Urban Classical Education

Welcome!

Mortimer Adler said that if a classical education is the best for the few, then it is best for all. The movement to bring classical education to our cities lives out Adler’s claim, as we seek to give the best education available to those who need it most. This course on urban classical education is presented by Russ Gregg, the head of school at Hope Academy in Minneapolis, MN, where he has served for 20 years. Russ is a pioneer in urban classical education, full of vision, zeal, and much practical wisdom about how to renew our cities by bringing classical education–to all.

Teachers taking this course will be inspired and moved and will also enjoy hearing Russ’ insights and passion for education in the recorded conversations with Dr. Christopher Perrin.

Russ and his team are now working to help start classical Christian urban schools around the U.S. To learn more about this endeavor, visit the Spreading Hope website.

This course is divided into 6 presentations, each featuring Russ Gregg. The end of the course also features six conversations between Russ Gregg and Dr. Christopher Perrin (and one time with New City School Head of School, Andy Phillips), in which they discuss how Russ was led to start a classical Christian school in Minneapolis some twenty years ago, with no money, teachers, no board, and no building. They will also discuss the various challenges and joys of brining classical education to the underserved in our cities. Within the lessons below, you will find video lectures, session outlines, recommended readings, questions for discussion and reflection, and additional recommended resources.

Lesson 1: A Day of Good News
Lesson 2: Can We Really Close the Achievement Gap?
Lesson 3: Dream Big, Start Small, Grow Slow: Starting an Urban Classical School
Lesson 4: Developing Cultural Compentency
Lesson 5: Raising Funds for Urban Classical Schools
Lesson 6: Classical Education–A Liberating Education for All Children

Discussion 1: How Russ Gregg found Urban Classical Education
Discussion 2: Urban Classical Education for All Children
Discussion 3: Why Dream Big, Start Small, and Grow Slow?
Discussion 4: Creating Meaningful Partnerships
Discussion 5: Starting and Growing an Urban Classical School (with Andy Phillips of New City School, Harrisburg, PA)
Discussion 6: Developing Sustainable Funding

Russ Gregg is the founder and head of school at Hope Academy in Minneapolis, MN. Russ has served in this role for almost 20 years and is now helping others to start urban classical schools throughout the US by means of the Spreading Hope Network. He and his wife, Phyllis, who teaches 3rd grade at Hope Academy, live four blocks away from Hope Academy. They have 3 grown children. Russ serves on the board of directors of the Society for Classical Learning and has a BA in global studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

We recommend that viewer purchase the following brief book by Russ Gregg of just 40 pages.

The Mark of God and Our Education Crisis by Russ Gregg

Please Note: ClassicalU is currently developing a certification to accompany our course offerings. The certification credit component of this course is now active but also undergoing refinement and testing.

To obtain a certification credit for this course, simply complete the quiz that follows each presentation by Russ Gregg, and then also take the certification test at the end of the course. The quizzes are designed to ensure that you have understood the essential content of each presentation, and they can be taken more than once if necessary. The cumulative certification test at the end of the course is given as a pass/fail test and requires that you upload one short essay (of 600-750 words) demonstrating your understanding of urban classial education. When you have completed the course, a certificate that you can print or email will magically appear under the “My Courses” section of this website.

For this course the essay assignment is:

1. Explain why classical education is a fitting and vital means of renewing and blessing the youth of our cities.

Please allow approximately 2 weeks for essay submissions to be reviewed.

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