On an early Saturday morning in the summer of 2016, my husband and I brewed a pot of coffee and sat down on our sun porch with a map of the United States. Our three children were still in their beds, unaware that we were strategically planning where they would spend the rest of their childhoods.
At that time, my husband was a police officer for our midwestern town, and I taught at a local school. My parents lived nearby, and we saw them almost every day. We were invested in our community. We were active members of our church. We started a nonprofit organization, organized 5K races, and volunteered for a variety of charities. My husband had even written a book on local history.
Yet after spending years putting down roots, here we were planning to leave it all behind and move across the country because our community was missing something. We did not have a school for our children through high school that supported our parenting philosophy. Our local district was on the cutting edge of the latest ideological curriculum. We only get one shot at raising our children, and knowing what was being taught in the schools near our home, I refused to put my children into these classrooms.
“We could move.” After listening to my emotional rants about the direction of the educational system, my husband’s solution was simple. If our community could not provide for our children’s needs, we could find another community. I know that sounds crazy to most people, but seeking better opportunities is why people move. Sure, we had a lot invested in our community. Sure, we were going to give things up. Sure, we were taking a risk. We had every reason not to move, but it was time. And I would do it again in a heartbeat.
That Saturday morning, we narrowed the field down to a handful of cities that had the type of schools we wanted: classical Lutheran schools. We wanted a Lutheran school because we are Lutherans, and we want our kids to grow up understanding what we believe and confess. Most people know at least generally what Lutherans are. It’s the “classical” part that usually raises eyebrows and questions.
Without tracing the whole history of education in America (which happens to be one of my favorite research areas), let’s just say our Founding Fathers received a classical education. Classical education uses the very best of Western Civilization to develop thinkers who will be excellent citizens in a democratic republic. A Christian classical education focuses on developing citizens in this world and the next. In other words, classical education teaches students the things that matter. What is worth living for? What is worth dying for? What is true? What is good? What is beautiful? These are the questions we wanted our children to be able to answer.
The stereotype of classical schools is that they are elitist, and I’m sure some are, but that has not been our experience. Classical schools take their work very seriously, and students need that. Even in the lower elementary grades, students learn about the history of the world, read real literature about heroic virtues, and study language through Latin. Students learn how to work, how to rest, how to think, and how to live. Children know what they are learning is important, and they take their vocation as students seriously.
After much research on individual schools and communities, we sold our house, quit our jobs, and moved our family to Texas so that they could attend a school that fit with our parenting philosophy and my teaching philosophy. Our children study Latin and Greek, they read the Great Books of Western Civilization, they study mathematics and astronomy, they play instruments, they draw and paint, and they have friends who do the same. Eight years later, our kids have become really nice, interesting people who want to serve their community and who know how to lead when called upon to do so.
This is not to say that classical education has solved all our problems. First of all, transitions are difficult. Buying and selling houses, moving, and finding new jobs are all very stressful, and we spent a year just planning our move, going to job fairs, and getting our house on the market at just the right time. My husband went back to graduate school and completely changed careers in this process. Deciding to uproot your life is difficult, even when it’s for a very good reason. It takes time and courage, but know that your children will notice and learn from this.
Secondly, the school did not magically raise our children for us. We found a school that would partner with us and support what we do at home. We did not want a school that would contradict us for eight hours a day. We wanted teachers who shared our values and would teach our children the things we believe to be valuable. Our school is not for every family, but finding one that works with you instead of against you is truly worth all of the other risks and sacrifices.
For some families, like my sister’s, this means homeschooling. Homeschooling is a wonderful option for so many families. Online schooling is another great option for some families, like my brother’s family. His kids attend an online classical Lutheran school. The point is that as parents we have the responsibility to find the educational option that supports how we choose to raise our children. The risk is worth the reward.
About a year after my children started attending a classical Lutheran school, I joined the staff. I spend my days teaching 10-year-olds about the Iliad and the Odyssey, the fall of the Roman Empire, Renaissance art, and the rules that govern arithmetic. For the first time in my 24-year teaching career, I am really teaching, and it matters. These students, alongside my own children, are learning deep and meaningful things. They are wrestling with good and evil, vice and virtue. They are more curious, more creative, and wiser than I was at twice their age.
If you find yourself worried about where your child or grandchild will attend school, and you don’t see any good options, might I suggest taking a leap? Think outside the box and outside your community. Find a way to educate your family that compliments your parenting philosophy. Brew a pot of coffee, grab a map and a marker, and take the leap, even if it sounds crazy to the people around you; it might be the best thing you ever do for your children.
