Dear Readers,

Without a common set of rules, discipline, rituals, and a sense of tradition, no corporation, church, government, or family can hope to succeed. It is these things exactly that help us thrive in an otherwise ever-changing world. Tradition is the foundation of human existence, the very base upon which our existence is built.

Those before us knew that the exorbitant mixing of ideas and values could often lead to dissent within a group, and give rise to rejecting the best in order to accommodate multiple voices.

We have seen throughout history that when a group has inherited rituals and meritocratic traditions, they succeed. This is never more true than in a school.

Time-Tested Standards and Student Incentives

Schools and organizations alike are too concerned with offending prospective students or employees by not accepting their culture.

It is up to a school, campus, or university to create its own culture, rather than being the flag that continually adds more stripes.

A school’s code of honor bolsters the tradition and culture that lead to excellence in and out of the classroom, the ultimate goal of any education. Take, for example, the Honor Code at Virginia Military Institute: “A cadet does not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.” Any violation results in court proceedings, which reinforces personal responsibility and peer accountability in every class, dorm, and drill.

Academic excellence is demonstrated by raising the bar, rather than lowering it. Providing prerequisites and a clear tiered track toward the top is an excellent motivator for students. Such as offering freshman honors courses, which lead into sophomore Honors courses, which in turn lead to Junior and Senior Advanced Placement classes, and by requiring students to meet a minimum standard (e.g., 90% or higher in honors English I to enroll in Honors English II), rewards students’ sustained effort.

The Pitfalls of Cultural Patchwork

By trying to recognize and celebrate every background, schools risk leading to incoherence and diluted expectations. Instead of creating and upholding a universal standard within a district, a campus, or a classroom, we have decided that our divergence makes us stronger.

Through allowing students' home lives to dictate how knowledge is delivered and how behavior is handled, we see that not all students receive the same education or expectations.

If one student is not punished in the same way as another student because of his or her cultural, religious, or economic background, we send the message that students are not equal.

Students then understand that rules may not apply to them in the same way as others, which can encourage questionable behavior in students who would have otherwise been well-behaved. By enforcing rules for all students, regardless of their culture or background, schools create a culture that promotes excellence in all aspects of life.

Real-World Proof of Culture-First Results

Consider the previously mentioned Virginia Military Institute; 65% of cadets are commissioned as officers in the military. Becoming a military officer is no easy feat, yet over half of the graduates from this program achieve it.

How? Providing structure, upholding tradition, and high expectations.

The Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Texas, boasts a 100% college acceptance rate, with 43% of its seniors falling within the 75th percentile of the SAT. Not to mention that cadets, on average, show a 1.71 GPA improvement under this disciplined structure.

This isn’t to say that only military academies can adequately provide tradition and discipline.

Great Hearts Academies, a Texas and Arizona classical charter school network, graduates score roughly 200 points higher than the national average on the SAT, approximately 98% of graduates go on to attend a college or university, and the graduating class of 2023 received $56 million in merit-based scholarships, showing that Great Hearts schools hold their students to the highest of standards.

Why “Our Way” Beats Every Fad

By establishing and upholding a distinct structure and tradition, any school can achieve immense success in its intended goals. To an extent, diversity of thought can help spur innovation and success in any sector; however, too many voices can result in a cacophony of noise and faltering performance. The problem comes when they stray from that path in order to please everyone.

The preservation of a unified culture and loyalty to the tradition and values that have made us successful yields truth in its returns.

~​
Thanks for reading!

I appreciate you taking the time to engage with these ideas. I hope this newsletter gave you something to think about.

If you want to go deeper, check out my reading list, where I share the books that have radicalized me.

Also, I have a podcast called The Modern Republic. On this podcast, I see how many times I can say "um" or "whatever you want to call it" in a thirty-minute window. It's a great time.

This week's episode:

Ep. 015: Civic Responsibility in Education ​
In this episode, I emphasize the importance of subject expertise and lifelong learning for teachers. I also highlight the need for stronger civic education through real community involvement and encourage educators to take action.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Watch on YouTube.

-

See you next time!

Share this newsletter with 1,000 of your closest friends here.​