I recently finished reading Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton. The book is Chesterton’s autobiographical account of arriving at belief in the Christian faith. Chesterton was one of the most influential and prolific writers of the twentieth century, writing 80 books and hundreds of poems, short stories, and essays. His work was incredibly influential, having impacted the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, among others. Indeed, George Bernard Shaw called Chesterton “a man of colossal genius.”
Given his influence and the freshness of his work in my mind, I was particularly excited to see that a new private school bearing his name is opening this year in St. Louis—The Chesterton Academy of St. Louis. The school bills itself as “a classical high school grounded in the Catholic faith.” By “classical” the school is describing its educational philosophy, which is primarily about the cultivation of the liberal arts—reading, writing, speaking, and listening—through the reading of the great books of the western canon and Socratic seminars. In recent years, the classical model of education has seen a significant resurgence. I am a fan of the classical model; indeed, two of my children attend a classical school.
I came across a posting for the new school in a Facebook group I’m a part of: “Chalk Talk: Education in the St. Louis area.” The group is hosted by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. My excitement for this new school quickly turned to dismay as I read the comments from members of the Facebook group. Rather than welcoming this new option for students, I saw nothing but attacks. One individual asked whether the school was “proud boy sponsored,” referring to the far-right organization. Others joined in, noting that most of the people in the pictures were white. One person said, “It reminds me of the Segregation Academies that started opening across the South in the wake of Brown v. Board of Ed.” Others commented on the size of the houses seen in pictures for the group. Much of the ire seemed to stem from a Nerf War the school hosted for students. (You know how dangerous Nerf Guns can be.)
The discussion of this exciting new school in the Chalk Talk Facebook group perfectly illustrates why we need school choice programs. This is an educational model that is simply not offered by most public school districts and it is a model that many parents want. Parents who want something different than what their public schools provide have few options:
- They can petition the public school to adopt a classical model (it wouldn’t be Catholic)
- They can just suck it up and accept what they are offered even if it doesn’t fit their education desires for their children
- They can choose a new school that offers what they are looking for
If they go with option one, they will likely be met with the same sophisticated level of opposition that they met in the Chalk Talk Facebook page (please read my sarcasm). Their chances of success are very low; but even if they succeed, they are then pushing their educational vision on other families who would rather have something else. It is a winner-take-all system.
Option two . . . well, option two is not a very good option. Can you imagine saying that to any parent? “Just suck it up, buttercup. The public schools know what is best for you.”
That only leaves option three—parents choosing their own school. This is the only way in our pluralistic society that parents can each get the type of school they want for their children. Of course, that only works if children can actually access schools of choice, whether charter or private. Without robust school choice options created by the state, most families will simply not be able to afford to send their children to a private school.
With school choice, the supporters of The Chesterton Academy can get the schools they want for their children . . . and so can those critics on Facebook. School choice allows us to coexist.
If you are interested in G.K. Chesterton or classical education, I encourage you to check out this new school. I’m looking forward to learning more about it. And remember, don’t believe everything you read on Facebook.
