Sarah Novlan

Educator, Reader, Researcher.
I like to talk about the meaning of life and the placement of commas.
Flannery O'Connor was right about almost everything.

[Sarah Novlan @NovlanSarah]

@austinreforms Are you new to Austin? This park has been like this for over 50 years. Nothing new except mass gentrification with the influx of Mueller.

[Sarah Novlan @NovlanSarah]

@jacob_allee Hey @jacob_allee send me your email address!

[Sarah Novlan @NovlanSarah]

Absolute absolute absolute incompetence from @Delta
I hate any time I have to fly with them.

[Sarah Novlan @NovlanSarah]

Today is the equivalent of mile 20 of a marathon. I'm not even taking it one step at a time-- I'm dragging myself through these dissertation pages with the inertia of a snail.

[Daniel Buck, “Youngest Old Man in Ed Reform” @MrDanielBuck]

Harvard circa 1700s:

"No student shall be admitted unless they can translate Greek and Latin authors such as Tully, Virgil, The New-Testament, & Xenophon."

Harvard circa 2026:

"We can't assign whole novels anymore."

[Catherine Project @CatherineProj]

Summer 2026 enrollment is now open! 📚☀️

Explore great books with readers worldwide this summer. Browse our course offerings and apply today: https://t.co/7aSTOg0qDM

Applications close Friday, April 3rd.

[Sarah Novlan @NovlanSarah]

@thoscurtin Ha! Maybe one day, but we are still introducing them to Narnia for now!

[Sarah Novlan @NovlanSarah]

Weekend: hosted a dinner party to discuss The Count of Monte Cristo. Today going to see two former students get married. Read a little O’Connor this morning while my kids played outside. This is the good life.

[Sarah Novlan @NovlanSarah]

@randomifyed1 @CeliaBedelia The hospital refers to them that way until they are named based on who comes out first.

[Sarah Novlan @NovlanSarah]

My chair just told me she’s signing off for the holidays, which is a nice way to tell me to stop panic emailing her.

[Zena Hitz @zenahitz]

Oral exams are long overdue for a RETVRN !

[Sarah Novlan @NovlanSarah]

@HootenWilson Perfect timing. Several years ago you recommended Kristin Lavransdattar. I bought it immediately, but didn’t get around to it until this October. About to finish it this week.

[Sarah Novlan @NovlanSarah]

I own way too many bougie cashmere sweaters to live somewhere where it is STILL 85 degrees in NOVEMBER.

[Sarah Novlan @NovlanSarah]

Introducing my juniors to Flannery O’Connor today. The best day of the year!

[Ben Somers @ben_m_somers]

It is now high status to homeschool

[Jeremy Wayne Tate @JeremyTate41]

Ten years ago today, I was struck with an idea that would change my life forever.

My wife still remembers hearing me screaming from the shower. I had had a crazy epiphany that you could revolutionize education with a test. It felt like a revelation. Change one seemingly random thing- the college entrance exam, and the upstream and downstream effects could be enormous. It could redefine what it means to be educated coming out of high school.

What if there were a test that measured a student’s ability to engage with the great thinkers who have shaped Western civilization for over 2,000 years?

It was a wild, impossible dream. We had no funding, no connections, just a dream.

The past decade has been a story of Providence and perseverance. People rallied to this vision, and what began as a dream has become reality. Today, CLT is the fastest-growing standardized test in America. Insiders tell us the College Board is paying is afraid of us. By 2040, we intend to be the most utilized college entrance exam in the world.

[Sarah Novlan @NovlanSarah]

Can't wait to join this insanely talented team. @CLT_Exam has done incredible work in the past 10 years and they are just getting started.

[Classic Learning Test @CLT_Exam]

The latest episode of Anchored is out now.

CLT to Launch AP Alternative

On this episode, @JeremyTate41 is joined by @NovlanSarah, Chief Academic Officer at Hill Country Christian School. They announce CLT Enduring Courses as a new alternative to AP curriculum, launching in the 2026–27 academic year.

The two examine how the AP classes often contradict a classical curriculum in both rigor and content. They also explore why schools are eager for changes in the college prep course landscape, and the telos that sets CLT apart.

[Sarah Novlan @NovlanSarah]

@JeremyTate41 Absolute fire. Let's go!!! Education in the next ten years is going to look radically different than the dumpster fire it is now— all thanks to the efforts and vision of the CLT.