Painful, Glorious, Academic Policies

In his book on the benefits and necessities of Greek and Latin instruction, Tracy Lee Simmons equates the study of these languages to climbing Mt. Parnassus. He named his book, Climbing Parnassus, after this concept and describes this analogy used within classical education: 

 

“Climbing Parnassus” eventually became a code for the painfully glorious exertions of Greek and Latin. The hard, precipitous path of classical education ideally led not to knowledge alone, but to the cultivation of mind and spirit.

 

Promoting a curriculum that fosters the cultivation of the mind and spirit is also an arduous path. The work of the school's Academic Advisory Committee mirrors the work of Liberty Common students, as the consideration of academic policies and coursework is also a “painfully glorious exertion.” The AAC assists the Board of Directors by maintaining the original vision of the school and reviewing all course proposals, curriculum changes, and academic policies. 

 

In my previous work within other schools and educational organizations, I never experienced the level of dedication to academic policy and precision I experience every month in the AAC. Many schools spend hours crafting policies to prevent legal challenges or adverse behavior, but the actual business of teaching and learning is often neglected. One reason is the difficulty of the endeavor. Creating policies and curricular commitments is exacting and exhausting work. As the author of a policy recently considered by the AAC, I can attest to the “painfully glorious” nature of codifying the commitments we know will lead students toward flourishing.

 

The painful, and often arduous task, requires a group of teachers, administrators, parents, founders, and Board Members to labor over each and every sentence written. This includes the ideas and the construction. For these policies to have weight and longevity, an excruciating level of precision is vital. It is not fun to have your writing, sometimes months or years in the making, scoured for every possible opportunity for confusion for future readers, as well as grammatical errors that would pass the standard of most modern written sources. The level of intricacy in these discussions could appear extraneous to many observers, while being pedantic to others. 

 

Here, though, is where the glorious nature of the endeavor lies. The commitment to accuracy and exactitude is beautiful. A roomful of people committed to this work, in the name of cultivating the educational experience of Liberty Common students, demonstrates the importance of language and ideas – they have consequences in the way humans interact and thrive.

 

When the business of teaching and learning remains the primary objective of a school, the ideas and curriculum presented to students are worth the effort. It is no mistake the terms “cultivate” and “flourish” are used to describe the input and output of an education. Care for living things takes constant, diligent work if they are to flower, fruit, or achieve their true purpose. The job of nourishing the minds and spirits of students is yeoman’s work, but both the work and the results are glorious.