No Fear, Lots of Literacy

The Doris Todd Christian Academy is a model institution for serious & humane learning.

During the Annus horribilis of 2020, the Doris Todd-Maui Christian Academy closed for two weeks in March, but then reopened after it became clear that SARS-CoV-2 posed little danger to kids. This distinguished the academy from other schools on the island, which remained closed long after it became clear that children had virtually no problem with the illness, probably due to their superior innate immunity and lower incidence of cytokine storm. At the end of the year, Doris Todd published a year book adorned with the following cover illustration.

My niece, who was five-years-old at the time, had the privilege of attending the academy during this dark time. No staying home, no fear. Incidentally, my niece came down with COVID-19 over the the Christmas holiday, which manifested as a mild rash and cough for one day. Twenty-four hours later, she was perfectly fine.

Four years later, her education at Doris Todd has produced a nine-year-old girl of astonishing literacy who regularly reads National Geographic. During my recent Maui visit, she asked me a bunch of questions about geography and history. She then asked me where the macadamia nut tree originally comes from. When I answered "Brazil,” she laughed and said, “NO! The macadamia comes from Australia!”

“She likes geography,” my brother explained. “Her school is pretty big on it.”

Viewing the Doris Todd Christian Academy reminded me of the lore of small schools in 19th century America—the sort of place where Abraham Lincoln received an education focused on literacy. I’ve often marveled that a man who’d learned in the most spartan of conditions wrote the Gettysburg Address—a perfect piece of rhetoric.

Children who learn how to read and write well, and who are assigned to read great works of literature including the Bible, will be light years ahead of children subjected to the majority of America’s abominable public schools, run by poorly educated adults who grew up in the same system.

Doris Todd’s faculty does everything it can to keep tuition low. While this is favorable for the existing pupils’ parents, the practice has resulted in scarce funds for an expansion. Plans for a 20,000 square-foot, multi-purpose building are being reviewed by Maui County, and ground for the facility could be broken in the coming year. The only thing currently lacking are the funds to do it.

While Doris Todd educates children in the Judeo-Christian tradition, it also provides a rigorous education in standard secular subjects. People who are dedicated to a strictly secular worldview should consider that the Bible remains the foundational book of the Western literary, philosophical, and artistic canon.

Indeed, with few exceptions, most of Western civilization’s greatest writers, philosophers, and painters received some instruction in our biblical tradition. The same can be said for virtually every scientist who has made an important contribution to mathematics and to our understanding and use of electricity—i.e., Newton, Volta, Tesla, Faraday, Ohm, Marconi, Morse, etc. One of the greatest contributors to our understanding of classical electromagnetism—André-Marie Ampère—was raised by a devout Catholic mother and thoroughly educated in the Catholic tradition. I mention the above scientists because I would like to appeal to some of Maui’s most well-heeled visitors—namely, guys who have made a fortune in the electronic and internet economy.

Word has gotten out on Maui that Doris Todd is providing an exceptional and affordable education, and many parents would like to send their kids to the school. Trouble is, the academy’s 65-year-old campus has reached its maximum capacity. It is also lacking an indoor gymnasium where the kids can do their physical education when it is raining on the north shore of Maui, which is often during the school year.

Recognizing the great value of a Doris Todd education, my brother Michael has volunteered to serve on the school’s finance committee. He is currently assisting an effort to expand its campus so that more kids on the island can get a proper education. Plans have been drawn up for a multipurpose building with a gym, theatre, and additional classrooms for the high school, which is currently limited to 40 students.

Please check out the following video about the Academy’s fundraising campaign.

For more information about the school, please visit its WEBSITE.

Click here to make a DONATION.