BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
Top Photo: Head of School for Ivy Classical Academy David Withun.
At right is Bradley Neave, Chairman/Founder of Ivy Classical Academy.
ELMORE COUNTY – Ivy Classical Academy is moving forward with gusto and will be located in the mostly vacant High Point Town Center in Prattville City limits, but within Elmore County.
A lot of information was shared Monday evening, along with the introduction of the founding Head of School Davis Withun.
Initially, the Charter School will take up four buildings that are currently vacant, and the future is full of possibility for expansion, according to Bradley Neave, who first had the dream of creating a charter school in Autauga County. Neave is the chairman and founder of Ivy Classical Academy. Ivy Classical Academy is a Hillsdale College K-12 Member School. It will be among over 25 tuition-free member schools nationwide as a participant in the Hillsdale College K-12 initiative. Ivy Classical will prioritize intellectual rigor, virtue, moral character and responsible citizenship, preparing students for successful, joyful lives, a handout reads.
Related article: For more information about High Point Town Center in Prattville, here is a link to a column written in 2021. Some of the information has changed, but the essence remains. https://elmoreautauganews.com/2021/04/19/while-not-devoid-of-life-a-walk-through-high-point-town-center-stirs-up-failed-dreams-and-feral-cats/
Withun said students will not be told what or how to think, something he says is very important. The goal is to teach them to think on their own, by offering a wide variety of topics in education.
He said he wants them to learn the purpose of their lives, and that is more important than ACT scores. But he quickly added that students with a classical education typically score higher on standardized tests than other public schools.
He said the classical education process will get down to fundamentals to live a good life, be a good person, be thoughtful, and have morals.
Withun said it is very important to include Joy and Wonder in education. He firmly believes that education is not meant to be drudgery, but a way to help answer questions all young minds have.
The idea of the academy was initially pitched to the Prattville City Council and Autauga County Commission. Many residents balked at the idea of helping to fund a private school, and decrease funds that are reserved for existing public schools.
When Elmore County Board of Education became an administrator of charter schools, Neave took the idea to School Superintendent Richard Dennis, who embraced the concept. Dennis told the EAN in a previous interview he is very excited about the opportunity.
The vision has changed over the past five years, but Nieves said he is very excited about the future, and thankful Elmore County has been so welcoming to the concept. The school will receive funding from the state, as other public schools, but is also being bolstered by the Hillsdale College program.
As the school is now part of the Elmore County system, this means that tuition-free enrollment will first be offered to Elmore County students. If those spots are not filled, it will open to surrounding counties.
There are around 642 spots for students in the first year for kindergarten through fifth grade. The plan is to add an additional grade each year until it is a K-12 school.
The school is also hiring in all areas, including teachers, assistants, custodial, cafeteria, school nurse and a facility manager. Being a charter school, Alabama law does not require a teaching certificate for charter schools, but Ivy Classical Academy will be a fully accredited school.
Withun spoke with the large group in attendance Monday at Centerpoint Fellowship Church. There were a lot of questions, and we will get into some of that information here. But we expect several more stories on the progress of Ivy Classical Academy and will have more information in the days and weeks to come.
Who is David Withun?
Davis is a veteran of the United States Army. He has been a classical educator for more than a decade, and the founding leader of two other very successful classical charter schools. He was born in Flint, Michigan, and is the son of an Army father. He has spent a lot of time around the world, but in a sense feels he is coming home to Alabama. He earned his MBA and PhD from Faulkner University, so he is familiar with the state. His family, including his wife and children, have already moved to Prattville.
He has teaching experience in kindergarten through college education.
How will Ivy Classical Academy stand out from other public schools?
While the school will cover the basics of education, it will also strive to offer more than just basic information. For instance, students will learn from the very beginning about Latin, philosophy, and focus on phonics for strengthening reading skills for younger students. The goal is to get back to a fundamental, intellectual education, including the classics and teachings that have been successful for thousands of years.
There will also be a variety of athletic programs and organizations available to students. But only organizations that allow all students to participate will be included.
In essence, the school officials plans to take part in a united common mission. They plan to train students in classical education, virtuous living and civic responsibility.
Grades are important, Withun said. But there is so much more that goes into a proper education. It isn’t about training students to pass a particular test. It is more important, he said, that they pass through life as intellectual, independent thinking, successful, virtuous people.
There will be recess, and a green space will be created on the grounds by taking unused parking areas and converting them for new use.
As Ivy Classical Academy is under the umbrella of the Elmore County Board of Education, lunchroom meals will be provided by the Elmore County Child Nutrition program.
Withun said students will not be told what or how to think, something he says is very important. The goal is to teach them to think on their own, by offering a wide variety of topics in education.
He said he wants them to learn the purpose of their lives, and that is more important than ACT scores. But he quickly added that students with a classical education typically score higher on standardized tests than other public schools.
He said the classical education process will get down to fundamentals to live a good life, be a good person, be thoughtful, and have morals.
Withun said it is very important to include Joy and Wonder in education. He firmly believes that education is not meant to be drudgery, but a way to help answer questions all young minds have.
He wants to take away the thought that if you read a poem simply to take a test, that is learning. He wants students to appreciate how the poem also made them feel.
He said subjects such as science will be taught, of course. But he said science is not just a collection of plain facts. There is joy and wonder to be found by simply looking at a night sky and imagining the people who looked at that sky thousands of years ago. The joy and wonder pressed them to learn more, to study the heavens, and do amazing things in the field of science.
“Children naturally want to learn,” Withun said. “Why do they lose that?”
He argued against the common theory among some educators that “It doesn’t matter what the students are reading, as long as they are reading.”
“That is totally false,” Withun told the crowd. “What children read shapes their perception of the world and what they become.”
The school will focus on English vocabulary, Latin, art and music history among other things such as the great philosophers throughout human history.
Physical education will be offered to all grades.
And imagine reciting the Pledge of Allegiance every day, in both English and Latin?
The school will also invite parental interaction and participation in their child’s education.
One woman in the audience stood and said, “At the school where my child is now, I feel like they would be happier if parents never came to the school. It is certainly not a welcoming feeling. So, this is important to me,” she said.
Withun said Ivy Classical will invite parents to take part in volunteerism at the school, as well as encouraging them to come have lunch with their child.
What you need to know
Dec. 4 of this year enrollment will open to Elmore County students, first. If the spots are not all filled, it will open to other counties, including Autauga County.
On Feb. 5th a lottery will be held. Feb. 14-28 is the final registration timeline if spots remain. Students who have parents who teach or work at the academy will be enrolled without the lottery system.
If you have questions about the school, or are interested in one of the many employment opportunities, you are encouraged to reach out to David Withun by email at dwithun@ivyclassical.org
You can also follow Ivy Classical Academy on their website at www.ivyclassical.com or their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/ivyclassical
We will have more stories as the academy progresses, so stay tuned. We do encourage you to check out the links above and do your own research.
Below are file photos taken in 2021 of High Point Town Center that accompanied an article linked above. The enormous facility has several anchor stores that have survived, but the majority of the property is vacant, with many buildings never having tenants at all. It is hoped that the addition of Ivy Classical Academy will bring new life to the grounds.
