THE CLASSICAL VOLUME 6, NUMBER 2 | SPECIAL ISSUE BRINGING LIFE TO THE CLASSROOM

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$2.95 GOOD SOIL p. 4

NEW RESEARCH ON “THE SCHOOL EFFECT” Gratefulness, Confidence, Faith, and Friends p. 6 Church Attendance, Bible Reading, Divorce Rates p. 10, 12 Conservative, Independent, and Influential p. 17, 22, 26 College Success p. 18

ClassicalDifference.com Church Attendance, Bible Reading, Divorce Rates ����8, 12

Gratefulness, Confidence, Faith, and Friends...... 14

Conservative, Influential, and

Independent...... 17, 22, 26

College Success...... 18

COVER: Paideia Academy, Knoxville, TN

ON THE COVER: Gratefulness, Confidence, Faith, and Friends...... 6 Church Attendance, Bible Reading, Divorce Rates...... 10, 12 ClassicalDifference.com Conservative, Independent, and Influential...... 17, 22, 26 College Success...... 18 CONNECT WITH US INSIDE: Welcome...... 4 The Differences Add Up...... 8 What Is the Fair Market Value

of Classical Christian Education?...... 9 Facebook.com/TheClassicalDifference Preparation + Calling = Mission...... 14 Twitter.com/ClassicalChrist Climbing Hills to Tackle Mountains...... 20 ClassicalDifference.com/blog Instagram.com/ClassicalDifference The Makings of Fortitude...... 24 Reclaiming the Media for Christ...... 28 NOTES: ClassicalDifference.com/notes Join the Back Room...... 30 PHOTOS: ClassicalDifference.com/photos Life Outcomes...... 31 SUBMISSIONS: ClassicalDifference.com/submissions All citations: ClassicalDifference.com

THE CLASSICAL DIFFERENCE: VOL. 6, NO. 2, SPECIAL ISSUE

EDITOR IN CHIEF: David Goodwin MANAGING EDITOR: Stormy Goodwin ASSISTANT EDITOR: Jennifer Winters DESIGN: Hannah Grieser CIRCULATION: Allegra Gollehon CONTRIBUTORS: Nicole Ault, Ty Fischer, Will Frazier, Lisa Knodel, Chris Potts, Caleb Yarbrough COPY EDITORS: Deb Blakey, Allegra Gollehon INFORMATION: The Classical Difference is a publication of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS). Views expressed in The Classical Difference do not necessarily represent the views of the association or our members. Our goal is to inform and expand the community of supporters of classical Christian education. The Classical Difference is published four times a year and is mailed, at the request of member schools, to parents who have enrolled in ACCS member schools. If you do not wish to receive this publication, please contact our offices at the email address below. If you wish this publication to be mailed to a friend or relative, please contact us. Gift subscriptions are available. Find a school ADVERTISING: [email protected]. SUBMISSIONS: The Classical Difference welcomes your submissions. If you have a quote, story, article, photo, letter or other submission, visit www.ClassicalDifference.com/submissions. Submissions may near you! or may not be published or compensated. Compensation is dependent upon length and placement. CONTACT: [email protected]. COPY­RIGHT: ©2020 by the Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS). All rights re­ VISIT THE ACCS served. A publication of the ACCS. WEBSITE: www.ClassicalDifference.com SCHOOL FINDER: ADVISORY PANEL: LESLIE COLLINS: Covenant Academy, Cypress, TX SONMIN CRANE: Rockbridge Academy, Millersville, MD LISA KNODEL: Mars Hill Academy, Mason, OH CLASSICALCHRISTIAN.ORG KAREN MOORE: Grace Academy of Georgetown, Georgetown, TX JULIE NAGEM: Westminster Academy, Memphis, TN /FIND-A-SCHOOL MICHELE VERNON: The Ambrose School, Meridian, ID

2 The Classical Difference IN THIS ISSUE

LIFE OUTLOOK, p.6

CULTURAL INFLUENCE, p.26 WILL FRAZIER Westminster Academy NICOLE AULT Memphis, TN, p.9 Rockbridge Academy Crownsville, MD, p.28 CATHERINE ROGERS Summit Christian Academy Newport News, VA, p.29 THE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LIFE, p.10 EFFECT HOW DIFFERENT SCHOOL TYPES INFLUENCE WHO YOU BECOME

INDEPENDENT THINKERS, p.22 CHRISTIAN COMMITMENT, GRACIE HUMPHREY p.12 Trinitas Christian School Pensacola, FL, p.24 ALEX DWYER Rockbridge Academy Crownsville, MD, p.14

COLLEGE TRADITIONAL & CAREER, p.18 & , ANDREW BRINKERHOFF CONSERVATIVE p.17 Mars Hill Academy Mason, OH, p.20 28+20+23+48+52+60Vol. 6, No. 2 | Special Issue 2020 3 ■ WELCOME TO THE CLASSICAL DIFFERENCE

Naperville Christian Academy, Naperville, IL Dame on behalf of Cardus, a founda­ tion that tracks the outcome of five school segments of alumni, aged 23 to 44. They had fielded this study twice before, and were in the midst of their third survey. We looked at the 85 or so pages of questions asked by Notre Dame. They asked about beliefs and attitudes, priorities, and practices on a wide array of topics. So many, in fact, that we had to group them. As we saw the data unfold, seven groupings emerged: Academic Prepa­ ration, Outlook on Life, Christian Commitment, Christian Life, Conser­ vative and Traditional, Independent Thought, and Influence. We contacted the researcher at the University of Notre Dame Sociology Department and asked if he would conduct the same survey, but using ACCS alumni as a proxy for classical Christian education. He said A Project … he could, but that to get a valid sample, he would need around 3000 names. The University of Notre Dame When we got him just over 2500 ran­ dom alumni names he started to work. and the ACCS team up. t its heart, CCE is radically dif­ Aferent because it is based on one “We have research on high SAT scores at ACCS, but a foundational truth: everything in our world can only be rightly understood donor asked about how our students turn out spiritually. in light of Jesus Christ and His King­ dom. This claim changes the com­ Or in life. I told him we’ve seen strong Christian world­ plexion of education, and that yields different results. For example, ACCS views, better thinkers, and better spiritual outcomes from schools divide less by “subject” and more by seven arts: Grammar, Logic, our grads. Do we have research to prove that?” Rhetoric, Arithmetic, Geometry, As­ tronomy (physics), and Music. These Several years ago, Howe Whitman Over the years, I’ve hesitated to do are practiced in three realms of phi­ of The Wilberforce School in Prince­ this type of study. A form of education losophy: the moral, the natural, and ton, New Jersey, called me with this that has been tested for centuries has the logical arenas of knowledge. Our question. With that, Howe and I set history as its measure. But there is an­ methods are unique: Socratic discus­ out to find the best measure of life out­ other question: Are we doing classical sion, discourse, memory recitation, comes we could. We looked at a num­ Christian education (CCE) effectively wonder, practice, habit, imitation, and ber of studies, including one done by today? The restoration is just three discipleship. Our content is equally the University of Virginia’s “Institute decades old, and we’re still learning. unique—it descends from the great­ for Advanced Studies in Culture,” and Maybe it would be helpful to see just est minds in history and is integrated at another study done by Christian how effective the attempt to restore across subjects. And, the Bible is at the Smith in his National Study of Youth classical Christian education has been. center of the core. If you tell this story and Religion. None of these had the Our search led to an expansive to just about any conventional school breadth or depth we wanted to see. study done by the University of Notre leader in the country, he or she will

4 The Classical Difference WELCOME TO THE CLASSICAL DIFFERENCE ■

School Segments at a Glance

SCHOOL TYPE ABOUT TOTAL STUDENTS

• About 90% of all students in America are educated in public schools, PUBLIC SCHOOL 47 million with about 15% of those in charter schools.

PRIVATE NON-RELIGIOUS • Private, non-religious account for about 25% of private school students. (PREPARATORY) • Average tuition in 2009 was $21,910 annually.

• About 41% of private school students graduate from Catholic schools. CATHOLIC 5.5 million • Average tuition was $7,020 annually.

PROTESTANT CHRISTIAN • About 24% of private school students graduate from these schools. (EVANGELICAL) • Average tuition is estimated at $8,850.

RELIGIOUS HOMESCHOOL • About 23% of all non-public schooled children are homeschooled. 1.7 million

• 1% of private school students attend ACCS schools. Inc. in private ACCS SCHOOLS • Annual tuition averages about $7,900 annually.

For more detailed information, visitClassicalDifference.com/good-soil . likely look at you like you are an alien. It should come as no surprise that ACCS schools should produce radically dif­ First, how many people were sur­ fielded twice before. We contracted ferent results. But what kind of results? veyed? Was it a valid sample? In all, with Notre Dame to sample our alum­ In the winter of 2019, the results of 1800 people completed the survey, 300 ni. We contributed little to the process, our study arrived, by happenstance, of which were ACCS alumni. This is a except to provide a large, non-selec­ during our ACCS annual board meet­ statistically valid sample, comparable tive list of names, from which a sam­ ing. We opened them. The differenc­ to nearly all other national surveys. ple was drawn. We did not intervene es were pronounced. I wish each of Secondly, people wonder if the make­ in the process, seeing the results for you could have been there as we went up of families at ACCS schools might the first time with little or no contact slide-by-slide through them, taken account for the differences. Notre Dame with Notre Dame. aback by the results. ACCS alumni uses a statistical method to isolate the Classical Christian Education (CCE) had very different life outcomes and cause of the outcome to the school the has a track record that extends over a practices—we expected that. We did alumni attended. This technique has thousand years and has been instru­ not expect the magnitude, or some been proven to be effective and accu­ mental in the establishment of Western of the revelations you will see in this rate. When you see “red” bars in this re­ civilization. Some say that should be issue. Put together, these differences port, they represent figures corrected by proof enough. The revival of this meth­ represented an adult profile that re­ this algorithm. The results are corrected od seems to reflect what we would ex­ flects the historic character of classi­ to reflect the school-effect only. pect—it’s working the same now as it cally educated citizens. Third, did ACCS bias this research has for nearly 2000 years. I invite you by sponsoring it? This study was to see some of the results in this mag­ his issue of The Classical Differ- uniquely isolated from the influence azine, or visit ClassicalDifference.com Tence is dedicated to describing the of the ACCS. Cardus wrote the survey to see the full, 50-page report. seven outcomes of “school.” When the and conducted the research with the results are seen, three questions fre­ five comparative groups without any DAVID GOODWIN is the president of the quently follow. influence by the ACCS. It had been Association of Classical Christian Schools.

Vol. 6, No. 2 | Special Issue 2020 5 ■ GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 1

PROFILE 1

ACCS alumni have positive life outlooks, Life Outlook indicating better life satisfaction.

If you want your children OVERALL OUTLOOK ON LIFE to grow up as well-bal­ Thankfulness, God’s calling to a vocation, everything (even suffering) anced, generally happy is in God’s plan, trust people, self-sufficient, goal-oriented. -10 MEDIAN 10 20 30 40 50

32+ 23+ 0+ 0 adults, this is the profile 0+ 0 24+ 14+ 8+ 2

to consider when choosing a school. ACCS +0+ 0 Think of “Life Outlook” as something Homeschool

+3+ 0 of a happiness index, or a mental +0 +2 +7+ +4+ 0 health profile. This profile contains Evangelical ■ All respondents +2+ 3 some “opinion responses” like “Do +0+ 0

1 ■ Corrected for family influence you agree that everything, even suf­ Catholic +5 + +7 +11 +0+ 0 fering, is part of God’s plan?” And, it +0 +0+ 0 also has some attitudinal questions Private Prep. 1

like “I feel helpless dealing with life’s +6+ 6 problems: agree or disagree?” It also Public asks some questions that, when com­ piled, profile “life outlook” based on known psychological factors, like the *See inset on page 12 for an explanation of this chart. number of close friends they have, or how much they trust others. with a wide ranging exposure to the coworkers, church members, and The results here are understandable, Western Canon. And, they are taught neighbors more than any other group but may not have been predicted. The to love the Lord with their mind, soul, by a wide margin. They are goal ori­ two segments furthest above the me­ and strength throughout every subject. ented and feel empowered to achieve. dian are secular private preparatory We believe this perspective shows up Nearly 90% of ACCS alumni report­ alumni and ACCS alumni. When fam­ when alumni think about their signif­ ed more close friends than the me­ ily factors are removed, ACCS scores icance in the grand scheme of things. dian, with the next highest group— drop about 8 points while prep schools This question indicates ACCS alumni secular preparatory schools—having increase by 3 or 4. This means that a are hopeful, as we will soon see. 53% above the median. child’s family influence would have By a significant margin, ACCS 83% of ACCS alumni talk with their causation with this profile, no matter schools influence their alumni to friends about religion and significantly which type of school they attend. But, have a high sense of gratitude. The more of them interact frequently with ACCS schools still reflect more than raw score went from a low of 1 to a their friends on a weekly basis. twice the score on Life Outlook. high of 7 in the questionnaire. ACCS A healthy view of suffering, life ACCS alumni have a clear sense alumni averaged 6.8. While many re­ goals, gratitude, trust of others, and of purpose and direction. Only 14% spondents agreed with this statement, strong friendships are significant indi­ of ACCS alumni agreed that life lacks ACCS alumni were outliers in the cators that our students enjoy life with clear goals or a sense of direction. magnitude of their gratitude. a depth and understanding that is un­ ACCS schools give students perspec­ Psychologists have long found that matched, and much, if not most, of tive on life through a study of theology, “trust in others” is a sign of mental the apparent cause is the ACCS school philosophy, history, and literature— health. ACCS alumni trust strangers, they attended.

6 The Classical Difference GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 3 ■ “I HAVE SO MUCH IN LIFE TO BE THANKFUL FOR.”

80% 79% AGREED

Grace Academy, Georgetown, TX 70%

60%

OVERALL OUTLOOK ON LIFE 50% Thankfulness, God’s calling to a vocation, everything (even suffering) is in God’s plan, trust people, self-sufficient, goal-oriented. 40%

Prep Public Catholic Evangelical ACCS 24+ 14+ 8+ 2 Homeschool

“I FEEL HELPLESS “EVERYTHING, EVEN

+4+ 0 14+11+15+22+25+39 DEALING WITH MY SUFFERING, IS PART

+0+ 0 LIFE’S PROBLEMS.” OF GOD’S PLAN.” +0 +0+ 0 50% 70% 63% AGREED

40% 60%

30% 50% ONLY 18% 20% AGREED LIFE 40% OUTLOOK 10% 30%

Prep Prep Public Public Catholic Catholic Evangelical ACCS Evangelical ACCS Homeschool TRUST PEOPLE Homeschool AROUND THEM ■ ACCS 31+25+34+26+33+8 ■ Average of Catholic, evangelical & homeschool 9+14+11+22+18+33

5% 24% 43% 61% 80% 89%

86% 43+ 24 are have more Stangers CLOSE FRIENDS GOAL ORIENTED +69+ 45 vs. 65% of other Coworkers than the median

conservative Christian +28+ 8 vs. 39% of other schools At Church conservative Christian schools +37+ 29 Neighbors

But the fruit of the spirit is … joy. —Galatians 5:22 18+82P 10Vol. 6, No. 2 | Special Issue 2020 7+90P THE DIFFERENCES ADD UP

ITH OVER 300 resulting data points, Wthe most noticeable difference was in the sheer number of differences. In a survey of this type, the magnitude of the differences shown indicates that some- thing is unique about ACCS graduates. The graphic to the right shows some of this magnitude at a glance.

8 The Classical Difference GOOD SOIL: ALUMNI PROFILE ■

LIFE OUTLOOK What is the fair market value of classical Christian education?

I am still finding out. This is an excerpt from an original article published in The Classical Difference. To read the full article, visitClassicalDifference.com . by WILL FRAZIER

Many people often ask Westminster would rather produce connected but a handful of dots in me if I was “prepared” for college and the kinds of students who quietly and this infinite chain. Yet we press for­ the “real world” after Westminster, humbly pursue God than students with ward with all the joy of the most unas­ and it may make the administration impressive resumes. Only when I draw suming child and all the acuity of the shudder to hear me say absolutely not! my final breath can the “value” of my most critical scholar, knowing that the What I was after Westminster was set Westminster education be assessed. more dots we connect, the more we on a trajectory for a lifelong pursuit of realize how grand this puzzle is. that which is worth loving in a world estminster is not producing For assessing Westminster’s success that places a great deal of worth and Wsanctified kids by the 12th grade, in my life, it’s not what I’ve learned, or love on that which is not. but begins the process of reorienting who I’ve become, but who I am becom­ Would I end up loving much of the young minds and hearts, through the ing, and for better or for worse, you wrong things along the way? Yes, I have, reconciling work of Christ on the cross, can’t put a price tag on that. The divi­ and I still do. I wasn’t “prepared” for the towards that which is worth loving and dends Westminster is paying in my life obstacles I’ve faced and yet to face. I for which they were created—worship are in a completely different currency would say, rather, that I was “equipped.” to the glory of God. Westminster did than the U.S. dollars my parents forked not teach me to harness my intellectu­ over to get me there, and the ultimate est we get lost in a semantic game, al capabilities for self-gain, but to re­ value is not something received on pa­ LI’ll resort to a travel analogy for how turn their efforts back to the One from per or spoken from the mouths of men, I was equipped rather than prepared. whom they came. but only in hearing the words from Him Many schools and educational philoso­ Neither was I taught to master the who alone is valuable and can give val­ phies today take their best stab at “pre­ world, or to get the heavens into my ue—“Well done my good and faithful paring” kids for life’s journey by giving head, but, as Chesterton says, to simply servant.” The IRS has a definition of them a map, teaching them all about get my head into the heavens. I learned value, as does the world; the question is, it, quizzing them on it, and practical­ to pair my childish sense of wonder what do you value? ly requiring they memorize the whole with an acutely critical thought pro­ thing. This is neither the classical nor cess, whereby we at once enjoy the WILL FRAZIER graduated from ACCS Ac­ the Christian way. Rather, Westminster world as if it were wildly unfathomable credited school Westminster Academy, Memphis, gave me a compass and taught me how and yet pursue an understanding of it TN, in 2004. He is the founder and Vice President to use it. So when I wander off the map, as if it were imminently discoverable. of Research at Memphis Research Group, an in­ as I have and will likely continue to do, It is as if God’s creation is a massive vestment research services, portfolio manage­ I am not lost forever. Westminster, for connect-the-dots puzzle. As we labor ment, and consulting firm. me, wasn’t about learning a map to find to connect them all, we find moments the most efficient routes and become a of conclusion. In these moments we master of how to succeed by the world’s get to peer into the grand and unend­ standards, but about learning to find ing narrative, not because we com­ your way “home” no matter where you prehend the universe or the nature end up, learning how to think rightly of God, but because we see how truly no matter the context. incomprehensible it is! We are left in This is frankly why the concept of awe and wonder when we step back, “value” is almost counterintuitive here. review our discovery, and find we’ve

Vol. 6, No. 2 | Special Issue 2020 9 ■ GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 2

PROFILE 2 Christian Life ACCS alumni live their faith.

The Christian Life Pro­ file looks at how the alum­ CHRISTIAN LIFE Accept church authority; family eats, prays, talks about God, reads ni’s Christianity translates Bible together; never lived together before marriage; never divorced.

-10 MEDIAN 10 20 30 40 50

43+ 32+ 15+ 8 into their life choices. As with Chris­ tian Commitment (p.12), Christian 0+ 0 43+ 32+ 15+ 8 Life shows some common ground with ACCS evangelical and homeschools, though +0+ 0 Homeschool

+20+ 10 on different scales. If your desire is to foster a Christian life, clearly, students +0 +0+ 7 +20+ 10 Evangelical

+1+ 0 are better off in a conservative Chris­ +1+ 0 tian school or homeschool environ­ Catholic

+0 +0+ 0 ment overall. Given the biblical call +7 +4 +8+ 7 +0 +0+ 0 in Ephesians for fathers to raise their ■ All respondents Private Prep. children in the paideia of the Lord, ■ Corrected for family influence this is our command as Christians. Public Paideia, the ancient Greek word used in Ephesians 6, translates to at least seven words including fear, in­ *See inset on page 12 for an explanation of this chart. struction, education, training, and ad­ monition. Translators struggle to cap­ ture the concept of paideia in modern WITHIN THE HOME language. ACCS schools base their When it comes to the home, the educational model on this older, bib­ ACCS alumni surveyed have about lical concept of paideia and its under­ the same aged children and about the lying principles. Conventional schools same number of children overall as typically do not. This creates a very the median. unique environment in ACCS schools ACCS alumni and prep school where Christian paideia is infused alumni report marrying younger— throughout the method, content, and about ten points below the median, ethos of the schools. We believe this is but again, with a wide margin. ACCS reflected in the differences we see in alumni talk about God more, eat to­ our alumni when it comes to Chris­ gether more, and pray together more We have no way of knowing if the tian living. Paideia is deeply rooted, than any of the sectors. school is classical. However, since and therefore acts like a time-released More ACCS alumni report putting ACCS alumni are outliers in the school influence throughout a student’s life. their children in a Christian school. types listed, it seems likely.

10 The Classical Difference GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 2 ■

UNMARRIED LIVING TOGETHER

12%

9%

CHRISTIAN 6% LIFE 3% 0% 0%

Prep LOGGED Public Catholic Evangelical ACCS VOLUNTEER HOURS Homeschool ABOVE THE MEDIAN 43+ 32+ 15+ 8

80% 71% OVER THE MEDIAN +20+ 10 68% 92%

+1+ 0 TALK about GOD 55% with their families

+0 +0+ 0 22+20+22+15+15+0 vs. 73% of other conservative Christian 43% schools

30%

Prep Public Catholic ACCS Evangelical DIVORCED Homeschool 12+9+16+6+12+41 10+OR SEPARATED 90+P

8% 47% 6% have a child in a 4% RELIGIOUS ONLY SCHOOL 2% 1% vs. 25% of other conservative Christian 0% schools Prep As for that in the good soil, Public Catholic they are those who ... bear fruit. Evangelical ACCS 50+50+80+20+50Homeschool +10 —Luke 8:15 47+53P Vol. 6, No. 2 | Special Issue 2020 11 ■ GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 3

PROFILE 3 Christian Commitment ACCS alumni are more involved in church and community.

When it comes to edu­ cation, most people focus CHRISTIAN COMMITMENT Regularly attend church and small group studies, read Bible, volunteer mainly on college and jobs. Commit­ at church, give to church, feel obliged to special religious practices. ment to a bigger purpose might not be -10 MEDIAN 10 20 30 40 50 top-of-mind when you have toddlers 40+ 23+ 19+ 9 40+ 23+ 19+ 9 0+ 0

in the house, but when pigtails have 44+ 27 been replaced with a college gradu­ ACCS +0+ 0

ation cap, most parents realize that +40+ 12 happiness comes in a committed re­ Homeschool +21+ 7 +21+ 7 +0 +4+ 0

lationship with Jesus Christ. That in­ +20+ 11 vestment begins during the little years, Evangelical +0+ 3 +0+ 3

continues into the wonder years, and +2+ 22+ Catholic

+0 +0+ 0 solidifies as young adults come of age. +0 +0+ 0 +7 +2 +8+ 5 More than twice the number of ■ All respondents Private Prep. ACCS alumni exceed the median when ■ Corrected for family influence we measure Christian commitment as Public an index. Two groups are above the median along with the ACCS— home­ school and evangelical schools. While they do show strength here as well, the long-term influence of deep Chris­ UNDERSTANDING tian worldview integration in classical twice as high as homeschoolers—the Christian schools cannot be matched. next highest. This means that ACCS THE PROFILES ACCS alumni score a 40 on this schools have a disproportionate im­ In this chart, Christian Commitment, profile. This translates into 90% ­re pact on Christian Commitment. we can see that both the red and blue porting above the median for all When adjusted for family factors, bars show a significant difference. The groups, thus making this profile one the difference between all other types red bars reflect the school’s effect, iso- of the most pronounced attributes of schools spans across about 10 points. lated from other family factors. This of ACCS alumni. The ACCS red bar This means there’s less difference be­ calibration is accomplished through a (adjusted) is much shorter, which tween all other five types of schools statistical regression analysis technique means that much of this effect is due than there is between ACCS and the that can identify and remove factors to the family’s influence, which makes next highest-scoring school type. like family income, frequency of family sense. But, even then, ACCS schools church attendance, parents’ marital sta- result in an index score more than Continues on page 16 … tus, and so on.

12 The Classical Difference GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 3 ■

90% ATTEND CHURCH more than 3x a month vs. 66% of other conservative Christian CHRISTIAN schools COMMITMENT 10+90P “I AM SEEKING A JOB THAT IS...”

40+ 23+ 19+ 9 15% 26% 38% 49% 60% 44+ 27 “I READ THE BIBLE Religious ON MY OWN SEVERAL +40+ 12 TIMES A WEEK.”

+21+ 7 Creative +20+ 11

+0+ 3 Helpful to Others x READ 6x +2+ 22+ 6 A WEEK

+0 +0+ 0 Pays Well 4.5x

■ Average of Catholic, evangelical & homeschool 3x ■ ACCS

1.5x

The zero point, shown here, labeled 0 the median, is the point at which about Prep 50% of the responses are above, and Public Catholic 50% below in the overall dataset. Lines Evangelical ACCS MORE THAN Homeschool to the left or right reflect the respec- 28+30+23+47+49+60 tive school segment’s response, below or above the median respectively. 1/3 For example, in actual data (blue), the ACCS reports a score of 40. This ARE LEADERS point system reflects the degree of in their difference for each sector on a scale congregations from -50 to +50. The points make both the relevant difference and the magnitude easier to compare. Ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. —Jeremiah 6:16 35Vol.+65P 6, No. 2 | Special Issue 2020 13 ■ GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 3

CHRISTIAN COMMITMENT Preparation + Calling = Mission How Latin and the classics took a teacher to Asia and back.

by CHRIS POTTS

ing in front of a classroom of 20 kids, teaching them logic and rhetoric and Bible and English and music, would’ve freaked me out. A Jonah situation—I’d have just run the other way.” Instead, he invested eight years of his life in students at classical Chris­ tian schools in and around Jakarta, Indonesia, where he found his calling, his wife, and—to his astonishment— the fruition of many gifts that first took seed in his Rockbridge classrooms. Rockbridge was only a year old when Dwyer started first grade there; Alex Dwyer plays with the orchestra of Palmetto Hills he and the school came of age togeth­ Presbyterian Church during Easter services this spring. er. His class was the biggest: six boys and six girls, and he quickly came to appreciate the intimacy of that tight- DESTINY IS A MASTER those two weeks, he read all of the re­ knit community. OF DISGUISE. quired books and materials for each “You knew everybody,” he says. “I college course. loved that aspect of it, the commu­ Alex Dwyer’s came as an “People said I was a genius,” he says, nal environment … having teachers laughing, for he knows better. So, he who were patient, who were faithful intriguing job offer, totally says, do the teachers from Maryland’s to teach and say, ‘This is going to be Rockbridge Academy, the then-fledg­ hard, but you’re going to do this, be­ unexpected, from a school ling Christian classical institution cause you can.’” where he attended elementary, middle, Looking back, Dwyer now appre­ on the far side of the world—a chance and high school (or, as he refers to it, ciates “being pushed to really partic­ to serve God, help others, and maybe “grammar, logic, and rhetoric”). At ipate in discussions,” and gradually find a little adventure along the way. Rockbridge, he remembers many scor­ learning that understanding one’s au­ Trouble is, the school’s Indonesian ing higher grades while he was “happily dience and being able to express one­ administrators wanted teachers with sitting in a corner, not saying anything.” self are “just as important as knowing a college degree, and Dwyer had only But despite that—and because, he your facts.” But he not only listened to just finished his freshman classes. says, of the teachers who worked so his teachers. He watched them. School officials offered to hold the hard to draw him out of that corner— He noted the importance of “being job for one year. That gave him 12 he emerged with the formidable spec­ winsome, especially when dealing months to finish 36 months’ worth of trum of skills he needed to pass along with teenagers. You have to walk a advanced education. some of his teachers’ hard-earned wis­ mile in their shoes, and try to under­ Dwyer did it … without ever set­ dom to hundreds of other students in stand the things that motivate them, ting foot on a university campus. that land far away. that are driving their emotional re­ Through something called the College sponses—their fears, anxieties, joys, Level Examination Program (CLEP), hen I was in school,” Dwyer the things that really just make them he tested out of 26 required cours­ “Wsays, “I did not enjoy talking. happy.” Those observations would es—one test every two weeks. During To think that I would one day be stand­ soon pay off for Dwyer in a big way.

14 The Classical Difference GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 3 ■

So did the enormous amount of to, and—in time—surmount those Indonesia “changed the trajectory reading and writing expected of Rock­ cultural impositions, he often found of my life,” Dwyer says. “I was bitten bridge students. Required volumes himself asking, ‘Is this what my teach­ by the mission bug, the travel bug, and like Mortimer Adler’s How To Read ers would have done?’ everything that goes along with that. A Book, he says, taught him the most “And, honestly, nine times out of It helped remind me that this world is essential life skill of all—discerning, 10, the answer was probably ‘no’ … not my home.” whether reading a book or listening to because my teachers weren’t teaching He admits that, for families in par­ an argument, the difference between in Indonesia. That was a helpful re­ ticular, missions work is a no-win “this is not worth my time,” and “these minder that the classical model is, situation; he and Eska are always away things are really worth chewing over.” in fact, a ‘model’ we’re still figuring from one of their families, one of their “One of the criticisms of classical out.” Modeling Christ he found even homelands. “In missions work, you’re education,” Dwyer says, “is that ‘it’s more challenging: trying to be a god­ always saying goodbye to someone.” all philosophy, it’s not practical.’ I’ve ly influence in a culture he still didn’t But, “that’s life,” Dwyer says. “We don’t thought it’s quite the opposite.” That fully understand. do things because they’re easy. We became particularly evident when he “It made me very self-conscious,” take them up because they’re from the arrived to teach in Indonesia—with­ Dwyer says. “You want to be careful.” Lord—and if He blesses them, hard out knowing Indonesian. His best opportunities came during though they might be, they will be for “I didn’t take a course, didn’t read a what soon became his favorite part of our good and His glory.” textbook,” he says. Instead, he listened the school day—the counseling hours to a podcast, and fine-tuned his cha­ after classes were over. “Students ALEX DWYER graduated from ACCS Ac­ rades skills with his roommate—who would come and sit in my classroom, credited school Rockbridge Academy in Mill­ didn’t speak English. What helped and we’d just talk. For me, those were ersville, Maryland, in 2008. After eight years of him most, though, were the tenses and some of the most precious times, in teaching at classical Christian schools in Indo­ structures he’d learned in his Rock­ terms of, ‘I know God is using me, and nesia, he currently attends Greenville Presby­ bridge Latin classes, which he used to this is worth it.’ ” terian Theological Seminary. He and his wife, parse the grammar of his new language. “The effect that a teacher can have on Eska, have two children, and he enjoys leading In time, he learned the vernacular a student is different from what a par­ music and worship in their local church. well enough not only to interact with ent can have,” he says. Teens, in partic­ CHRIS POTTS is a writer in Glendale, AZ. the people and the culture, but to ular, would tell him things—maybe, he court one of his fellow teachers, Eska, says, because he was young, single, and ask her Indonesian family for her American—that they wouldn’t share “I HAVE DOUBTS hand, and get through the Indonesian with their mother or father. “It did wedding ceremony with dignity. open up conversation … from Chris­ ABOUT RELIGIOUS tian to Christian. And even Christian BELIEFS.” wyer taught a little of everything, to non-Christian, where you’re able Din a 700-student K–12 school to speak the truth of the Gospel into that drew Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, someone’s life, and to open the Bible.” and Muslim students. He quickly ran 63% up against one big obstacle to classical ewarding as they were, the af­ 45% education in an East Asian setting. The Rter-school sessions made Dwyer AGREED Socratic method—in which teachers feel his lack of training as a counselor, 45% stir critical thinking by engaging their and his need for “theological account­ students in conversation and debate— ability—just to have people checking 28% doesn’t fly well in a culture where chil­ up on me. When you don’t have that, dren are raised never to question or there’s a struggle, on the mission field 10% disagree with their instructors. … a lot of people drift.” He also felt a Prep “That was probably the biggest growing sense of a call to the ministry, Public Catholic challenge,” Dwyer says. “You had and missions. As a result, he recently Evangelical ACCS Homeschool students who were silent out of re­ returned to the U.S. to take up sem­ 39+33+47+20+25+35 spect, and those silent out of ambiv­ inary studies, hoping soon to return alence—they didn’t want to be there.” to Indonesia and plant churches, or Despite having honest doubts, ACCS alumni are more com- As he learned to experiment, adapt schools, or both. mitted to the faith than any other group.

Vol. 6, No. 2 | Special Issue 2020 15 ■ GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 3

Continued from page 12 … Clockwise from top: Faith Christian School, LOOKING DEEPER Roanoke, VA St. Stephen’s Academy, Consider this: ACCS alumni are Beaverton, OR more likely to have doubts about their The Stonehaven School, beliefs than other evangelical school Marietta, GA alumni, but they also are much more orthodox and committed in their be­ lief. Classically educated students are trained to ask tough questions. They are trained to evaluate every truth

ACCS schools weave every classroom and activity into an opportunity to cultivate virtue and see the depth of Christ’s teaching.

claim they see. So, we should expect that doubts are there, and that their conviction is strong. Their faith is of the mind, soul, and body. It is not sim­ ply spiritual dogma. When it comes to career calling, ACCS alumni once again are quite different. They want to fulfill their­ re ligious calling and be creative, while helping others. More than any other times more likely to read, regardless of group by far, money is less of a factor the type of reading. as they find their calling. More of them are leaders in their congregations than CONCLUSIONS “I INTERACT those from other evangelical groups. Classical Christian schools may WITH CLOSE FRIENDS Regular church attendance, de­ have a Bible class, and occasionally fined as at least three times a month, some form of chapel. But these are a EACH WEEK.” reports higher than any other group small part of their overall approach to by more than 30%. Digging a bit bringing Christ to bear on everything. 2.4x 2.4x deeper, we see that ACCS alumni are Most Christian schools enjoy a stu­ PER more involved in their churches. 83% dent body primarily from Christian WEEK of ACCS alumni report attending a homes. ACCS schools weave every 2.2x small group at least once per week. classroom and activity into an oppor­ These two factors answer the question tunity to cultivate virtue and see the 2x so many ask: Do ACCS schools influ­ depth of Christ’s teaching. Integration ence whether a student will remain between history, literature, philoso­ faithful to the church? phy, theology, art, science, and math 1.8x When corrected for the school influ­ results in students who are entwined Prep Public ence alone, about 70% of ACCS alumni in the inner workings of our world, Catholic ACCS read their Bibles on their own at levels all of which relate to scriptural truth. Evangelical 10+20+20+10+10Homeschool +60 higher than the median respondent. Christian commitment often becomes Corrected for school effect, ACCS a natural and habitual part of students’ More friends, more interactions, and higher trust levels alumni are 2.6 times more likely to lives. And, it sticks with them, or so indicate better life satisfaction for ACCS alumni. pray alone than the median, and 6.7 the data suggests.

16 The Classical Difference GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 4 ■

PROFILE 45 Conservative and Traditional

ACCS alumni lead a clear divide between Christians and secular schools.

How will your school CONSERVATIVE AND TRADITIONAL choice now reflect on your Can govt. solve problems, good sexual ethics, who God is, authority of church, science and faith compatible, inerrancy of Bible, more child’s future beliefs? Will your chil­ likely to know LGBT, less likely to accept LGBT lifestyle. dren value the historic church and the Christian foundations of our nation? -20 -10 MEDIAN 10 20 30 40 50 The Conservative and Traditional 0+ 0 41+ 27+ 21 profile reflects the influence of school ACCS on a student’s political, traditional, +0+ 0 and social values. Homeschool +11 +23 +0+ 0 The results here are expected. Con­ +0 +11+ 2 servative Christian school choices Evangelical yield scores above the median. Tradi­ tional Catholic, Private Preparatory, Catholic +7 + +0 +0+ 0 and Public schools all score below the 3 ■ All respondents median in relative ratios we would ex­ Private Prep. +7+ 6 ■ Corrected for family influence pect. ACCS raw and adjusted scores Public are twice those of the other conserva­ tive school choices. ACCS alumni have distinct differenc­ *See inset on page 12 for an explanation of this chart. es with all schools, particularly secular and Catholic, when it comes to ortho­ their evangelical school counterparts, doxy. They believe the Bible is inerrant. but are more orthodox in their Chris­ When you look at the actual data, the tianity, and more socially conservative difference is quite pronounced. than all groups. And, ACCS alumni believe the Bible is true with respect to history and sci­ 87% ence. We believe this is because ACCS believe gay marriage schools typically do not isolate these MORALLY subjects from “Bible class,” so students 84% WRONG grow to understand how the truth of believe the is the Bible is true for everything, not BIBLE vs. 45% of secular just personal spirituality. historically & schools We’ve seen that ACCS alumni are scientifically reliable about as politically conservative as vs. 73% of other conservative Christian schools &50% of secular schools 1613Vol.+84P 6, No. 2 | Special Issue 2020 17 +87P ■ GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 5

PROFILE 5 Prepared for College and Career

ACCS alumni and private prep school alumni were the most prepared.

Two groups make a strong PREPARED FOR COLLEGE & CAREER showing in this category: Data reflects preparedness for jobs, reading books, percent ACCS and Private Preparatory that earned a bachelor’s degree or more, college GPA. schools. Many people view classical -20 -10 MEDIAN 10 20 30 40 50 0+ 0 32+ 23+ 0+ 0

32+ 23+ 0+ 0 Christian education as a type of pre­ paratory school. This is not the pri­ ACCS

mary mission of most classical Chris­ +15+ 11 tian schools. However, ACCS schools Homeschool +0 +1 +0+ 0 +3+ 0

+3+ 0 do emphasize academic excellence, strong outcomes in verbal and quanti­ Evangelical ■ All respondents +2+ 3

+2+ 3 tative reasoning, and a comprehensive ■ Corrected for family influence and integrated curriculum. These pre­ Catholic +0 +10+ 9 +7 +11 +0+ 0 +7 +11 +0+ 0 pare students for college better than any other type of school. Private Prep. Almost 55% of ACCS alumni earned A’s or mostly A’s in college. The Public next highest group, homeschoolers, reported 45%. Why do homeschool *See inset on page 12 for an explanation of this chart. students report the lowest on this scale overall? One key factor is col­ lege completion. While nearly 90% this trend. We believe evangelical of ACCS alumni earn a BA or higher, schools, Catholic schools, and public and about 75% of prep, Catholic, and schools are less homogeneous as well. evangelical alumni hold BA’s or high­ So, individual outcomes may vary er, only around 45% of homeschool greatly by school. alumni have completed their degrees. Beyond this survey, the ACCS has Homeschoolers also felt less prepared for years tracked college admissions for college than students from similar and SAT scores for its alumni. ACCS family profiles in prep and Catholic students score among the highest in schools. Keep in mind that home­ the nation on standardized tests and schools are not as homogeneous as enter some of the best colleges in dis­ either ACCS or prep schools when proportionately high numbers. This it comes to consistent outcomes. survey reinforces what other research Many homeschoolers probably defy had indicated.

18 The Classical Difference GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 5 ■

EARNED A BA OR HIGHER IN COLLEGE

90%

75%

60%

PREPARED 45% FOR COLLEGE & CAREER 30% Prep Public Catholic Evangelical ACCS PREPARED FOR COLLEGE & CAREER 39+48+46+42+15Homeschool +59 Data reflects preparedness for jobs, reading books, percent that earned a bachelor’s degree or more, college GPA. 32+ 23+ 0+ 0 54% earned ALL or

+3+ 0 “I FELT MOSTLY A’s WELL PREPARED +2+ 3 in college FOR A JOB.” vs. 36% of prep +7 +11 +0+ 0 schools 80% 73% AGREED

68%

11+89+P 55%

43%

30%

Prep Public Catholic Evangelical ACCS 10+40+35+22+29Homeschool +43

Seek first the kingdom ... and all these things will be added. —Matthew 6:33

Vol. 6, No. 2 | Special Issue 2020 19 ■ GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 5

PREPARED FOR COLLEGE & CAREER Climbing Hills to Tackle Mountains

The path to CERN by LISA KNODEL

On a typical day, Andrew Brinkerhoff hopped on his bike and pedaled to work at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN)— home to the world’s larg­ est and most powerful particle accelerator.

The 2005 Mars Hill Academy (Ma­ of physics at Baylor University in becoming adept at problem-solving son, Ohio) alumnus studied particle Waco, Texas. are more important than having seen physics at the University of Notre “I didn’t even think about studying a certain set of content before college, Dame, followed by 18 months ana­ physics until my senior year of high where you will cover it again anyway,” lyzing particle collision data in Swit­ school. I wouldn’t say I dreamed of be­ he explained. “Also, studying physics zerland at the European Center for coming a physicist: I more or less fell and calculus in the same year at Mars Nuclear Research’s (CERN) Large into it,” said Brinkerhoff, who earned Hill allowed each class to reinforce the Hadron Collider—the world’s largest a perfect SAT score. “However, getting other—which makes sense, given that and most powerful particle acceler­ into physics late in the game (by some Newton originally developed calculus ator. His name is listed among those people’s perspective) and not having in order to understand physics. Even in physicists who contributed to the Advanced Placement (AP) classes in college, the first physics course is often Higgs discovery paper, which made high school was no hindrance at all. algebra-based; so in that sense, I was al­ international headlines in 2012 for the ready ahead of the game in high school.” discovery of a sub-atomic particle that n fact, Brinkerhoff attributes much of Brinkerhoff, who earned his bache­ gives matter its mass. Ihis success to his classical education lor’s degree in physics from Grove City After earning his doctorate in at Mars Hill Academy: the wide histor­ College, found that many universities physics from Notre Dame, Brinker­ ical and philosophical perspective, the do not allow AP credits to replace core hoff landed a post-doctoral position ability to communicate, and an appre­ required classes in a technical field like through the University of Florida, ciation for learning in different fields— physics or engineering. Additionally, and he worked at CERN from 2016 to and the connections between them. students could get caught up in rote 2019. Now he continues his involve­ “I think the Mars Hill approach likely procedures but miss crucial details, ment with CERN particle-collider served me better than an AP approach. “because they haven’t understood first projects while an assistant professor Building a good physics intuition and what the study is for, and thus haven’t

20 The Classical Difference GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 5 ■

thought through how the logical se­ quence of a particular technique is de­ signed to produce a certain conclusion.” “The key to effective research is a wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80283953 By Simon Cobb—Own work, CC0, https://commons. thorough understanding of both the in­ ternals of your work and its relation to other research, and an ability to com­ municate both the details and the big picture as part of a cohesive, compel­ ling whole,” he said. “In most technical fields, even though success is measured by communication (publications and conference talks), effective communi­ cation is little emphasized or taught. This means that even competent writ­ ers and speakers will stand out—and rhetors of the caliber that Mars Hill churns out even more so. … This is why the skills of systematic, comprehensive lots and lots of editing,” he explained. of football fields. When you get out­ analysis and intelligible, persuasive “That said, the problem solving is fun, side the office, you catch a glimpse of communication taught at Mars Hill are and I occasionally even enjoyed the the scale of the endeavor.” likely to serve its students better in all coding itself.” According to Brinkerhoff, the ac­ of those fields than additional technical celerator typically runs from May to instruction in any of them.” December with collisions going on At Mars Hill, we aim continuously, 100 million per second, o, what did life look like for Brink­ to graduate students for 8-16 hours at a time. Sherhoff at CERN? “One might wish that there were a Some 8,000 physicists work with who possess a deep few, well-motivated measurements we CERN, hailing from nations across understanding of could do, and then know we were done; the world. About half work on site. but one aspect of experimental physics “Most of these work for one of the their world; the ability is that we really don’t know what we two major detectors, CMS and AT­ to discern truth, might find next, or how much data we LAS, which perform similar func­ beauty, and goodness will need to find it,” Brinkerhoff said. tions, examining all the particles com­ “Many, if not most, particle physicists ing out of a collision,” he explained. (Philippians 4:8); and the expected we would have found new “Each is bigger than a house, and they tools to think, learn, and physics already. Since we haven’t, pre­ are located 100 meters underground.” dictions about what we might or might While working with the world’s influence the world for not find are even more uncertain.” largest particle accelerator sounds in­ the glory of God. Brinkerhoff returned to the U.S. in triguing, Brinkerhoff said little in the 2019 and fulfilled his dream of be­ work itself is glamorous. coming a college professor. He lives “As a post-doc, I spent eight to 12 he most exciting moments cen­ in Waco with his wife, Mary, and their hours a week in meetings, occasion­ Ttered around big announcements. two sons, Nathanael and Gideon. ally more, and tried to shield my “Students camped outside the audi­ students from the same fate. A fair torium overnight before the Higgs ANDREW BRINKERHOFF graduated from amount of time is spent preparing announcement, and there was also ACCS Accredited school Mars Hill Academy and presentations, and most of the rest is a packed house for the LIGO gravi­ earned his Ph.D. in physics from the University writing, reading, and debugging com­ tational wave discovery, which was of Notre Dame in 2015. He is currently assistant puter code. A handful of hours each simulcast at CERN,” he recalled. “It’s professor of physics at Baylor University. week goes to just thinking or discuss­ something to go down to the experi­ LISA KNODEL is a freelance journalist. A ing the right approach to problems. ment, or even to walk through one of version of this article appeared on the front page And then when you’re writing a paper, the hardware-testing hangars the size of Today’s Pulse, a local paper in Mason, OH.

Vol. 6, No. 2 | Special Issue 2020 21 ■ GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 6

PROFILE 6 Independent Thinkers

ACCS alumni defy categories as they retain orthodoxy & think for themselves.

This profile is unique INDEPENDENT THINKERS because it combines dif­ Independent views, reading, science, willing to disagree, accept differences but willing to challenge. (This measure uses multiple ferent questions to see if questions in conjunction to reveal practices and attitudes.)

alumni tend to think like -20 -10 MEDIAN 10 20 30 40 50 42+ 30+ 19 42+ 30+ 19 0+ 0 everyone else, or if they ACCS +0+ 0

+12 +14+ 2 tend to think for them­ Homeschool +12 +14+ 2 +0 +11+ 4

selves. For example, we Evangelical +0+ 0 +0+ 0 see that ACCS grads trust Catholic +2 +4 +0+ 0 +2 +4 +0+ 0 +0 +7+ 5 ■ All respondents scientists like non-Chris­ Private Prep. ■ Corrected for family influence

tian school grads, yet they Public

believe science and religion are com­ *See inset on page 12 for an explanation of this chart. patible—more so than other Christians. Despite this, they believe more than any group that the Bible is true regarding (Note the arrows depict the normal science and history. They are able to ac­ trend, except for ACCS alumni). cept the truth that scientists tell, with­ More directly, we see that ACCS grads out accepting everything they say. are the most likely to seek the tolerance We see similar departures from of other religions, yet they do not be­ contemporary thought in the area lieve Christianity is a private matter and of social engagement. ACCS alum­ they are quite willing to challenge reli­ ni know more gay people than any gious views in public. Once again, this other group. Yet, they also reject gay combination is unexpected. These and marriage. This defies the trends in the other indicators in the survey validate data and the common impression that the claim long made by classical Chris­ if you know a gay person, you will tian educators that we teach students be more accepting of gay marriage. how to think for themselves.

22 The Classical Difference GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 6 ■

ACCS GRADS ACCS GRADS ARE INDEPENDENT ARE TOLERANT BUT MORE LIKELY TO ... THINKERS OPENLY CHALLENGING:

Trust “I READ MORE Are TOLERANT of SCIENTISTS THAN 10 BOOKS non-Christian groups A YEAR.”

Believe SCIENCE AND Do NOT believe religion INDEPENDENT THINKERS RELIGION are compatible 90% is a PRIVATE MATTER Independent views, reading, science, willing to disagree, accept 88% AGREED differences but willing to challenge. (This measure uses multiple questions in conjunction to reveal practices and attitudes.) 68% BELIEVE THE BIBLE is true, CHALLENGE religious both in science and history 45% views in public 42+ 30+ 19

23% +12 +14+ 2 0%

Prep Public +0+ 0 Catholic ACCS 34+41+31+66+69Evangelical +88 Homeschool “GAY MARRIAGE +2 +4 +0+ 0 “I KNOW AN LGBT PERSON.” IS MORALLY WRONG.”

72% 70% 80% AGREED

54% 57% AGREED 63%

45% 45%

33% 28%

20% 10%

Prep Prep Public Public Catholic Catholic Evangelical ACCS Evangelical ACCS Homeschool 32+37+38+51+57Homeschool +62

Take care lest28+32+27+22+19 your heart be deceived, and+34 you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them. —Deuteronomy 11:16 Vol. 6, No. 2 | Special Issue 2020 23 ■ GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 6

INDEPENDENCE OF MIND The Makings of Fortitude A sales manager finds unexpected ways to pass along her Christian heritage.

by CHRIS POTTS

worked together for decades. She was a long way from home, from the lov­ ing family that would be more than happy to have her back in the neigh­ borhood. And the new boss had just told her that she didn’t have what it took to do the job. “I decided,” Humphrey says, “to prove her wrong.” And she did.

etermination doesn’t just run in DHumphrey’s family—it fairly gal­ lops. She was still a young girl when her dad—a father of three working as a well-paid accountant for a major cor­ poration near Pensacola—began feel­

Grace Humphrey during her days ing pressured to fudge a few things in as a successful sales manager for the company books. He refused, quit Calloway Resort and Gardens near the job, and the family lived off their Pine Mountain, Georgia savings for six months while he looked for something else. It was a lesson in integrity not lost on his middle child. Fresh out of college, even knowing the job might prove a Not long after, her parents made the formidable challenge for her limited mistake of sending fifth-grader Hum­ wrapping up a paid intern­ experience. It helped that the woman phrey and a younger sister to “shadow” who hired her was very encouraging. their older brother for a day at Trinitas, ship, Gracie Humphrey Came the first day, and Hum­ the Christian classical school he was at­ phrey strode cheerfully in for her tending. Money was still tight; the plan was delighted to be offered getting-started meeting with her new was to continue homeschooling the boss—only to find someone different girls until the family could save enough a full-time job at Callaway awaiting her. The new boss was … a to send them along to Trinitas, too. new boss. The woman who’d hired Trouble was, Humphrey liked Tri­ Gardens, the Georgia re­ Humphrey had been replaced, and the nitas. Pleaded to go. And so—to her woman she would now be working delight—her parents enrolled her, and sort where she’d interned for looked at her with no enthusiasm made it work. “Dad took peanut-but­ whatsoever. ter-and-jelly for lunch every day to as part of her major in “They should never have hired you,” help pay the price of that school,” she said. Humphrey remembers. hospitality management. Humphrey suddenly realized she Humphrey herself didn’t fall far from would be the outsider in a small, tight- the tree. Starting halfway through the She accepted the offer, knit sales department whose staff had school year, she was told she’d have to

24 The Classical Difference GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 6 ■

learn all of the Latin vocabulary the great surprise—romance bloomed, aplenty for fudging numbers and lying others had already mastered. and eight years after she’d left Trinitas, for profit. “But I could not do that,” “It was so stressful,” Humphrey they were married. she says. “I really valued and wanted says. “There was no way I could learn to preserve the respect and trust of my all of that.” But she did. clients. And it was neat to see how the “I loved it,” she says. “And I thrived.” I would love to be Lord blessed that.” It was marriage that finally moved rinitas harbored some 200 stu­ a mom … to model her away—to a new home at Hills­ Tdents during Humphrey’s time a lot of what my dale College, in Michigan, where her there; her class held 11, all girls. parents did for me. husband, Clifford, recently finished “That added a really unique dynam­ graduate school. Humphrey found a ic,” she says. “No guys to distract us. job as the president’s assistant, draw­ No crushes. We were all just academ­ ing on all her Callaway Gardens skills ic and super-driven and competitive. fter graduation, she made good to help raise funds and build relation­ We did have one gentleman in 7th Ause of a full-ride scholarship ships with the college’s donors. And grade—he studied really hard over to the University of West Florida— in a happy turnabout of her growing the summer and skipped a grade. He where 13,000 fellow students proved up years at Trinitas, now she’s the few- couldn’t handle us!” quite an adjustment after the intimate years-older one working with students Humphrey herself had all she could experience of Trinitas. in the administrative offices. handle, graduating summa cum laude “Apples and oranges,” she says. “That’s the part I love most,” Hum­ with a 4.0 GPA. “I had to work for it,” “Classrooms of atheists.” But, “aca­ phrey says. “I get to be their boss. For she says. “I was not the smartest—I demics were easier; I wasn’t stressed a lot of them, it’s their first job. I do had to make up for it with my work about grades. Trinitas had overpre­ their evaluations. Teach them respon­ ethic. I had to put in more hours than pared me.” She suddenly had time to sibility—and they teach me, too. It’s the others did.” be in weddings, travel, enjoy thought­ been very rewarding.” Like most of her peers, she forged ful conversations with people who Which is how a group of young strong bonds with many of the teach­ didn’t believe in God the way she did. people who’ve never been to Trini­ ers—and needed them. She was in And to decide on a career. “I want­ tas are learning, in turn, what Hum­ eighth grade when her father, di­ ed to interact with people,” Humphrey phrey absorbed there: strength of agnosed with ALS (or Lou Gehrig’s says, which, in time, led her to hospi­ character … diligence … striving disease), passed away. Humphrey’s tality management. Her senior-year for excellence. Even rhetoric. “The mother had already begun teaching at internship at Callaway Gardens offered words I say are going to stick,” she Trinitas, and “the school was a family, work experience, a free place to stay, says. “Students remind me of things very understanding and supportive.” and a chance to try her own wings. I told them that I forgot I even said. Others became good friends. As A year later, it offered a job for a boss They’re taking it to heart, trying to Humphrey moved into the upper who didn’t believe in her. But a kind improve their character.” grades of high school, some of her in­ co-worker did, and patiently helped The future? “I try not to think about structors were only a few years older her master the 1,001 details of crunch­ it too much,” she says. “I know that the than she was. “When you have a small ing numbers, negotiating contracts, Lord will have something else for me. I class, you can develop such a close re­ and cultivating relationships with cli­ would love to be a mom … to model a lationship with teachers in a way that’s ents. Humphrey loved every part of it. lot of what my parents did for me. Oth­ not possible with a large class. I still She also turned out to be unusu­ er than that—I’ll go wherever the Lord stay in contact with those teachers.” ally good at her chosen field. Within wants us to go. He’s got it covered.” One, in particular. The young man two years, she was one of the top sales who taught her final-year rhetoric class managers, averaging a million dollars’ GRACIE HUMPHREY graduated from stayed in touch long after she’d moved worth of business a year. ACCS Accredited school Trinitas Christian on to university. Later, when she took “I learned you have to give yourself School in Pensacola, Florida, in 2010. Today the after-graduation job at Callaway time to … learn,” she says, “and to see she is assistant to the president of Hillsdale Gardens, she learned that his parents what the Lord does with what He’s giv­ College in Hillsdale, Michigan, where her hus­ lived just down the road. Sometimes, en you.” She also found out she was her band, Clifford, recently completed his gradu­ visiting them, he’d come by to take her father’s daughter. The resort, like his ate degree. to lunch. Very gradually—and to their job years before, offered opportunities CHRIS POTTS is a writer in Glendale, AZ

Vol. 6, No. 2 | Special Issue 2020 25 ■ GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 7

PROFILE 7 Cultural Influence

ACCS alumni desire to serve and are able to engage policy makers.

One of the most signif­ CULTURAL INFLUENCE icant profile differences Know elected officials/CEOs/community leaders/atheists, read non-religious books, volunteer and lead non-church org., obliged to for ACCS alumni is “In­ take action, believe they can impact, give to any organization, OK to offend in public discourse, job is calling by God, accept low job pay. fluence.” This metric looks -20 -10 MEDIAN 10 20 30 40 50 42+ 32+ 0 0+

42+ 32+ 0 at how likely alumni are to ACCS be successful with engage­ +1+ 6 Homeschool +0 +0+ 0 +0 +0+ 0 ment in culture and society, +3 +13 +4+ 1 Evangelical +0+ 0

+0+ 0 and how likely they are Catholic +3 +2 +0+ 0 +0 +6+ 4 +3 +2 +0+ 0 to influence it. Of course, ■ All respondents Private Prep. ■ Corrected for family influence influence, like college Public preparation, is not an *See inset on page 12 for an explanation of this chart. aim of classical Christian volunteerism in general, they were education. The data does show, much more likely to volunteer and however, that for some reason, this is lead outside of their church. the strongest profile for ACCS alumni. Much of the strength was in the This influence measure is made unique attitudes and beliefs of ACCS up of several factors. It measures the alumni. ACCS alumni believe in pub­ connection alumni have to influen­ lic debate, and that they have an ob­ tial people. A series of questions were ligation to address problems in our asked about knowing CEOs, politi­ culture. They also seek jobs that will cians, local community leaders, etc. allow them to influence their commu­ Another measure was volunteering. nities and culture, and they are willing While ACCS alumni reported more to take lower pay to do it.

26 The Classical Difference GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 7 ■

“I AM WILLING TO IMPACT COMMUNITY & POLITICS.”

60% 67% 58% AGREED know an 50% INFLUENTIAL PERSON 40% vs. 28% of other private schools

30%

20%

Prep Public Catholic ACCS 18+82P Evangelical “I AM WILLING Homeschool “I AM OBLIGED TO TO PROTEST TAKE ACTION AGAINST INJUSTICE.” 14+23+22+14+14+38 WRONG/INJUSTICE.” 42+ 32+ 0 40% 50% 45% 39% AGREED AGREED

+0 +0+ 0 30% 43%

+0+ 0 20% 35%

+3 +2 +0+ 0 10% 28%

0% CULTURAL 20% Prep Prep Public Public Catholic INFLUENCE Catholic Evangelical ACCS Evangelical ACCS Homeschool Homeschool 24+25+24+19+20+39 Involved in7+8+5+5+4 +25 90% 60% DONATE MONEY more non-church to charity ORGANIZATIONS vs. 70% of other than the median conservative Christian vs. 20% of other schools conservative Christian schools

... shine as lights in the world. 10+90+P40Vol. 6, No. 2 | Special—Philippians +60P Issue 2020 2:15 27 ■ GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 7

CULTURAL INFLUENCE Reclaiming the Media for Christ

by Nicole Ault, The Wall Street Journal

What if our country’s most persuasive, top-notch jour­ nalists were classical­ly educated?

It almost goes without saying that Corinthians 10:5. “We destroy argu­ classical Christin education (CCE), ments and every lofty opinion raised done well, equips students with the against the knowledge of God, and take basics for good journalism. From our every thought captive to obey Christ.” seventh-grade essays on The Epic of That mindset makes journalism much Gilgamesh through our senior thesis, more exciting, and beautiful. our assignments drilled into us uni­ A journalist will have to tackle any versal principles of good writing. number of subjects, and sometimes, But compelling writing needs to they won’t be appealing. I’ve dragged answer thought-provoking, creative my feet on many an assignment. But questions that carry the reader to the recognizing that all things glorify one heart of the story. In the world of re­ God, and that all humans are made in porting, we need more of what CCE His image, gives purpose and meaning teaches, especially in the dialectic and interest to each assignment. It be­ stage—courteous discussion of mean­ comes a gift, then, to tell each story. ingful, often hard, questions. Through literature and all other NICOLE AULT graduated from ACCS Ac­ subjects of the liberal arts education, credited school Rockbridge Academy, Crowns­ CCE provides something more fun­ ville, MD, in 2015. While earning her BA in damental: an understanding that the economics from Hillsdale College, she served world is integrated and purposeful, as the editor-in-chief for the Hillsdale College and therefore abundantly fascinating. Collegian. She is currently assistant editorial page Everything in creation, CCE teach­ writer with The Wall Street Journal. es, belongs to God, and studying the world—from ancient literature to cal­ culus—is a way of knowing Him bet­ ter. There is nothing to fear and every­ thing to learn. Life is rich. The motto of Rockbridge Academy, the classical school I attended K-12, epitomizes this: In captivitatem re- digentes, omnem intellectum, from 2

This article is an excerpt from the Spring 2019 issue of The Classical Differ- ence. To see the full article, visit ClassicalDifference.com.

28 The Classical Difference GOOD SOIL: PROFILE 7 ■

Reclaiming the Media for Christ

Catherine Rogers, USA Today Network

by CALEB YARBROUGH

foundation classical Christian edu­ cation gave her—not just in her own faith but in various others—makes her a better storyteller. “Tim Keller says, ‘If you really want people to know the truth, you have to say it in a way that they can hear you.’ ” “It’s a foundation that lets you nav­ igate life very freely. You don’t have to worry about taking one track in educa­ tion and then deciding at some point that that’s not what you wished you had done with your life,” said Rogers. “This kind of education gives you the freedom to explore life to the fullest.”

CATHERINE ROGERS graduated from ACCS Accredited school Summit Chris­ tian Academy in 2008. While attending Bryan College she served as editor-in-chief During her senior biblical “The way that the classical model of the student newspaper, The Triangle. brings you up, it breeds this hunger in She now works as regional digital director worldview seminar, Rog­ you to educate yourself,” according to for the USA Today Network’s South Caroli­ Rogers. She says her time at Summit na newspapers, which includes The Greenville ers was forced to compare Christian Academy gave her the tools News and Anderson Independent Mail. to be a truly independent thinker—an CALEB YARBROUGH, staff writer. and contrast Christianity important ability for anyone, but an invaluable attribute for a journalist. with other world religions. “Journalists are storytellers sent out to learn everything they can about a Through the process, her personal re­ specific topic, and learn it so com­ lationship with Christ was cemented, pletely that they can faithfully retell it and she began developing a moral and to others. That is exactly what classical ethical framework for evaluating the education has trained me to do.” world that she still relies on today. Rogers also believes that the broad

To see the complete profile articles, or to read other articles written by these journalists, visit ClassicalDifference.com/category/alumni.

Vol. 6, No. 2 | Special Issue 2020 29 ■ THE BACK ROOM

Movements, along with individuals, have critical mo­ Growing Up This ments. I have been part of the movement called Classical Christian Education (CCE) for almost a quarter of a century. When I got into this movement, I believed that it was fun and Movement in that it could be important. Twenty-five years later, I am even more convinced that this movement has grown to play a sem­ inal role in preparing young people to become hungry wor­ 0+0+0+0+0+0+0 shippers of Christ and serious men and women of substance. 11+0+0+0+0+0+6 This Moment 1+2+0+0+0+0+13

Will this moment, like so many other important moments, 0+1+0+7+2+4+1

pass without our movement and our schools growing up? I 0+1+2+4+3+0+0 by TY FISCHER pray to God that it does not and that instead we can learn to 9+6+5+7+6+5+4 support each other and that we grow up to be what God is call­ I knew she loved me. (I had fallen for her a ing us to become: men and women, sons and daughters of the while back.) Great King ready to ride forward in faith, fearing no darkness. I know the exact moment when I knew that Emily liked But where to start? I have something really simple that me. Having made a fool of myself for a time, I remember the you can do to move this forward. Come to the Back Room night she called me and said, “Hey, want to go climb trees?” I and join the community. It is a “room” that is part of The was a terrible tree climber. My end of the subsequent conver­ Classical Difference that will give you the inside scoop on sation went something like, “Yup! ... When?... Now?... See you what ACCS is doing to grow classical Christian education in five minutes.” That ended up being one of the most import­ and make it available to every Christian family in America. ant moments in my life. I know exactly when it happened. It is not a Back Room for the fainthearted, however. In it, Other times, the most important moments pass by and you might find ideas and initiatives that warm your heart we hardly know it. In what moment did I stop being a and call you to dig in and help. boy and become a man? Was it at a football game, during Find your way to the Back Room. This is where it starts. a church service, or out chopping wood with my dad? I really don’t know. This is a little more like Telemachos, TY FISCHER is head of school at Veritas Academy in Lancaster, PA, Odysseus’s son, who spent a lot of time whining about the and ACCS’s Board Director for Strategic Growth. He has been a board suitors devouring his house and leering at his mother until member for ACCS since 2003 and has completed a number of curricular that day when he was ready to go looking for his dad. In projects, the most notable being Veritas Press Omnibus Curriculum Proj­ the end, he stands next to his father fighting to save their ect. He holds a B.A. in History from Grove City College and an M.Div. family and kingdom. from Reformed Theological Seminary.

JOIN US IN THE BACK ROOM

The Classical Difference BACK ROOM is a gathering place for those who are especially committed to seeing classical Christian education grow for the sake of our culture and church.

Join TY FISCHER and others from around the country working to help GROW the classical Christian movement. HAVE TIME, TALENT, OR RESOURCES TO GIVE? Access directories, the forum, and Ty’s regular reports here:

BACKROOM.CLASSICALDIFFERENCE.COM 30 The Classical Difference ALUMNI OUTCOMES ■

LIFE OUTCOMES: Alumni Aged 23–44

-20 -10 MEDIAN 10 20 30 40 23+14+23+32+27+30+32 0+0+0+0+0+0+0 0+2+9+8+11+12+0 11+0+0+0+0+0+6 0+0+7+10+11+2+0 1+2+0+0+0+0+13

COLLEGE & 3+0+3+0+0+0+0 0+1+0+7+2+4+1 CAREER 11+0+0+0+0+4+2 0+1+2+4+3+0+0 ■ ACCS 0+0+0+0+0+0+0 9+6+5+7+6+5+4 ■ Homeschools ■ Evangelical Schools CONSERVATIVE

■ Catholic Schools LIFE ■ Private Prep. Schools ■ Public Schools OUTLOOK MAINSTREAM

CHRISTIAN COMMITMENT

CHRISTIAN LIFE

TRADITIONAL & CONSERVATIVE

INDEPENDENT THINKERS

CULTURAL NOTE: All outcomes reflect the school’s INFLUENCE impact, statistically isolated from family or environmental influences

Vol. 6, No. 2 | Special Issue 2020 31 Classical Christian education taught me to be a lover of learning. Instead of learning material simply to regurgitate it on a test, my teachers guided me to ask good questions and learn deeply about ideas.

God has used that as He continues to reveal His purpose for me, working alongside the church to serve people from different cultures

by teaching English and building relationships. It’s helped me listen well and better understand where people are coming from so we can meet their physical and spiritual needs.”

ELIZABETH WADE is a graduate of Covenant Classical School in Fort Worth, Texas. She currently lives, works, and serves among Syrian refugees in the Middle East.

The classical Christian education I received equipped me to read, write, and think critically. It gave me the tools to learn at every stage, from high school to college to the positions I’ve held throughout my career. Even now, I draw on it in work I do, which requires me to think independently, gather and analyze information, synthesize it, and make decisions.

Most importantly, it’s given me a solid foundation in the gospel and Scripture

that helps me lead my family, walk with friends through tough situations, and share my faith.”

WILL FRAZIER is a graduate of Westminster Academy in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the founder and Vice President of Research at Memphis Research Group, an investment research services, portfolio management, and consulting firm.

Coram Deo Academy, Carmel, IN • Grace Academy, Georgetown, TX • Liberty Classical Academy, White Bear Lake, MN • Providence Classical Christian School, Bothell, WA