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Thank Catholic Schools For Faith in Every Student
Their high achievement comes as they spend half the money of Indianas public schools
While government schools scream about small cuts in their state funding, Catholic schools will celebrate the great work they do with half the per-student spending of their counterparts.
This is Catholic Schools Week, when schools nationwide will showcase what they do for millions of children.
Criticisms that Catholic schools skim the top talent arent true. Many take all comers.
The difference? They dont let excuses explain away poor achievement. This years Catholic Education Week theme Faith in Every Student perfectly sums up the goals of these schools.
I point to my alma maters, McAuley High School and Assumption Elementary School in greater Cincinnati. Both draw heavily from blue-collar families. Both have long offered a high-quality education that rivals some of the citys best schools. Both rely on parents and alumni to fund new facilities.
Surprisingly, Catholic schools frequently are less annoying than public schools that nickel-and-dime people to death with sales of wrapping paper, candy and other things that no one wants. This comes after they tax us to death. (Why do they need more money? Half of our education dollars never make it to the classroom, but get sucked up in education bureaucracy.)
Atack, Attack!Attack, attack! Terry Dashner''..Faith Fellowship Church PO Box 1586 Broken Arrow, OK 74013 Introduction: General Ulysses S. ..... St. Paul Elementary, where my daughter Meredith attends kindergarten, strictly limits fund-raising to very few events. Focus on those and the school will get enough.
If you cant afford the tuition, even if youre not Catholic, these schools usually find a way for your children attend. They offer scholarships. High schools frequently allow students to sweep floors or wash dishes to offset tuition and to get work done less expensively
At my high school, these low-skill student workers freed our maintenance workers to do the high-skill work of taking care of the building.
Compare that building to Marion High School, both of which were built around the same time, and youll see what a huge difference it has made. McAuley looks amazing. Marion High School is falling apart because maintenance wasnt a priority. Now the school corporation is sending taxpayers an avoidable multi-million-dollar bill.
Catholic schools dont fit every student. Students with special needs may not find the proper resources. Some schools may have education methods that dont suit specific students. Some families may find that Catholic teachings clash with their own.
The Legacy Of John Paul II(Please I want all to observe some minute's silence for the late JOHN PAUL II for a remarkable and memorable twenty-six-papacy r ..... This is why I hope that Catholic Schools week inspires not only those who attend Catholic schools, but everyone who wants the best for Indianas children.
Lutheran schools, which are common in Fort Wayne, do excellent work. Other Christian schools, whether denominational or non-denominational, are multiplying as parents become frustrated with public schools that challenge their religious teachings.
Actually, private schools are the proper places for morality-based teaching. Catholic schools trace their roots back 100 years, when public schools taught religion that was hostile to Catholicism. Instead of griping, Catholic parents put their kids in their own schools. Problem solved.
Public schools have their place. But we cannot expect each school to be all things to all people. Private schools have a vital role to play for our children. So could charter schools, if Indiana stops sabotaging them with restrictions.
Indiana could encourage more private schools and home-schooling by offering tax incentives to anyone who pays for a childs education. Despite public-school belly-aching to the contrary, this would leave more money for public schools because they would have fewer kids to educate and more opportunities to specialize.
Regardless of your religious beliefs or your devotion to public schools, please say thanks to Catholic schools. They demonstrate the amazing things that happen when we put faith in our children.
Libertarian Writers' Bureau
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