Any Religious Parents in DCPS Because it feels like the "Just" Thing to Do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is an interesting perspective to me. As a Catholic, I send my children to Catholic school, I was sent to Catholic school, my parents went to Catholic school, my GRANDparents went to Catholic school.

Originally, the Catholic schools were started because of the overt anti-Catholicism in this country against Catholics.

Today, we choose to send our children to Catholic school because we want them to be surrounded by a community who shares our morals and values, and to teach our children that religion is not something that just occurs one hour a week, in church. It is everyday, a fabric of our daily lives.

As a Catholic parent, I feel it is part of my responsibility -- and I will be called to answer for this someday -- to do my best to train up my children in the Catholic faith as well, to pass down my faith. I feel the best way to do this is to make the financial sacrifice to pay more $$ to send my kids to a Catholic school.

Well, you can do all of that and still send your kids to public school, at least part of their education. We do, and our Sunday school is full of other families who do too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is an interesting perspective to me. As a Catholic, I send my children to Catholic school, I was sent to Catholic school, my parents went to Catholic school, my GRANDparents went to Catholic school.

Originally, the Catholic schools were started because of the overt anti-Catholicism in this country against Catholics.

Today, we choose to send our children to Catholic school because we want them to be surrounded by a community who shares our morals and values, and to teach our children that religion is not something that just occurs one hour a week, in church. It is everyday, a fabric of our daily lives.

As a Catholic parent, I feel it is part of my responsibility -- and I will be called to answer for this someday -- to do my best to train up my children in the Catholic faith as well, to pass down my faith. I feel the best way to do this is to make the financial sacrifice to pay more $$ to send my kids to a Catholic school.

Well, you can do all of that and still send your kids to public school, at least part of their education. We do, and our Sunday school is full of other families who do too.

...not saying you shouldn't use Catholic schools, obviously! Just saying there is more than one way to skin that cat.

[Anonymous]

I'm no longer religious but raised Catholic. I admire OP for sticking in DCPS for the reasons they stated -- and am pleased to see a religious person iterating the kind of faith I used to routinely hear as a child -- that it's important to make sacrifices for others and to remain true to the model set for us by JC. Good for you, OP! I might tone down the sanctimony a bit, but other posters have covered that. I love that you have sparked a conversation about how caring for community ideals might prompt you to do something that is not the absolute best for your own child. It's really worth considering, given the deep inequities in the public school system. You have my admiration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. I rather my kids went to private school. But $

+100 we’re in a charter, but would prefer to go to private episcopal school is we have the $$. But we don’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, I'm liberal and religious.

And I send my kid to a charter.

For us, wanting our child to be in a diverse environment (not one of those kids in a rich bubble their whole lives) does play a part.

We chose charter rather than DCPS because it was a better fit for him.

As a child of an extremely Catholic mom with a major martyr complex, I will say that I hope you put your own child's needs before those of the neighbor's children. You're the only mom they have. And they need that. They need to hear that you love them the most.

And also, I have some extremely religious friends who send their kids to private school. I don't judge them for it. We all make our own decisions.

I agree with the bolded. You're the parent and you need to do what's best for your children every time. You can also support DCPS schools with high concentrations of poverty. These two things aren't mutually exclusive.

This is why Catholic priests and nuns can't get married or have kids. The Catholic church recognizes that a person's first allegiance would be to a spouse or child, so they have have spouses and children if they pledge to serve God first. Don't use your kids as pawns for a religious or political statement. Do what's best for them and also include them to engage with the community. They can participate in clean up days, volunteer to work for school festivals, donate to the schools, etc. You shouldn't sacrifice your children's education and social lives by placing them in poorly performing schools with mostly kids in poverty when you have better options.

That said, if what you meant was you would make this noblesse oblige sacrifice by sending your kids to Murch, then I'm done with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to go out on a limb and put this out here, mostly because DCUM is anonymous. I know in liberal DC (we're liberal, just also religious Christians) talk of religious stuff is kind of taboo.
BUT
Here's the thing - we made a decision to be committed to DCPS and the sometimes-difficult integration it requires out of a sense of Christian obligation, the idea that getting what's best for me is not actually what I'm supposed to be doing in life. (And I can imagine many others feeling a similar ethical calling regardless of faith tradition, or altruistic humanists, etc.)

I don't ask this to denigrate anyone's choices - but is there anyone out there like us? Who decided rather than some episcopal day school or Catholic school that might teach religion, that being a good neighbor meant actually trying to work alongside your neighbors to make DCPS all that it can be?

Just a question, not a criticism of anyone. (Sometimes it just feels kind of like there is no one out there in DC like us, and I wonder if that is true.)

Sounds like someone can't afford private school and it trying to justify this to themselves.

We are conservative Catholics and are in DCPS Title I school. We love the school and the community. Plus it is convenient for us and I like the price. I don't at all feel like I am obligated by my religion to use the school to fulfill any Christian obligation or ethical calling. We donate to Catholic charities who are doing the heavy lifting on improving "thy neighbor" in DC and around the world.

+1

[Anonymous]

OP, what you are doing is admirable. I’m not sure why people are being so snarky. There are truly some miserable people in the world and particularly on this board. I do believe rue Christiandom is about serving God, serving country/community and serving your family. I respect your values and I also see the struggle but DH & I also struggle with wanting to allow our children to attend public schools but knowing that the lottery isn’t equitable. In fact, if you head over to the private school board you’ll see the latest thread about the WashPo private school scandals.

Unfortunately, Christ calls us to be light even when the world is wicked and willing to trample on others to ensure their “worldly success”, neglecting their own spiritual malnourishment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, what you are doing is admirable. I’m not sure why people are being so snarky. There are truly some miserable people in the world and particularly on this board. I do believe rue Christiandom is about serving God, serving country/community and serving your family. I respect your values and I also see the struggle but DH & I also struggle with wanting to allow our children to attend public schools but knowing that the lottery isn’t equitable. In fact, if you head over to the private school board you’ll see the latest thread about the WashPo private school scandals.

Unfortunately, Christ calls us to be light even when the world is wicked and willing to trample on others to ensure their “worldly success”, neglecting their own spiritual malnourishment.

People are being snarky because it doesn't necessarily benefit the school and the other children to have one more high-income preschooler. If you do a ton of volunteer work or keep your kid there into the testing grades, then you're making a difference. But I don't see how attending preschool or even 1st or K WOTR moves the needle at all. Unless your school is really awful.