There are now six charter classical schools and two private classical schools in Minnesota in 2010. There are also seven homeschooling groups called "Classical Conversations."
Classical Charter Schools of Minnesota
According to the Minnesota Directory of Charter Schools website, there are only six charter schools in Minnesota. They include: Aspen Academy (K-8) in Prior Lake, Eagle Ridge Academy (grades 6-12) in Eden Prairie, Nova Classical Academy (grades K-9th)in St. Paul, Paideia Academy (grades K-8) of Apple Valley, St. Croix Prepatory Academy of Stillwater (grades K-12)and Seven Hills Academy (grades K-5) of Bloomington.
All of these schools describe their curriculum as the "Core Knowledge Curriculum," emphasizing direct instruction, lots of memorization, and Latin or Spanish. Core Knowledge is a term coined by E.D. Hirsch, describing what it is that every American should know to be culturally literate.
Additionally, for students to be better readers, he determined that students who learned about a subject at an early age were better able to understand it in depth later on in high school and college. Hirsch developed the Core Knowledge curriculum based on the Greek Trivium - Grammar, Dialectic, Rhetoric.
Private Classical Schools of Minnesota
Liberty Classical Academy (LCA): is an independent college-preparatory private Christian school in Maplewood, Minnesota. It is for Prekindergarten through grade 12. Its mission is to "equip students of all backgrounds to grow in wisdom, excellence and purpose by offering an education based on the highest academic standards grounded in a strong classical tradition from a distinctively Christian worldview." It opened up in 2003.
Schaeffer Academy: has a large facility in Rochester, MN. It offers courses for Kindergarten through 12th grade. It has been open since 1993, and was named after Dr. Francis Schaeffer, a Christian philosopher, evangelist and theologian who began the L'Abri movement in the 1960's. The school's founders made the connection between Francis Schaeffer's ideas and their own desire to convey the permanent things – truth, beauty and goodness – to their children.
Classical Homeschooling: Classical Conversations
Seven groups are meeting during the 2009-2010 school year. These groups meet one day per week, and follow a set program and fellowship.
The classical school movement is increasingly popular and wildly successful. Test results from all of these types of classical schools demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach to education. What's more, the testimonials from students, parents, teachers, and administrators demonstrate the warmth, friendship, and most importantly the learning going on in these educational environments.
Rachel Schaus - Rachel Schaus, contributing writer,Minnesota-based freelance writer who has written hundreds of articles relating to classical education, ...
