How hard was transition from progressive to Cath school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re in the same boat as OP. Going into
9th grade. We’re fine w/ curriculum, uniforms, and mass. My only concern is there is very little hierarchy with teachers/students, as is the design of progressive schools. My child isn’t disrespectful but very much voices their own opinion, isn’t afraid to offer a different point of view etc. Are most Catholic high school teachers really strict/hierarchical? Any thoughts on how to talk to DC about this?

If you mean that your child can mouth off or be flippant, that won't fly but respectful discussion and disagreement is a part of any good classroom. My Catholic but politically pro-choice DD has no problems with discussions in class, advocating for women in positions of authority in the Church, leaning in on so-called banned books (they are NOT banned at her school, to be clear, just those in the cultural environment these days) and similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re in the same boat as OP. Going into
9th grade. We’re fine w/ curriculum, uniforms, and mass. My only concern is there is very little hierarchy with teachers/students, as is the design of progressive schools. My child isn’t disrespectful but very much voices their own opinion, isn’t afraid to offer a different point of view etc. Are most Catholic high school teachers really strict/hierarchical? Any thoughts on how to talk to DC about this?

As long as your child is capable of *respectfully* voicing their opinion, classroom discussion and examine varying points of view is welcomed.

[Anonymous]

OP, what age? The biggest difference/thing to get used to may be how much homework is required, depending on what your progressive school’s homework loads and policies were.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid who did this learned the rules and played by them. However, we looked back at what they were taught, and it was really antiquated. In "health" class, they were taught that masturb__ is a sin. I didn't think that was a high school teacher's business.

Seemed like the school was stuck in the 1950s.

They also had teacher who graded you on whether or not you could memorize answers from the book. Thankfully, she retired and future kids will not be subjected to that terrible way of teaching.

The school was also "command and control" with an assumption that high school students are not good and do not do the right things. This got old very quickly.

Please tell us what school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re in the same boat as OP. Going into
9th grade. We’re fine w/ curriculum, uniforms, and mass. My only concern is there is very little hierarchy with teachers/students, as is the design of progressive schools. My child isn’t disrespectful but very much voices their own opinion, isn’t afraid to offer a different point of view etc. Are most Catholic high school teachers really strict/hierarchical? Any thoughts on how to talk to DC about this?

I think opinions are not just welcomed but required if you want a good grade. You do have to be respectful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re in the same boat as OP. Going into
9th grade. We’re fine w/ curriculum, uniforms, and mass. My only concern is there is very little hierarchy with teachers/students, as is the design of progressive schools. My child isn’t disrespectful but very much voices their own opinion, isn’t afraid to offer a different point of view etc. Are most Catholic high school teachers really strict/hierarchical? Any thoughts on how to talk to DC about this?

I think you are operating on a misconception. At my kids' Catholic high school you are graded on being able to voice your opinion (respectfully). Sitting back and not participating does not fly. Your kid will be fine.

Oh good to hear. I probably am channeling friends from my generation who were very much in a “sit up straight, stay quiet” kind of Catholic school.

I'm almost 60 and my Catholic school was very hippy dippy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re in the same boat as OP. Going into
9th grade. We’re fine w/ curriculum, uniforms, and mass. My only concern is there is very little hierarchy with teachers/students, as is the design of progressive schools. My child isn’t disrespectful but very much voices their own opinion, isn’t afraid to offer a different point of view etc. Are most Catholic high school teachers really strict/hierarchical? Any thoughts on how to talk to DC about this?

I think opinions are not just welcomed but required if you want a good grade. You do have to be respectful.

+1

Lots of graded Socratic seminars at my kids' school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re in the same boat as OP. Going into
9th grade. We’re fine w/ curriculum, uniforms, and mass. My only concern is there is very little hierarchy with teachers/students, as is the design of progressive schools. My child isn’t disrespectful but very much voices their own opinion, isn’t afraid to offer a different point of view etc. Are most Catholic high school teachers really strict/hierarchical? Any thoughts on how to talk to DC about this?

If you mean that your child can mouth off or be flippant, that won't fly but respectful discussion and disagreement is a part of any good classroom. My Catholic but politically pro-choice DD has no problems with discussions in class, advocating for women in positions of authority in the Church, leaning in on so-called banned books (they are NOT banned at her school, to be clear, just those in the cultural environment these days) and similar.

I don’t by any means think mouthing off. Child is opinionated, but respectful and K-8 was very good at facilitating respectful discussion of different view points.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If you mean that your child can mouth off or be flippant, that won't fly but respectful discussion and disagreement is a part of any good classroom. My Catholic but politically pro-choice DD has no problems with discussions in class, advocating for women in positions of authority in the Church, leaning in on so-called banned books (they are NOT banned at her school, to be clear, just those in the cultural environment these days) and similar.

I don’t by any means think mouthing off. Child is opinionated, but respectful and K-8 was very good at facilitating respectful discussion of different view points.

Your DC should be fine then. Homework is no joke. As an example of what I was saying, coincidentally to this thread this happened just yesterday. Apparently DD's theology teacher said something about how you could all be future popes. My DD apparently immediately said "Actually, no. Half of us can't, which is a real problem in the Church." The teacher quickly backtracked and apologized for the statement. It was a dumb and probably off the cuff statement speaking to them about living out and being a leader in their faith, but my point is she was not penalized in any way for speaking up on a contentious issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, what age? The biggest difference/thing to get used to may be how much homework is required, depending on what your progressive school’s homework loads and policies were.

14

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a small progressive into a Catholic school. We are not Catholic. What are the biggest challenges to anticipate?

Kilts and the hyperfocus on appearance and wealth

[Anonymous]

We moved from an independent Episcopal school for elementary that wasn’t super progressive, to a Catholic school for middle and it was tough on the kids and us, causing us to move back (and we’re forever grateful that our school took us back). The kids felt the Catholic school was too strict, the instruction was boring (lots and lots of worksheets and rote memorization, more lectures, less discussions), the school tolerated bad/mean teachers, the religion classes were more intense (one of my kid’s teachers told the class that being gay was a sin). The other parents were certainly nice to us, but it was clear that we’d never really be part of the groups where many parents had grown up together and others had all known each other since K when their kids started school. There were many more SAH moms who volunteered at the school all the time, and as a working mom, I felt like an outsider.

[Anonymous]

For us coming from DCPS, which is incredibly progressive, our DS found Catholic HS liberating. And, we were blown away with the irony. For the first time he was learning just for the sake of learning, there was no hidden political agenda hiding behind lessons. We are a progressive couple but had not quite realized how off the rails the DCPS history and ELA curriculums had become. It probably depends on the Catholic school though, independent Catholic schools trend more moderate vs. schools directly under ADW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved from an independent Episcopal school for elementary that wasn’t super progressive, to a Catholic school for middle and it was tough on the kids and us, causing us to move back (and we’re forever grateful that our school took us back). The kids felt the Catholic school was too strict, the instruction was boring (lots and lots of worksheets and rote memorization, more lectures, less discussions), the school tolerated bad/mean teachers, the religion classes were more intense (one of my kid’s teachers told the class that being gay was a sin). The other parents were certainly nice to us, but it was clear that we’d never really be part of the groups where many parents had grown up together and others had all known each other since K when their kids started school. There were many more SAH moms who volunteered at the school all the time, and as a working mom, I felt like an outsider.

The Catholic Church teaches that gay sex is a sin (like premarital sex), but not that being gay itself is a sin. It also teaches that abortion is a sin, masturbation is a sin and artificial birth control is wrong. (A few of the above posters mention these teaching in their posts).

These are the teachings that non Catholic progressives (or even progressive Catholics) disagree with the most. It is perfectly understandable if you decide not to send your kids to a Catholic school because you disagree with its stances on these issues, but you can’t send you kids to Catholic school and then be shocked that a teacher mentions one of these teachings. No matter how liberal the Catholic school, a sizable portion of the students and faculty believe these teachings and one way or another they will come up at school. Parents who disagree can teach their children differently at home, but can’t reasonably expect a Catholic school to stop teaching Catholic theology.

There are a lot of posts on this forum about non Catholics in Catholic schools. The responses from the Catholics almost universally say non Catholics are welcome as long as they are respectful. Respectful for many really means that non Catholic students and families don’t spend their time in Catholic schools arguing against Catholic teaching.

Yes, students in Catholic schools are free to voice their opinions no matter what they are, but it’s also a matter of degree. IMO Non Catholics who dominate discussion in religion class with arguments against Catholic teaching are not respectful. ( this has happened in my kids’ schools).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid who did this learned the rules and played by them. However, we looked back at what they were taught, and it was really antiquated. In "health" class, they were taught that masturb__ is a sin. I didn't think that was a high school teacher's business.

Seemed like the school was stuck in the 1950s.

They also had teacher who graded you on whether or not you could memorize answers from the book. Thankfully, she retired and future kids will not be subjected to that terrible way of teaching.

Name the school or this didn’t happen.

The school was also "command and control" with an assumption that high school students are not good and do not do the right things. This got old very quickly.