Catholic School Adopts Common Core
October 12, 2013
JULIA writes:
I have an Asian exchange student in my home for the year. Due to visa constraints, he’s going to the local Catholic school.
My, has this been a learning experience! The Mass in school is so … disappointing, full of icky Christian pop songs. No reverence; no gravitas. There’s one butch-looking nun– excuse the expression, I can think of no other way to describe her. I had to look twice to see if she was male or female. I’m talking man pants, T-shirt, overweight, with keys hanging on belt loops. The other nun dresses like a monk and tries to be “loving” from what I can see. Most of the rest of the faculty seems to be laity, which I expected. Fortunately, the theology teacher seems to be on fire for the faith.
I went to the open house last month and was shocked to learn that the school is adopting the Common Core. To my naive mind, the purpose of a private school was to offer something that at least wasn’t the same as the public school, not to mention the purpose of a Catholic school. I should add that my exchange student’s English is very poor, so I’m not too concerned about the Common Core for his sake, but still. When I wrote to the principal to complain, sending him these articles (here, here and here), he responded:
The Common Core Curriculum was developed to deepen inquiry in all content areas especially Math and English Language Arts. It is not dumbing down the curriculum to the contrary it is establishing a set a standards that university academics and business leaders believe are necessary for success in college or the workplace. Not to participate would put our students at a disadvantage when applying to colleges.
We have been following the New York State curriculum since the school was established in 1963, essentially the Regents curriculum. The Regents curriculum is being phased out for the new Common Core Curriculum. The Regents exams are being phased out. The new curriculum is more rigorous. The difference between public and private schools is not the curriculum but the level of performance with that curriculum among our students such as higher test scores.
