Hoplite Radio explores the importance of a classical education in the modern world through engaging conversations with faculty, staff, parents, and community members at Ridgeview Classical Schools in Fort Collins, CO. Each episode delves into the benefits of a classical education, examining how time-tested teaching methods shape critical thinking, character, and lifelong learning. We also highlight the unique advantages of Ridgeview’s outdoor program, showcasing how experiences in nature foster curiosity, resilience, and a deeper connection to the world around us. Join us as we explore the intersection of rigorous academics, meaningful community, and the transformative power of learning both inside and outside the classroom.
What happens when a school community reads together? In this episode of Hoplite Radio, Headmaster Derek Anderson sits down with Outdoor Education Leader Kristen Carvalho to discuss the books explored through Ridgeview’s parent reading groups. From Middlemarch and Henry James to A Separate Peace and The Enormous Radio, they explore what great literature can teach us about human nature, friendship, duty, technology, education, and the choices that shape our lives.
Anderson and Carvalho discuss the value of encountering a book for yourself, wrestling with difficult ideas, hearing perspectives different from your own, and building a community where people can have substantive conversations. As Anderson puts it, the goal is not simply to create better readers, but to cultivate people who are capable of meaningful and civil conversation with one another.
28 Sept 2026
Headmaster's Perspective: Stronger Together
Is public schooling truly a partnership between parents and schools? In this perspective, Mr. Anderson explores what it means for parents to make an informed, intentional choice about their children’s education and to remain actively involved in that education beyond the occasional conference or school event. Ridgeview believes parents are not spectators or simply recipients of an educational service, but essential partners in the formation of their children. From visiting classrooms and knowing teachers to volunteering, attending reading groups, chaperoning outdoor trips, and participating in the broader life of the school, meaningful partnership requires parents to experience Ridgeview as it really is. We discuss why parental involvement matters, the importance of transparency and informed choice, and how schools can complement rather than replace parental authority. Ultimately, education is about far more than what happens in a classroom. It is about helping children know, believe, and become, and that work is strongest when parents and schools undertake it together.
3 Jul 2026
Headmaster's Perspective: 250th Anniversary of USA
At 250 years old, America is a young country. Of course, some say we are not the country we were founded to be. They claim, with some credibility, that the republic ended in 1861, and that a nation rose from its ashes. Rome lasted a little less than five hundred years, Spain has existed for a little over 500, and England for perhaps 1,100. Are any of these the countries they began as, and if not, to what or whom do they make their patriotic appeals?
Who has been a guest on Hoplite Radio
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Mr Johnson
Alena
Silas
Mrs. Jhones
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Apple Podcasts (US)
4.9 / 5
14 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 25 / 100
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29
Social presence
0
YouTube
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Engagement
51
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