tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774317.post5687138992683601046..comments2024-03-18T20:47:26.461-05:00Comments on The Fifth Column: Improving Catholic EducationUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774317.post-46305695125261234162012-01-06T21:11:07.499-06:002012-01-06T21:11:07.499-06:00I agree that Catholic education needs improvement....I agree that Catholic education needs improvement. I've taught CCD for three years, the kids I get at the beginning of the year barely know the faith. I am doing a project in my religion class on how to improve Catholic education. However, I can't agree with your plan. Just because parent are apt to teaching the faith does not mean they can teach arithmetic, history, science, foreign language, ect. Therefore, they need to send kids to school. Also, the building is not a prison, and I say this as a high schooler. Computers may teach knowledge, but they will not easily teach wisdom. I do not think online school can replace the edification and importance of a student-teacher relationship in a classroom. What do I suggest, well I'm not yet sure. Perhaps, a Catholic school that has no religion class. This way, a student would be in a Catholic environment with the sacraments available. Also, the student would have access to Catholic teaching and literature without it being forced upon them. Religion taught in the classroom can just be thrown aside by the student as if it were some useless science lesson. Should the meaning of life and love be taught from a whiteboard?JJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09230572783020268638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774317.post-90123673808876552262009-08-13T08:06:25.657-05:002009-08-13T08:06:25.657-05:00A few local Catholic schools closed a few years ag...A few local Catholic schools closed a few years ago but the parish churches continued to run. As expected, the churches lost nearly half their weekly donations as the school families moved to parishes that had attached schools. The bishop commented on how much of a negative financial impact closing a school has had on their parish. However, the parishes actually ended up with a larger surplus at the end of the financial year because none of the church funds were siphoned off for the school. As far as I can see, the only big negative for the church to close the Catholic schools would be that they would have to do it nationwide or those parishes without a school may dwindle due to the parish "aging up" and may eventually die as new families move to school parishes.Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08381087750301180720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774317.post-830793067365529402009-08-13T05:35:32.394-05:002009-08-13T05:35:32.394-05:00Yes, anyone who has read my book knows that the wh...Yes, anyone who has read my book knows that the whole second section draws very heavily on John Gatto's ground-breaking research. <br /><br />Gatto is worth his weight in gold. <br />He's also an ex-Catholic.Steve Kellmeyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07509461318016670424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774317.post-38525675338200856702009-08-13T00:46:51.704-05:002009-08-13T00:46:51.704-05:00Excellent arguement, Steve.
I thought your book...Excellent arguement, Steve. <br /><br />I thought your book, "Designed to Fail" was quite accurate (and sometimes harsh to take in for those of us just beginning to examine the problems of "catholic" compulsary schooling). I have a suggestion to buttress what you brought to our attention in your book: check out the wisdom of John Taylor Gatto in "The Underground History of American Education"....the work is accurate, prophetic, and a masterpiece from a man who spent 30 years experiencing life as a NY teacher. (And won awards for his efforts, to boot!)<br /><br />I say we need to think outside the box (school) and get back to what Jesus is calling us to do: spread His Word (which, unfortunately, is not done well in the traditional institutional school framework because the intent of the framers of compulsary schooling was - and remains yet today - to prevent His Will from being done)!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774317.post-10780223810558809242009-08-12T16:23:36.831-05:002009-08-12T16:23:36.831-05:00Why stop at $1k/year? Why not pay a living wage?
...Why stop at $1k/year? Why not pay a living wage?<br /><br />Seriously, a prison/warehouse to serve the collective. Right on.Brendanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15123119830359717991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774317.post-88716084856532034152009-08-12T10:55:57.079-05:002009-08-12T10:55:57.079-05:00Great minds think alike!
I had previously made th...Great minds think alike!<br /><br />I had previously made this same suggestion several years ago in my book "Designed to Fail: Catholic Education in America" (available at <a href="http://bridegroompress.com" rel="nofollow">Bridegroom Press</a>.<br /><br />So far, no takers.Steve Kellmeyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07509461318016670424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774317.post-90493008599654643492009-08-12T10:46:02.655-05:002009-08-12T10:46:02.655-05:00Thank you for this post! On August 3, 2009, I sen...Thank you for this post! On August 3, 2009, I sent this suggestion to the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis, which is struggling financially, as are many other dioceses:<br /><br />We have chosen to Catholic homeschool using the Seton Catholic curriculum. It costs us about $500 per year to Catholic home educate one child. Larger families would have different costs. I am guessing the average cost to Catholic educate in a brick and mortar school, subsidized by the Catholic parish, is approximately $10,000 per student. For those parishes that are facing the possibility of having to either sell or shut down a school, I offer a very small (relatively speaking) financial investment suggestion. "Invest" in Catholic education by offering a subsidy to those families who will enroll and home educate their children in a Catholic curriculum like Seton, Catholic Heritage Curricula, Our Lady's Victory, Kolbe Academy, etc. The pastor would have the freedom to verify that the children are, in fact, enrolled in a Catholic home schooling program. <br /><br />The cost would be minimal compared to the subsidy presently incurred by parishes and parishioners. In addition, the mothers who may be presently working outside the home may have the incentive to fulfill her vocation by being home with the children. This small investment would accomplish many Faith-filled missions. In addition, with Catholic home education, vocations to the priesthood and religious life are fostered and encouraged. <br /><br />The wisdom of the Church in this matter is expressed with precision and clearness in the Codex of Canon Law, can. 1113: “Parents are under a grave obligation to see to the religious and moral education of their children, as well as to their physical and civic training, as far as they can, and moreover to provide for their temporal well-being.”<br /><br />Oremus!Darla Meyershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02515744525500671794noreply@blogger.com