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Hillsdale College is a small Christian classical liberal arts college that operates independently of government funding and we want you or your son or daughter to apply. At Hillsdale, students grow in heart and mind by studying timeless truths in a supportive community dedicated to the highest things. Hillsdale College costs significantly less than other nationally ranked private liberal arts colleges and receives regular recognition as a best value and nearly all students receive financial aid. Our robust core curriculum, vibrant student life and 8 to 1 student to faculty ratio make for an education like no other. For more information or to fill out an application, visit hillsdale.edu info. That's hillsdale.edu info welcome to the hillsdale.
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College k12 classical education podcast bringing you insight into classical education and its unique emphasis on human virtue and moral character, responsible citizenship, content, rich curricula and teacher led classrooms. Now your host, Scott Bertram.
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We continue a series of episodes from presentations delivered at Hoagland center for Teacher Excellence Center Seminars. The Hoagland center for Teacher Excellence and Outreach of The Hillsdale College K12 education office offers educators the opportunity to deepen their content knowledge and refine their skills in the classroom. These one day conferences are hosted during the academic year in cities across the nation and feature presentations by Hillsdale College faculty, K12 office staff and leaders in the Hillsdale Network of member schools. There is no cost to attend and attendees may earn professional development credits. Currently, the Hoagland center is hosting a series exploring the art of teaching a variety of subjects. To learn more about upcoming events, Visit our website k12 hillsdale.edu.
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Good afternoon everyone. Eric, thank you for the introduction and more so for the invitation to speak here today. I am always happy to spend time with passionate educators, to share techniques and to swap stories and to inspire one another in our work. I am honored by the opportunity to share with you some of my experience as a school leader. Again, my name is Margaret Danu and I am the principal of Lake Country Classical Academy in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, which opened doors in 2021 to kindergarten through ninth grade students and is now in our fourth year of operation with a fully K12 student body. I lead a classical school because I agree with the sentiment of James Madison, who noted what spectacle can be more edifying or seasonable than that of liberty and learning, each leaning on the other for their mutual and surest support. This profound observation cuts to the heart of why I've dedicated my career to classical education. Classical education isn't about test scores or college admissions. It's about something far more profound, the cultivation of human souls. Let me share three fundamental beliefs that drive my commitment to classical education and also my ambition to lead a classical school. First, I believe that education should be about more than just acquiring knowledge. It should be about cultivating virtue. In our classical schools, we're not merely concerned with what our students know, but with who they are becoming. We seek to develop the health and goodness of the human soul. What use is success if it cannot be enjoyed by good men and good women? What value is knowledge if it doesn't lead to wisdom? Second, I lead a classical school because I believe, as Nicolas Gomez Davila wisely observed, that there is an illiteracy of the soul which no diploma cures. In our schools, we understand that what you know matters far less than what you love. The world doesn't necessarily need more smart people. It absolutely needs more good people. This is why we place good books, good music, and good ideas before our students. We train them to love what is right, what is noble, and what is lasting. Which brings me to my third point. I lead a classical school because I believe in the power of things that endure. Look around us. We live in a world of constant change and ephemeral trends. Buildings crumble, clothes wear out, and what was considered progressive just a decade ago is now deemed outdated. But amid this ceaseless flood of change, there exists a precious collection of ideas, works, and traditions that have stood the test of time. Think about this. Why do people still read Homer after thousands of years? Why does Bach's music still move us? Why do the words of Augustine still ring true? It's because these works contain something rare and precious. They contain wisdom that speaks to the permanent things in human nature. In our classical schools, we don't chase the latest educational fads or jump from one trending methodology to another. Instead, we focus on what has proven itself as tried and true. We study the books, music, and ideas that have been faithfully handed down through generations. Not because they're old, but because they're good, because they've lasted. But let me be very clear. Leading a classical school isn't about living in the past. It's about providing our students with the tools they need to resist being swept along by every wind of cultural change. When our students study classical texts and engage with enduring ideas, they gain a vantage point from which to evaluate new ideas. They develop souls capable of understanding and loving things that matter. We live in an age that often prioritizes personal expression over formation, comfort overgrowth, and immediate gratification over lasting satisfaction. But in our classical schools, we dare to be different. We believe that there are standards of goodness that exist independent of our feelings about them. We believe that there are right ways to be men and women, citizens and leaders. School leadership is a delicate dance of pragmatic management and principled vision. Leaders of classical schools stand at the intersection of day to day operational challenges and the deeper mission of classical education. Requiring a unique blend of tactical skill and philosophical commitment. The practical challenges of school leadership are immediate and constant. Principals must simultaneously manage budgets, coordinate staff, implement curriculum, maintain safety protocols, and navigate complex interpersonal dynamics. These tactical demands require extraordinary organizational skills, scheduling teacher support, addressing student needs, coordinating with parent volunteers, and ensuring compliance with state or local legislative standards. Each day brings a complex puzzle of resource allocation, personnel management, and immediate problem solving. Knowing that I would be speaking with you today, I recently asked the elementary students at LCCA during our morning assembly to help me brainstorm a list of things that I as their principal. I shared that I would be speaking with other teachers who might be interested in becoming a principal one day, and that I wanted to be sure that I gave an accurate list of the responsibilities of the job. So I asked, what does the school principal do all day long? Their responses ranged from you go to meetings all day to you teach us to be nice and good to you check that we have our shirt tucked in to you help us get in the car at dismissal. My favorite response, though, came from a little girl who waved her arms emphatically when she said, you solve all the problems. I took that as an incredible compliment. Underlying this list of practical tasks is the critical responsibility of maintaining fidelity to the school's mission. This goes beyond mere administrative function, requiring leaders to be intentional interpreters of their institution's core values. My school's mission may be similar to many of yours, but it is a few short, eloquent sentences which summarize that we train minds and improve hearts through a classical education, including instruction in moral principles and civic virtue. School leaders must ensure that every decision from curriculum design to staff hiring reflects this fundamental commitment. This approach demands remarkable emotional intelligence and strategic thinking. Principals must be adaptive leaders who can respond to immediate challenges while maintaining a consistent philosophical north star. They mediate between the expectations of teachers, students, parents, and the school board, always seeking solutions that honor the school's fundamental commitment to classical education. The rewards of this leadership approach are profound. By maintaining a careful balance between pragmatic management and principled vision, leaders of classical schools create educational environments that transcend mere academic instruction. They transform schools from administrative institutions into sanctuaries of human formation, where students are simultaneously challenged intellectually and nurtured morally. These leaders understand that true education is not about efficient information transference, but about cultivating young minds and hearts, guiding students toward an understanding of what is good, true, and beautiful. They craft learning communities where academic rigor and character development are intrinsically linked, where every lesson and interaction serves the higher purpose of developing whole, thoughtful human beings prepared to engage in the world with wisdom, virtue, and purpose. Successful school leadership is not about perfect execution. It would require a full afternoon session for me to share the mistakes and blunders of my first three and a half years in leadership at a startup charter school located on two campuses that are about an eight minute drive apart. But rather, successful school leadership is consistent intention. It requires the ability to make tough decisions, adapt to changing educational landscapes, and remain committed to the deeper purpose of classical education. This goal is ambitious to help students become individuals who can find truth, practice goodness, and appreciate beauty. We want graduates who don't just succeed professionally, but who contribute meaningfully to their families, community, and society. In America, this mission has a special significance. Our founding ideals of human equality and liberty weren't accidents, but products of careful reflection. By teaching civic virtue alongside intellectual and moral formation, we're helping students understand and continue our nation's noblest traditions, liberty and learning, leaning on the other for their mutual and surest support. To lead a classical school is to be a steward not just of knowledge, but of human potential. It's about believing that education isn't just about preparing students for a career, but about preparing them for life. Our goal isn't just to help students make a living, but to help them live well. We want them to become individuals who can think clearly, judge wisely, and love deeply. Let me share one final thought. I lead a classical school because I believe that truth, goodness, and beauty are not mere abstractions, but real things worth pursuing. I believe that virtue can be taught, that wisdom can be acquired, and that the human soul can be cultivated toward excellence.
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If you enjoyed this lecture, we encourage you to Visit our website, k12hillsdale.b for additional information on upcoming Hoagland center events and other free resources for educators.