Why are so many public school kids applying to Catholic high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of public school parents, even the fairly liberal ones, are uncomfortable with the progressive indoctrination that is now occurring in the public and private schools. They are seeking a more balanced, moderate environment where kids are taught to think for themselves. And yes, it’s completely ironic that the best place for this is actually a Catholic school.

This isn’t why.

Oh yes...yes it is. I know many that have moved to our private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This was 8 years ago, but our son, who attended MCPS through middle school, moved to a Catholic HS. At the time, this was unusual and he had very few classmates coming from public MS. I think it has shifted significantly since then with more coming from public schools. This is positive for Catholic high schools as it widens the applicant pool and provides opportunities to diversify the student body. This likely also elevates the academic levels of the students entering the HS due to the wider applicant pool.

It probably lowers it since parents are choosing Catholic for higher academic standards than public??? Critical thinking 🤔

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This was 8 years ago, but our son, who attended MCPS through middle school, moved to a Catholic HS. At the time, this was unusual and he had very few classmates coming from public MS. I think it has shifted significantly since then with more coming from public schools. This is positive for Catholic high schools as it widens the applicant pool and provides opportunities to diversify the student body. This likely also elevates the academic levels of the students entering the HS due to the wider applicant pool.

It probably lowers it since parents are choosing Catholic for higher academic standards than public??? Critical thinking 🤔

Also yes Catholic is taking them to keep the schools open and thriving - positive overall

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This was 8 years ago, but our son, who attended MCPS through middle school, moved to a Catholic HS. At the time, this was unusual and he had very few classmates coming from public MS. I think it has shifted significantly since then with more coming from public schools. This is positive for Catholic high schools as it widens the applicant pool and provides opportunities to diversify the student body. This likely also elevates the academic levels of the students entering the HS due to the wider applicant pool.

Oh, please.

Agreed. PP has it backwards, it's the kids coming from public who find they are struggling to keep up having coasted along in public with their inflated grades and minimal work.

I am the PP with the son from 8 years ago. He had a 99 hspt entering Catholic HS out of public. He excelled in math but initially struggled in English as expected. He graduated at the top 10% of his class with a 36 ACT and ended up at a top 20 college. Most of his classmates coming out of Catholic K-8s didn't fair as well. But like I said, this was a while ago, and I agree things have shifted significantly.

Umm…one must realize that many Catholic students are looking at Catholic colleges, so they are not all looking at the same “top” lists. And many are aiming for state schools. Not really very generous of you to claim they “didn’t fair (actually fare) as well.” It’s back to religion class for you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This was 8 years ago, but our son, who attended MCPS through middle school, moved to a Catholic HS. At the time, this was unusual and he had very few classmates coming from public MS. I think it has shifted significantly since then with more coming from public schools. This is positive for Catholic high schools as it widens the applicant pool and provides opportunities to diversify the student body. This likely also elevates the academic levels of the students entering the HS due to the wider applicant pool.

It probably lowers it since parents are choosing Catholic for higher academic standards than public??? Critical thinking 🤔

Actually no. There are higher academic standards for kids coming out of public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This was 8 years ago, but our son, who attended MCPS through middle school, moved to a Catholic HS. At the time, this was unusual and he had very few classmates coming from public MS. I think it has shifted significantly since then with more coming from public schools. This is positive for Catholic high schools as it widens the applicant pool and provides opportunities to diversify the student body. This likely also elevates the academic levels of the students entering the HS due to the wider applicant pool.

It probably lowers it since parents are choosing Catholic for higher academic standards than public??? Critical thinking 🤔

Actually no. There are higher academic standards for kids coming out of public schools.

As somebody who has taught in both: that’s not universally true. I moved my children out of public the same time I transitioned to teaching in a Catholic school myself.

I made that decision 100% because I wanted them exposed to higher academic expectations that what they were experiencing in their public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This was 8 years ago, but our son, who attended MCPS through middle school, moved to a Catholic HS. At the time, this was unusual and he had very few classmates coming from public MS. I think it has shifted significantly since then with more coming from public schools. This is positive for Catholic high schools as it widens the applicant pool and provides opportunities to diversify the student body. This likely also elevates the academic levels of the students entering the HS due to the wider applicant pool.

Oh, please.

Agreed. PP has it backwards, it's the kids coming from public who find they are struggling to keep up having coasted along in public with their inflated grades and minimal work.

I am the PP with the son from 8 years ago. He had a 99 hspt entering Catholic HS out of public. He excelled in math but initially struggled in English as expected. He graduated at the top 10% of his class with a 36 ACT and ended up at a top 20 college. Most of his classmates coming out of Catholic K-8s didn't fair as well. But like I said, this was a while ago, and I agree things have shifted significantly.

Umm…one must realize that many Catholic students are looking at Catholic colleges, so they are not all looking at the same “top” lists. And many are aiming for state schools. Not really very generous of you to claim they “didn’t fair (actually fare) as well.” It’s back to religion class for you!

Another thing I would share, coming from MCPS, is the families seem less nakedly ambitious. Not that they don’t have lawyer parents, but I do believe people are most concerned with the well being of the community - social-emotional wellness, learning how to cope with life, how to help others, all in a rigorous environment. The environment is also quite diverse socioeconomically, with some parents each working more than one job to pay tuition. There is not the “this test will determine my fate” fear that pervaded MCPS from early elementary on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This was 8 years ago, but our son, who attended MCPS through middle school, moved to a Catholic HS. At the time, this was unusual and he had very few classmates coming from public MS. I think it has shifted significantly since then with more coming from public schools. This is positive for Catholic high schools as it widens the applicant pool and provides opportunities to diversify the student body. This likely also elevates the academic levels of the students entering the HS due to the wider applicant pool.

It probably lowers it since parents are choosing Catholic for higher academic standards than public??? Critical thinking 🤔

Actually no. There are higher academic standards for kids coming out of public schools.

As somebody who has taught in both: that’s not universally true. I moved my children out of public the same time I transitioned to teaching in a Catholic school myself.

I made that decision 100% because I wanted them exposed to higher academic expectations that what they were experiencing in their public school.

We are talking about high school here. Admissions to Catholic. High schools are much more competitive for public school kids than parochial school kids. There is no question about that fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This was 8 years ago, but our son, who attended MCPS through middle school, moved to a Catholic HS. At the time, this was unusual and he had very few classmates coming from public MS. I think it has shifted significantly since then with more coming from public schools. This is positive for Catholic high schools as it widens the applicant pool and provides opportunities to diversify the student body. This likely also elevates the academic levels of the students entering the HS due to the wider applicant pool.

Oh, please.

Agreed. PP has it backwards, it's the kids coming from public who find they are struggling to keep up having coasted along in public with their inflated grades and minimal work.

I am the PP with the son from 8 years ago. He had a 99 hspt entering Catholic HS out of public. He excelled in math but initially struggled in English as expected. He graduated at the top 10% of his class with a 36 ACT and ended up at a top 20 college. Most of his classmates coming out of Catholic K-8s didn't fair as well. But like I said, this was a while ago, and I agree things have shifted significantly.

Umm…one must realize that many Catholic students are looking at Catholic colleges, so they are not all looking at the same “top” lists. And many are aiming for state schools. Not really very generous of you to claim they “didn’t fair (actually fare) as well.” It’s back to religion class for you!

Well I am the PP and the school he got into was Notre Dame...nothing at all wrong with Catholic Colleges!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Another thing I would share, coming from MCPS, is the families seem less nakedly ambitious. Not that they don’t have lawyer parents, but I do believe people are most concerned with the well being of the community - social-emotional wellness, learning how to cope with life, how to help others, all in a rigorous environment. The environment is also quite diverse socioeconomically, with some parents each working more than one job to pay tuition. There is not the “this test will determine my fate” fear that pervaded MCPS from early elementary on.

This neatly sums up why our public school DC is going to attend a Catholic high school. We are Catholic.

[Anonymous]

We Catholics have a long list of reasons for sending our sons and daughters to Catholic schools. We want an environment that will reinforce our values and our kids connection to the Church and the local Catholic community. We have life-long connections to Catholic education and to individual schools. Catholic schools are an important part of us maintaining our community and culture.

These motivations are significantly different from those of non-Catholics who see as lower-cost alternatives to the public schools. And that you hope to escape with your kids being exposed to as little of that yucky Catholic teaching and culture as possible.

We aren’t stupid. If you are there, we know why. And we know your motives are vastly different from ours. Not everyone feels this way. But many do.

[Anonymous]

It is for our family.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of public school parents, even the fairly liberal ones, are uncomfortable with the progressive indoctrination that is now occurring in the public and private schools. They are seeking a more balanced, moderate environment where kids are taught to think for themselves. And yes, it’s completely ironic that the best place for this is actually a Catholic school.

This isn’t why.

[Anonymous]

Bc DCPS went way way downhill since Covid. No teachers. No deadlines. It’s bad.

None of my older daughter’s friends applied out in 2019/20. All of my younger daughter’s did last year 2022/23. Telling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bc DCPS went way way downhill since Covid. No teachers. No deadlines. It’s bad.

None of my older daughter’s friends applied out in 2019/20. All of my younger daughter’s did last year 2022/23. Telling.

LOL do you know the number of students in DCPS?
You can not do math.

[Anonymous]

My kids are at a Catholic K-8. There are some very conservative families at our school who are vocal and honestly, reminds me of the pp who always brings up that families can be expelled for trying to subvert Catholic teachings, etc. But this is the DC area and there are more progressive families or at least moderate families at the school. No one is getting expelled and no one has said or done anything that can be considered subversion.

They like to post here bc they get nowhere at the school since it’s pretty clear they are bigots and unkind. They keyboard warrior and are spineless when actually confronted or called out in person.