Dear Friends:

Your support and enthusiasm for Liberty Classical Schools made an extraordinary event possible, and I’m eager to celebrate the details with you!

On Thursday, August 21, 2025, the Second Lady of the United States, Ms. Usha Vance, visited our newest campus, Cherokee Classical Academy (CCA). It was CCA’s 12th day of school ever, and our team’s performance was fantastic!

Just days before the visit, Georgia’s State Charter Schools Commission (SCSC) asked Liberty to host the event due to our commitment to reading and our 12-year track record of strong academic, operational, and financial school performance. Because we have worked continuously to develop trust through cooperative government affairs initiatives, the SCSC was confident that Liberty would execute this high-profile event with excellence. And we did! It was a great honor to partner with Georgia’s top charter school authorizer to host Ms. Vance.

Preparing for SLOTUS

Once it was determined that Cherokee Classical would host the event, the teams at Liberty, CCA, and SCSC started preparing for the visit. We met daily with the Secret Service and Ms. Vance’s staff. We painted, replaced light bulbs, made electrical repairs, decorated, collected media waivers, and planned the logistics of the visit. Hosting such a prominent event so soon after opening CCA was a huge challenge, and I’m beyond proud that Liberty, SCSC, and CCA combined forces to rise to the occasion. 

SCSC Commissioner Buzz Brockway, Representative Jordan Ridley, Representative Brad Thomas, SBOE Member Courtney Dove, SCSC Chair Mike Dudgeon, SBOE Vice Chair Phenna Petty, SBOE Member Melanie Stockwell, SCSC Commissioner Scott Sweeney, SBOE Member Lisa Kinnemore, 2025 Georgia Teacher of the Year Rachel Kinsaul, GCSA Policy VP Rahn Mayo, State School Superintendent Richard Woods, SCSC Executive Director Donovan Head, Representative Charlice Byrd, Senator Kay Kirkpatrick, Liberty Government Affairs Director Janet Tomko, Not pictured: SCSC Senior Director Michele Neely

A gathering of Georgia VIPs

This was a unique opportunity to showcase all three schools in the Liberty network with officials who are positioned to help us open new schools, secure additional funding for existing schools, and make policy that supports school choice in Georgia. 

Liberty worked with SCSC Executive Director Donovan Head to invite GADOE Superintendent Richard Woods, State Board of Education members, SCSC Commissioners, Cherokee County Schools District (CCSD) Superintendent Dr. Mary Elizabeth Davis, and CCSD Board Chair Janet Read Welch, plus a host of Georgia legislators. We were so pleased that our public school neighbors and Georgia’s most influential law and policy makers attended the event. 

Earpiece updates from Air Force Two

On Thursday, the Vice President and Second Lady flew in together from Washington, D.C. and attended separate events in the Atlanta area. Throughout the morning, it was fun to engage Secret Service members who were receiving earpiece updates directly from Air Force Two every ten minutes. That the Second Lady was running about 20 minutes ahead of schedule kept everyone on their toes. 

Panel discussion with Atlanta Classical and Northwest Classical high school students

Before the Second Lady arrived, our guests enjoyed a reception where they mingled with Atlanta Classical Academy Head of School Mr. Andrew, Northwest Classical Academy Head of School Mr. Reger, and a team of high school student ambassadors from those two schools. I led a short panel discussion featuring the high school students who talked about the benefits of their American classical education. Our students emphasized the importance of their relationships with their classmates and teachers, the benefits of limiting technology and distractions in the classrooms, and their high level of preparedness for college.

The assembly

Before Ms. Vance arrived, we asked our special guests to join our fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade students in the cafeteria. Fourth grade entertained VIPs with a recitation of After on a Hill by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Our guests were impressed with their strong memories, clear voices, and excellent behavior. We were proud to see our students’ burgeoning self-governance (one of our core virtues) on full display! 

The Secret Service ushered Ms. Vance in through a side door, where she was greeted by Cherokee Classical’s Head of School, Dr. Matt Stone, who welcomed her and escorted her to be greeted by Mr. Woods and me. I had the privilege of formally introducing Ms. Vance to our students, teachers, and VIPs, and all greeted her with a warm round of applause. 

Ms. Vance spoke of her own love of books and shared that she is so passionate about reading that she has made the promotion of reading the centerpiece of her advocacy work as Second Lady. She talked about her Summer Reading Challenge, described the great benefits of reading – especially in the age of digital distractions, and encouraged our students to continue reading, especially during the months when students are out of school. She also read a book she chose, Paul Revere’s Ride, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s iconic historic poem, stopping to share the colorful illustrations throughout. 

The Second Lady graciously offered to answer questions, and Dr. Stone carried the microphone to students who asked questions ranging from “What was your favorite book as a child?” (Ms. Vance loved the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder) to “What is your favorite color?” (Ms. Vance likes both red and yellow, but her daughter’s favorite color is red, just like the dress Ms. Vance wore for the visit) to “What’s a regular day like as Second Lady?” (Ms. Vance told the kids that the beginning of a school day at her house probably looks a lot like theirs). 

At the end of the Q&A, the 6th graders recited Orpheus by William Shakespeare, an impressive feat for students this early in the school year!

SLOTUS sees teachers and students in action

After the assembly, Dr. Stone and I visited three classrooms with Ms. Vance, a few members of the press, and the Secret Service detail. Dr. Stone beautifully described our school’s Mission – to form knowledgeable, virtuous citizens – and pointed the Second Lady to our Vision, which I thought we were demonstrating very beautifully that moment:

To be a nationally regarded K-12 classical school and serve as a local and national incubator for the growth and promotion of classical education.

Second graders in Ms. Ivy-Strickland’s class were participating eagerly in a phonics spelling lesson. Mrs. Greco’s 3rd graders were using manipulatives to develop numeracy skills in mental math. And Mrs. Bryant’s first graders were learning to write tall letters like b, d, f, and h. The Second Lady spoke to students in each classroom and gave each a bookmark. She seemed intensely interested in our approach to teaching and seemed to enjoy being with our students very much! I wish you could have seen our students: they were smiling, eager to learn, and energetic!

After a brief interview by the press, Dr. Stone and I shook the Second Lady’s hand, we exchanged parting pleasantries, the Secret Service ushered her out the same side door, and in a flash the 13-car motorcade was headed back to the airport. 

Conclusion

The Second Lady’s visit to Liberty’s newest school materialized because of the outstanding work of many people on all three campuses over the last twelve years. 

We’re honored that SCSC looked to Liberty and Cherokee Classical Academy to execute this high-profile event, and we hope we brought honor to our key partners, including GADOE, SCSC, Georgia’s Charter School Association, Hillsdale College, and the Charter School Growth Fund. 

Most of all, I hope our students were inspired by the Second Lady, proud to be part of a meaningful event, and encouraged to minimize digital distractions and build the virtuous habit of reading great books. 

Let’s keep in touch!

We are entering into an incredibly exciting time of growth and possibility, and we want you to come along for the ride! Our vision is to serve as many of Georgia’s students as we possibly can: over the next decade, we hope to ensure that every student in Georgia lives within a 30-minute drive of a Liberty school. We are sprinting full speed ahead toward this lofty goal because we believe that this education is too important and impactful not to share.

If you’d like periodic updates and have not already signed up for our newsletter, please click here to do so!

As always, thank you for your support and your friendship. 

Sincerely,

Matthew Kirby
CEO, Liberty Classical Schools
Superintendent, Northwest Classical Academy and Cherokee Classical Academy

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Special thanks to the Liberty community

Congratulations to Dr. Stone and the leaders, faculty, and staff of Cherokee Classical Academy on a successful event. Nothing that day happened by accident; the CCA team worked together to ensure our students were prepared to excel. When it would have been understandable to pass on hosting the visit, our team accepted the challenge with courage, planned and practiced every detail, and our guests took note of our professionalism. 

We extend special thanks to those across our network of schools:

• Our CCA parents for their support and patience.
• Dr. Matt Stone, Mrs. St. Hill and the entire faculty and staff for, well, everything!
• Janet Tomko, Liberty’s Government Affairs Director, for running point on the event.
• Mrs. Bryant, Mrs. Ivy-Strickland, and Ms. Greco for hosting SLOTUS in their classrooms. 
• The 6th grade and 4th grade teachers and students for learning a poem to recite on just the twelfth day of school. That is amazing, especially when it is the first poem many of them have ever had to learn.
• The CCA Operations Team, Mr. Bryant, Ms. Magness, Mr. Cardenas, and Ms. Hotz, along with Liberty Operations Director, Kent Messini, who did an amazing job with both building enhancements and security planning alongside the Secret Service. 
• Jen Parrish, CCA Community Engagement Manager, and the Liberty Advancement Team, Kara Williams and Avery Padgett, who together worked on decor, photography, gifts for dignitaries and SLOTUS, food, and so many other details that made the event a success.
• ACA’s Mr. Andrew and NCA’s Mr. Reger for attending the event and bringing a host of upper school student ambassadors.
• Liberty team members Angela Hsu, Cari Mueller, Kristen Matthews, Rob Kelly, and Mark Nolan for serving wherever needed
• Dianna Kinnett, Northwest Classical staffer, and parent volunteer Beth Brackett for decorating bulletin boards
• Katie Walters, NCA staffer, for helping at the front desk during the event. 
• Kate Herty, NCA PVA Co-president, for organizing and transporting the NCA students.
• NCA for the use of their stanchions and sound system.
• ACA and the Fine Arts department for the art displayed on the bulletin boards and their sound system.

Special thanks to our partners 

Liberty would also like to share a special thank you with the following vendors and friends who shared time, expertise, and equipment with very little notice.

• Donovan Head for his constant support and outstanding stewardship of the charter school sector in Georgia.
• The Georgia Charter Schools Association for their grant to support the event.
• Michele Neely of the SCSC and Michelle Wirth of GCSA for their assistance with media relations. 
• Brighten Academy for sharing their sound system.
• Cornerstone Printing for printing a multitude of items, including the emblem that hung behind Ms. Vance.
• Ellsworth Cleaning and Facility Services for deep cleaning the facility.
• Technical Elements LLC for finding press risers.
• Vance Smith and Azo Matadi of Throne Studios for audio/video setup and engineering.
• United Rental, Inc. for the lift rental.
• Verge & Associates, Inc. for painting the cafeterias within 24 hrs.
• Cpl. Mills of the Cherokee Sheriff’s Department for helping develop the safety and security plan for the visit.
• Agent Kavi Godfrey from the Atlanta Field Office of the Secret Service for her excellent leadership.
• Cherokee County Sheriff’s Officer Hansen and K9 officer Bacco for help in clearing the building and “sniffing” out any issues.