping with his family and spending time with his Nigerian Dwarf Goats and chickens. 

Roots Farm Education
In the year 2020 they started with 57 students and now have nearly 100 students. They are building slow with in-depth training for their teachers and mission alignment with the incoming families. Their mission states: Roots Farm Education provides home-educated families with a learning environment that integrates agriculture and academics. Stemming from a Christ-centered, Charlotte Mason education, the curriculum embodies western thought with the instruction that pursues truth, promotes wisdom and beauty, creates a pathway to responsibility, and fosters individual initiative and ingenuity. With the land as the laboratory and assistance from experts within the community, factual knowledge in math and science will be hands-on along with essential life skills such as: producing, processing, and marketing food, animal husbandry, sewing, and basic construction. Roots aim is to cultivate a generation of children ready to succeed in higher education, career, and life, while positively impacting the world around them and preserving the lost art of self-reliance.

Show Notes
Two seasoned teachers from the public school system decided to break away and start a school that would focus on agriculture and a Christian classical pedagogy. This inspiring episode of challenges, faith, and vision tells their story. 

Some topics covered include:

• Practical advise on how to start a new school: how to create a clear vision, realistic expectations, and acceptance of trials
• How to hire the right teachers
• How did the first year go and where are you now?
• What struggles did you face during the planning process?
• How Temple Grandin helped them develop a purpose for agriculture studies
• How Charlotte Mason's philosophy influenced their approach and purpose
• Visit Ambleside England
• Joys of learning and Focus on education in faith
• Forms for classes and their flexibility
• What a generous curriculum according to Charlotte Mason really looks like in practice
• Advice to Classical Education and Faith based Schools
• Classroom teachers and how they adapted
• Bible Study
• Not using Chromebooks and studies that prove why not
• Herzog Foundation support for faith based schools: the Business side

Resources and People Mentioned

• Charlotte Mason
• Karen Glass
• Classical Education Facebook Group and Beautiful Teaching with Adrienne Freas
• Benjamin Lyda 
• The Herzog Foundation
• John Heitzenrater
• Maria Montessori
• Lisa Ector, Board of Directors for CMI

Books and Curriculum Mentioned

• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingles Wilder
• Charlotte Mason volumes
• Guide to Working With Farm Animals by Temple Grandin
• Dark Enough to See the Stars in a Jamestown Sky by Connie Lapallo
• RightStart Math
• Microscopic World by Rosie Dickins
• Octopus Scientist by Sy Montgomery
• Island of Surtsey: Iceland's Upstart Island by Loree Griffin Burns
• Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and the Study Guide
• Marco Polo: his travels and adventures by George Makepeace Towle
• Canterbury Tales book and videos
• Chris Hall on Common Arts
• Books about damaging use of Chromebooks
• Jamestown books; Dark Enough to See the Stars in a Jamestown Sky by Connie Lapallo and Blood on the River by Elisa Carbone
• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
• Alfie Kohn books on education

Schools they visited in Dallas

• Mount St. Michael Catholic School in Dallas
• John Heitzenrater's school (He was the headmaster of Founders Classical in Corinth Texas when Chad and Melody visited. Now he is the headmaster of  Chrysostom Academy in PA).
• St. George Classical Academy in Denton, TX founded by Benjamin Lyda, author of Scriptorium Writing and Living Classical. 

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This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.
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