Public charter schools and traditional district schools are both part of Florida's public education system. Unlike private schools, charter schools cannot charge tuition or exclude students at will. The authors argue that offering families different public school models strengthens public education.
July 19, 2026
Charter schools are public schools, too | Opinion
Tallahassee.com • Laurel Niles, Sara Hassler
Charter schools are public schools, but what does that actually mean in practice? This article offers a clear, accessible explanation of how charter schools fit within the broader public-school landscape, helping families better understand their funding, accountability, and role in expanding educational options.
Tallahassee.com
What would change if we treated every part of our lives as worthy of prayer? And how might we learn to notice the beauty of the world when so much of modern life competes for our attention? On this episode of Forged, Brian Williams welcomes David and Phaedra Taylor for a conversation about prayer, art, family, and the habits that shape a meaningful life. They discuss their collaborative book Prayers for the Pilgrimage, the importance of making room for beauty in our homes, and the small decisions that help families resist the pull of digital distraction. Drawing on their experiences as artists, parents, and stewards of twenty-one acres of Texas prairie, the Taylors offer a thoughtful vision for living with greater attention, patience, and purpose. Along the way, David reflects on why artists are essential to human flourishing, while Phaedra shares what painting, motherhood, and restoring the land have taught her about creativity, limitation, and learning to let go of control.
One day at a classical school changed the course of her life.
In seventh grade, Sarah spent a single day shadowing at Jackson Hole Classical Academy. She says she learned more that day than in the seven years of school before it.
What followed was an education in great books, Latin, and poetry learned by heart, including Rudyard Kipling's "If-" Years later, when Sarah arrived at West Point to train as an Army officer, she found that same poem on the walls of the barracks.
Today, Sarah is a West Point graduate preparing to lead a platoon of soldiers. Her story shows what classical education is for: forming young people who know what's right, do what's right, and give of themselves in service to others.
What if mathematics is not merely a tool for solving problems, but a way of encountering reality? In this episode of Forged, Brian Williams talks with mathematician and educator Jake Tawney about the beauty of number and shape, why wonder belongs at the heart of education, and what we risk losing when technology begins doing our thinking for us. From Euclid and fractals to calculators and artificial intelligence, Jake makes the case that education should begin with real things worth knowing and loving. Their conversation ultimately turns toward a larger question: What habits, practices, and encounters help us become more fully human? Jake and Brian explore why mathematics has so often been reduced to computation, how teachers can invite students into genuine wonder, and why AI raises deeper questions than efficiency alone. Jake also reflects on the practices that have shaped his own life as a husband and father, including prayer, cooking, wine, reading aloud, and the conviction that our first calling is to give ourselves for the good of others. Books & Resources Mentioned Another Sort of Mathematics: Selected Proofs Necessary to Acquire a True Education in Mathematics by Jake Tawney Euclid’s Elements A Mathematician’s Lament by Paul Lockhart The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World), especially paragraphs 22 and 24