Meet the Provost

Hi there. I am Dr. Bill Bennett, former US Secretary of Education, author of many books such as The Educated Child, The Moral Compass and The Book of Virtues, to name a few.

And now, I am Provost of the Jefferson Classical Academy family of schools. Welcome. I appreciate you taking time to explore and discover what we are offering families.

In the 1980s when I became U.S. Secretary of Education under President Ronald Reagan, my wife, Elayne, encouraged me, well, told me to go visit schools. And I listened to her. In the end I visited over 120 schools in all 50 states talking with parents, students and teachers across our country.

What emerged from all of these conversations was a theme. Teachers, and parents, shared with me their desire to teach kids something that would help guide them morally. Yes, they expected the academics but each wanted something in addition to reading, writing and math. Something that would last.

The Book of Virtues originated from those conversations. It was a collection of stories on virtues such as courage, responsibility, perseverance, loyalty, compassion, honor and more. My goal was to get it into the hands of teachers and into the homes of parents.

Published in 1993 and now here we are over 30 years later. Much has changed in our country. But, these virtues have endured, and they will continue to endure.

C.S. Lewis said you can no more invent a new virtue than you can a new color. What’s real is  what endures, as Plato once said. Virtues endure.

And that is important in these times in which we live.

This is why Jefferson Classical Academy was launched and this is why I am serving as Provost. Times such as this demand it. 

Your child, should you choose to attend one of our schools, will be instructed in these virtues. And, you will find that our teachers, our staff, and our team, will try to live by them each day. 

Next, you will find that we will emphasize the basic, the traditional and the important disciplines that have been shown, over time, to work. You will not find the current fads or diversions but time-tested methods of instruction built on the classical model.

You will also find an ally during these formative years. 

So, I invite you to explore our family of schools. Depending upon the state in which you live in, you may find us as a virtual public school, a virtual private school, or even a local charter school with a building down the road from you. Over time you will continue to find us offering more ways to enroll in one of our classical schools because we believe it is our calling to bring Jefferson Classical Academy to every family across our country, no matter where they call home.

And I will be keeping an eye on these schools, monitoring their progress, and participating in a variety of ways. We will do the right things in the right ways and we will keep our eye on the ball. We will keep the children front and center.

Thank you for considering one of our schools. It would be a privilege to join you on this journey.

Dr. William J. Bennett

Provost