Education today is more personalized than in the past. As society changes, the means and methods of educating society’s children likewise change. In Arizona today, parents find schools with vastly different teaching methods due to demographic changes, increased digital literacy, and the growing need for more personalized environments.
Traditional public school districts, 261 of Arizona’s most widely attended schools, consist of elementary, secondary, unified, and career technical schools. Arizona is quickly approaching an enrollment of 1 million traditional school scholars. Other choices include charter schools, private schools, virtual schooling, microschooling, and homeschooling.
As you look into tuition-free charter schools, you’ll likely be surprised to know that there are 570 of them in the state, with approximately 231,700 scholars attending. Furthermore, each charter school utilizes a special teaching focus. Some have curricula that emphasize college prep, others focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), and others utilize a teaching approach following the Montessori method. But one teaching method, used in Western civilization until the late 19th century, is making a comeback — the classical education method.
What is Classical Education?
For over 2,000 years, Classical Education was the basis for the rise of what became European culture. It began in Greece circa 400 BC with Aristotle as one of its first teachers using the Trivium. He taught the sons of Greek aristocrats to become virtuous leaders. However, beginning in the mid-19th century, the Classical model was abandoned for the Progressive model. Evolving into an education that steered scholars toward careers, this model of education became less about learning, and more about passing tests to move up in school and onto graduation.
In the 1970s, Mortimer Adler, a professor at the University of Chicago, realized the classical model needed to be brought back to the schools. Poor test scores convinced many that changes in our education system needed to be made. With pressure for scholars to pass tests, teachers began “teaching to the test”, and leaving behind the critical thinking skills involved in making discoveries and evaluating educational concepts.
Unique to classical education is the Trivium. As the focal point of classical learning, the Trivium divides learning into three stages: the Grammar Stage for scholars in grades 1-6, the Logic Stage that coincides with middle school ages, and the Rhetoric Stage for scholars in high school.
Classical learning teaches scholars to move beyond the memorization of facts into how facts compare and contrast, how to analyze and synthesize them, how to categorize them, how to evaluate them, and how to create new ideas using them.
Classical education is focused on “the art of learning” whereas traditional education is focused on “teaching to the test”. Classical education teaches students to think thoroughly and independently — not just to memorize information for a test.
The Place for Classical Education in Arizona’s Charter School Curriculum
How is it possible that charter schools can provide such diverse approaches to education?
Arizona’s charter schools are not bound by the state’s district school regulations. This allows them to develop and implement innovative curricula, centered on a specific focus, and utilizes teaching methods that are not found in traditional schools.
Frustrated with teaching standards that are used in traditional public schools, such as Common Core Standards, which employs a “one size fits all” approach, parents are looking for diverse teaching content and methods that fit their children’s individual needs.
Parents became more aware of what their children’s schools were teaching during the Covid period when schools were closed. Parents at home monitored their children’s work during virtual learning and discovered that their children’s education only taught what to learn, but didn’t teach them how to learn.
On the other hand, classical education provides a greater in-depth examination of learning material. Scholars of this method explore relationships of the concepts being taught and apply more critical thinking.
Does the curriculum of classical education align with Arizona’s state standards?
Yes, the curricula of classical education includes the core subjects of mathematics, reading, science, and social studies. Thus, the subjects that are required to be taught are covered in a classical education school. Differences in the teaching of core subjects don’t lie in what is being taught, but how.
Benefits of a Classical Charter School Curriculum
Traditional learning emphasizes the memorization of facts for scholars to pass tests. Passing tests leads to grade-level promotion until the scholar graduates from school. With a diploma, the graduate seeks a job.
Contrast that with classical learning, which also memorizes facts, but it doesn’t stop there. It takes the facts and compares them, analyzes them, and thoroughly evaluates them with critical thinking. In other words, the classical approach teaches scholars how to learn new material. Its objective isn’t leading to a diploma and job so much as teaching scholars how to think thoroughly and logically. Let’s discover what scholars of classical education do.
First, they read the great writings of The Odyssey, The Iliad, Shakespeare, Dante, Tolstoy, Plato, Augustine, Herodotus, Dostoevsky, and many others, in which they delve into history, the state of mankind, and events that changed the world.
Why is it important to read the classics?
Because thinking logically about the events going on around us today requires an understanding of the humanities. Knowing what has happened in history, what people had to say about their conditions, and what led up to revolutionary events, are all key to knowing and understanding ourselves. We do not live in isolation from history. Classical education provides the foundation of history to support the logical thinking of today’s current affairs.
Next, the art of composition, the act of writing one’s knowledge and thoughts, requires excellent organization and editing skills, and the ability to express oneself clearly. Most of all, for scholars, it gives them the exercise of professing their beliefs and understandings about their topic. The burden of logical thinking requires scholars to sequence their thoughts, refer to research to substantiate their claims, and practice the rhetoric of leading their readers to particular conclusions.
In addition, through Socratic discussions, scholars learn about character and moral issues. They learn that people all have the same basic needs. The term “Socratic” refers to the ancient Greek philosopher and teacher, Socrates, who asked questions to promote discussion. The human condition, with its emotions, intelligences, virtues, passions, and sense of morality provides significant fodder for discussion.
With classical education’s emphasis on logic, rhetoric, and studies of humanities, scholars are highly prepared for college and adult life. Having a strong foundation in how to think logically, what motivates people, and a personal set of virtues developed from years of reading and discussion, scholars are prepared to become great leaders and to actively engage in their communities and workplaces.
How Leman Academy Implements Classical Education
As you explore school options for your children, look into The Leman Academy of Excellence, for grades K-8, with schools in both Arizona and Colorado. Here you will find a curriculum of intriguing classical subjects such as reading and recitation, Saxon math, Spanish, science, Latin, history, cursive, geography, debate, art, music, and physical education.
You will find that at Leman Academy, Classical education teaches its scholars the significance of a strong foundation. When it comes to rhetorical communication, e.g., persuasive or evaluative speeches and writings, classical scholars understand their ideas must be backed up with reliable sources. Using first-hand information; for example, a writing of Plato’s; historical literature such as 1984 by George Orwell; or historical texts such as the writings of the apostle Paul, are essential to supporting their views. Hence, the reading of classical literature, in-depth study of history, and much discussion are central to classical scholars’ learning.
The Leman Academy of Excellence prepares its scholars for lifelong learning with the belief that your children will gain success by gaining knowledge, building character, and developing strong values.
The Future of Classical Education in Arizona’s Schools
Since the pandemic, hundreds of new classical schools have opened in the nation and it’s predicted that this rise will continue. Classical learning is increasingly becoming the choice for parents with its study of Western civilization and its emphasis on character development.
An analysis by Arcadia Education projected that by 2035, there will be more than 1.4 million classical learning scholars in the country. Today, classical education is growing annually by 5%, but Arcadia predicts this will rise to 7% over the next decade.
The trend to classical education is moving so quickly, that some schools are having trouble finding classically-trained teachers to staff them. Some institutions of higher learning have begun offering degrees in classical education. Benedictine College offers a master’s program in classical education, to equip teachers and headmasters with the educational background needed to work in these schools.
Preparing teachers to teach the classical method is imperative. According to The Institute of Education Sciences, the factors that most influenced school choice for parents were the quality of teachers, principals, and staff, safety, and the curriculum focus.
How can classical education address the current challenges in K-12 education today?
The greatest challenges in traditional education today are low scores in math and reading, and the rise of mental illness, absenteeism, and bullying. With budget cuts, schools are strained more than ever to provide resources for their scholars.
However, classical education allows for a great deal more flexibility than in traditional schools. They’re able to meet scholars’ needs by differentiating learning materials to match their learning styles. With smaller class sizes, they’re also better able to work closely with their scholars and manage student behavior.
A National Symposium for Classical Education in Tempe, Arizona in February of 2025 explored topics that reach into the future landscape of classical education. Among them are extending the classical method into institutes of higher learning through partnerships, delivering the promises behind the Science of Reading, examining the evidence base for classical education, and developing leaders for the future.
Conclusion
With its in-depth focus on humanities and teaching scholars how to learn, classical education is increasing as a school choice for scholars in all states. Thus, as the number one state for school choice, Arizona leads the way. The popularity of classical education is driven by a wholesome desire to return to a method that has worked well for thousands of years and delivered us some of our country’s greatest leaders.
If you wish to explore how the classical method benefits your child, discover the Leman Academy of Excellence. Teaching grades K-8 and encompassing the grammar and logic stages of the Trivium, Leman Academy will prepare your child to think independently and critically, to continue classical learning in high school at the rhetoric stage, and be a lifelong learner.