Most parents spend a lot of time choosing a school. Far fewer get to see the thinking behind why a school structures the day, teaches certain skills first, or decides when children simply need to go outside and play.

Brandon Andres Green, host of Good Neighbor Podcast Tulsa, sits down with Destiny McPheeters of Regent Preparatory School of Oklahoma, a Tulsa classical Christian school serving students from preschool through 12th grade.

Destiny has seen the school from several different angles.

She started as a teacher, became the librarian, and eventually moved into grammar school administration. For years, she handled several of those roles at the same time.

That gives her a pretty unusual perspective on what parents want, what teachers deal with inside the classroom, and what administrators are trying to build behind the scenes.

We start by breaking down something many parents have heard but may not actually understand:

What is classical Christian education?

Destiny explains that the model follows the way children naturally develop.

When children are young, they have a huge capacity for memorization. So the grammar stage emphasizes foundations like phonics, math facts, songs, chants, and other building blocks they can use later.

Then comes the logic stage.

And if you’ve ever raised a middle schooler, this part may sound familiar.

They naturally want to argue.

Instead of treating that entirely as a problem, the classical model begins teaching students how to reason, identify logical fallacies, and think through an argument.

Later comes rhetoric, where students learn how to communicate those ideas clearly and persuasively.

At Regent, Destiny says all of that is taught within a Christian worldview, with the goal of developing students who can think well while also growing in character.

But one of the most interesting parts of the conversation is what Regent does with younger children.

Students through second grade do not attend full school days five days a week.

Destiny explains that Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are half days, while Tuesday and Thursday are full days.

Why?

Because kids need time to be kids.

She says young children learn through movement and play, especially boys who may struggle when they are expected to sit still for long stretches.

Regent builds in multiple outdoor periods, sometimes eats lunch outside, and intentionally gives younger students time away from school to play, process what they learned, and remain under their parents’ influence.

We also talk about what happens when a child isn’t thriving academically.

Destiny says it’s difficult to love reading when you can’t decode words, and difficult to enjoy math when you don’t have the basic facts underneath you.

So before assuming a child simply “doesn’t like school,” the better question may be:

Are they missing the foundation that would allow them to enjoy it?

Another major part of the conversation is the relationship between parents and teachers.

Destiny is very clear about her view:

Education is ultimately the responsibility of the parents.

The school’s job is to come alongside them.

That means both sides need to communicate, understand expectations, forgive mistakes, and work toward the same goal for the child.

We also talk about something schools don’t always say openly:

Regent isn’t necessarily the right school for every child.

The school serves academically able students and uses an entrance assessment to help determine whether the environment will be a good fit.

Destiny says that isn’t about labeling one child better than another. It’s about making sure students aren’t placed into an environment where they will spend every day frustrated.

If Regent isn’t the right fit, she says there are other good schools that may serve that child better.

That may be one of the most useful takeaways for any parent looking at schools:

The goal isn’t finding the school everyone else says is best. It’s finding the place where your child can actually thrive.

Learn more about Destiny McPheeters and Regent Preparatory School of Oklahoma:
https://rpsok.org/

Good Neighbor Podcast Tulsa:
https://gnptulsa.com/