Anchored by the Classic Learning Test

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by Sarah Novlan, Chief Academic Officer at Hill Country Christian School. They announce CLT Enduring Courses as a new alternative to AP curriculum, launching in the 2026–27 academic year. The two examine how the AP classes often contradict a classical curriculum in both rigor and content. They also explore why classical schools are eager for changes in the college prep–course landscape, and the telos that sets CLT apart. 

On this episode of Anchored, Soren is joined by Andrew Smalley, head of Veritas Classical School in St. Augustine, FL and board member of the advisory council for the Institute for Classical Education at Flagler College. They explore the power of making discipleship the primary goal of Christian education and the deep impact that it leaves on students. They discuss Veritas Classical School and the process of building up a school that aims to finish the trivium. 

Dr. Todd Bates, founding president and professor of humanities at Christ College in Satellite Beach, shares insights on classical education and its relevance today. He recounts his journey from a shallow Christian upbringing to a passion for theological study. Todd emphasizes the integration of great books with entrepreneurship, arguing that an entrepreneurial mindset serves a Christian vocation. He advocates for small class sizes and deep faculty-student relationships, aiming to foster meaningful work in a modern educational landscape.

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by Jennifer Berkshire, journalist and host of the education policy podcast Have You Heard? She discusses her experience bringing liberal arts education into prisons with the Boston College Prison Education Program. They explore how reading the Great Books allows inmates to grapple with sincere questions about guilt, innocence, and responsibility, and how serving a life sentence can shape a student’s educational telos. 

On this episode of Anchored, Soren is joined by Mandi Gerth, Administrative Director of the Cowan Center at the University of Dallas and author of Thoroughness and Charm. They discuss her book, the meaning behind its title, and her vision for teachers as guardians and keepers. She shares her advice for teachers who are simultaneously excited and daunted by the richness of the tradition they get to teach. They explore how teachers embody the classical tradition by cultivating a love for the material and transmitting it to their students, even when the content isn’t their personal favorite.

On this episode of Anchored, Soren is joined by Dr. Cornelis J. Schilt, Professor of History and Philosophy of Knowledge at the Vrije Universiteit in Brussels, and Founder and President of Lux Mundi, a new Catholic university in Belgium. Dr. Schilt shares his unique educational journey from a small town in the Netherlands to prestigious institutions like Oxford. He discusses the challenges he has faced in academia in Europe, and his vision for Lux Mundi as a transformative educational institution that emphasizes character development and the pursuit of truth.

On this episode of Anchored, Soren is joined by Jeff Brown, Headmaster of Hunter Classical Christian School in Richmond, Virginia. They discuss Jeff’s journey to discovering classical education, and Hunter Classical’s commitment to cultivating character before transcripts. They examine the CLT as a valuable standard for what an ideal student should aspire to learn and an exemplary school should aspire to teach. They conclude by talking about the future of Hunter Classical, including their first class of ninth graders starting this fall. 

On this episode of Anchored, Soren is joined by Jovia Godfrey, Admissions Officer at Saint Constantine College and a seventh-grade writing tutorial teacher at the Saint Constantine School in Houston, Texas. They talk about Jovia’s journey to discovering Saint Constantine for her kids, and the school’s resolve to cultivate an environment that is risky but not hazardous. They dive into Saint Constantine’s K-16 educational approach and their revolutionary return to learning well. 

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by Brandon Vogt, author, Founder of ClaritasU, Senior Publishing Director for Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire, and Founder and Chairman of Chesterton Academy of Orlando. They discuss his journey in founding a Chesterton school in Orlando and what inspired him to choose its curriculum for his children. They explore Brandon’s defense of the Harry Potter series as rich in Christian virtue and having the power to re-enchant reality. Read Brandon Vogt on Catholics and Harry Potter: https://brandonvogt.com/potter/

On this episode of Anchored, Jeremy is joined by Jim Gash, President of Pepperdine University. They unpack his recent viral U.S. News & World Report article titled “Can Belief in God Strengthen Academic Freedom?” They also explore the value of a traditional brick-and-mortar school in the age of unlimited information access, and conclude by discussing why students from the classical renewal movement are well-suited for a Pepperdine education.