Fall Retreat 2026

This session will lay a foundation for the rest of the retreat, as we examine truth as the intermediary between reality and action and also consider why truth matters so much for classical Christian education.

Dr. David Diener is an Assistant Professor of Education at Hillsdale College and the Executive Director of the Alcuin Fellowship. Previously he spent fifteen years in K–12 private education, eleven of those in administration and eight as headmaster of classical Christian schools. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Society for Classical Learning and the Board of Academic Advisors for the Classic Learning Test. He is a member of the National Council of Classical Educators and regularly provides consulting services and teacher training to classical schools.

He is the author of Plato: The Great Philosopher-Educator and has published articles on Plato, Kierkegaard, and various topics in philosophy of education. He also serves as the series editor for Classical Academic Press’ series Giants in the History of Education and is an associate editor for Principia: A Journal of Classical Education. He holds a BA in Philosophy and Ancient Languages from Wheaton College as well as an MA in Philosophy, an MS in History and Philosophy of Education, and a dual PhD in Philosophy and Philosophy of Education from Indiana University.

Attendees are invited to ground prudent action in the discernment of truth, the accurate apprehension of a given situation. Drawing on Josef Pieper’s teaching on prudence, we will explore how truth is the indispensable precondition for right action: without a faithful grasp of reality, virtuous leadership falters, and good ends give way to reactive or misguided decisions.

We will examine how living according to reality, both our finitude and the distortions of sin, requires disciplined habits that restore alignment with Truth. By clarifying what is true, we empower prudent leadership capable of just, effective, and humane outcomes.

Brent Stevens began his career in classical Christian education at Covenant Classical School of Fort Worth in 2011. He taught Latin, history, literature, and elocution before becoming the Upper School Head and Humanities Department Chair. He now serves as Head of School at Grace Academy in Georgetown, Texas.

Brent holds a bachelor’s degree in Humanities from The College at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and an MA in Classical Education from the University of Dallas. He regularly participates in and leads academic seminars and has presented at the Society for Classical Learning annual conference and the Pew Society’s Paideia conference. Brent and his wife, Stephanie, have three children.

Discover how knowing the Truth is not sufficient. Even acting in Truth is limited. God has called us to love the Truth, truly believing that it is the path to freedom. As our own affections for the Truth and the One who is True are cultivated, how do we in turn help cultivate that same love in our faculty and students?

Andrew Elizalde earned his BA at Depauw University in Indiana, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude, earned a math major, physics minor, and religious studies minor, and received the H.E.H. Greenleaf Award as the most outstanding 2001 graduate of the school’s mathematics program. He later obtained a teaching credential from California State University Long Beach with a professional-clear qualification for his coursework regarding exceptional children and technology integration. His teaching experience includes work in both public and private schools in subjects ranging from 5th grade mathematics to advanced calculus and physics. His past work in classical education has most notably included reforming mathematics programs and building professional learning communities through meaningful professional development.

Andrew is glad to now be serving Covenant Classical School in Fort Worth, Texas, as the dean of academics. Additionally, Andrew also offers consulting services to classical Christian schools and has been a keynote speaker at both the ICS Math and Science Lyceum and SCL annual conferences. Andrew and his wife, Brooke, have three daughters and attend Fort Worth Presbyterian Church.

In contemporary times, truth is often reduced to what we can uniformly measure (“the science of”) or immediately experience (“my truth”). Consequently, our sense of truth has become thinner than we realize. We speak of truth with skepticism, having lost a shared sense of what is truly real.

Drawing on the imaginative theology of C. S. Lewis, this session invites us to reconsider what it means to say that something is “real.” In what ways do our deepest longings point to something more solid and substantial? And how might a richer vision of truth allow us to live with conviction and grace in an age of distraction and doubt?

Justin Ariel Bailey is dean of chapel and professor of theology at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa. He is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church and is the author of three books: Discipling the Diseased Imagination, Interpreting Your World, and Reimagining Apologetics. He is married to Melissa and is the father of two teenage children.

In the daily life of a classical Christian school leader, conflict is not an interruption of the mission—it is part of it. This session equips classical Christian school leaders with practical, Christ-centered tools for navigating difficult conversations with wisdom, courage, and truth.

Grounded in the biblical picture of conflict resolution, attendees will explore five clear steps for engaging challenging situations with staff, parents, and board members in a way that honors both truth and love. Alongside theological reflection, participants will gain actionable strategies for addressing conflict constructively, reducing relational fallout, and strengthening trust across the school community.

Designed for all who serve in the relationally complex environment of a classical Christian school, this workshop offers both conviction and clarity: conflict handled well becomes a pathway to deeper unity, stronger culture, and a healthier school.

Mrs. Kalton has been in classical Christian education for 15 years and in nonprofit leadership for over 28 years. A graduate of California State University, Long Beach, she also holds an MBA in Organizational Leadership from Eastern University and a Certificate in Conflict Management from Cornell University.

She is the mom of a teenage son, two adult daughters, and one terrific son-in-law, and the Nana to an adorable granddaughter. She is dedicated to pursuing sound pedagogy and deep discipleship for the students, staff, and families at Libertas Academy and is passionate about helping other Heads of School lead their staff and school well. In her leisure time, she enjoys walking her dog Indie, practicing the piano, and reading.