

Anchored by the Classic Learning Test
Classic Learning Test
Anchored is published by the Classic Learning Test. Hosted by CLT leadership, including our CEO Jeremy Tate, Anchored features conversations with leading thinkers on issues at the intersection of education and culture. New discussions are released every Thursday. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 25, 2020 • 29min
Anthony Bradley On Mass Incarceration
Dr. Anthony Bradley, professor of religious studies and director of the Center for the Study of Human Flourishing at The King’s College NYC, joins Jeremy to discuss the problem with overcriminalization and why criminal justice reforms have often proven difficult—he discusses the ways in which civic institutions can avert people's continued entry into the criminal justice system while also reducing recidivism rates. Additionally, Anthony explores the role of fatherhood and the research he has conducted that illustrates its role not only in positive social outcomes and academic development, but also within other categories that are not immediately apparent. Send questions or comments to anchored@cltexam.com.Host Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest Dr. Anthony Bradley @drantbradleyEnding Overcriminalization and Mass Incarceration: Hope from Civil Society

Nov 18, 2020 • 32min
James Hankins On Virtue Politics
Machiavelli and the merciless use of power is oftentimes used to illustrate Renaissance political philosophy. Dr. James Hankins, professor of history at Harvard University and one of the foremost authorities on Renaissance political thought, joins Jeremy to discuss how his book Virtue Politics challenges the common portrayal of Machiavelli as the exemplary thinker of the Renaissance. Dr. Hankins discusses the humanists' revival of the ancient view that politics are not sound unless individuals of the polity are morally sound, as well as the ways in which humanist thought indicated that the long-term resilience of institutions fundamentally relies on the virtuous character of those inhabiting the institutions. Dr. Hankins also shares his thoughts on classical education today, and shines light on the important teaching distinctions within the modern university. Send questions or comments to anchored@cltexam.com.Host Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest Dr. James Hankins Virtue Politics: Soulcraft and Statecraft in Renaissance Italy

Nov 11, 2020 • 23min
Sigal Ben-Porath On Campus Free Speech
The issue of free speech on campus has become an increasingly visible debate for higher education. Dr. Sigal Ben-Porath (University of Pennsylvania professor, fellow at Harvard's Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, and former chair of Penn's Committee on Open Expression) joins Jeremy to discuss what she has found to be the most common misconceptions concerning student views on free expression. While discussing the vital nature of free speech to colleges' mission, she outlines ways in which colleges can articulate a dual commitment to free speech and inclusivity, which may serve to ease campus tensions. The conversation also moves to the importance of returning to well-rounded civic education in the United States, as well as the ways in which the historical precedent of school choice—which pre-dates America's Founding—should reframe the discussion on this critical issue. Send any questions or comments to anchored@cltexam.com.Host Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest Dr. Sigal Ben-PorathFree Speech on CampusMaking Up Our Mind: What School Choice is Really About

Nov 4, 2020 • 20min
Louis Markos On The Myth Made Fact
Dr. Louis Markos, an authority on C. S. Lewis and a professor in English at Houston Baptist University, joins Jeremy Tate to discuss his new book The Myth Made Fact: Reading Greek and Roman Mythology through Christian Eyes. Dr. Markos discusses how a famous conversation between J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis inspired him to write a book which seeks to connect the wisdom of Greco-Roman mythology to Christian faith, thus informing a "ministry of myth." He also discusses the academy's current crisis of over-specialization in the humanities which has worn away at its heritage and inhibited the development of more public intellectuals. Host Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest Dr. Louis Markos The Myth Made Fact: Reading Greek and Roman Mythology through Christian Eyes

Oct 28, 2020 • 32min
Andrew Zwerneman On Thinking Historically
Andrew Zwerneman, president of Cana Academy, joins Jeremy Tate to discuss his new book History Forgotten and Remembered. Andrew discusses the reasons why society has grown out of the habit of thinking historically. He also touches on why thinking historically should involve the concept of living between "two great acts of giving"—that of being given the culture we inhabit, and the act of conveying what we cultivate today to future generations. He also discusses why a fragmentary approach to history (which retells history by viewing only egregious events in our past) is harmful to the study of history and ultimately to society.Host Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest Andrew Zwerneman Cana AcademyHistory Forgotten and Remembered

Oct 21, 2020 • 24min
A Conversation With Jennifer Frey
What does it mean to be happy? Is modern society only concerned with the superficial trappings of happiness? Dr. Jennifer Frey, professor of philosophy at the University of South Carolina and former collegiate professor in Humanities at the University of Chicago, joins Jeremy in a discussion on why the social sciences' attempts at quantifying happiness misses the mark, and the ways in which Plato and Aristotle's conceptions of human flourishing have much to offer the modern world. Dr. Frey also discusses the opportunities that are lost when education sidelines the fundamental questions of human existence in favor of strict skills development. She also touches on philosophy's role within a higher education system increasingly focused on vocational training. Host Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest Dr. Jennifer Frey @jennfreyVirtue, Happiness, and the Meaning of LifePodcast: Sacred and Profane Love

Oct 14, 2020 • 29min
A Conversation With Katharine Birbalsingh
As the daughter of immigrants and herself an Oxford student, Katharine Birbalsingh entered a program in which she encouraged inner-city students onto a path toward Oxford themselves. In that role, she found her love for teaching and was eventually asked to speak at the Conservative Party conference (where her speech gained more views than the UK's prime minister at the time). Her ideas on education received backlash, and she was forced to exit her teaching position. Today, she is the founder and headmistress of the Michaela Community School in London, an exceptionally successful free school (similar to a U.S. charter school) which is used as a model for schools around the world. In this episode, she discusses with Jeremy Tate why she stood up to promote academic values that run counter to identity politics in education. Ms. Birbalsingh was recently made Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the Queen for her services to education. Host Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest Katharine Birbalsingh @Miss_SnuffyMichaela Community SchoolBattle Hymn of the Tiger Teachers: The Michaela WayThe Power of Culture: The Michaela WayE.D. Hirsch: The Schools We Need And Why We Don't Have Them

Oct 7, 2020 • 25min
A Conversation With Michael Poliakoff
What underpins a worthwhile college education? This is the question that the What Will They Learn? College Rankings, published by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), seeks to answer. Dr. Michael Poliakoff, president of ACTA, joins Jeremy in a discussion on why a new college guide was needed: the failure of many colleges to provide a rigorous core curriculum, as well as the intellectual diversity needed for the free exchange of ideas. He also discusses the the ways in which campus speech regulation and self-censorship stand to harm liberal democracy. Send questions and comments to anchored@cltexam.comHost Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest Dr. Michael Poliakoff @PoliakoffACTAACTA's What Will They Learn? college rankingsPhiladelphia Statement on Civil Discourse and Strengthening of Liberal Democracy

Sep 30, 2020 • 25min
A Conversation With Anika Prather
Anika Prather, professor in the Classics department at Howard University and founder of The Living Water School, joins Jeremy to discuss the journey that led her to become an advocate of classical education. Dr. Prather details her time at St. John's College and how that experience led her to shift her educational research focus to the history of classical education within the African-American community. She also describes the academic pushback which followed that decision and recounts the inspiration she gained from such seminal minds as W.E.B. Du Bois and Frederick Douglass. Send questions or comments to anchored@cltexam.comHost Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest Dr. Anika Prather @AnikaFreeindeedClassic Learning in Black History Essay SeriesLiving in the Constellation of the Canon: The Lived Experiences of African-American Students Reading Great Books LiteratureThe Living Water SchoolNew CLT Partner CollegesGrove City College CLT Administration

Sep 23, 2020 • 39min
A Conversation With Corey DeAngelis
Corey DeAngelis, Director of School Choice at the Reason Foundation, joins Jeremy to discuss the key issues at stake in the growing school choice movement. He provides insight into the pandemic's significance for the expansion of educational options while elaborating on the benefit of education dollars funding students over systems. He also discusses the incentive system at play in the current political debate on school choice. You won't want to miss his discussion on the School Choice Hypocrisy Map! Send questions or comments to anchored@cltexam.comHost Jeremy Tate @JeremyTate41Guest Dr. Corey DeAngelis @DeAngelisCoreySchool Choice Myths: Setting the Record Straight on Education FreedomPennsylvania Must Fund Students, Not School Districts—Corey's Most Recent Op-EdEFI's School Choice Hypocrisy Map


