Page 74 - Volume 4 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal of K-12 Educational Research

72 However, the model is not without its critics. Foremost among the criticisms of classical education is the accusation of elitism. The complaint is first leveled at the curricula. Writing about his own foray into a study of the Great Books, Denby (1996) introduces the controversy in succinct prose: What role should the Western classics and a Eurocentric curriculum play in a country whose population was made up of people from many other places besides Europe—for instance, descendants of African slaves and American Indians? Should groups formerly without much power—women, as well as minorities—be asked to read through a curriculum dominated by works written by Dead White European Males? (p. 12) Furthermore, critics say that the measured success of classical schools is fundamentally due to the privilege of its constituency (Kern, 2015). Executive Director of the Society for Classical Learning, Cook (2017), acknowledges the critique: If the question [Who is classical education for?] is answered merely by calculating who is currently receiving a classical Christian education, we would have to conclude it is not for many students. Of course, some argue that it is only for a certain kind or caliber of student, one who has exceptional abilities, motivation levels, and a robust support structure at home. It is no secret that many educators associate classical education with an elitism that inherently excludes large populations of kids. (p. 2) In short, both the content and the constituency of classical schools bring into question the model’s apparent success. Nature of the Study It is within this context of this dispute that a few classical schools serving in ethnically diverse, urban settings reveal their importance to the conversation. The current study investigated perceptions among stakeholders at four urban classical schools serving students of color in four separate states. Perspectives were collected from a multi-faceted constituency, including school leaders, staff, students, and parents through the use of individual interviews, focus groups, questionnaire, and observation. In addition, data was mined from documents and school artifacts, and student performance outcomes were observed based on norm-referenced assessment scores. From the convergent data collected, common themes were identified. By referencing an ideological conception of what is good as captured in the term shalom , a grounded theory of classical education suited to the whole public good was espoused. Significance of the Study Whether one is inside or outside classical or charter school education, the current study is significant to the philosophic and practical conversation about education’s aims and methodology. While some explain the effectiveness of classical education as a product of white privilege, the current study explored whether the model is also of perceived value among a racially and socio- economically diverse population. As America clamors for transformational and innovative education structures— structures that elevate the critical thinking, creativity, and capability of all students—the current study sought to uncover whether classical schooling is a viable option for the education of a diverse population. Participants in the Study The four schools chosen for the current study all identify themselves as supplying a classical education to mostly (50% or more) student of color. Table 1 summarizes the four schools in the current study. Those persons within each school who took direct part in the current study include the school’s population at large, the school’s leader, and two purposive sample focus groups, one including parents and students, and the other including staff and teachers. Summary of the Study Schools within the current study can be situated within one or more of general types of classical schooling. Arlington Classics Academy, with its use of the Core Knowledge curriculum and with its unwavering commitment to family input, represents a hybrid of Adler’s (1982) Paediea-style school and classical homeschooling. Boys Latin Charter School of Philadelphia is a modern-day expression of Marva Collins’s value sets. With the school’s extensive study of Latin and its smorgasbord of learning Joylynn Blake, EdD