James Traub, author of “The Cradle of Citizenship,” spent a week in a ninth‑grade class at Eagle Ridge Academy, a classical charter school outside Minneapolis. Students debated Virgil’s *Aeneid* in a Socratic circle, speaking only when invited and sitting in a square formation. Uniforms, standing to speak and orderly hallway lines replaced the typical chaos of public classrooms, showcasing a disciplined learning environment.

The school’s ethos rests on six virtues—citizenship, integrity, perseverance, honor, excellence and respect—displayed on hallway walls. Roughly one‑third of the nation’s 895 classical schools opened between 2020 and 2024, according to the Heritage Foundation, reflecting a surge in demand for moral curricula. Over 90,000 teachers now use Bill of Rights Institute materials that list nine civic virtues aimed at fostering self‑government.

Eagle Ridge’s student body is 66 percent non‑white, many from East African and South Asian families, and 40 percent qualify for subsidized lunches, indicating the model appeals beyond affluent, white districts. High test scores and a clear moral framework attract parents seeking both academic rigor and character formation, suggesting a viable market niche for similarly structured schools nationwide.