Teaching at a public school?

[Allegra]

Catholics schools don’t have a massively higher graduation rate because of a massively better quality of teachers. I doubt the quality is much different at all. A lot of it has to do with the fact that you have children from safe, reasonably well-off families that value their children’s education all congregating in one location, where if a particular student is too disruptive and thus unwanted, he’s easily jettisoned from the school and sent to the nearest public school, into the laps & lives of those students, where the procedure for expelling students is far more extensive. If the classroom lepers are all sent away to the secular school system, it’s not hard to have almost everybody graduating.

In public schools, you get a full, thorough spread.

They don’t usually have to expel the students anyway. Not too many parents are keen on paying massively expensive tuition rates for a school their kid is failing out of. Usually parents of such kids are going to pull their kids on their own, way before graduation is an issue. My brother got into a lot of trouble in high school and had to switch to public school for his senior year because he had messed around so much his junior year that he had failed two semesters of English and he needed the credit to graduate from the Catholic high school. The public school allowed him to make up the credit in summer school and independent study, so he had to switch in order to graduate. The Catholic school never had to take any action at all.

 

[pianistclare]

Almost all of the students at our Catholic school and Catholic High school left because they simply couldn’t afford it anymore. I can only think of one or two that left because of discipline or educational issues.

 

[kozlosap]

I taught public school for 35 years and retired two years ago. With a MA and 3 credentials, I made over three times what counterparts in the Catholic system made. In the beginning I taught austic students then spent my last twenty years as a resource specialist teaching at-risk gang banger neighborhood kids. I met so many wonderful teachers and aides in our district and learned loads from both the kids and my fellow faculty members.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

One of the main issues is when it comes to teaching sex ed. As a Catholic, you CANNOT teach anything contrary to what the Church teaches. Even the sex Ed program in the Catholic system in Canada is contrary to what the Church teaches the further you go up the grades. As such, my friend will not teach certain grades.

 

[Tim_D]

isn’t it all our first priority to help spread the gospel?

Not if your job is to teach english, math or science.

Would you want your child being evangelized by a protestant when they are supposed to be reading Shakespeare? Same shoe, different foot.

 

[ProVobis]

isn’t it all our first priority to help spread the gospel?

Good question, especially if one doesn’t know enough about it to spread it. Nothing against teachers but, for example, I’ve encountered too many English teachers who themselves have problems with grammar.

 

[Padres1969]

Not if your job is to teach english, math or science.

Would you want your child being evangelized by a protestant when they are supposed to be reading Shakespeare? Same shoe, different foot.

Exactly, you wouldn’t want a Muslim evangelizing your Catholic children, so why would you expect to be able to do the reverse? There’s a reason we have separation of church and state in the US. State run schools (ie: Public schools) are not a proper venue for spreading the Gospel and the Supreme Ct has upheld that time and time again. If you feel the need to teach AND evangelize while doing so then a private school would be a better option for you.

 

[Tim_D]

Exactly, you wouldn’t want a Muslim evangelizing your Catholic children, so why would you expect to be able to do the reverse? There’s a reason we have separation of church and state in the US. State run schools (ie: Public schools) are not a proper venue for spreading the Gospel and the Supreme Ct has upheld that time and time again. If you feel the need to teach AND evangelize while doing so then a private school would be a better option for you.

 

[Bonnie]

Exactly, you wouldn’t want a Muslim evangelizing your Catholic children, so why would you expect to be able to do the reverse? There’s a reason we have separation of church and state in the US. State run schools (ie: Public schools) are not a proper venue for spreading the Gospel and the Supreme Ct has upheld that time and time again. If you feel the need to teach AND evangelize while doing so then a private school would be a better option for you.

Look at the history of Catholic schools in the US. People were pushing for them because there wasn’t - at that time - a separation of church & state in the public schools. The King James bible was read in assemblies and in the classroom. Textbooks often had a Protestant slant.

That is why I’ve never supported Protestants who want to have public prayer in public schools; there would have to be equal time for the prayers of all other religions.

Which reminds me of the old joke: As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in schools.

 

[pensmama87]

Look at the history of Catholic schools in the US. People were pushing for them because there wasn’t - at that time - a separation of church & state in the public schools. The King James bible was read in assemblies and in the classroom. Textbooks often had a Protestant slant.

That is why I’ve never supported Protestants who want to have public prayer in public schools; there would have to be equal time for the prayers of all other religions.

Which reminds me of the old joke: As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in schools.

I used to teach in public schools. I usually wore my Miraculous Medal like I do most days. I tried hard at my job and attempted to be a good role model. And if the kids saw me at Mass on Sunday, well, maybe they’d put things together.

(And when it comes to sleepovers etc, yes, non-Catholic kids do go to Mass. I went with several friends growing up if I spent the night on a Saturday.)