About Angelic Doctor Academy…
Hello fellow Catholic homeschoolers! I am Dean Loew, the director of Angelic Doctor Academy. My wife and I have been homeschooling our five children for over 20 years, experiencing the joys, rewards, and yes – the pains and trials of homeschooling. Our own experience, as well as insights from other parents, have taught us that in Catholic homeschooling things can get pretty hectic. Deadlines fall through the cracks. Schedules slip. Corrections are delayed. Even when corrections are done, it is often difficult to calculate and assign a final letter-grade for the students. The students may misunderstand lessons, but parents are not available at the time needed. The problems can compound and abound. But this is not all.
Even more serious problems are less obvious. Some of the available books and materials are often simply not presented properly. Others suffer from problems such as “Americanism”, a serious error condemned by Pope Leo XIII. We parents often must pour over our children’s books, giving them warnings, clarifications, telling them to “skip that section”, etc. Some of us even find ourselves cautiously using Protestant books (not for religion, of course) when we see no good Catholic route. With problems like these, we parents are concerned with the formation of our children. Are they going to be formed well enough to combat the errors of the present time?
We know families are experiencing many similar issues. Through the years, we often wondered if we could make this process even a little easier for the average Catholic family. Why should Catholic families have to put up with inferior books and lots of gruntwork? This wonder turned to desire:
We wanted to create something better and easier for struggling Catholic parents.
As we learned more and more about the perennial wisdom stored up in the great popes, Fathers, and Doctors of the Catholic Church – especially St. Thomas himself – we longed to expose students to some of these beautiful truths. We saw by our experiences with our own children that if things are explained slowly and clearly, step by step, even the simplest of students can get excited when they understand the beautiful principles of our Faith and the sciences. This is so very rewarding!
In 2015, we decided to take a risk and start something. Regarding the curriculum, we collected the best existing Traditional Catholic materials we knew of. On the practical side, we envisioned a unique grading system that would also assist homeschooling parents by doing much of the “grunt work” for them. That is, we would grade everything and provide “at-a-glance” academic assessment (grade reports), keeping parents and students regularly informed. Parents could then be at peace, knowing exactly how their children were doing at any time, and thus concentrate on the important business of teaching, explaining, encouraging, and keeping order.
We would start with the high school grades because that was where the materials get most difficult and when, frankly, some students start resisting Mom’s directions in their schooling. Knowing well that students vary greatly in intellectual capabilities and interests, we envisioned to eventually offer three levels of diploma.
In early 2015, we gathered – or I should say, St. Joseph gathered – a dedicated team of educators. Most of them are, like myself, graduates or students of Thomas Aquinas College in California, although we also have a hard-working staff from other schools. We are loyal to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church and acknowledge Pope Francis as the validly reigning pontiff, although frankly, we are deeply scandalized by him as well as by many bishops who are not doing their duties; they are leading the sheep astray.
In 2020, after five years of development and many trials and labors, Angelic Doctor Academy opened its doors. Michelle still schools one of our children, two others have graduated from college, and they all assist in someway with this family business.
ADA is not affiliated with any organization, religious order or group. We are a private, layman-run Catholic school. We are passionate about homeschooling and are eagerly waiting to help you. Please consider us for your Catholic homeschooling goals.
Yours in the great Saint Thomas Aquinas,
Dean Loew
Director, Angelic Doctor Academy
B.A. Thomas Aquinas College
B.S. University of Wisconsin