The Tennessee Classical Model
An Education Rooted in Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
The Tennessee Classical Model is a content-rich, time-tested approach to public education delivered in an outdoor environment as much as possible, that places academic excellence and character formation at the heart of every classroom. Built on the liberal arts tradition, this model emphasizes the study of literature, history, mathematics, science, and the fine arts—fostering not only knowledge but wisdom and virtue in students.
Unlike trend-driven curricula, classical education honors the idea that students are human beings with minds and souls to be formed—not products to be standardized. Through a structured and engaging curriculum, the Tennessee Classical Model prepares students to think clearly, speak eloquently, and act justly.
What distinguishes the Tennessee Classical Model from many other Classical Models is its outdoor component. While many states offer Classical schools, Tennessee’s rich natural environment allows us to extend learning beyond the classroom. Students are immersed in the outdoors, where they can immediately experience and apply what they are studying. The natural world becomes a living curriculum—one that contains endless opportunities for learning. This is the defining strength of our model. It fosters curiosity, deepens understanding, and inspires students to love learning and look forward to school each day. For visual examples, go to: https://www.facebook.com/IvysSkillernElementary
Can this be done in an urban environment as well as the many Tennessee rural counties? Absolutely! Contact us to start the conversation today. TNClassical@gmail.com
Content-Rich Curriculum
Students read great books, study important historical figures and events, and build deep knowledge across core subjects. Emphasis is placed on grammar, logic, and rhetoric—forming the foundation of clear thinking and persuasive communication.
We utilize a set of curricula associated with excellent assessment results and excellent human formation. Some of the resources include Literacy Essentials for beginning literacy instruction, Singapore Math, Core Knowledge for Science, History and Geography, P.E. and Nature curricula tailored to Tennessee, lots of living books, and additional resources for upper grades.
Hallmarks of the Tennessee Classical Model
Moral and Civic Character Formation
Students are taught how to think, grounded in the understanding that education is the science of relationships and a guide for living well. Rather than emphasizing what to think through emotional or ideological lenses, the Tennessee Classical model cultivates reasoned thought. It also instills habits of personal responsibility, respect, and service to others, fostering a school culture rooted in virtue and good citizenship and delivered for a good portion of time in the great outdoors.
Our core virtues are fortitude, self-government, citizenship, gratitude, friendship, stewardship, integrity, humility, and wonder.
Teacher-Led Classrooms
Teachers are seen as the intellectual leaders in the classroom. They guide discussion, model curiosity, and cultivate a love of learning through Socratic dialogue, narration, and direct instruction
Student-led educational approaches are well supported in early childhood education, when development is largely driven by sensory exploration, language acquisition, and the mastery of basic motor and social skills. Research in developmental psychology and cognitive science suggests that during these early years, exploratory and play-based learning aligns well with children’s neurological and developmental readiness.
However, as students advance into elementary and secondary education, studies indicate that learning environments relying primarily on student-led instruction may result in uneven content mastery and gaps in foundational knowledge. Without systematic, teacher-guided instruction, students may struggle to develop the sustained attention, executive functioning skills, and cumulative knowledge necessary for higher-order thinking. Additionally, excessive reliance on self-directed time management at these stages can reinforce short-term preferences rather than the disciplined learning habits associated with long-term academic achievement and lifelong success.
The Pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
At every level, classical education invites students to encounter what is noble and enduring. Whether through literature, music, mathematics, or art, students engage with works that have stood the test of time and speak to the human experience.
“The Tennessee Classical Model seeks to cultivate wisdom and virtue by nourishing the soul on truth, goodness, and beauty while utilizing the outdoors as an immersive example of those qualities — equipping students to think deeply, reason well, and live purposefully.”
Why Classical Education Matters in Tennessee
Why it Matters
In an age of growing educational complexity and distraction, the Tennessee Classical Model offers something refreshingly clear and deeply rooted: an education for the whole person. It is an education that prepares students not just for tests—but for life. It cultivates wisdom, virtue, and the ability to live freely and responsibly in a democratic society. We like to say, “We want to prepare a student who will be ready to help others, and will retire well, happy, and satisfied with life.”
Even though Tennessee has seen some rising educational measures in the past few years, this is largely a result of emphasis on test preparation and how to score well, not necessarily on preparing our citizenry to be fruitful adults who will contribute to wellbeing within our state.
As Tennessee expands access to classical charter schools, more families across the state are discovering the transformational power of this approach. Students in a Tennessee Classical Academies school consistently demonstrate high academic growth, respectful behavior, stewardship of the environment, and a love for learning that lasts a lifetime.
What the Tennessee Classical Model Is Not
In Tennessee, the state constitution and charter school laws prohibit both for-profit charter schools and religious charter schools. The Tennessee Classical Model fully complies with these legal requirements.
Because the model emphasizes outdoor learning—drawing inspiration from the practices of early educational thinkers such as Charlotte Mason—prioritizes time-tested literature over unproven modern materials, utilizes words like goodness, truth and beauty, and limits routine screen use in favor of direct, experiential learning, it has at times faced misconceptions regarding religious intent. These elements, however, are not religious in nature. Outdoor learning and enduring literature are universally accessible and beneficial to all students. Nature serves as a powerful teacher, and daily K–12 education should not be permanently separated from the natural world.
We do not hide the realities of history. In order to understand what is wrong, one must first understand what is right, thus the emphasis on goodness truth and beauty.
The Tennessee Classical Model is also not a profit-driven school management organization. We are a grassroots Tennessee network made up of Tennessee citizens. We are not a national CMO. Leadership compensation is structured to attract and retain high-quality educators while remaining reasonable and mission-focused. The model prioritizes service to students and communities, not excessive administrative salaries. We will support your community to have the most excellent public charter school model possible within our state.
