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John Adams Academy

John Adams Academy - campuses in Eldorado Hills, Roseville and Lincoln, CA
John Adams Academy - campuses in Eldorado Hills, Roseville and Lincoln, CA

"Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write." — John Adams


Reviving Classical Education in Modern California

In an era where public education often grapples with standardized testing, shifting ideologies, and resource constraints, John Adams Academy, a Sacramento area public charter school, stands as a distinctive alternative. As a public charter school, it is funded through the same budgets as all public schools, therefore attendance is tuition-free. The John Adams school network emphasizes American Classical Leadership Education, drawing on the timeless principles of Western civilization to foster critical thinkers, eloquent communicators, and servant leaders. With campuses in Roseville, El Dorado Hills, and Lincoln, plus an online program, the academy serves transitional kindergarten through 12th grade students across Northern California. This article explores the academy's origins, educational philosophy, unique features, and broader context within the state's charter school landscape.


Founding and Early Development

John Adams Academy was founded by Dr. Dean Forman and Linda Forman, a husband-and-wife team inspired by the need for an education rooted in the principles that shaped America's founding leaders. Assisted by pioneering volunteers, parents, and scholars, the academy was established to restore America's heritage through classical learning methods. The organization, John Adams Academies, Inc., was incorporated in 2010, with the first campus opening in Roseville in 2011. This grassroots effort reflected a vision of education as a gift and responsibility, transforming students—referred to as "scholars"—into stewards of their own learning. Since its inception, the academy has expanded steadily, adding campuses and an online option to meet growing demand, all while operating as Northern California's only tuition-free TK-12 charter schools dedicated to this model.


Core Values and Focused Curriculum

At the heart of John Adams Academy are its 10 Core Values, which form the foundation of school culture and guide character development, leadership, and a shared commitment to virtue and excellence. These values include Appreciation, Curiosity, Enthusiasm, Integrity, Optimism, Perseverance, Personal Ownership, Respect, Selfless Service, and Wisdom. They are woven into daily life, encouraging scholars to embody traits like patriotism and civic virtue.


The curriculum is centered on American Classical Leadership Education, a literacy-based approach that prioritizes primary sources from the great works of Western civilization as the main "textbooks." Scholars engage in Socratic discussions, where strategic questioning promotes deep reasoning and the application of timeless truths to contemporary issues. This method shifts the focus from rote memorization ("what to think") to analytical skills ("how to think"), building eloquence, critical thinking, and a lifelong pursuit of wisdom. The program aligns with the classical Trivium model—grammar, logic, and rhetoric stages—though specifics on its implementation emphasize servant leadership and civic engagement. Unlike many modern curricula, it avoids elective-heavy tracks, instead immersing students in classics, history, and philosophy to cultivate well-rounded individuals prepared for leadership roles.


What Sets John Adams Academy Apart from Traditional California Public Schools

John Adams Academy distinguishes itself by rejecting the one-size-fits-all model prevalent in many traditional California public schools, opting instead for a rigorous, heritage-focused education that outperforms state averages on key metrics. For instance, recent California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) scores show the Roseville campus achieving about 56% proficiency in English Language Arts (versus the state's 47-50%) and 39% in math (versus 35-38% statewide). Graduation rates hover around 88%, with 46% of graduates deemed college- or career-ready—strong figures for a charter school. Alumni frequently gain acceptance to prestigious institutions like UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Davis, Cal Poly, military academies such as West Point and the Naval Academy, and private colleges like Santa Clara University and Thomas Aquinas College.


This success stems from its emphasis on character and critical thinking over standardized conformity. While traditional public schools often incorporate progressive elements into their curricula, John Adams Academy maintains a traditional stance, avoiding what some critics term "woke indoctrination." There is no curricular focus on gender identity, transgenderism, or gender dysphoria. Regarding sex education, the academy complies with California's Healthy Youth Act, providing required comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention instruction in middle and high school, but parents can opt out entirely with a simple written notice. This opt-out policy empowers families to align education with their values, a flexibility not always emphasized in traditional districts.


On athletics, the academy supports maintaining biological sex-based divisions in sports. It has publicly opposed policies allowing males to compete in female categories, even joining an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court advocating for bans on such participation to protect girls' opportunities and safety. However, as a California public charter, it must adhere to state law, which permits participation based on gender identity. In practice, the school's conservative-leaning community aligns with traditional single-sex teams, with no reported controversies.


Student Selection and Diversity

As a public charter school, John Adams Academy is open to all eligible students without tuition. The admissions process involves submitting one application per desired campus or the online program, with age-specific requirements (e.g., for the 2026-27 school year, transitional kindergarten applicants must turn 4 by September 1, 2026, and kindergarteners must turn 5 by that date). If a grade level is oversubscribed, seats are allocated via a public lottery, ensuring fairness. Waitlists are maintained for subsequent openings, and online applicants must reside in or adjacent to counties served by the physical campuses.


"The preservation of the means of knowledge among the lowest ranks is of more importance to the public than all the property of all the rich men in the country." - John Adams - Source: A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law (1765)


The academy attracts a diverse student body from a wide range of social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds, reflecting its status as a public institution. While specific demographic data is not publicly detailed on the academy's site, its open enrollment policy and focus on universal values like integrity and service draw families from various walks of life, including those seeking alternatives to underperforming district schools. This inclusivity underscores the academy's commitment to accessible, high-quality education for all.


Heavy Parent Involvement in the Curriculum

Parent involvement is a cornerstone of the John Adams Academy experience, requiring active participation to support the rigorous curriculum. From the academy's founding, parents collaborated with educators and volunteers to shape the institution. Today, families are expected to engage through volunteering, attending Socratic discussions, reinforcing core values at home, and partnering in scholars' leadership development. This "parent-heavy" approach ensures alignment between home and school, enhancing character building and academic success, but it demands commitment—making it ideal for invested families.


Options for Families Opting Out of the Mandatory Schedule

California maintains stringent immunization requirements for school attendance, mandating vaccines against diseases like measles, mumps, rubella, polio, and others for entry into public and private schools, including charters. Since the passage of Senate Bill 277 in 2015, personal belief exemptions have been eliminated, leaving only medical exemptions available for most students. However, a key exemption exists for pupils enrolled in home-based private schools or independent study programs that do not include classroom-based instruction. This provision allows families who elect not to follow the state's mandatory vaccine schedule to enroll their children without immunizations, provided the program remains entirely non-classroom-based.


For John Adams Academy, this exemption applies directly to its online campus, which operates as a home-based independent study program. Parents can apply for enrollment without submitting immunization records, as the program qualifies under the state's rules for independent study without classroom instruction. However, if students participate in optional in-person activities—such as field trips, events, or extracurriculars—full compliance with vaccination requirements may be necessary for those specific instances to ensure health and safety protocols are met. This makes the online option particularly appealing for families prioritizing vaccine choice while still accessing a structured, classical curriculum aligned with the academy's core values.


Classical Aspects and Extracurricular Activities

The classical education at John Adams Academy revives ancient methods for modern application, using primary sources, Socratic dialogue, and the pursuit of virtue to develop scholars who can navigate complex challenges. This stands in contrast to the often fragmented, test-driven focus of traditional schools, prioritizing depth over breadth.


Extracurriculars enrich this foundation, offering opportunities for leadership and teamwork. Sports programs are robust and competitive, with middle school emphasizing skills and sportsmanship, and high school teams competing in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Sac-Joaquin Section. Offerings include separate boys' and girls' teams for basketball, volleyball, soccer, cross country, track and field, golf, and tennis (some co-ed). The academy fosters a supportive yet challenging environment, aligning with its values of perseverance and selfless service.


Beyond sports, clubs and activities include student government, service projects, academic teams, and arts programs, though specifics vary by campus. These extracurriculars reinforce the curriculum's servant leadership ethos, encouraging scholars to apply classical principles in real-world settings.


The Absence of This Model in Shasta County

Shasta County, lacks a charter school that fully replicates John Adams Academy's classical leadership model, with its emphasis on great books, Socratic methods, and core values like patriotism and wisdom. The county hosts several charters, including Chrysalis Charter School, Redding STEM Academy, Northern Summit Academy, Phoenix Charter Academy, Shasta Charter Academy, Monarch Learning Center, Redding Collegiate Academy, and Shasta View Academy. These focus on STEM, personalized learning, independent study, or project-based education rather than full classical immersion.


The closest approximation is University Preparatory School (U-Prep) in Redding, a 6-12 public charter that incorporates some classical elements, such as Latin instruction, studies of ancient Greek and Roman worlds, and emphasis on leadership, personal responsibility, and citizenship. However, U-Prep leans more toward college-prep with Advanced Placement courses and electives, lacking the Trivium-based structure and servant leadership core of John Adams Academy.


Broader Proliferation Challenges

The limited proliferation of classical charter models like John Adams Academy in California stems from several factors. Classical education is inherently rigorous, demanding specialized teacher training in Socratic methods and classical texts, which can be resource-intensive. Funding challenges persist, as charters rely on per-pupil state allocations, grants, and donations without the backing of large endowments.


Growth has slowed statewide—only 12 new charters opened in 2023 compared to 53 in 2019—amid enrollment declines and increased scrutiny for fraud and wasteful spending. Union influence and district pushback often view charters as threats, leading to regulatory hurdles and legal battles. Additionally, the model's conservative and faith-leaning undertones may deter secular or progressive communities, making it niche despite its appeal to families seeking traditional alternatives. Despite these obstacles, schools like John Adams Academy continue to expand incrementally, proving the viability of classical education in a diverse state.


Click on photo to hear Dr. L. Dean Forman explain why John Adams Academy came to be.
Click on photo to hear Dr. L. Dean Forman explain why John Adams Academy came to be.

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