"Our curriculum isn't politically correct," says Williams. "It's based on what we see is the objective truth about how the world developed. Our philosophy is based on the belief that western civilization is superior to a lot of other cultures, and we're not apologetic about that. That's one of the reasons we want to remain a private school."
Far from being dilettantes, Williams and his partners have studied the basic philosophical underpinnings of education. "Some say the purpose of school is to socialize a child and make them fit in with society. That's the prevalent attitude in public schools. Another purpose is to build character, instill morals and make them a better citizen. That's the parochial school model. Another purpose is to bring out the individual in the child. That's the Montessori model."
Those approaches have their place, says Williams, but his school's primary focus is on two other purposes. The first is creating a fundamental knowledge base that's been accumulated over the centuries. "You need a core knowledge base because you need to learn from all of the knowledge that's been passed down so you can learn from past mistakes in history," says Williams. "That's what civilization is all about."
The second main purpose is to encourage students to develop critical thinking skills. "Instead of being told what to think the rest of their lives, students will be able to think on their own, because they'll have a knowledge base of what's happened in the past and they'll be able to ask their own questions and have the foundation to make better decisions," he says. Testing will be important, although grades won't be the sole measure of a student's progress.
One of his prime motivating factors behind the school is to make sure his three daughters-ages seven and under-get a good education. But neither Williams nor the other partners plan to teach at the school. One partner, his wife Susan, whose undergraduate degree was in elementary education, works in business continuity and emergency planning. The other partner, Russ Shurts, is a corporate finance chief. Together, they're heavily involved in laying out and shaping the curriculum, and have hired people with extensive academic backgrounds and polished writing skills to draw up the lesson plans. They're also interviewing potential teachers who both understand their philosophy and fit within their budget.
Then there's the matter of finding a place to hold classes. If they don't get enough students at first to support renting a building, they'll go to a home-schooling model. As for marketing, the partners will place ads in educational publications and are holding discussion groups with potential parents, teachers and referrals in the Denver area.
Williams' endeavors leave him with different clientele at opposite ends of the age spectrum. There's the school, and there's his financial advisory firm that caters to people at or near retirement. Whether it's developing curriculum or focusing on wealth preservation, he believes that these two activities are closely integrated. "You have to educate people to be a good financial planner," he says.