Background of the Castleway Academy

The Castleway Academy was proudly founded on September 17, 1987, by a small group of constitutional lawyers that dedicated their lives to the founding principles set forth in the U.S. Constitution and in the founding father's comments detailed in the Federalist's Papers. The founding date is important since the academy was founded exactly two hundred years after the ratification of the Constitution of the United States of America on September 17, 1787. It is the principles set forth in the Constitution that guide the Academy's academic programs, student conduct, and student's future obligations as citizens of these United States. The Federalist Essays of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison highlight the Academy's beliefs, quoting, "If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself." It is the latter obligation of government that challenges the faculty and students to take such action as deemed needed to protect the present and future citizens of this country.

The headmaster of Castleway Academy is a lawyer who is licensed to practice and teach in several jurisdictions. His stated focus is on preserving the Constitution of the United States from those enemies, foreign and domestic, that would seek to redefine or abrogate the God-given rights of every citizen. The headmaster is a full professor of law and often guest lectures in the constitutional law classes. All of the law instructors freely use the Socratic Method to encourage independent thought and student involvement in classroom discussions. No student in the Academy is allowed to hide and avoid in-class discussions. The Castleway Academy is a residential school, meaning that the students and staff reside on campus. Since inception, the Academy has accepted an annual enrollment of 250 freshman students that are competitively selected from 1,500 or more applicants annually. The Academy has 6,340 graduates of which 17 have received their Juris Doctor degrees and returned to teach at the Academy. Of the graduates, 4,438 students have postgraduate degrees in political science, government, education, history, and multiple legal positions as lawyers and judicial clerks. The Academy also has 1,305 students selectively placed in government as aides to Congress persons, department heads, and judges of state and federal courts. Academy graduates have pursued positions that will permit them to further their education and Castleway Academy's goal of holding government accountable to the people of the United States.

The Castleway Academy enjoys a diverse student body. The student population is comprised of 44 percent females and 56 percent males. The school believes in diversity, not of race or ethnic origin, but of thought. The Academy values independent thinking that is expressed through classroom discussions, speeches, lectures, debates, and study groups. The students are taught to challenge that which is known to them and to not accept that which is unknown without first clearly exploring the legal, political, social, and sometimes environmental impact of the proffered knowledge. It is through this complex analysis that students learn to balance the equities of an action and develop the ability to assess and intervene into social and political events in order to effect change in our failing system of government's checks and balances once assured under the Constitution.

The Academy is not a public type institution, and it accepts no handouts from the federal and state government. The Academy is autonomous of any political affiliation and intentionally avoids being aligned with any particular political party. If the Academy had a political leaning, it would be in support of the "Tea Party," which appears on the surface to engage independent thought by individuals concerned about the direction of government and the impact that current direction will have on our present and future citizens. I would suggest that the Academy's graduates would align themselves as Libertarians, honoring the founding principles and adherence to the Constitution. Students are taught to open their eyes and see. Blind obedience, without question or inquiry, is unacceptable. The Academy firmly believes that: "Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it." Prov. 22:6

The Academy is not a military or paramilitary institution, even though some casual observers contend that the Academy has hidden military and political agendas for academic learning programs. Students are expected to dress in conformity with one another. Over the years, the Academy staff has found that when students dress alike, the distraction of clothing style no longer exists to divert attention from studies. To that end, the students wear black pants and a white polo type shirt with the Academy logo on the pocket. Black shoes and black socks are the order of the day. Students may purchase black sweaters or jackets to complete their look. Students receive an enrollment pin and identification card when accepted for enrollment in the Academy. The pin is worn on the shirt collar and varies according to the student's academic standing in the school. For example, the school pin has the letters "CA" for Castleway Academy and then next to the CA is a letter and occasionally a symbol. The pins quickly identify students in relation to their peers.

Becoming a student at the Castleway Academy is not a simple task. It usually takes from three to six months to complete the application requirements for admission. Each applicant is expected to take the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Indicator (MMPl) test. Students are reassured that there exists no right or wrong answers to the MMPI so it should be answered honestly. Students are put through an extensive background check to assure that the students have no history of drug or alcohol abuse and criminal conduct. Family political affiliations are evaluated as part of the process. Each applicant is required to obtain three confidential written references from former teachers and three references from citizens that have long-term knowledge of the applicant. The Academy is always looking for students that demonstrate community involvement and even activism like student prayer and Bible study in the public schools. The Academy has no place for fence-sitters or kiss asses. Throughout the halls of the school are signs that simply say, "THINK," "ACT," "DO SOMETHING," and "CARE." Students need to have their sealed transcripts submitted directly to the Academy. Four times a year, the Academy administers standard achievement tests to determine individual academic standing in relation to his or her own peers. The two most difficult elements of the application process are: (i) Writing a responsive paper to a question that is determined just prior to the enrollment period; and (ii) the "Inner Circle." Here, applicants are asked questions from faculty and upper class students, with inquiries ranging from "What if" type of questions to "What would you do." The applicant's responses comprise approximately 40 percent of the admission process. The final threshold is financial qualification. A beginning freshman's annual tuition, books, and board is $19,500 a...