As demand persisted, parents and interested citizens again went before the Chattanooga Board of Education and requested authorization to develop a second school that would replicate the Paideia approach. Likewise, these schools have stimulated renewed confidence in public education among business and civic leaders. Meaningful Curriculum for All As called for in The Paideia Proposal , the Paideia course of study is general, liberal, and holistic, with a foreign language the only elective in a curriculum that prepares all students for post-secondary education. Contrary to the worries of Adler's critics of a decade ago, the Chattanooga curriculum is not mired in the Great Books of the past. Rather, readings include contemporary literature, adolescent fiction, classics, and articles related to multicultural issues and current events.
Many assignments engage multiple learning modes and emphasize cooperative projects.
In addition, student participation in Math Counts, university-sponsored mathematics contests, the statewide model United Nations, extracurricular activities in the arts, and community service highlights the value that Paideia places on active learning. Perhaps the most innovative feature of these schools is the weekly seminar in which each teacher leads a heterogeneous student group in a discussion of an important text. They demand a lot of thinking, and no one is bored. Curriculum reform has taken many forms during the last century, and in most cases, the changes have been transitory. Part of the reason that the problems persist may be that educators have changed the content and delivery of the curriculum without confronting the underlying expectations driving the system.