Podcast Summary: Starting a Classical School in Alaska

Podcast: Hillsdale College K-12 Classical Education Podcast
Host: Scott Bertram
Guest: Steven Cox, Founding Board Member, Thomas Moore Classical School (Anchorage, AK)
Release Date: December 1, 2025
Episode Length: ~20 minutes

Overview

This episode explores the journey of launching Thomas Moore Classical School, the first Hillsdale-supported K-12 classical school in Alaska. Scott Bertram interviews Steven Cox, a founding board member, who shares insights on Alaska’s educational landscape, the motivation for founding a new school, challenges faced, and the vision for bringing a robust, virtue-focused classical education to the region by Fall 2026.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. State of Education in Alaska & The Need for Classical Education

• Alaska’s public schools face significant challenges, with low national test scores and concerns about bureaucracy, discipline, and school culture.
• A group of parents, including Steven and his wife, were motivated by dissatisfaction with “one-size-fits-all” approaches and a desire for education that shapes "minds and souls."

Steven Cox: "Education should be more than about sort of utility and, you know, job skill training... it really should shape students’ minds and souls." (03:18)

2. Why Choose Hillsdale’s Classical Curriculum?

• After exploring several classical models and leveraging connections in the Lower 48, Hillsdale College’s K-12 curriculum stood out as the “gold standard.”
• Hillsdale’s resources, support, and mentorship played a key role in their decision.

Steven Cox: "Rather than reinvent the wheel, we wanted a proven curriculum and a model to follow." (04:57)

• The team piloted Hillsdale’s curriculum in a homeschool pod before officially applying and being accepted into Hillsdale’s K-12 network in October 2024.

3. Thomas Moore Classical School’s Vision and Uniqueness

• The school aims to offer a rigorous, virtue-based classical education for K-12.
• Will open with K-6 and expand by one grade per year; eventual goal is 400 students, two classes per grade.
• Only school in Alaska with Hillsdale’s curriculum, focusing on great books, Latin, poetry, and American founding documents.
• Strong emphasis on faith—an intentionally Christian, interdenominational school where “character formation is really woven into daily life.”

Steven Cox: "Education’s true purpose is to train students in virtue. That’s the philosophy that really guides everything that we do." (09:05)

• School will be made affordable through aggressive fundraising and scholarships.

4. Founding Challenges: The Three F’s (Fundraising, Facility, Faculty)

• Fundraising: Initial goal met and surpassed; $200,000 raised in December, another $100,000 in spring, aiming for $2 million before opening.
• Facility: Scarcity of affordable, school-ready spaces in Anchorage; partnered with Church in South Anchorage—offering ideal space and a supportive relationship.
• Faculty: Nationwide and local search, capitalizing on Hillsdale’s network; hired headmaster Sarah Spalding, an experienced Hillsdale-affiliated school founder.

Steven Cox: "We have really seen the hand of God in all three of those fronts..." (10:48)
"We found a perfect partner in a church called Church in South Anchorage..." (12:24)
"We launched a nationwide search through our network and Hillsdale’s network..." (13:40)

5. Role & Work of the Founding Headmaster

• Headmaster started in July 2025; responsibilities include budget planning, website and admissions set-up, hiring faculty.
• Has deep familiarity with Hillsdale’s curriculum, streamlining preparation and training for staff and families.

6. Recruiting in Alaska: Overcoming Distance and Building a Pipeline

• Finding “mission-aligned” faculty is tougher due to Alaska’s remote location, but classical educators seeking purpose and adventure are drawn to the project.
• Hillsdale partnership gives access to a nationwide network; school aims to both recruit nationally and retrain local teachers in the classical model.

Steven Cox: "I really believe the mission of Thomas More Classical is going to be a magnet, a strong magnet for the right kind of educator..." (17:30)

7. Choosing the Private School Path over Charter

• Private status preserves autonomy, faith, and mission integrity.
• Charter restrictions in Alaska, including limits on faith-based education and greater oversight, drove the decision to remain private.

Steven Cox: "As a charter, we might not be able to pray, we might not be able to teach theology... so going private really gives us complete freedom." (20:08)

8. Advice for Others Starting a School

• Build a strong, diverse, mission-driven team: Education, finance, law, and faith should all be represented.
• Use proven models and visit other schools: Don’t reinvent the wheel; firsthand visits help clarify best practices.
• Keep the mission central: Begin board meetings by refocusing on purpose to avoid “mission drift.”
• Community engagement: Would have started outreach earlier if he could change anything.

Steven Cox: "It really takes a committed team of people who share a clear mission and a diverse set of skills..." (21:32)
"Keep your mission front and center..." (22:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the School’s Vision:

  "Our motto is more Classical, more saints... we want an academically rigorous school, and one that nurtures virtue and faith." – Steven Cox (07:38)

• On Challenges:

  "The hardest concrete challenges in starting any school, I think, are fundraising, facility, and faculty. So, finding that facility, finding the right faculty and leadership..." – Steven Cox (10:34)

• On Community Engagement:

  "If there's one thing we could have done a little bit better is to engage the community a little bit earlier." – Steven Cox (22:51)

• On Faculty Recruitment:

  "Our state offers so much for people who are looking for excitement, new endeavors, a frontier spirit, entrepreneurism... I really think we're going to see a lot of success on that front." – Steven Cox (17:03)

Timeline of Important Segments

• [01:37] – Alaska’s education landscape and decision to found a school
• [04:00] – Choosing Hillsdale’s curriculum and partnership journey
• [07:29] – Vision, values, and uniqueness of Thomas Moore Classical
• [10:34] – Biggest founding challenges: fundraising, facility, faculty
• [14:49] – Role of founding headmaster, current activities
• [16:29] – Faculty recruitment: Alaska’s uniqueness and national search
• [19:05] – Why private, not charter: mission fidelity and faith
• [21:29] – Advice to aspiring school founders and reflections on lessons learned

Resources

• Thomas Moore Classical School: moreclassical.org
• Active on Facebook and Instagram for updates and events

Summary written to capture the full depth and character of the episode for listeners and founders alike, maintaining the original conversational tone and attributions.