I never understood why parents in affluent suburbs with excellent public schools would opt for pricey private education. Even as my son entered kindergarten in 2021, when political and ideological battles were waged on the public education front, I didn’t consider it for our family. At the time, I had just finished paying for expensive, full-time daycare and finally felt free from that cost (at least for one of my two children).
Yet, as more friends pulled their children from public school, I got curious. I began researching non-public school options and why so many families were breaking away from the norm. Many friends were homeschooling or signing up for hybrid schools, but as a working mom, these options weren’t viable for me.
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This haphazard exploration took me to a point of no return when I began reading about the merits of a classical Christian education. I’d heard the term “classical education” before, but it was unfamiliar and, to be honest, sounded elitist to me. When I Googled “classical schools,” I found their names were in Latin and hard to translate. However, something spurred me on.
As I learned more about the classical education model, I knew it was what I wanted for my children. I learned classical education is rooted in Western civilization’s traditions, including studying classical languages, logic, literature, and philosophy. It fosters critical thinking and public speaking and cultivates a deep appreciation for the heritage that has shaped a modern, free society.
In contrast to public schools, classical schools nurture a holistic learning experience that integrates faith, mind, and spirit. They focus less on standardized testing and curriculum standards and more on seeking truth, goodness, and beauty in every area. Public schools’ intense focus on meeting state-required mandates can limit the depth, breadth, and individuality of students’ personalities, interests, and potential.
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Still, I struggled with the decision. Though I had heard horror stories about some public schools, with failing academic programs and radically ideological teachers, this was not the case at our local school. We loved our teachers and had a great experience with parents, students, and the administration.
Plus, there was the money factor. If we were to transfer, we would pay more than $22,000 per year in total for both of our kids to attend. My imagination ran wild with thoughts of what I could use that money for: investments, car payments, a necessary new roof, braces, replacing our 10-year-old couch.
And yet, as I watched the outcomes of so many public schools today, I was not impressed with the results: failing grades and dogmatic, entitled students headed toward universities that would only press into these negative qualities.
It was important to me, too, to help my kids generate critical thinking skills for rigorous debate and idea formation in an environment where they wouldn’t be “canceled” or reprimanded for “wrong” thinking. Given these are the most formative years of my children’s lives, I decided that some of the college money I’d been saving would be better spent now.
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At the classical school we’ve chosen, students are encouraged to research, reason, wrestle with complex ideas, and seek truth no matter how confusing an issue appears on the surface. Classical schools such as this aren’t just preparing students for college and a career someday. Rather, they’re training them for a life of purpose and virtue no matter what they choose to pursue.
If all schools approached education this way, we would see more profound thinkers, see better ideas, and foster true ingenuity. I hope one day all schools will take on the philosophies of classical education. Until then, I’ll pay to ensure my kids have that foundation.
Ericka Andersen is a freelance writer in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is the author of Reason to Return: Why Women Need the Church & the Church Needs Women.