Mainstream Higher Education is Dead: An Interview with Jeremy Wayne Tate | E3 The TAC Podcast
The TAC Podcast
Is mainstream education failing the next generation? In this episode of the TAC Podcast, we sit down with Jeremy Wayne Tate, founder and CEO of the Classic Learning Test (CLT), to explore how standardized testing has reshaped American education — and why a classical alternative may be the key to renewal. From the rise of the SAT and Common Core to the growing influence of AI in classrooms, Tate argues that tests don't just measure education — they drive it. As reading lists shrink, calculators replace mental math, and ChatGPT writes student essays, what happens to real learning? We discuss: • How the SAT and ACT transformed curriculum • Why great books matter more than ever • The danger of reducing education to job training • AI, cheating, and the collapse of intellectual formation • The revival of classical education nationwide • Whether this moment is a true renaissance In a time of cultural fragmentation and technological upheaval, this conversation asks a deeper question: What is education for?If the future of work is uncertain, perhaps the future belongs to those formed in wisdom, virtue, and first principles. Subscribe for weekly conversations on Great Books and First Principles. #ClassicalEducation #GreatBooks #LiberalArts #AI #EducationReform #CLT #ThomasAquinasCollege
About Podcast
Each week, senior members of the teaching faculty open a window into the intellectual life of the College through conversations rooted in the Great Books and the pursuit of first principles. Together, they explore the foundational questions that have shaped Western civilization.
Grounded in the liberal arts tradition, the podcast invites listeners into the same kind of thoughtful, rigorous dialogue that defines the classroom experience. From ancient mathematics and astronomy to philosophy, theology, and modern science, each episode seeks to understand the truth of things by returning to first principles.
Occasionally featuring guest scholars and educators, the show offers rich discussions on the Great Books, liberal education, and the enduring relevance of classical learning.
New episodes air weekly.Subscribe and join the conversation.