I believe a Catholic education is better and less expensive than a public school education. Here are 2 salient reasons why:
1) Public schools must open their doors to all children by law. They must provide for the very brightest of students with excellent study habits, for the most disadvantaged of students with profound learning disabilities, for the most disadvantaged of students from low-income, government-dependent families, and for the most unlucky of students whose parents have horrific and destructive habits, including alcohol, drug and sex addictions as well as being sometimes unemployed, lazy and stupid.
If you think having to admit any and all levels of students raises a school’s average student SAT scores and associated test scores you are dead wrong.
Catholic schools are generally not set up to deal with students with extraordinary problems; they probably do not have, for example, a special education program and the staffing to support it.
Catholic schools do not have to admit any or all students who apply; they can test students and only admit those students without significant problems. This is why average test scores at Catholic schools will always be significantly higher than in public education schools.
2) Parents who send their children to Catholic schools pay all of the taxes that other parents pay to send their children to public schools, and they also pay the tuition required at Catholic schools, which is a significant investment that could amount to thousands of dollars more every year.
With this kind of monetary commitment from Catholic school parents, you can bet that when there is a problem with their child and the principal calls their parents, a parent is on the school doorstep quick time. Students get straightened out in a hurry by their parents.
Parents and teachers are generally both on the same page in Catholic schools, not allowing the student involved to play one against the other.
Catholic school parents know that if their child becomes a troublemaker because of attitude or behavioral problems, he or she can be kicked out of school or expelled in a heartbeat, and never be allowed to return.
Snotty, bratty, nasty, naughty, abusive, uncooperative children are shown the door so learning can continue to take place in a positive, upbeat, friendly, healthy environment. There are no guns, no alcohol, no drugs, no fighting and no filthy language allowed on campus. Period. Comply or be gone. Be good or be gone.
It is no revelation why the learning environment is more productive and the students are more protected from a liberal, secular progressive society that has all but eliminated God, discipline, accountability and manners from public school education. You reap what you sow.
Public school teachers and administrators cannot discipline children, cannot hold children accountable, cannot touch children and are required to practically parent and baby-sit some students, and we wonder why children do not perform as well in public schools.
(Editor’s Note: This is Part 2 of a 4-Part Article.)
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
By: Ed Bagley
Posts Tagged ‘Public Education’
Catholic Education – When It Comes to Learning Environment, You Reap What You Sow – Part 2
February 21st, 2010Intelligent Design and the Decline of American Education
February 9th, 2010
Intelligent Design is not a theory:
“One requirement of science is that it makes specific predictions, which can be tested in a laboratory.” states geologist Robert Hazen “Another requirement is that it does not rely on supernatural or miraculous processes.”
The primary case that intelligent design promotes is that life and the universe have systems that are so complex that they can only be explained by a creator. The very essence of that theory is completely un-testable. The only test that stands up is if we can not explain complex systems scientifically then they must have been designed by some form of intelligence.
If it was designed by “a creator” a single being or entity; whether that be God, an Alien or the Giant Spaghetti Monster then we are left without testing. The implied protocol for testing is to give up and stop researching because the answers to the question are to difficult to explain.
It is this conclusion that brings me to the “bigger problem” that Intelligent Design is just a symptom of.
Why continuing to push this non-theory on public education is irresponsible:
While this attitude and the answers themselves are unacceptable they do bring attention to the bigger problems in public education.
The problems we are faced with in our schools is the declining quality of education that our children receive today. The entire history of our Country has been built on the foundation that the children had a better life than their parents.
This was reflected in:
The child would have a better education than the parents.
The child would have better health care than the parents.
The child would have a better, safer job than the parents.
The child would have a nicer house than the parents.
etc…
These things are no longer true of this generation coming out of our High Schools today.
The whole concept of “No Child Left Behind” is false and misleading at best. The children are now receiving training to pass a test that measures progress. The bar for that progress was only getting lowered so that the appearance was that children are improving when, in fact, they were not.
Only recently have demands for more stringent testing been met in Texas. The TAKS test has been made more difficult in recent years and as a result we can see where the quality of education was really heading.
According to an article in the Dallas Morning news dated December 15th, 2005:
The Texas Education Agency identified 821 campuses across the state Thursday where students will have the right to leave if their parents are dissatisfied. That’s nearly double the number of campuses last year – 420.
…
The state’s annual school performance ratings in August showed the number of “academically unacceptable” schools nearly quadrupled this year based on poor TAKS scores. A handful of factors were cited for the lower test scores and lower school ratings, including that students had to get more answers correct and, for the first time, special education students’ test scores were included in overall passing rates.
Large numbers of students had trouble with the science and math sections of the exam even though only a minority of students – 25 percent in science and 35 percent in math – were required to pass those sections for their school to be considered academically acceptable.
If what we are seeing is true, then the idea of further decreasing the quality of education, especially in the sciences, is not only irresponsible it is immoral.
According to an article published in the January 2006 issue of Discover Magazine:
The performance of U.S. students in middle and high schools on international math and science exams is below the average of 38 other countries. Even advanced American math and physics students score near dead last among students in 20 tested countries, the panel reported. Since 1990 the number of bachelor’s degrees in engineering has declined 8 percent; in mathematics, 20 percent. While 32 percent of U.S. students graduate with degrees in science and engineering, the figure in China is 59 percent. Fewer grads means less research.
Science Watch, a review of the Web research tool Essential Science Indicators, found a decline in U.S. representation among the world’s published scientific papers, dropping from 38.5 percent in 1990 to 33.3 percent in 2004. Meanwhile, the Asian-Pacific share increased and “will likely outstrip that of the United States in six or seven years.” Such declines may be reflected in the business of science; the National Academies reported the U.S. share of global high-tech exports fell during the last two decades from 30 to 17 percent, and its share of manufactured goods dropped from +33 billion in 1990 to –24 billion in 2004.
I believe America is a first rate country with more rights and privileges than just about any country in the world. There is no excuse for us to be ranked 39th in the world for education. As an American the idea that there are 38 other countries with a better quality of education just infuriates me.
What have our government officials been doing that they have fallen down on the job to such a degree?
We can not just blame one political party for this. For our educational system to have become so badly damaged has taken years if not decades of neglect to get to this point. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat this issue needs to be a top priority in America starting yesterday.
In order to fix the problems we need to focus on the real issues. We need to stop talking about Intelligent Design and focus on what needs to be done to get the best quality of education in the world for our children.
How can we do it?
We need to change our priorities. If our children are truly what is important then we need to put our money where our brains are going to be tomorrow.
Instead of taxing the citizenry to build bigger and better sports arenas, how about using that money to build bigger and better schools?
How about increasing teachers salaries so that the income of a teacher is appealing to the most talented people?
How about tax or financial incentives for retired or semi-retired professionals to come and teach our children?
How about increasing the financial rewards for students that do well in school and actually paying for them to attend college?
How about looking at the 38 countries that have us beat in the quality of education to see what they are doing right?
There have to be a few thousand other things we can do to help our children get the best education possible. In my opinion all we have for education these days is excuses.
The other big question that I have is what will happen to our economy in 30 years if American becomes 50th in education worldwide?
Who will own America then?
By: Prescott Small
Special Needs Education – Public Or Private School?
December 5th, 2009
When children with special needs reach school age, many families struggle with the dilemma of where to find the best education. Should they try placing their child in public school or should they seek a private special education school?
Public School Problems
Federal laws such as IDEA and ADA as well as state and local statues mandate that children with special needs must be allowed access to the public educational system and the public schools must accommodate their needs. As parents soon discover, what sounds good on paper doesn’t always work out in reality.
Parents naturally expect that teachers and administrators already are familiar with the regulations governing special education, but that’s not always true. Many public schools don’t know the laws and will not provide needed assistance. It is up to parents to learn their child’s rights and educate the educators. Unfortunately this may not solve the problem.
Public schools are notoriously underfunded and overworked. Special education school expenses are much, much higher for the schools than those for traditional students and, though there are state and federal programs to defray the costs, some schools are hard pressed to provide help needed even when spelled out in an IEP.
Private School as a Transition to Public School
Another challenge to public education may be the child’s capabilities. Many children with disabilities haven’t been able to learn the skills needed to function in public school, even in a special education program. Then find public school very stressful and may perform poorly. As they grow frustrated, the educational process becomes a nightmare.
Private special education schools are able to instill these children with the capabilities necessary to flourish in a public education setting. Special needs student who have done poorly in public schools may thrive after spending a couple of years in a focused special education school that focuses on building the social, physical and academic skills they need to do well in school. As our children change, so do the education options available to them.
Private Schools for Focused Education
Many parents of special needs kids find private special education schools are their best option. These facilities are able to concentrate on each child’s unique needs to provide a customized educational experience unlike what schools in the public are able to offer.
A common obstacle for families considering private special education schools is the cost of tuition. Unlike state funded schools, private educational institutions are not free. However many tuition assistance programs exist to help families cover the associated expenses, and the high quality education the children received is truly priceless.
The public vs. private school debate is not a situation with an easy answer. While many families find private education preferable, each family must consider how each educational option fits best with their child’s abilities and needs.
By: Christine Harrell
