What is classical education?

Classical education is a long tradition of education that emphasizes the seeking after of truth, goodness, and beauty through the study of the liberal arts and humanities. The liberal arts are the fundamental intellectual skills used in every academic discipline and the humanities are the history and literature of Western civilization through which we learn, through precept and example, the ideas and values of our culture.

Why classical education?

Classical education is the method and philosophy of education that has trained many of the greatest minds in western history for over two millennia; although it is a foreign concept to many in this current age, it is recently beginning to take hold in our nation again as a compelling alternative to the widespread educational method. A Parnassus Preparatory Academy, we choose to adopt this philosophy because we believe it to be the best method of education for bringing about the forging of character, the fostering of wisdom, and the nurturing of a lifelong passion for learning in our students.

Educational PhilosophY

At Parnassus Preparatory Academy, we believe that parents have primary responsibility for the education of their children, and we are here to support them in that effort. Everything we do is centered on helping parent educators to be the best teachers they can be.

Our curriculum is designed to give students the tools they need to build a solid foundation of fundamental knowledge that they will use as a springboard to higher-level thought. They will develop the critical-thinking and problem solving skills necessary for success in life. They will also develop their imagination and creativity to help shape their futures and the future of our country. We believe that reading is the key that unlocks the door to the greatest minds in history, and we want our students not only to understand their ideas, but to advance those ideas with improvements.

We take a classical approach to learning, focusing on Western thought and educating both heart and mind. We teach from the Great Books and seek to create an environment where students can learn the fundamentals of math and science right alongside art and music.