Classical education movement grows as Melania Trump backs AI in schools

A revolution is underway in American education, and First Lady Melania Trump and the White House are leading the way.

Alongside America’s dismal reading and education numbers, they are also taking on the challenge of preparing our children for the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution.

Melania Trump kicked off the “Support the Future” summit on March 24 to highlight how AI can expand children’s opportunities as a learning tool rather than a threat or crutch.

Prominent attendees included MacKenzie Price, CEO of Alpha Schools. Alpha Schools is a private company that builds schools across the country, encouraging children to see AI as their partners and guides in learning, as well as supporting the essential “life skills” needed to live full and productive lives.

First Lady Melania TRUMP: AI CAN IMPROVE TEACHING AND HELP PROVIDE A WORLD-STANDARD EDUCATION TO OUR CHILDREN

As fears grow that artificial intelligence could take over our culture as well as our economy; and our children may not be equipped to meet the challenges that artificial intelligence will pose; The White House needs to know that it has a strong ally in the education movement currently sweeping the country.

This movement embodies the logic and understanding that future generations will need to thrive, as well as protect themselves from manipulation and misinformation, in a world dominated by artificial intelligence.

Called the Classical Education movement, it is led by teachers, educators, parents, and philosophers who are tired of our schools becoming indoctrination factories for socialism. And unlike education advocates on the left, they are dedicated to advancing the future of Western civilization as well as advancing the interests of every child, rich and poor, of every ethnicity and background.

WHY CAN A CLASSICAL EDUCATION BE THE KEY TO THE FUTURE IN HUMANITY’S AI AGE?

Classical education is a content-rich approach to learning that emphasizes the development of wisdom and virtue through the study of the liberal arts, ranging from grammar, logic, and rhetoric to history and great literature.

This is the curriculum that has supported Western and Judeo-Christian civilization for thousands of years. Instead of a scattered system of superficial electives or an over-focus on skills for job training or professional career preparation, Classical education is based on a foundation of traditional academic subjects and the Great Books. It aims to educate the child as a whole and develop the desire for lifelong learning; develop a deep respect for traditional principles of right and wrong; and teach the importance of citizenship and leadership.

Classical education upholds the words of the Greek philosopher Epictetus, “Only the educated are free.” He believes that education should be about teaching children to appreciate the good, the true, the beautiful, and the best that America and Western civilization have to offer.

SCHOOL CHOICE IS SPRAYED AND FAMILIES WIN WHILE THE EDUCATION CARTEEL IS SHATTERED

There are currently more than 1,500 classical education schools (public, private, and charter) in the United States, serving approximately 700,000 students by 2024. The movement is experiencing rapid growth, with more than 250 new schools opening since 2020.

This private initiative filled the educational gap left by public schools and teachers’ unions, where students, from early learners to college students, were often prevented from truly learning and teachers used the classroom to advance their own political agendas.

Melania Trump kicked off the “Support the Future” summit on March 24 to highlight how AI can expand children’s opportunities as a learning tool rather than a threat or crutch.

Instead of instilling ideological and agenda-based materials in our children, classical education tries to teach the child how to think, not what to think.

CLICK FOR OTHER OPINIONS OF FOX NEWS

If there are truly any skills that can prepare younger generations for the future and complement and support the most advanced classroom technologies, including the use of artificial intelligence, it is the well-established principles of classical education.

We know that Alpha Schools is bringing a revolutionary approach to the school day with AI-accelerated learning as a guide to delve deeper into topics of interest such as history and geometry. The afternoons are then devoted to “life skills,” from cycling (for the youngest) to how to manage a bank account and even how to start a business (for the oldest).

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

Reading, writing, and reasoning—the core components of the classical education curriculum—are as important to living a strong and happy life as making financial investments or running an Airbnb. So why not incorporate “life skills” like learning the principles of grammar and rhetoric, as generations of students have done? To prepare our children to meet the technological world to come, why not study in the curriculum the immutable principles of Plato, Aristotle and our greatest Judeo-Christian thinkers, as well as great American writers such as Mark Twain, Stephen Crane and EB White?

In short, classical education offers Fostering the Future and the rest of us a great opportunity to see more optimistically a world dominated by artificial intelligence and to see America’s children as our greatest intellectual asset.

Beth Herman is a visiting fellow at the Independent Center for Women’s Educational Freedom. He is an associate professor at the National Gallery of Art and is completing his studies in Classical Education at the University of Dallas.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM ARTHUR HERMAN