Are Catholic schools' curriculum as lefty as the Arlington Public Schools?

[Anonymous]

There is an obvious liberal bias in the Arlington public school curriculum and we are wondering if the Arlington/Alexandria/McLean Catholic schools are any better. We do not want our children to spend months on end learning about black Americans, Native Americans, Caesar Chavez, global warming, multiculturalism, etc. and miss out on learning about our founding fathers, 50 states, map skills, unbiased science, 'traditional' literature, etc. We are not being racists - we just feel that the liberal bias is obvious and it is not what we want for our children.

Does anyone have specific recommendations for Catholic schools that have more balanced and/or American-focused curricula?

[Anonymous]

This has to be a troll.

[Anonymous]

Try homeschool. If you want to be part of society at large you need to deal with the fact that not everyone is like you.

[Anonymous]

I'm not a troll and I understand that my children will be interacting with people in society. What I don't want, however, is for my children to be indoctrinated with liberal BS rather than taught facts especially in the elementary and middle school grades. I would appreciate an answer to my question rather than a critique on it. If you don't have something to contribute, then please find another post to attack or, better yet, find something more worthwhile to do with your time.

[Anonymous]

The Catholic church is kind of big on multiculturalism seeing as the Church is growing the most in places like Africa and the largest Catholic populations are in Brazil and Mexico. And the Church is on board with global warming and evolution. Those topics are not taught to the exclusion of American history, but if you're looking for a curriculum that presents American history as some sort of unblemished thing, then homeschooling is likely going to be the only way you get it. Maybe there is a religious school affiliated with a different denomination that would have what you are looking for, but it won't be found in the parochial schools here.

[Anonymous]

The short answer to your question is that the Arlington diocese (which covers a large part of NoVA) tends to be more conservative than NoVA generally. However, I think you would need to see the specific curricula at your neighborhood school and the Catholic school in question to know for sure if there are areas that receive more emphasis than others.

Keep in mind that even among parishes locally, you'll find some that are quite conservative like St. Thomas More, Blessed Sacrament and St James, some that are quite liberal like St Charles and Our Lady Queen of Peace (both with a large focus on social justice, and I'd expect it would spill into the classroom) and some that are more middle of the road like St Agnes and St. Ann. I think all but OLQP have schools that you may want to contact.

[Anonymous]

Black Americans, Native Americans - they are liberal BS? I always thought they were all actual people and not some made up liberal BS.

Ceaser Chavez - here is quote from the Catholic News Agency "The late labor activist César Chávez offers Catholics a model for faithful and effective civic engagement, according to a professor of history at Christendom College"http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/csar-chvez-hailed-as-model-for-catholics-in-public-life/

Good luck on not finding him mentioned in Catholic schools in the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a troll and I understand that my children will be interacting with people in society. What I don't want, however, is for my children to be indoctrinated with liberal BS rather than taught facts especially in the elementary and middle school grades. I would appreciate an answer to my question rather than a critique on it. If you don't have something to contribute, then please find another post to attack or, better yet, find something more worthwhile to do with your time.

Can you give some concrete examples?

[Anonymous]

The Arlington Diocese is definitely extremely conservative so I would think the Catholic Schools follows their example.

[Anonymous]

NP and while I wouldn't have phrased it the same way OP did, I agree that APS has a decidedly liberal bent. For example, my K'er has learned a lot about MLK and spent most of a month on Chinese New Year, but has learned nothing about Washington or Lincoln. He learned about Kwaanza, Diwala, Ramadan, Hanukkah, but was told he shouldn't talk about what holiday(s) he celebrates with his friends. At the "winter concert" the groups played and sang songs about Hanukkah and another holiday (I can't remember whether it was Diwali or Kwaanza), but not one of the three groups performed any music related to Christmas.

I too want kids to learn a lot about everyone's history, but APS seems too focused on PC liberalism, not the basics. That view does not make me racist or Xenophobic, just a concerned parent who wants my kid to learn history in a way that makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Funny. If you go to the APS H.B Woodlawn site, you will discover that Wendesday is identified as Ash Wednesday: http://www.apsva.us/woodlawn/

[Anonymous]

OP, that's so last century. If you are not interested in learning about America, then move to one of the states where residents want to secede. Bet you will rethink your ideology on public education when your Republic of Alabamippi living standards plummet following the withdrawal of US tax revenue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP and while I wouldn't have phrased it the same way OP did, I agree that APS has a decidedly liberal bent. For example, my K'er has learned a lot about MLK and spent most of a month on Chinese New Year, but has learned nothing about Washington or Lincoln. He learned about Kwaanza, Diwala, Ramadan, Hanukkah, but was told he shouldn't talk about what holiday(s) he celebrates with his friends. At the "winter concert" the groups played and sang songs about Hanukkah and another holiday (I can't remember whether it was Diwali or Kwaanza), but not one of the three groups performed any music related to Christmas.

I too want kids to learn a lot about everyone's history, but APS seems too focused on PC liberalism, not the basics. That view does not make me racist or Xenophobic, just a concerned parent who wants my kid to learn history in a way that makes sense.

It depends on the school and specific teachers. Two years ago at the winter concert at an APS high school, the chorus and madrigals sang religious themed Christmas carols.

[Anonymous]

There is an obvious liberal bias in the Arlington public school curriculum and we are wondering if the Arlington/Alexandria/McLean Catholic schools are any better. We do not want our children to spend months on end learning about black Americans, Native Americans, Caesar Chavez, global warming, multiculturalism, etc. and miss out on learning about our founding fathers, 50 states, map skills, unbiased science, 'traditional' literature, etc. We are not being racists - we just feel that the liberal bias is obvious and it is not what we want for our children.

Does anyone have specific recommendations for Catholic schools that have more balanced and/or American-focused curricula?

The short answer is no, OP, because the problem is in your premise. The examples you give above are found in Catholic school curriculum as well as APS curriculum and do not meet the definition of liberal bias. Of course, Catholic schools will be more conservative than public schools--if you are looking for "unbiased science", for example, you won't find that in a school that teaches creationism.

And, yes, you are being racists. Best to just own that outright.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP and while I wouldn't have phrased it the same way OP did, I agree that APS has a decidedly liberal bent. For example, my K'er has learned a lot about MLK and spent most of a month on Chinese New Year, but has learned nothing about Washington or Lincoln. He learned about Kwaanza, Diwala, Ramadan, Hanukkah, but was told he shouldn't talk about what holiday(s) he celebrates with his friends. At the "winter concert" the groups played and sang songs about Hanukkah and another holiday (I can't remember whether it was Diwali or Kwaanza), but not one of the three groups performed any music related to Christmas. I too want kids to learn a lot about everyone's history, but APS seems too focused on PC liberalism, not the basics. That view does not make me racist or Xenophobic, just a concerned parent who wants my kid to learn history in a way that makes sense.

Live in the heart of liberalism, NW DC, and this is precisely why my kids are in a private school.