Why should we be proud of America?

In this episode of The Liberty Show, Matthew Kirby sits down with Burt and Anita Folsom to explore the historical foundations of American liberty and why those ideas still matter today.

Drawing from their work on American history and their recent pamphlet Three Reasons to Be Proud of America, the Folsoms walk through the principles that shaped the nation and the stories that are often overlooked in modern education.

They discuss how the Declaration of Independence established enduring truths about human equality and rights, why entrepreneurship played a critical role in shaping the modern world, and how America’s actions on the global stage have impacted history in profound ways.

In this conversation:

• The foundational truths of the Declaration of Independence

• Why rights come from God, not government

• How America helped lead the abolition of slavery

• The role of entrepreneurship in shaping the modern world

• Why the U.S. rebuilt Europe after World War II

• How history should be taught to the next generation

This episode is a reminder that understanding history is essential to forming thoughtful, informed citizens.

About The Liberty Show

The Liberty Show features conversations with educators, historians, and leaders shaping the future of classical education and culture.

Produced by Liberty Classical Schools, where students are formed through an education rooted in truth, beauty, and goodness.

Learn more:

https://libertyclassicalschools.org

Subscribe for more conversations on education, history, and formation.

#TheLibertyShow #LibertyClassical #ClassicalEducation #AmericanHistory #EducationMatters

What makes a great teacher?

In this episode of The Liberty Show, Matthew Kirby sits down with David Hahn, lower school principal at Atlanta Classical Academy, to explore the deeper purpose of education and what it looks like to form students in both mind and character.

David shares his journey from aerospace engineering to education and reflects on the mission that drives classical schools: cultivating students who are not only knowledgeable, but virtuous.

In this conversation, they discuss:

• Why education must go beyond academics to shape character

• What it means to form students in both heart and mind

• How great teachers bring learning to life

• The role of community in sustaining educators

• Why coaching, feedback, and growth are essential to school culture

• How parents and schools can partner in raising children

This episode offers a practical and inspiring look at what it takes to build schools that form students for lives of purpose, responsibility, and leadership.

Learn more about Liberty Classical Schools:

https://libertyclassicalschools.org

Subscribe for more conversations on classical education, formation, and culture.

#TheLibertyShow #LibertyClassical #ClassicalEducation #CharacterFormation #EducationMatters

What is education actually for?

In this episode of The Liberty Show, we sit down with sociologist and author Dr. Margarita Mooney Clayton to explore the deeper purpose of education and why modern systems may be missing something essential.
Much of education today is focused on credentials, outcomes, and career preparation. But historically, education aimed at something much greater: the formation of the whole person. The cultivation of wisdom. A love for truth, beauty, and goodness.

Dr. Mooney Clayton helps us rediscover why these ideas still matter and why recovering them could transform the way we educate the next generation.
In this conversation, we explore:

• Why modern education has drifted away from its deeper purpose
• The role of beauty in shaping the human soul
• How the liberal arts form wisdom, not just job skills
• Why great teachers must love the subjects they teach
• The importance of moral formation alongside intellectual development
• How parents and educators can restore meaning to education

Dr. Mooney Clayton shares insights from her work as a sociologist and educator, offering a vision of education that develops both the mind and the character of students.

About Dr. Margarita Mooney Clayton

Dr. Margarita Mooney Clayton is a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and the founder of the Scala Foundation, an organization dedicated to restoring meaning and purpose in American culture through the integration of education, art, and religion.

Learn more about her work:
https://margaritamooneyclayton.com
https://thescalafoundation.org

About The Liberty Show

The Liberty Show features conversations with educators, scholars, and leaders exploring the ideas shaping the future of education and culture.
Produced by Liberty Classical Schools, where students are formed through an education rooted in truth, beauty, and goodness.

Learn more about Liberty Classical Schools:
https://libertyclassicalschools.org

What is education ultimately for?

In this episode of The Liberty Show, Matthew Kirby sits down with Robert Kelly to discuss the deeper purpose of classical education.

Beyond credentials and career preparation, Liberty Classical Schools exists to form students in moral and intellectual character — preparing them not only for success, but for responsible citizenship.

Together, they explore:
Why character must precede systems
How classical education cultivates thoughtful, virtuous citizens
The relationship between formation and freedom
What it takes to build schools that strengthen communities

This is a conversation about education as formation and about the kind of people our schools are shaping.

Learn more about Liberty Classical Schools:
🔗 libertyclassicalschools.org

Subscribe for more conversations on classical education, civic formation, and meaningful leadership.
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What is education ultimately for — achievement, or something higher?

In this episode of The Liberty Show, Matthew Kirby sits down with Dr. Shilo Brooks — professor of political science at SMU, CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, and author of the forthcoming book Noble Ambition.

Dr. Brooks shares his powerful journey from West Texas to St. John’s College, where a Great Books education reshaped his life. He reflects on the mentor who made his education possible, the discipline of reading Homer and Aristotle line by line, and why liberal education remains essential to forming free citizens.

🎓 In This Episode:

• The difference between ambition and noble ambition
• How Great Books cultivate judgment and character
• Why liberal education prepares students for self-government
• The responsibility that comes with opportunity
• How mentorship can change the trajectory of a life

Dr. Brooks also co-hosts the YouTube podcast Old School, where he and his colleagues explore classical ideas, politics, and culture through the lens of the Great Books. If you enjoy this conversation, be sure to check out Old School for more thoughtful dialogue.

📘 Look for Dr. Brooks’ upcoming book, Noble Ambition
🎙️ Watch Old School on YouTube
🔗 Learn more about Liberty Classical Schools: libertyclassicalschools.org

Subscribe for more conversations on classical education, civic formation, and raising knowledgeable, virtuous citizens.

#TheLibertyShow #LibertyClassical #ClassicalEducation #NobleAmbition #OldSchoolPodcast #GreatBooks #LiberalEducation #CivicFormation #LeadershipDevelopment

What does it mean to “trust the process” in classical education—and why does it work?

In this episode of The Liberty Show, Matthew Kirby sits down with Deidre Wallace, a founding second-grade teacher at Northwest Classical Academy. Deidre shares her journey from public school to homeschooling to becoming a core part of a thriving classical school community.

She explains why parents often need time, patience, and trust as their children adjust to a new educational model—and why the fruit always comes.

🎓 In This Episode:
Why “trusting the process” matters in classical education
How virtue, order, and joy shape strong school culture
What great teaching really requires from adults
Why classical education works for every student—even those who didn’t start in it
The power of great books, clear expectations, and meaningful conversation
Deidre’s story reveals why classical education forms not just better students, but better human beings.

📘 The Liberty Show shares conversations about classical education, character formation, and raising knowledgeable, virtuous citizens.
🔗 Learn more: libertyclassicalschools.org
📺 Subscribe for more episodes on education, leadership, and formation.

#TheLibertyShow #LibertyClassical #ClassicalEducation #VirtueAndWisdom #TeacherStories #FormationMatters #EducationThatFormsTheHeart #TrustTheProcess

Why does classical education awaken something in students and teachers that modern schooling often suppresses?

In this episode of The Liberty Show, Dr. Christopher Perrin—author, educator, and leading voice in the classical renewal movement—explores why education must recover delight, rest, contemplation, and wonder if we want students to flourish.

Dr. Perrin explains how classical education forms the whole person by giving students:
A human education, not a mechanized one
Time to slow down, reflect, and enjoy learning
Teachers who model curiosity, humility, and joy
A sense of identity and belonging in a community of virtue
A vision for what is true, good, and beautiful
This conversation goes beyond curriculum.
It’s about formation, not information.
It’s about restoring the love of learning and cultivating the kind of human beings our world desperately needs.

🎓 If you’ve ever wondered why classical education feels different—this episode explains it.

📘 Learn more: libertyclassicalschools.org
📺 Subscribe for more conversations about education that forms both the mind and the heart.

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What makes a school truly excellent — not just in academics, but in culture, character, and citizenship?

In this episode of The Liberty Show, Dr. Matt Stone shares his journey from Hillsdale College to leading classical schools across the country — and now helping launch new Liberty Classical campuses in Georgia.

Dr. Stone explains why classical education is not just an alternative model, but a formative vision for raising wise, virtuous, and capable young people — and why the right teachers, curriculum, and school culture matter more now than ever.
🎓 In This Episode:
What separates classical education from modern models
Why schools fail when they neglect formation and culture
What great teachers have in common (and how Liberty hires them)
How to build a school that lasts — from founding to flourishing
The kind of graduates classical education is designed to produce
📘 The Liberty Show explores education that forms both the mind and the heart — through conversations with leaders shaping the future of schools, families, and communities.
🔗 Learn more: libertyclassicalschools.org
📺 Subscribe for more stories of education, leadership, and formation
#TheLibertyShow #LibertyClassical #ClassicalEducation #EducationReform #SchoolLeadership #VirtueAndWisdom #FormationMatters #AcademicExcellence