Classical Education Is Growing in NYC Private Schools

There’s an interesting development on the Upper West Side that says a lot about where things are heading.

Nearly a year after Manhattan Country School closed, its building may be taken over by the Geneva School of Manhattan, a growing Classical Christian school. Erin Hudson at Bloomberg covered the proposed $20M deal.

I said:

Classical education is a trending curriculum among New York City parents “who feel that mainstream education has become too ideologically driven,” according to Emily Glickman, who works with families applying to private schools in New York.

“There’s clearly demand right now for schools that return to a more traditional model—classics, primary texts, and moral reasoning.”

More and more parents are asking about classical models—more structure, primary texts, and a clearer academic throughline. For some, it’s a reaction to what they feel has become too diffuse in mainstream independent schools.

At the same time, this transition—from a progressive institution like Manhattan Country School to a more traditional model—is striking. It reflects just how much the market is shifting, both philosophically and financially.pening