How hard was transition from progressive to Cath school?

[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.

My child's HS health class used the curriculum that is prescribed by the state of Maryland. It is definitely not something that is designed by the Catholic Church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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).

This plus a billion.

I think sometimes people purposefully mischaracterize Catholic teachings. No educated religion teacher is going to say experiencing opposite sex attraction is a sin. It’s certain sexual acts (and maybe obsessive lustful thoughts) that are sins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

There are skirts but I found almost no focus on appearance or wealth. At least not compared to our local public. And especially not compared to the secular privates near us.

[Anonymous]

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

LOL
You went from academic to indoctrination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. Very easy. Was nice to be in class with well-behaved kids who want to learn and have heard the word “no” before. At least that’s what my kids say.

Oh BS

Catholic school boys are not well behaved more than public school kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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!

Mine has priests abusing boys. The church is still protecting those creeps

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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!

Mine has priests abusing boys. The church is still protecting those creeps

You do know that sex abuse is rampant in US public schools? https://www.city-journal.org/article/sexual-abuse-in-public-schools

There is no excuse for sexual abuse in any setting, but today's Catholic schools have layers upon layers of procedures in place to make sure that it doesn't happen again. I'm not sure that the same can be said for public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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!

Mine has priests abusing boys. The church is still protecting those creeps

Identify the school and name the accused. State what “protection” is being afforded. A priest accused nowadays is offsite before sundown and likely out of the priesthood before the criminal investigation has progressed beyond the initial stages.

[Anonymous]

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

We came from progressive DCPS to catholic school and... it was fine.

We're not Catholic either, and I personally am appalled by the way the Catholic Church handled the sex abuse scandal (but we made a choice based on the educational needs)... and its' been fine. Religion is talked about, but frankly, all but the msot hardcore Catholic stuff still falls in the window of pretty "normal" christianity. It was made explicitly clear—you don't have to believe it, just learn it in class, and that's fine with me. It's good stuff to know. There's mass, but it's also made very clear that nobody is expected to participate, just attend and be respectful.

Maybe it's a more liberal school—but there's not much wiggle room in the Church—but look for a school with a high percentage of non-catholics. Ours has a lot of jewish students and openly has atheists on its board. But everyone is respectful of the underlying tenet, even if they make it clear they don't agree.

[Anonymous]

Holy hell. I cannot believe in 2025, people are teaching children that perfectly normal things are sins.

Get it together, Catholics. I know your numbers are down; wonder why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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!

Mine has priests abusing boys. The church is still protecting those creeps

Identify the school and name the accused. State what “protection” is being afforded. A priest accused nowadays is offsite before sundown and likely out of the priesthood before the criminal investigation has progressed beyond the initial stages.

Identify the parish where this happened with any alacrity. I’ll wait.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Holy hell. I cannot believe in 2025, people are teaching children that perfectly normal things are sins.

Get it together, Catholics. I know your numbers are down; wonder why?

The Catholic population in the US is actually increasing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

We are moving are child from a progressive public charter to a Catholic K-8 precisely because we want consequential homework, focus on fundamentals, and behavior standards that apply to all students equally.

[Anonymous]

OP, we are making a similar transition this fall! You’re not alone. I’m not Catholic, either.

[Anonymous]

My kids did this and had no issue