Classical Education Symposium 2025 Accessibility Workshops
EDUCATION ACCESSIBILITY WORKSHOPS:
The Roots of Welcome: A Workshop on Classical Education for Students with Disabilities and Learning Differences
Tom Doebler & Amy Richards
How can classical classrooms effectively welcome students with disabilities and learning differences? Discussions of this question often focus—understandably! —on practical, logistical strategies for implementing services and support for these children. But strategic planning and technique do not reach the heart of the question because they do not address the deep tensions between the classical understanding of what it means to be human and the models of disability prevalent in our culture. Without careful consideration of this tension, we risk undermining our ability to offer a genuine welcome. In a special session prior to the regular Symposium program, Dr. Amy Richards and Tom Doebler will offer a lens through which to wrestle with these ideas, and a forum for dialogue with and between practitioners. Designed for whole school teams to participate in, the goal of this session is to uncover the questions at the core of our objections, concerns, and even fears about teaching the students who, at times, challenge our vision for classical education the most.
Tools, not Purpose: Crafting IEPs for the Human Telos
Tom Doebler
One central and problematic expression of the tension between the classical understanding of what it means to be human and the contemporary models of disability are the legal and compliance requirements of Special Education. Federal and state laws and statute rooted in these contemporary models dictate specifics regarding the development, form, and language of student IEPs, and these requirements distract (at best) or replace (at worst) the purpose of education in the classical sense. As a follow-up to the Wednesday afternoon workshop, Tom will lead another workshop focused more on the details of IEP development in classical schools, and the ins and outs of working with teachers and families on that plan.
Agency and Academic Achievement through Virtues-Based Education: Empowering the Rising Generation to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative
Ian Rowe
Ian V. Rowe, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and Founder & CEO of Vertex Partnership Academies, a virtues-based, International Baccalaureate public charter high school in the Bronx, will lead an interactive workshop on how to incorporate the four cardinal virtues into a school’s curriculum and rituals, to boost academic achievement and facilitate the moral formation of students.
The session will cover how the four cardinal virtues of Courage, Justice, Temperance and Wisdom ⸺ the root virtues upon which all other standards of moral excellence depend ⸺ are integrated into the daily experience of students: from oral recitation of poetry like Invictus; to a discipline system that rewards (and penalizes) behaviors synonymous with (or divergent from) the virtues; to selection of classical texts that best exemplify the virtues; to how we expect students to memorize “I Statements” as part of the process to internalize their sense of personal agency.
Ultimately, the workshop is intended to show how these processes are geared to empower students to overcome the victimhood narrative and aid in their goal to lead self-determined lives with meaning and purpose.
Beyond Phonics: Delivering on the Promise of the Science of Reading
Robert Pondiscio
Effective, comprehensive reading instruction includes both a focus on word recognition and language comprehension. Many literacy programs aligned to the Science of Reading provide robust, systematic phonics instruction, particularly at the early grades. When it comes to reading comprehension, however, it is important for educators to understand it is not a standalone skill that can be directly taught through strategies or drills. It emerges from a reader’s background knowledge, vocabulary, and understanding of the world, which enables them to contextualize information. Thus, a broad and rich curriculum, which builds knowledge across various subjects, is crucial for fostering true comprehension. Without this foundation, teaching comprehension strategies in isolation may yield disappointing results, even with effective word recognition instruction. Shifting reading comprehension instruction from generic reading strategies to content-rich curriculum, in tandem with appropriately-sequenced phonics instruction equips students with the knowledge, vocabulary, and context they need to deeply understand and engage with texts.
The Humane Use of Data
Bo Faser & Michael Linville
Teachers, especially classical teachers, assess students daily. In Great Hearts Academies, we continuously gather information from our students through attendance, quizzes, class discussions, recitations of poetry, and participating in seminar. We use the qualitative and quantitative information to evaluate the performance and dispositions of our scholars. Instinctually, we know that each dot on a graph represents a human being with complex motivations and influences, but we also know we can easily become lost in the numbers and lose sight of our mission. How we collect, analyze, and present information impacts our scholars, and the life of our academies. In this panel discussion, we will explore the variety and purposes of data collected in our schools, from enrollment to standardized assessments, to seminars on great works, and the full fruition in the lives of our scholars. We will share stories and discuss important questions regarding data: its limits, purposes, and proper use.
Trauma-Informed Approach to Behavior
Melissa Davis & Katie O’Dell
This dynamic session will introduce the key principles of Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), and equip educators with an understanding of the impact of trauma on a child’s brain, body and behaviors. Rooted in neuroscience, this session offers a lens through which to view the behavior of students as well as tools to disarm fear, facilitate healing, and optimize learning in students with a history of abuse, neglect, and/or trauma. Participants will gain insight into the value of seeing and meeting the need behind behaviors, and how a small shift in perspective and approach can improve academic, social, and behavioral outcomes for all students.
Inviting Diverse Communities into Classical Education: Creating Engaging Experiences
Zoranlly Burgos
At Brilla Schools, we believe that families are a child’s first and most important educators. We also believe that families and teachers are key partners in a child’s educational journey. This workshop focuses on creating engaging events and experiences that invite families and communities to participate in the classical education journey actively, emphasizing inclusivity, accessibility, and cultural responsiveness. Drawing on Brilla’s successful model of combining classical education with strong community engagement, participants will explore practical strategies for planning events that welcome diverse families and staff into the intellectual and cultural world of classical education. The workshop will emphasize the critical role of families and staff as partners in education, with actionable ideas for fostering relationships that empower parents and caregivers as active participants in their children’s academic and moral development.