The classical education movement has been expanding rapidly—new schools, new parents discovering the model, and a growing demand for curriculum rooted in tradition, character, and human formation. But one thing has been missing: a shared space where the classical community can engage in ongoing conversation beyond annual conferences.

That’s beginning to change.

On Breaking Battlegrounds, Carol McNamara discussed her newest project: a quarterly publication designed to connect educators, scholars, and parents across the country who share a commitment to classical learning. Hosted on Substack and titled On Classical Education, the publication aims to serve as a kind of “free press” for the movement.

From Annual Gatherings to Year-Round Dialogue

McNamara explained that the idea grew out of major gatherings that bring together hundreds of leaders in classical education each year. While successful, those events only happen once annually. The new publication is designed to extend that conversation into a year-round exchange of ideas.

“It occurred to me that we have this annual gathering… but I should take that on the road in a way, expand the opportunity for us to interact with one another online.”

Rather than a traditional newsletter, the publication features multiple authors and recurring columns, creating a platform that reflects the diversity of voices within the movement.

What the Publication Covers

The content is intentionally broad, reflecting the full spectrum of classical education:

  • Curriculum and the great books

  • Teaching methodologies and pedagogy

  • Parent communication and public understanding

  • Perspectives from classroom leaders

  • Book reviews—both contemporary and classical texts

McNamara noted that the goal is not just to debate theory or policy, but to build a space where practitioners can share practical insights and reflect on the texts that shape classical education.

“When I say book reviews, I don’t mean just current books… but the books they’re reading in their classical education and in their classrooms.”

This approach positions the publication both as a resource and a cultural hub.

Why This Matters

Classical education has gained momentum in recent years, but much of that growth has been decentralized—schools operating independently, parents learning through word-of-mouth, and ideas spreading through local communities. A publication like On Classical Education creates a shared platform for collaboration and intellectual exchange across that ecosystem.

If the movement is going to continue expanding, a central space for scholarship, debate, and communication may be essential.

And now, for the first time, it has one.

Transcript

Chuck Warren: So tell us about your new quarterly publication.

**Carol McNamara: **Thank you for asking.

**Chuck Warren: **You’re welcome.

Carol McNamara: So in September, a, in a way, as an extension of our gathering of the classical community, it occurred to me that we have this annual gathering of sort of 8, 9 hundred people from across the classical community, but that I should sort of take that on the road in a way, expand the opportunity for us to interact with one another online.

And so I created what you might call the free press for classical education. I called it on classical education. It’s on the Substack platform and it’s a multi-authored, multi-columned publication on classical education at Substack, I guess. And again, we’ve only just started, but we’ve had a really strong response by people who want to...

To write about the different parts of classical education. That is curriculum, pedagogy. Right now we’re in the middle of a discussion about how we, how we communicate with parents and the community at large about what classical education is. We have an article by Eric Twist from Arcadia. We have different responses as well. So we want to have that kind of dialogue.

But we also want people to send us book reviews. And when I say book reviews, don’t mean just current books are great, but all the books they’re reading in their classical education and in their classrooms.

Listen to the full episode of Breaking Battlegrounds anywhere you stream your podcasts!