Hillsdale College hosts “Reviving American Classical K-12 Education” Tele-Townhall
More than 13,000 participants from across the country joined to learn about Hillsdale’s work in education
HILLSDALE, Mich. — On Thursday evening, Hillsdale College hosted its annual classical education tele-townhall. This year’s topic was “Reviving American Classical K-12 Education.” More than 13,000 people from across the country participated in the call, which lasted one hour.
Hillsdale College President Larry P. Arnn and nationally syndicated radio personality Hugh Hewitt hosted the call. They were joined by Hillsdale’s Assistant Provost for K-12 Education Kathleen O’Toole and Civic Education Specialist Jordan Adams. While covering a variety of topics, the discussion focused on problems afflicting history and civics education today and Hillsdale’s solution: the Hillsdale 1776 Curriculum.
The Hillsdale 1776 Curriculum, downloadable for free at k12.hillsdale.edu, is available not only to teachers but for all citizens to share with other concerned Americans. This complete K-12 history and civics curriculum — designed to give educators guidance, not mandates — allows students to learn the tragedies and triumphs of American history as it really happened. Only through a complete and honest study of our history can students fully understand the world in which they live.
“Before they can participate in debate about its future, students need to know the story of America. The Hillsdale 1776 Curriculum, based in primary source documents, not politicized arguments, gives K-12 teachers the tools they need to teach American history, civics, and government in a complete and balanced way.”
Adams, a Hillsdale College alumnus and a former history teacher, elaborated further upon how and why the Hillsdale 1776 Curriculum approaches history.
“In addition to securing regular time for instruction in American civics, we need to ensure what students study truly answers the key question in deciding content: what in history has had the greatest influence on shaping the world in which students live today?”
The Hillsdale 1776 Curriculum is part of Hillsdale College’s broader K-12 educational efforts, which began in 2010 with the founding of the College’s Barney Charter School Initiative. In 2012, the Initiative helped to open two classical charter schools by providing curricular,
instructional, and governance assistance. Today, Hillsdale K-12 has more than 50 affiliated schools in 23 states, serving more than 13,500 students across the country.
In 2020, Hillsdale K-12 began providing curricular support to private and public schools outside the Barney Charter School network, as well as to homeschool families and groups. Dozens of schools have taken advantage of this support.
This is the fifth year Hillsdale College has hosted its classical education tele-townhall. Participants joined the townhall by phone, listening in as they would a conference call. Participants could enter a queue to ask a question live “on air,” as if on a radio program.
Watch the recording of the tele-townhall here.