Richard A. Johnson, Ed.D., is the director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Booker T. Washington Initiative, which examines the effects of public policy on African-American communities.
Classical education involves introducing the mind to the “great ideas” through the “great books” in order that students can effectively join the “great conversations” of the ages.. A deeply rooted knowledge of “how to think, how to be virtuous and what to do” are the pillars of classical education. It seeks to stir the heart and the intellect to invite curiosity and ignite a passion for learning. It is less about training for a specific, temporal vocation and more about learning to think and live with an eternal purpose.