What is the ultimate goal of CCE? Plato said knowledge without virtue is useless. So we say yes to wisdom and virtue, but can we err in the other direction with lofty philosophical skills but weak in real-world practical knowledge? David Diener helps us understand the real end game of CCE, its ultimate telos!

Four years ago I launched this podcast out of what began several years before as a Tuesday night parent education night at our school. And now this is episode 200!

We live in a therapeutic age where feelings and emotions dominate reason and confidence in truth.  Almost anywhere you turn these days, researchers are telling us how folks are more anxious and consumed in fear than at any other point in recent history. Fears inhibit our students’ ability to learn and impact their physical, social, and spiritual health. And parents and teachers, well all of us, are vulnerable to fear and anxiety these days. But there is good news! On this episode, we welcome back Ben Bost to share practical wisdom on overcoming fear in both our personal lives and school communities.

For centuries young parents raised their children in the same community as their extended family. Best practices for raising and disciplining children were both modeled and supported by the entire community. But today, the vast majority of young parents don’t live near their family and even when they do, they may not care to discipline their children the way they were disciplined growing up. Consequently, too many parents are using the “figure-it out-as-we-go method” as they YouTube and Google-Search their way to direction for the parenting years.

And as parents partner with schools, the lack of consistency in discipline can make raising the next generation even more challenging. My guest today shares, as a grandparent, a Biblical view of discipline for younger children that he shared with his own children as they were seeking advice.

Looking for a way out of the frazzle and rush of life? Whether you are an administrator, teacher, or parent, the practical wisdom from my guest today is just for you. Justin Earley endured his own season of crisis and discovered the power of habits in a transformational way that fundamentally changed his family life by finding meaning and order in what can feel like the daily chaos of raising children. These same principles of habit are at work in every classical Christian school as we intentionally work to form what our children love with similarly impressive results.

“The days are long and the years are short,” as the saying goes. On any given day, the long scramble from the morning routine of getting our children off to school (finding uniforms, breakfasts, and sprints to the carpool line to a full afternoon of after-school activities, extensive homework) can leave one wondering is the effort worth it? Where is the fruit, especially during seasons of struggle? Kevin Clark joins us to share many of the insights from his book, The Liberal Arts Tradition, along to help remind us of the long lasting fruits of the K-12 classical Christian education journey. It is especially good to hear in these modern times where our form of education and raising up the next generation is increasingly counter-cultural.

Is classical Christian education really for all children, of all abilities? In an age where the number of children with diagnosed needs seems to be spiking, how can schools effectively meet the needs of all children, especially when so many schools work with limited resources? We welcome back Leslie Collins whose last interview a few years ago stirred up a lot of conversation around what is possible for children with special needs. What practical steps can families and schools take to collaborate and ensure that truly no child is left behind? What are the implications for the rest of the classroom and learning objectives for the rest of the class when students of all abilities are included? Join us for this insightful conversation. Plus, learn about Leslie’s newly developed free resource for both schools and parents on this episode of Basecamp Live

Parents play a vital role in the success of their children in school. Increasingly, classical Christian schools (CCE) go against the grain of many schools who actively encourage parents to disengage and let them outsource their children’s education to the institution or even the government. But despite a growing culture expecting parents to drop and go, CCE schools stand in direct partnership with parents. Biblically, the school stands under the authority of the parent. But what does this mean practically? How do the home and school really collaborate? Interestingly, a growing number of parents are now choosing hybrid or collaborative schools which offer a blend of education at home and a traditional school setting. Regardless of whether a child is in a hybrid or a 5-day school, there are important and specific ways parents can and should partner as we stand together to raise the next generation.

My guest today Josh Gibbs is a prodigal and has great wisdom to share from his book, appropriately titled How to Be Unlucky.

There is nothing new under the sun.  That is good news..because the deepest questions of life and faith (who am I, why am I here, where am I going) have been asked throughout history, and in many cases asked better and in more articulate and winsome ways by those who came far before us…