The Classical Baccalaureate is rooted in the liberal arts tradition. Because of that, every subject is taught with a deep sense of coherence. We believe the liberal arts relate to one another and together help students understand reality, society, and what it means to live a good and free life.
All subjects are built upon the CB core statements and beliefs that we have already developed. Our subject committees then build upon those beliefs by asking four key questions:
What is the discipline?
What is the purpose of the discipline?
What does the discipline do for those who study it?
And how ought we teach that discipline?
This philosophy-first approach leads to very different courses and assessments than what AP courses offer. In math and science, rather than focusing mainly on procedures and memorization, we emphasize whether students can organize ideas, understand context, see how the discipline connects to the other arts, and continue the journey of discovery in that field.
In history and government, instead of focusing on current political debates or a single viewpoint, we want students to understand how our government was formed, the different voices in that conversation, and how American ideas of freedom, liberty, and constitutionalism fit into the broader Western tradition. We teach students they are part of a long-developing tradition, and they must understand where we have come from before they can wisely decide what to conserve or what to change.
