Liberty-based charter school seeks approval in Colorado

A proposed K-12 charter school in Colorado wants to give children a classical education. 

John Adams Academy seeks approval from the Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI) to open a location in Sterling Ranch, Colorado, near Denver. 

Founding board member Ellie Reynolds, a Sterling Ranch resident, is leading the effort to bring the charter school to town.

“I have a 4-year-old who’s getting ready to go into school, and I looked around, and I wanted this classical education, but the waitlist in Douglas County for classical education schools was too long. And so I thought, ‘I’m a mom. I can do this. I can go out and, you know, I can work to put one in my own neighborhood,’” Reynolds told CBS Denver.

Reynolds added that classical education is “focused around learning the basics of the great writers and how to learn, not what to learn. So instead of instilling, you know, certain math skills or really instilling things into your child, you’re teaching them how to think and learn for themselves.” 

Reynolds also assured those with reservations about the classical education model that they could send their children elsewhere.

“We focus on teaching about the philosophers that we’ve all learned about, the Founding Fathers,” she said. “I think that, ultimately, that’s the great thing about choice, is that if you don’t feel like it’s right for you and your family, there’s so many other options.” 

One critic is Sterling Heights parent Lori Wright. 

“There are just a lot of buzzwords and implications on their website that give me a little bit of pause about whether the curriculum would really be bipartisan,” Wright told CBS Denver. 

John Adams Academy already has three locations in northern California: El Dorado Hills, Lincoln, and Roseville. 

“John Adams Academies, Inc. is preparing future leaders and statesmen through principle-based education centered in classics and great mentors,” the school’s website says. “Scholars enjoy a classical liberal arts curriculum encompassing history, English, math, visual and performing arts, laboratory science, foreign language, physical education, and college preparatory electives.” 

The school’s website lists 10 core principles. They are: 

• Appreciation of Our National Heritage 
• Public and Private Virtue 
• Emphasis on Mentors and Classics 
• Scholar-Empowered Learning 
• Fostering Creativity and Entrepreneurial Spirit 
• High Standards of Academic Excellence 
• Modeling What We Teach 
• Abundance Mentality 
• Building a Culture of Greatness 
• Self-Governance, Personal Responsibility, and Accountability 

The proposed Colorado location would serve up to 750 students. It could open as soon as 2026. 

As a part of its application process, John Adams Academy must gather letters of intent from interested parents.