2026 National Symposium Launches Pre-Conference on Making Classical Education Accessible for All Learners

The 2026 National Symposium for Classical Education will launch with a new half-day pre-conference dedicated to a vital question, “How can classical classrooms truly welcome every student, regardless of background or ability?”

Recently, Great Hearts Institute’s Carol McNamara sat down with Amy Richards and Tom Doebler to discuss this very topic. Richards, an Affiliate Professor at Eastern University and author of Disability and Classical Education: Student Formation in Keeping with Our Common Humanity, and Doebler, Senior National Director of Exceptional Student Services for Great Hearts Academies, will co-lead the pre-conference session, Classical Education for All Learners. The conversation offered a preview of the insights and practical strategies they will share on February 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel.

Richards emphasized that the audience for this session extends beyond special education teachers. “The culture about inclusion… really comes from the top in schools,” she said. “I’d love to see a lot of [school leaders] in the room… and all teachers who care about classical education.”

Doebler echoed the importance of a broad audience, noting that the content “is not simply practical strategies for special education teachers. It’s… making classrooms places of welcome” for every student.

At the heart of the pre-conference is a concept Richards calls the doxological classroom. While inclusion often implies inviting students into spaces not designed with them in mind, the doxological model begins with the conviction that everyone belongs from the start. “How do we form classrooms where each student’s being is seen and valued and loved before they do anything? [It’s about] anticipating difference and designing for it,” explained Richards.

The morning will balance big ideas with practical application. Attendees will begin with a seminar on the doxological classroom, then move into case studies and an anthropology audit, a process Richards developed to help teachers examine how classroom practices reflect their beliefs about human dignity and purpose. The goal is for every participant to leave with “one or two ‘here’s the first thing I want to work on’ type items,” Richards said.

Both leaders believe the in-person setting is key. “There’s just no substitute for being in person together,” said Richards. “The kind of solidarity that we can build around this question… is much harder when we try to do it alone.”

Doebler agreed, adding that the extended time will allow participants to “circle up around the same ideas… and then have time for discourse and the sharing of ideas” across schools and roles.

The pre-conference is a prelude to the official National Symposium that will kick off later that same day. It will serve as a launchpad for a broader network of educators committed to the belief that classical education can and should be for every learner. Acclaimed educator and author Doug Lemov along with  Dr. Christopher Perrin will join this year’s symposium as keynote speakers.

For more information about the pre-conference or to register, visit https://classicaleducationsymposium.org/en/pre-conference-page.

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