Start a School
Thank you for considering this courageous step. We know that small beginnings can lead to great endings, and we’re here to help.
Why start a school? | What type will work for us? | Where can I join others?
Why should I start a
classical Christian school?
- The Miseducation of America — A new documentary featuring classical Christian education
- The Good Soil Study — A survey of alumni life outcomes from various types of schools
- What is classical Christian education (CCE)? — A guide to the basics of CCE
Direction
What type of classical Christian school should I start?
Traditional Schools
Standard Model Schools:
These k-12 schools offer 5-day-a-week instruction in a conventional school model. Most ACCS Accredited schools fall into this category. Sports, electives, and the depth of school community are all available. These schools can cost more than other options here, but in general, ACCS schools are much lower cost than other private preparatory schools. Our member tuitions average around $9000.
Grammar and Logic schools:
Otherwise known as k-6 or k-8 schools, these prepare students for high school at a classical Christian school. Often, they provide a more intimate community alternative to feed a larger classical Christian high school, or another Christian high school. The ACCS provides startup and accreditation services for these types of schools.
Keep reading: Collaborative, Co-op, Pod, Special Purpose, and Online
Non-Traditional Schools
Homeschool Co-ops:
Through cooperative work with other home school families, parents can design and deliver their own classical Christian experience. A variety of resources are available from curriculum providers like Canon Press, Classical Academic Press, CiRCE Institute, Memoria Press, Veritas Press, and Roman Roads. Classical Conversations provides a more packaged solution for homeschool co-ops. The price is right, but parents often have to find, hire, or become classically educated. This can be the challenge.
Pod Schools:
Pod schools can be the beginning of something bigger, or they can provide the intimate environment parents want at an affordable price. Typically 4 or 5 families join together and hire a teacher who teaches in a rotating school location between the participants’ homes or businesses. Parents with particular skills pick up a subject or two here or there. The teacher guides the program. If your pod has a prescribed program with a diploma, it may qualify for ACCS accreditation. The ACCS Startup Program includes access to our Member Resource Center where dozens of open resumes from classical teachers are ready to be perused.
Collaborative Schools:
These schools are larger, but only meet between 2 and 3 days per week at a school building. They may be half the cost of a standard model school. The rest of the education is provided in the home by the parents— thus it’s “collaborative.” Collaborative schools have a prescribed program and they offer diplomas. Parents are “teachers” in the program who are trained and given the materials to instruct during “off” days. These schools offer flexibility and a lower cost, while providing community and a sense of accountability. The ACCS accredits many Collaborative model schools. The ACCS Startup Kit will get you off on the right foot.
Keep reading: Special Purpose and Online Schools
Other School Types
Special Purpose Schools:
Every child is different. An indefinite number of options await anyone who wants to build a school to serve special needs students, disabled students, gifted students, or even those families who prefer hands-on vocational mixes for agriculture or trades. How is this classical? Classical Christian schools are excellent preparation for any field or lifestyle. The ACCS Startup Package and Accreditation services are available for these schools. We also may be able to point interested startups to consultants or other schools that can help. Call the ACCS if you need direction.
Online Schools:
You don’t need to start an online school! You just need an internet connection. Though classical Christian education is best delivered in a community, face to face, there are some excellent online options. These can often be blended with home schooling, but can provide the expertise for Latin, Great Books, science, rhetoric, and math, to name a few. Wilson Hill Academy and Schole Academy are two ACCS members. Other options include CiRCE Institute Online, Logos Online, and Veritas Online. These options tend to be cheaper— many from $3000-$6000 annually. Many parents select online schools when they desire flexibility, but don’t have the expertise to homeschool classically.
Join the Startup Network
GET ADVICE, news, and encouragement from those who have gone before.
JOIN A NETWORK of mentors and others in the same place.
KEEP UP-TO-DATE about national and regional events and summits for startups.
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The Back Room
Are you committed to helping classical Christian education (CCE) grow for the sake of our culture and the church? Our goal here is to martial resources in support of the quality and availability of CCE, and to spur its growth into a widely known and appreciated category of Christian education.
The Back Room is a speakeasy of sorts, dedicated to the restoration of classical Christian education.
This is a working site for those who believe God is calling them to contribute their time, treasure, or talent to the classical Christian movement in specific ways that align with our vision and development goals.
Our main focus is to advance strategic initiatives involving growth, publicity, standards of excellence, diploma recognition, and other development areas.
As with any respectable speakeasy, the proprietor will let you in.
An older way, a better way, a Christian way.
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