The Scriptures teach that parents bear the primary responsibility for teaching their children the paideia of the Lord—the culture of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Ephesians 6:4). We also recognize that the faculty of a school merely exists in loco parentis: “in the place of parents.” And that parents, not the state, give the school delegated authority to teach their children while they are in class.

The collaborative model of Covenant Classical School allows us to intentionally welcome and include parents in the duty of education. At our school, students attend class with a professional teacher for 2 days during the week, and then they receive at-home assignments to complete under the guidance and instruction of their parents on the remaining 3 days.

What should you know about collaborative-style schools?

• A collaborative school is a formal school, not a homeschool co-op.

• A collaborative school is not a full-time, 5-day school (see above), and it demands more from parents than the average traditional or private school.

• Parents act as the “co-teacher” during the at-home days as they help to administer the lesson plans prepared by the classroom instructor.

• Collaborative schooling, with its emphasis on responsibility and structured time management at home, helps students transition smoothly to a college and/or work schedule.

• Covenant Classical School is a non-profit organization recognized by the state of South Dakota that blends the benefits of traditional schooling and homeschooling into a holistic paradigm that offers a complete core curriculum (including mathematics and language arts).

For more information about University-Model Schools (UMSI), a specific type of collaborative-style school, visit the following website: https://umsi.org/about-umsi/.

For examples of other schools adopting a similar model, see:

• Austin Classical School

• Trinity Classical School of Houston

• Trinity Classical Academy (Omaha)

• St. Augustine School