the official statement
education is always political
We are very thankful to have received many heartening expressions of support for AGOGE’s Opening Salvo and Symposium. We hope many more leaders and teachers in the classical education movement will consider the political character of education, so we invite you to join us by signing this Official Statement of AGOGE. It is simply the opening paragraphs to the Opening Salvo and Symposium which is linked above.
By banding together, we can steer the ship of this movement, and arm-in-arm, not only renew education in America, but renew America herself.
Agoge is animated by the understanding that education is inherently political. By “political” we mean something broader than partisan politics.
Education is political because it shapes the civilization of the future through government and law, through institutions of culture and social life, and through the shared stories and symbols that give our country its distinctive character.
Classical education as a modern movement is at odds with modern education not just in terms of method or outcomes. Above all, classical education is at odds with modern education politically. If our movement, and our civilization, is to survive, educators must understand the political nature of their task, and we must reject those accounts of education that would subvert classical education from within in deference to modern liberal pieties and the pretensions of the corrupt present.
The titles and affiliations of the signatories below are for informational purposes only; we speak for ourselves, and not our respective institutions.
agoge founders
John Peterson, Director, Classical Education Graduate Program, University of Dallas
Pavlos Papadopoulos, Assistant Professor of Humanities, Wyoming Catholic College
Colin Redemer, Executive Director, The Davenant Institute
Ryan Hammill, Executive Director, Ancient Language Institute
Micah Meadowcroft, Research Director, Center for Renewing America
Ben R. Crenshaw, Visiting Assistant Professor, Declaration of Independence Center at The University of Mississippi
Jonathan Roberts, President, Ancient Language Institute
signatories
Kevin Roberts, President, The Heritage Foundation
R.R. Reno, Editor, First Things
David Goodwin, President, Association of Classical Christian Schools
Ben Merkle, President, New Saint Andrews College
Christopher Rufo, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute
Kathleen O’Toole, Assistant Provost for K-12 Education, Hillsdale College
Jeremy Tate, CEO, Classic Learning Test
Winston Brady, Director of Curriculum, Thales Academy
Joseph Rigney, Fellow of Theology, New Saint Andrews College
David Talcott, Fellow of Philosophy and Graduate Dean, New Saint Andrews College
Clifford Humphrey, Edmund Burke Foundation
Timon Cline, Editor-in-Chief, American Reformer
Nathan Gill, Fellow, Beza Institute
Michael Lynch, Teaching Fellow, Davenant Institute; Classical Languages and Humanities Teacher, Delaware Valley Classical School
Ted Richards, Visiting Assistant Professor, Declaration of Independence Center at the University of Mississippi
Colin Brown, Visiting Assistant Professor, Declaration of Independence Center at the University of Mississippi
Casey Wheatland, Senior Lecturer, Political Science, Texas State University
Antonio Sosa, Associate Director, Civitas Institute
Josh Herring, Professor of Classical Education, Thales College
Nathan Pinkoski, Assistant Professor of Humanities, University of Florida
Mike Sabo, Assistant Editor, The American Mind; Contributing Editor, American Reformer
Nathan Phelps, Founder, Classically Formed Inc.
Eric Cook, Humanities Instructor, Millennium Charter Academy
Matt Marino, Instructor of Theology, New Aberdeen College
Marcus Otte, Affiliate Assistant Professor, University of Dallas
Brian Kemple, Executive Director, Lyceum Institute
David Deavel, Associate Professor of Theology, University of St. Thomas, Houston
Lucas Vieira, Executive Director, Beza Institute for Reformed Classical Education; Upper Campus Principal, Beacon Hill Classical Academy
Melissa Jackson, President, Freedom in Education
Mitchell Earl, CEO, Praxis
Lue-Yee Tsang, Poetry Editor, The North American Anglican; Teacher, Ambleside School
Titus Techera, Executive Director, American Cinema Foundation
Kenneth Meekins, Student, George Mason University
Derec Shuler, CEO, Ascent Classical Academies
David Corbin, Chief of Strategy & Implementation, American Classical Education Foundation
Daniel Foucachon, CEO, Roman Roads Press; Founder, Kepler Education
Kyle Hughes, Fellow, Beza Institute; Principal, The Stonehaven School
Mary Beth Miller, President, Chesterton Academy of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati
Christopher Goffos, Headmaster, Embers Academy
Jose Arevalo, Hillsdale College
Jason Jewell, Professor of Humanities & Director of the Center for Great Books & Human Flourishing, Faulkner University
Thomas Lindsay, Texas Public Policy Foundation
Daniel Carter, Headmaster, Founders Classical Academy
Nathaniel Pullmann, Founder and Headmaster, Redeemer Classical School
Chase Spears, Independent Scholar
Bryan Smith, Smith Classical Education Consulting