Anchored by the Classic Learning Test

Elias Moo, one of the youngest Catholic school superintendents in the country (Archdiocese of Denver), joins Jeremy  to discuss a trend of recent years in which Catholic schools attempt to replicate a utilitarian public school model, one which increasingly dehumanizes students in its attempt to make education production-focused.  Elias makes the case that Catholic schools should be committed to the liberal arts and poses the important question to all educators: "What is the true nature and purpose of education?" He also cites Pope Pius XI's Divini Illius Magistri —"Education must prepare man for what he must be and what he must do here below in order to obtain the sublime end for which he was created," a radically different sentiment than derived from the education we see in modern American society.Host Jeremy TateGuest Elias Moo @ArchDenSuperCLT10 coming up on April 28th! Click here for more details.

Eric Cook is the Head of School at Covenant Classical School and President of the Society for Classical Learning (SCL). He joins Jeremy to discuss classical education in the 21st century and the ways in which teaching in a public school led him to the classical education movement. He also examines the holistic nature of classical education, which has informed his endeavors as SCL president to make classical education accessible to all backgrounds. Jeremy and Eric also discuss the importance of finding good teachers at classical schools, as well as having strong thought leadership throughout the classical renewal movement in education.Host Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest Eric Cook

Kevin Clark (founder of the Ecclesial Schools Initiative) and Ravi Jain (calculus and physics teacher at the Geneva School) join Jeremy to discuss their book The Liberal Arts Tradition: A Philosophy of Christian Classical Education, as well as the classical education renewal movement in modern society. They begin by briefly discussing the history of 20th century education, to include the exportation of the American progressive education model across the world. They also discuss the reasons they began their book by discussing gymnastics, the critical role of culture to a school's success, and the deeper meaning behind musical education. Mathematics education is also examined thoroughly, to include the misguided notion that a math education must always be presented to students in terms of its practical application—that is, its value in study can lead students to much more meaningful questions about the connection of the physical world to the world of ideas, as well as a greater understanding of truth. Host Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guests Kevin Clark and Ravi JainThe Liberal Arts Tradition: A Philosophy of Christian Classical Education

Dr. Anika Prather joins Jeremy with a group of her humanities students from Howard University—Nia Anderson, Joseph Andrew Jordan, and Joshua Hughes. The students discuss the meaning of classical education within the African-American intellectual tradition, to include such important figures as Phillis Wheatley, Anna Julia Cooper, Frederick Douglass, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor Prather and her students also discuss the #DisruptTexts movement and what it means for the future of education—the removal of books from curricula may be the product of good intentions, but will likely have harmful educational outcomes.  Host Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest Dr. Anika Prather @AnikaFreeindeed

Dr. Douglas Henry, Dean of the Honors College at Baylor University, joins Jeremy to discuss the impact of great works of literature, politics, and philosophy on both his own academic formation and in the larger life of the Honors College.  Dean Henry discusses the college's commitment to the integration of faith and learning and how this has led the college to become not only favored by Baptist students, but Catholic students as well.  Dr. Henry further expounds on the Great Books as a foundation for public discourse, what this has meant for his time in the classroom, the importance of engaging with great ideas to become a lifelong learner, and why the institution of higher learning will lose its soul if it neglects its commitment to educating students in this manner. Host Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest Dr. Douglas Henry Humanities Teachers- Deadline Approaching! Apply to Baylor's NEH Summer Seminar 2021: Disputatio and the Pursuit of Wisdom in the Humanities! ($2,200 stipend)

Jon Balsbaugh, President of Trinity Schools, joins Jeremy to discuss the important distinction that separates schooling from an education striving for "human awakening." Jeremy and Jon also discuss C.S. Lewis' vision of education, his understanding of the troubling trajectory of education, and the importance of the training of affections. Jon further illustrates the relevancy of the Great Books by underscoring their ability to pose timeless questions to today's students, and he shares insight into the Classical renewal movement. Host Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest Jon Balsbaugh

Frank Bruni of The New York Times once dubbed St. John's College the "most contrarian college in America." On this episode, St. John's College President Pano Kanelos joins Jeremy to discuss the history of the school (one of the oldest colleges in the U.S.) and the academic reorientation that took place there in the early 20th century, one inspired by the Great Books movement facilitated by Mortimer Adler and others. He also discusses the issues of cost in higher education and highlights the "Freeing Minds" campaign and other efforts that St. John's took to lower tuition and improve access by rolling back over a decade of tuition increases. Dr. Kanelos also discusses a 2018 trip to South Korea (as well as other countries in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East) and the conversations that showcased an eagerness for liberal arts education across the globe. Send questions or comments to anchored@cltexam.com.Host Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest President Pano Kanelos

Keith Nix, Head of School at Veritas in Richmond, VA, joins Jeremy with Sam Davis, a Veritas student. On this episode, Keith discusses the history of Veritas School, the beginnings of its historic campus in Richmond, and its mission in classical education. The conversation moves to architecture and its relation to learning—how does physical space impact imagination and academic outcomes? Keith also examines the current momentum of classical education and what this means for the future. Additionally, Jeremy talks with Sam on the ways in which classical education has informed his school community and ultimately his perspective on education's role in personal formation.Host Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guests Keith Nix and Sam Davis Humanities Teachers—Apply to Baylor's NEH Summer Seminar 2021: Disputatio and the Pursuit of Wisdom in the Humanities! ($2,200 stipend)

Note: This is Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. West. Cornel West begins this episode by responding to a question from the producer: has the advancement of technology created a culture in which the desire for wisdom is supplanted by the demand for instant access to information? He also discusses modern conceptions of identity and the way in which these conceptions have become detached from larger questions and ideals, the elements of education and life that lead to personal fortification, and the dialectical interplay between one's familial "roots" and the routes that a person takes in life. Dr. West also discusses curricula, the notions of excellence in texts, and the ways in which this excellence builds upon itself and reveals that truth is bigger than all of us. Host Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest Dr. Cornel West @CornelWest 

Note: This is Part 1 of our conversation with Dr. West. Renowned public philosopher Dr. Cornel West joins Jeremy to share his insight into the current cultural moment and efforts to remove the Classics from school curricula. He discusses his famous friendship with Princeton's Robert P. George and highlights the troubles that arise when friendships hinge only on ideological agreement, and how society is fractured by conversations halted due to cancel culture. He also shares his views on the #DisruptTexts movement by exploring the distinctions that separate an education rooted in deep intellectual and moral formation from modern-day "schooling," and examines why texts rich in terms of generating conversation are being lost to polarization. Dr. West also discusses his time studying with Hans-Georg Gadamer, and shines light on conceptions of tradition and the Greek idea of paedeia, and reflects on Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy in terms of love, justice, and courage. Send questions or comments to anchored@cltexam.com.Host Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest Dr. Cornel West @CornelWest