Anchored by the Classic Learning Test

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by Doug Wilson, founder of the Logos School. Doug shares how he first learned about classical education during his service in the Navy after reading Dorothy Sayers' The Lost Tools of Learning. Doug describes the vision and mission for the Logos School as "not just another prep school" but one embedded in contextualized history of America and the church. Doug discusses the impact of secular curricula in modern schools, the importance of open conversations with people of differing beliefs, and some of the controversies that have surrounded him.

On this episode of Anchored, Soren is joined by Karen Elliott, Executive Director of the Rafiki Foundation. Karen shares how she went from working as a commercial banker to serving in Africa and describes how the foundation is supporting Africans spiritually and materially. Now in 10 African countries, the Rafiki Foundation partners with 23 African church denominations and 20,000 schools to provide care and a classical Christian education to children in need. Karen emphasizes that a classical education is for everyone, but must speak to a people's particular culture and history and draw on whatever is true, good and beautiful around the world.

On this episode of Anchored, Soren is joined by Jennifer Pepito, a homeschool parent, founder of The Peaceful Press, and author of Mothering By the Book. Jennifer shares how she began her homeschooling journey while seeking to provide the best education possible for her children, including one daughter with special needs. Concerned that today's kids are over-schooled and over-scheduled, Jennifer emphasizes the importance of developing fine motor skills in early education as well as cultivating joy and wonder. She shares how she has established meaningful practices in her family, like morning time, physical work, and reading aloud, to foster a love for learning and for God.

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by his daughter, Grace Tate, and Tamara Long, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Abilene Christian University. Tamara and Grace discuss Abilene's summer program in England, sharing their perspectives on the trip and what they learned about English history and culture. Tamara emphasizes that Abilene Christian University's goal is to maintain a strong Christian identity that pervades and fuels its rigorous academics.

On this episode of Anchored, Soren is joined by Kellye Britton, Executive Director of the Harvard Debate Council Diversity Project, a pipeline program that works to enroll black youth into an international summer debate residency at Harvard College. Kellye describes how she went from being a retail accountant to Executive Director of the record-breaking program. She also discusses the goal of the project: to breed thinkers for strong leadership from generation to generation.

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by Timothy Trainor, President of Mount St. Mary's University. Timothy shares that while he never saw himself becoming the president of the second oldest Catholic university in America, his 33 years of Army service equipped him for this role. Timothy discusses the history of Mount St. Mary's, its renowned National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, and how the university maintains its Catholic identity.

On this episode of Anchored, Soren is joined by Daniel Foucachon, founder of Roman Roads Press and Kepler Education, and a member of the Board of Academic Advisors at CLT. Daniel discusses his childhood in France, where he and his siblings were the only homeschoolers in a city of two million. He shares that he started Roman Roads Press and Kepler Education to give parents the agency and tools to provide a classical Christian education to their children. He also discusses the meaning of classical education in relation to Western culture, the importance of the six Chinese arts, and why understanding The Aeneid is key to understanding the American story.

On this episode of Anchored, Soren is joined by John Snyder, a member of the Florida House of Representatives and a Marine Corps veteran. Mr. Snyder discusses his educational experience growing up, his thoughts on the national teacher shortage, and his goals for Florida’s education system. As a member of the Florida State Legislature, he provides insight on his recent bill which opens up opportunities for veterans to become teachers. He also discusses his staffing company, ESI, which helps schools recruit skilled and passionate educators.

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by David Williams, President of Valor Education, the Valor Institute, and John Paul II Academy of San Diego. David discusses his love for teaching, his time teaching at Union High School, a public school in NJ, and how teaching at public school informed the rest of his career. He also shares how he learned about classical education, eventually becoming the headmaster at Glendale Preparatory Academy and then Executive Director at Great Hearts. David explains his vision behind founding the Valor Institute and Valor education, stating his desire to cultivate good school culture as the driving force.

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by Jacob Imam, founder of the College of St. Joseph the Worker. Jacob shares his concerns about the lack of students learning practical skills in schools. He explains the importance of manual labor in early Christianity and the modern world, stating that human labor cannot be replaced by something artificial. He shares the vision of the College of St. Joseph and the programs it offers, stating that his goal is to teach students the most stable and lucrative trades to graduate net-positive.