Our Distinctives
Vigor over Rigor
It has become commonplace for schools to market themselves as academically “rigorous.” But what exactly does this mean? At Coram Deo, we offer an education that is vigorous. While “rigor” comes from the Latin meaning “rigid” or “stiff” (particularly as it relates to the rigor mortis of death), the Latin root of “vigor” means “liveliness” or “energetic enthusiasm.” This may seem a trifling difference, but it admits quite a wide gap in emphasis and purpose. In a sense, rigor is deadly, and vigor is lively. A rigorous education is difficult but may lead to a crushed or exhausted spirit in the student; worse, it may lead the student to see his work as meaningless. Rigor for its own sake is lethal. It threatens to disconnect the work itself from the purpose of the work. When a child asks why he must read the poetry of John Donne or balance challenging equations in chemistry, we cannot simply point to the difficulty and say, “Because it’s rigorous.” We must offer a more robust confidence that points to the glory of our purpose as image-bearers of God. Doing box jumps in a gymnasium is rigorous. Doing box jumps in a gymnasium in preparation for the homecoming game is vigorous.
Collaborative Instruction
By intentionally providing a balance between classroom instruction and home instruction, the teachers partner with the parents in the education of their children, thus ensuring that the child’s upbringing is always tethered directly to their parents. Every teacher at Coram Deo teaches solely from the consent and authority of the parent; they stand in loco parentis but never between the child and the parent. In no way can the responsibility of education be outsourced by the parents to some “expert.” Students at Coram Deo receive a rich education in the context of their homes and in community with other believers, the best of both worlds.
Authority of Scripture
In Psalm 127, the great song of childrearing, the psalmist declares, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the laborers build in vain.” This truth undergirds every facet of our school’s life and culture. All of our labor is overtly, intentionally, and unapologetically anchored in the infallible Word of God. We strive to operate by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God; it is our highest authority. At Coram Deo, the Bible is not simply a class, an accessory at chapel, or a resource for personal inspiration; it is the unshakeable authority that governs everything we believe and everything we do. As per our name, we live life coram deo, “before the face of God.”