Fayette Classical Academy

A charter school is an independently operated public school open to all students in the approved attendance zone.

Charter schools have the freedom to:

• use their own curriculum and teaching methods,
• manage their own finances,
• hire their own teachers,
• set their own calendars, and more.

In exchange for this flexibility, charter schools are held to a higher level of accountability; they must demonstrate superior performance in the areas of academic achievement, financial management, and operational stability.

Fayette Classical Academy will be governed and operated by Liberty Classical Schools which serves as its central office of support. Liberty is a Georgia-founded, Georgia-based nonprofit operator of K-12 American classical charter schools. Liberty assists FCA’s leadership team through its departments of academics, advancement, data & accountability, finance and accounting, human resources, information technology, and operations.

Liberty’s leadership team launched and supports Atlanta Classical Academy and Northwest Classical Academy (in Kennesaw, Georgia), schools after which Fayette Classical Academy will be modeled.  ACA opened in 2014, and NCA opened in 2021.  Liberty is proud of its two successful schools and looks forward to leveraging its experience and successful track record to help Fayette Classical Academy open and operate with excellence. Liberty has also been approved to open a campus in Cherokee County once Fayette Classical is established.

Liberty Classical Schools’ Mission is to launch K12 American classical schools that form knowledgeable, virtuous citizens. Our approach emphasizes virtuous living, traditional learning, and civic responsibility.  Our passion is to make this quality education widely available in public charter schools across Georgia. We have seen over the past 12 years that even the best traditional public schools are not a fit for all students. And many families do not have the resources to attend private school or to homeschool. Classical charter schools offer an excellent solution for families facing the challenge of finding the best educational fit for their children.

FCA will add another outstanding public school option to the growing region. It will alleviate enrollment stress on existing school systems and add a distinctive educational option in grade ranges presently unserved by public schools of choice. The region will experience significant population increases as a result of exciting projects like the national headquarters for the United States Soccer Teams, the expansion of the world’s largest movie studio, Trilith Studios, and the construction of one of the nation’s largest data storage facilities. Hundreds of parents have expressed support, indicating that a smaller, classical public school will meet the unique needs of their children and families.

Liberty initiated community engagement in response to initial inquiries from local residents, and we have since elicited the support of over 800 citizens via in-person meetings and presentations, phone and Zoom calls, and social media. In addition, business and civic leaders, clergy members, and elected officials have expressed support for FCA.

Liberty will continue outreach efforts that have proven successful for both the Atlanta and Kennesaw schools which opened near 100% of enrollment capacity and immediately built waitlists that exceed 3,400 students, in total.

The board of Liberty Classical Schools will govern Fayette Classical Academy. The board has three members including a member who resides in Fayette County, and it intends to increase in size prior to opening its next school. Essential characteristics of board members include commitment to the school’s Mission, enthusiasm for classical education and the school choice movement, time capacity to meet the professional requirements of the role; and domain experience in leadership, education, charter schools, finance, human resources, administration, law, real estate, technology, government affairs, and/or fundraising.

No. Fayette Classical Academy is an open-enrollment, tuition-free public school. All students who reside in the counties of Fayette, Coweta, Fulton, Clayton, Henry, and Spalding, and the City of Atlanta will be eligible to attend; the school does not select on the basis of aptitude or disability. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of spots available, the school will offer spots via a random, system-generated lottery.

In accordance with state law, FCA will offer preference to the children of full-time employees, board members, and the siblings of enrolled students. Liberty also utilizes a weighted lottery where economically disadvantaged students are given an additional priority for admission in accordance with all state and federal guidelines.

According to the Georgia Department of Education, the admissions process for charter schools in Georgia is as follows:

1. Those who want to enroll in a charter school must submit an application. The application can require contact information, residency, and grade level. The application cannot include any information that screens applications like previous test data, recommendation letters, gender, race, or which language the student speaks at home.
2. Charter schools must have the same open enrollment and admission standards as traditional public schools. With the exception of legally allowable enrollment preferences, charter schools cannot select their students nor deny admission to any applicant as long as there is room for the student within the school’s capacity.

A charter school is required to conduct a lottery when there are more applicants than there are seats available in the school.  The school must conduct the lottery through random selection and make the results of the lottery public.

Yes. FCA will joyfully serve students with special needs. In accordance with federal and state law, FCA will comply with IDEA and section 504.

The school will open with grades K-6 and add a class every year until it reaches a full K-12 configuration.

In Georgia, the charter school petitioner first submits to the local school district. Schools that are denied a charter by their local school district may seek authorization through the State Charter Schools Commission (SCSC).

Fayette Classical Academy is authorized by Georgia’s State Charter Schools Commission.

Charters are generally granted for five years. At the end of the term, the authorizer may renew the school’s contract. Charter schools are accountable to their authorizer, as well as to the students and families they serve. Charter schools are required to produce positive academic results and adhere to the charter contract in order to remain open and are required to be fully accredited within the first three years of their charter term. Charter schools are required to follow federal and state laws applicable to public schools.

Liberty Classical Schools has partnered with the K12 Education Office (aka the Barney Charter School Initiative) of Hillsdale College to support both Atlanta Classical Academy and Northwest Classical Academy. The terms of the partnership are that we offer Hillsdale’s curriculum with excellence and integrity (subject to aligning the curriculum to Georgia Standards of Excellence), and Hillsdale provides training and support in the realms of governance, curricular support, instructional coaching, and school culture. The partnership is based on these mutual commitments, and no money changes hands between us.

Initially, Fayette Classical Academy would be a “Candidate Member School” in Hillsdale’s network of K12 American classical schools. After several years of sustained excellent performance, it would become a full “Member School”, as are Atlanta Classical and Northwest Classical.

Liberty’s nonprofit board governs the school; Hillsdale College does not own, manage, or profit from any of its affiliate schools. Liberty’s schools including Fayette Classical Academy are nonpartisan, nonsectarian public schools.

While Liberty considers Hillsdale College a valued partner, Hillsdale’s opinions and statements are their own. Hillsdale’s K12 Education Office and Fayette Classical Academy are focused on education, not politics. Teachers in Hillsdale-affiliated schools are strongly encouraged not to spend time in the classroom commenting on current affairs. Curricular materials likewise aim to provide a fair, balanced, and honest account in every discipline, including history and civics.

Fayette Classical Academy adheres to a proven process of vetting and hiring teachers who are “kind-hearted subject matter experts”. All will have a bachelor’s degree, and many will have a master’s degree or PhD.

Special education teachers are required to hold the appropriate teaching certification. The law requires other teachers at charter schools to be “highly qualified”, a term defined by Georgia’s Professional Standards Commission, but general charter school teachers are not required to hold a certification.  FCA’s hiring process includes regular, recurring background checks and fingerprinting upon hiring.

Faculty members at Liberty schools are hired based on their mastery of academic disciplines and their ability to convey knowledge to students. They should have the ability and desire to shape the character of their students by instilling virtue. FCA will offer a supportive environment that emphasizes “excellence in teaching” and “traditional learning” in a calm, orderly, and studious environment. In hiring teachers, FCA seeks kind-hearted subject matter experts who are eager to learn new curricular content, welcome classroom observations and coaching, and collaborate in a collegial environment. This culture has been a magnet for teachers who want to work where expectations and support for students and teachers are high. This has been a winning formula at other schools in Liberty’s network.

From kindergarten through 12th grade, we follow the classical, content-rich scope and sequence set out in the program guide published by Hillsdale College’s K-12 initiative. The curriculum foregrounds content that promotes what scholar and creator of the Core Knowledge curriculum E.D. Hirsch calls “cultural literacy.”

Throughout all grades, the curriculum includes great books and an emphasis on the power of good stories to shape human beings.

Liberty schools consistently crosswalk the curriculum to the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) and adjust where necessary to align to state standards. Please see the curriculum map from Atlanta Classical Academy which serves as the foundation for FCA’s curriculum.

Liberty schools are nonpartisan, nonsectarian public schools focused on education, not politics. Teachers spend class time focused on course content, great books, and primary sources, which leaves minimal time for current affairs. Curricular materials aim to provide a fair, balanced, and honest account of every discipline, including history and civics. Students are taught to read and think critically and engage in civil discourse so that they will be prepared to define and defend their own opinions and beliefs throughout their lives.

Liberty Classical Schools are nonpartisan, nonsectarian public schools and are not affiliated with any religion. Our study of religion is for the sake of cultural literacy, not to promote one religion over another nor to promote or disparage religious belief in general.

In history class, for example, students may learn about the ideas that shaped historical actions, including religious ideas. We do not teach theology, nor do we administer religious practices or traditions.

As a public school, Liberty complies with all federal and state legal requirements. Liberty works to create a safe and welcoming environment for all students, and we partner with families to address specific needs.