Public School vs. Catholic School

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repentant2 said:
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JoeShlabotnik:
If it were, teachers would be paid more.
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Paying teachers more wouldn’t make a difference. National average is $60k a year. The US median income is $63K. Teachers are grossly overpaid for the results we get.
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Paying teachers more would attract better candidates for the job.

And placing the blame for educational outcomes solely at the feet of teachers is a gross over-simplification of the problem.
 
Higher pay would help but I think the problem is more with the curriculum and the low standards than with the quality of the teaching. One exception would be math - the way they teach math in this country is not effective and doesn’t develop analytical skills as well as it should. This explains the low level of math at all grade levels, compared to many other countries. But for other subjects, we just have low expectations of kids. They are capable of much more than we give them credit for. If more was expected of them, they would rise to the challenge.
 
Says you.
Over the years, most of the teachers I have known have quit teaching because they could make much better money elsewhere.
 
TC3033 said:
OK. I guess that’s where we may differ. I would prefer the most qualified for the job, IMHO. If a non-Catholic were to have a more stellar resume than a Catholic, who are applying for the same job, I would prefer school leadership not pass on a better teaching candidate because they aren’t Catholic. Just my $0.02, I"m sure others wouldn’t.

Like I said with me, I didn’t even know a job was available. The Catholic HS I worked at called me and asked me to take the spot without even posting it because they knew my qualifications and didn’t care if I was Catholic. TBH, they didn’t ask until after I was hired…and that was just to make sure I’m cool with praying before games.
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Well then why go to a Catholic school at all? If your main objective is the best education, the CAtholic school isn’t going to be the best option most of the time. They can’t afford the best teachers.

I sent my kids to Catholic school because I wanted them around fellow Catholics and to get CAtechized. That is hard to do when their teachers are not CAtholic. It is hard enough getting good Catechisis from Catholics, let alone Non CAtholics. Like I said previously, we found out Yoga was being taught at the school. That shouldn’t happen and if there were more faithful Catholics teaching, they would know that isn’t OK
 
babochka said:
repentant2:
40.png
JoeShlabotnik:
If it were, teachers would be paid more.
Click to expand...
Paying teachers more wouldn’t make a difference. National average is $60k a year. The US median income is $63K. Teachers are grossly overpaid for the results we get.
Click to expand...
Paying teachers more would attract better candidates for the job.

And placing the blame for educational outcomes solely at the feet of teachers is a gross over-simplification of the problem.
Click to expand...
I think you would get better candidates but also get worse candidates as well. Right now, you have to teach because you love it and want to make a difference. If you substantially increase the pay, you would get people that are in it for the money and not the kids
 
If the pay for teachers were high enough, it would create competition for the jobs. Those who truly love to teach would just have to beat out those folks who are not quite as dedicated to education.
My wife is a retired teacher. Through the years, she bought quite a bit of books and supplies out of our money, because the school did not provide adequately.
 
@Katie77

“Jesus is in the halls and classrooms and religion is included in all subjects”

You realize this is not true in many Catholic schools, right?

Of course it should be true.
 
@TC3033

“I would prefer the most qualified for the job”

the most qualified to teach in a Catholic high school is the person who a) believes in the truth of the Catholic faith, b) integrates that faith into all areas of the subject being taught, as appropriate, and c) tries to live out their faith. IMO
 
I guess we have different definitions of most qualified.

I’d want the one most qualified to teach the subject matter, especially if I’m paying tuition for my children to attend and receive their education.

Like I said before. I coached at a Catholic HS (and I’m not Catholic). I was their 1st choice, 100% to the point where they called me. Was this HS incorrect to go seek out a non-Catholic, who they knew was going to have the best resume and carried specialized skill, or do you think they should have hired a someone less professionally qualified because they were Catholic who could have done the job maybe 3/4 as well?
 
JoeShlabotnik said:
If the pay for teachers were high enough, it would create competition for the jobs. Those who truly love to teach would just have to beat out those folks who are not quite as dedicated to education.
My wife is a retired teacher. Through the years, she bought quite a bit of books and supplies out of our money, because the school did not provide adequately.
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That brings up another issue. How do you evaluate the performance of teachers? It seems like there isn’t a really great way to evaluate
 
TC3033 said:
I guess we have different definitions of most qualified.

I’d want the one most qualified to teach the subject matter, especially if I’m paying tuition for my children to attend and receive their education.

Like I said before. I coached at a Catholic HS (and I’m not Catholic). I was their 1st choice, 100% to the point where they called me. Was this HS incorrect to go seek out a non-Catholic, who they knew was going to have the best resume and carried specialized skill, or do you think they should have hired a someone less professionally qualified because they were Catholic who could have done the job maybe 3/4 as well?
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In my opinion? Hire the Catholic unless there is a very wide difference in qualifications
 
And mine would differ. I’d like the person in charge of teaching/coaching my children to be the better professionally qualified individual.
 
TC3033 said:
And mine would differ. I’d like the person in charge of teaching/coaching my children to be the better professionally qualified individual.
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That is fine. I just don’t see the point of sending your kids to a Catholic school if that is the case.
I don’t think the kids at my school are hurting at all academically because what they lack in teacher quality, they make up in small classroom size and dedicated parents.

However, I think if you are able to pay for tuition, there are a lot better schools to send kids to academically than Catholic schools
 
MysticMissMisty said:
As I understand it, the Church does not have a particular teaching directly addressing the question, so, I am asking this community. Generally: Is it better to send Catholic kids to Catholic school or public school? (In this post, we are leaving all other kinds of schools out of the picture) Please defend your answer

In addition:
Is the answer something you think should apply in all cases to all Catholic children?
Or, should it be applied on a case-by-case basis?

If applicable and you wish to answer, do you personally send your kids to Catholic or public school?

(For the record, I am not a parent, but wish to be one in the future. I am not a Catholic, but am seriously thinking about converting.)

Thanks in advance.
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Bypassing all the other answers you’ve received, here’s my take:

What we did and what I think all parents should so, discern what is the best for your family, taking into consideration the following:

your finances, cost of attending catholic schools (especially at the high school level) can be exhorbitant;

the reputation of your local public school district. Anecdotally, my daughter started in catholic elem. school, but due to a bullying issue that they did not handle to our satisfaction, we switched to public school Now, it should be noted that I live in one of the best public school districts in my state, so this was an easy choice to make…it would have been difficult if that were not the case.

How well your child adapts to either setting. Some kids thrive in parochial schools, some do not. Same for public schools.

Again, anecdotally, my kiddo flourished in public school. I valued the diversity that she encountered because it taught her how to get along with all sorts of individuals who weren’t the same as her. Since we all know the real world is messy, it’s a nice lesson to be exposed to early on if you are an involved parent and can monitor various situations that kids find themselves in.

The drawback for public school attendance as a practicing catholic is that you have to subsidize it with religion classes during elementary and middle school so that your kids can receive the sacraments. In my city this consisted of Monday evenings (during the school year) for an hour when my daughter attended “religion” class.

Having said all that I have to confess that I believe my daughter received a great education in the public school system and she will graduate from college this Spring with the hope of teaching in a public school.
 
I would say, hire the Catholic unless you can’t find a qualified one, then consider a non Catholic
 
What if a more professionally qualified non-Catholic were to apply?

Just hire the Catholic because Catholic? 🤔
 
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Qualified, sure. They have a degree and a teaching license.

I’d prefer the one with a more stellar resume to teach my kids, but I guess that’s just me.
 
Your kids are not in a Catholic school, do you don’t see that being Catholic is a qualification.
 
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