San Antonio may have a new choice for families in the fast-growing North Central and Far West areas of town. Titus Academy is planning on opening a Charlotte Mason—Classical Education model K–8 school in August 2025. Charlotte Mason was a late-1800s educator from England whose ideas are having a resurgence in American homeschool communities. Her philosophies focus on hands-on experiential learning with a heavy focus on literacy.
Charlotte Mason and Classical Education
“The blending of Charlotte Mason and Classical education models creates a more fun, experiential classroom experience.” said Joe Higgins, Superintendent of Titus Academy. “Classical schools are well known but sometimes they can be rigid and tight. By blending aspects of Charlotte Mason, including read-alouds of classical literature in the lower grades, copybooks or student-built textbooks, and hands-on nature or science studies, the students take center stage in their education.”
Classical Education is known for its focus on literature and breaking instructional styles into three unique stages, knowns as the Trivium. In the early years, students focus on facts, and the learning of basic rules in grammar, math, and history. As they move through the grades, a deeper understanding of those facts builds until, in later years, they are able to make deep connections between characters in literature and events in history to their current lives. Titus Academy will focus on art just as intently as it does English. Math is just as important as music. Latin instruction is a part of the curriculum, as is a heavy focus on values and virtues.
“Character education is a hallmark of a Charlotte Mason Classical school. Each month we focus on two values and virtues and look for ways to demonstrate, model, and explore these traits in our classrooms, assignments, sports fields, and campus-wide.” Higgins added.
Relationships with Parents and Homeschoolers
Titus Academy is proposing blending the rapidly growing homeschool community into its campus. The founders held focus groups with homeschool families and confirmed that families who choose homeschool are looking to meet their child’s particular learning style. Safety and flexibility are high in these families’ decisions to leave public schools. Their biggest concern with homeschooling is making sure their child is on track and prepared for future grades, high school, college, or beyond.
“By inviting the homeschool families to integrate into our campus, follow along and support them with curriculum pacing and resources, we hope to create a relationship, become a trusted resource and allow students to receive the best of both worlds,” said Higgins. “We envision having a dedicated area for homeschool families to gather and ask teachers about learning targets or possibly connect into the classrooms for more hands-on topics like art or science.”
Homeschooling is booming. With Classical Education and Charlotte Mason being among their top academic choices, it is natural to connect the charter school with homeschool families. Higgins added that other states are a bit ahead of Texas on bringing homeschoolers into public schools, and states like Colorado provide resources to public schools that find creative ways to bring these families in. With the number of homeschoolers growing from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 4 percent in 2019 to 6 percent today, finding ways to help all families succeed and match their unique needs is more important than ever. As a comparison, in 2020 Texas charter enrollment was 6.5 percent of all K–12 students.
Connect with Titus Academy
Titus Academy is submitting their application for a State of Texas charter this cycle. Their nonprofit board is made up of local community leaders with deep ties to the community. Learn more about the information meeting on Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at 6:30 at Encino Library, 2515 E. Evans Rd., San Antonio, TX 78259 (map). Visit TitusAcademy.com to join their interest list. Follow Titus Academy on Facebook.
Charter Moms Chats
Watch Joe Higgins, Superintendent of Titus Academy, speak with Inga Cotton on Charter Moms Chats on October 10, 2022 at 4:00 PM Central live on Facebook and YouTube.
Joe Higgins is the Superintendent of Titus Academy and a serial entrepreneur, COO, and CEO.
As one of the founders and CEO of Leman Academy of Excellence, Joe is the driving force who put together the team members and focuses on all aspects of operations, expansion, and regulation.
Over the past 20 years, Joe has founded and grown over a dozen businesses in multiple fields. He served as COO of a medical practice which grew from four to fourteen medical providers with a staff of 80. Joe spent two years as a turn-around CEO of a high complexity medical laboratory with full-service microbiology, chemistry, and hematology division and a staff of 34.
Outside of the medical field, Joe has been a serial entrepreneur with startups ranging from a chain of twelve cell phone stores in Arizona and New Mexico and a chain of nine hair cut stores in Tucson. Joe has over 15 startups under his belt including a trash company, developer of a retail center on Tucson’s west side, an outdoor advertising company, and medical practice service company.
Joe serves on the Arizona Chamber of Commerce’s Health Policy and Workforce and Education Committees and successfully passed an Arizona bill aimed at bringing more free-market principals into the health care industry.
Joe is married to Chris Higgins and they have two kids, a daughter, and son.
Read More about Classical Education
- “Transforming Student Culture at the Academy Through the Power of a House System,” Trinette Keffer, San Antonio Charter Moms, April 5, 2022
- “From Impressions to Details: Three Signs of a Good School Culture,” Oscar Ortiz, San Antonio Charter Moms, March 28, 2022
- “What Is Classical Education? Part 2: Education that Nourishes the Mind,” Oscar Ortiz, San Antonio Charter Moms, March 7, 2022
- “What Is Classical Education? Part I: The First Assumption,” Oscar Ortiz, San Antonio Charter Moms, January 10, 2022
