Common Core: A Threat to Catholic Education

Crisis Magazine ^ | 08/08/2013 | Phyllis Schafly

[TexGrill]

Editor’s note: The following letter by Eagle Forum president, Phyllis Schlafly, was mailed this month to key members of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in the United States concerning the implementation of the Common Core education standards in public and private schools, including Catholic schools. It is reprinted here with permission of the author.

Your Excellency,

I write today to share with you our significant concerns about a troubling development in our Catholic schools and to seek your prayerful guidance about this issue.

Under the guise of reforming the nation’s failing public schools, President Obama’s Department of Education offered states $4.35 billion in stimulus funds in a grant competition called Race to the Top in 2010. In order to compete for the funds, let alone receive them, states had to agree to adhere to the only set of national academic standards then under development by a private organization funded largely by Bill Gates.

Governors of cash-strapped states were only too eager for the opportunity to supplement their budgets regardless of the quality of the standards. In fact, the standards were not even completed until after the grant applications were due. As a further inducement to apply for the funds, states were offered waivers of the Bush era No Child Left Behind law and were also warned that failure to adopt the new standards could cost poor districts their Title 1 funds. One must wonder why allegedly superior academic standards necessitated such underhanded tactics.

[TexGrill]

Global business tip

[Whenifhow]

In the last paragraph, the appeal is made to take a second look at the curriculum.

Do you happen to know if Catholic Schools are mandated to sue the common core curriculum?

[VermiciousKnid]

As far as I know, Catholic schools are not mandated to do so.

Here in NY, though, all the dioceses with which I am familiar (Rockville Centre, Brooklyn, and New York) have all decided to comply with NY curricula — including Common Core.

My oldest son attends a Catholic high school on Long Island, but it is not a diocesan one — it is run by the Marianist Brothers. They will NOT be complying.

My younger son is home schooled, and while it is not the main reason, compliance with NY’s curriculum is one of them.

Regards,

[Whenifhow]

Thanks for the info. It is good that they have a choice.
Home schooling is best, Kudos to you!

[Cyclone59]

For the most part, Catholic K-12 curriculum is much more rigorous than public school. It blows common core out the window, the students are way above their peers at the same grade level.

[goldi]

My sister-in-law teaches at a non diocesan girls prep school and they won’t be complying either.

I wonder if Sidwell friends will comply?

[Biggirl]

It would be better if the public schools can LEARN a thing from the Catholic schools and how they pursue the course of EXCELLENCE.

[VermiciousKnid]

Excellent question, goldi....excellent question.

Regards,