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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are MCPS teachers. We are moving our kids to private (Catholic) after they leave their immersion ES.

Yes! I’ve posted many times before that it was due to the wonderful teachers in MCPS confiding in me that I sent our kids first to Episcopal, then to Catholic schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+3 Switched in 5th during the pandemic. It was only then, when my daughter had to write a paper, that I realized she had never written an essay or report before. I was actually embarrassed by it.

It is incredible that our country has sat by while education has been decimated. We will all sadly pay the price.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:… there are other independent (not tied to either parish or diocese) Catholic schools in the area, but they go beyond K-8, for example Brookewood and Avalon are K/1 through 12

Georgetown Prep, Stone Ridge, Gonzaga, Visitation, Holy Child, Holy Cross, Mater Dei, St John’s, the Heights… all are independent Catholic schools

Mater Dei is also K-8, HC starts in middle school. The Heights starts in 3rd grade.
Right, but this thread is about K-8… only Stone Ridge in your list includes those grades

Mater Dei is 1-8, no K.

Anyway the question was about something specific - no need to be listing all this unrelated stuff!

Schools like Mater Dei, Little Flower, and St. Jane de Chantal are the epitome of “white Catholics” only. These are the schools that send kids to Catholic high schools. I can’t imagine what going to high school with these kids would be like for someone from a diverse public school. I’ve literally never seen a more homogenous group of folks in my life - same cars, car stickers, hair color and style. My husband keeps saying they have the same cars because Catholics have a lot of kids.

So not true. It’s like you’re writing from the 1950s. I’m a Black Catholic. Funnily enough I actually started going to a Unitarian Universalist church in this area a decade ago. THAT was the literally the whitest, and most politically homogeneous, group I’ve ever seen. It was such a ridiculous experience I left and ended up a very happy Catholic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re one of the families you’re talking about and are thinking about switching out our DS for 9th. He got accepted to SJC. We have been unhappy with MCPS for a bit. We’re not Catholic or particularly religious but I was raised in church (Methodist) and think learning about religion and the associated values would be good for him, and it’s closer to home than our zoned public. We are pretty liberal though which is my only hesitation. But I’m leaning towards enrolling.

PP, were also former MCPS. When my eldest started at SJC, I had Hilary bumper stickers on my car. There are plenty of people of different political beliefs, religions, and economic backgrounds at SJC. It is a microcosm of community, as it should be, and yes, values of discipline, humility, gratefulness, and forgiveness are lived by leadership and staff. Welcome to SJC!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:… there are other independent (not tied to either parish or diocese) Catholic schools in the area, but they go beyond K-8, for example Brookewood and Avalon are K/1 through 12

Georgetown Prep, Stone Ridge, Gonzaga, Visitation, Holy Child, Holy Cross, Mater Dei, St John’s, the Heights… all are independent Catholic schools

Mater Dei is also K-8, HC starts in middle school. The Heights starts in 3rd grade.
Right, but this thread is about K-8… only Stone Ridge in your list includes those grades

Mater Dei is 1-8, no K.

Anyway the question was about something specific - no need to be listing all this unrelated stuff!

Schools like Mater Dei, Little Flower, and St. Jane de Chantal are the epitome of “white Catholics” only. These are the schools that send kids to Catholic high schools. I can’t imagine what going to high school with these kids would be like for someone from a diverse public school. I’ve literally never seen a more homogenous group of folks in my life - same cars, car stickers, hair color and style. My husband keeps saying they have the same cars because Catholics have a lot of kids.

LOL, sure. I don’t know why you are trying to dissuade people from considering Catholic schools, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see your kids hop out of one these cars at a Catholic school. 😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re one of the families you’re talking about and are thinking about switching out our DS for 9th. He got accepted to SJC. We have been unhappy with MCPS for a bit. We’re not Catholic or particularly religious but I was raised in church (Methodist) and think learning about religion and the associated values would be good for him, and it’s closer to home than our zoned public. We are pretty liberal though which is my only hesitation. But I’m leaning towards enrolling.

PP, were also former MCPS. When my eldest started at SJC, I had Hilary bumper stickers on my car. There are plenty of people of different political beliefs, religions, and economic backgrounds at SJC. It is a microcosm of community, as it should be, and yes, values of discipline, humility, gratefulness, and forgiveness are lived by leadership and staff. Welcome to SJC!

+1. It’s like people don’t know that Catholics in the US split about 50/50 between Dems and Republicans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re one of the families you’re talking about and are thinking about switching out our DS for 9th. He got accepted to SJC. We have been unhappy with MCPS for a bit. We’re not Catholic or particularly religious but I was raised in church (Methodist) and think learning about religion and the associated values would be good for him, and it’s closer to home than our zoned public. We are pretty liberal though which is my only hesitation. But I’m leaning towards enrolling.

PP, were also former MCPS. When my eldest started at SJC, I had Hilary bumper stickers on my car. There are plenty of people of different political beliefs, religions, and economic backgrounds at SJC. It is a microcosm of community, as it should be, and yes, values of discipline, humility, gratefulness, and forgiveness are lived by leadership and staff. Welcome to SJC!

I’m so glad to hear this! Our DC just got accepted to SJC.

[Anonymous]

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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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Behavioral issues top the list. There are so many behavioral problems in public MS and HS that bathrooms routinely are locked (see many threads on this in FCPS and MCPS).

But also academic rigor. My kid is reading real books in 9th grade; her friends who remained in public school are reading YA books ("The Hate U Give" and "Hunger Games"). Yes, in Honors.

This is ridiculous!! My daughter would read these books on her own. I love that she is pushed to read English literature now.

[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.

Same story here except more recent. Our smart kids from public found plenty of smart kids at their Catholic HS from public and both Catholic and non-Catholic privates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Behavioral issues top the list. There are so many behavioral problems in public MS and HS that bathrooms routinely are locked (see many threads on this in FCPS and MCPS).

But also academic rigor. My kid is reading real books in 9th grade; her friends who remained in public school are reading YA books ("The Hate U Give" and "Hunger Games"). Yes, in Honors.

This is ridiculous!! My daughter would read these books on her own. I love that she is pushed to read English literature now.

Moms of Liberty in da house!

Why do you say that? I said my daughter reads these books, and others, on her own. I want her to be pushed academically in her honors English class. She is reading books that she would never pick up on her own. How does that make me MOL?

Because it’s their talking point. I’m sorry if you’re not. But the hate you give is a real book with an important message. It’s not that different than the scarlet letter which is considered literature

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Behavioral issues top the list. There are so many behavioral problems in public MS and HS that bathrooms routinely are locked (see many threads on this in FCPS and MCPS).

But also academic rigor. My kid is reading real books in 9th grade; her friends who remained in public school are reading YA books ("The Hate U Give" and "Hunger Games"). Yes, in Honors.

This is ridiculous!! My daughter would read these books on her own. I love that she is pushed to read English literature now.

Moms of Liberty in da house!

Why do you say that? I said my daughter reads these books, and others, on her own. I want her to be pushed academically in her honors English class. She is reading books that she would never pick up on her own. How does that make me MOL?

Don’t take it personally. That PP had no good response and that’s the best they could come up with. Just ignore her and maybe she’ll troll somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Behavioral issues top the list. There are so many behavioral problems in public MS and HS that bathrooms routinely are locked (see many threads on this in FCPS and MCPS).

But also academic rigor. My kid is reading real books in 9th grade; her friends who remained in public school are reading YA books ("The Hate U Give" and "Hunger Games"). Yes, in Honors.

This is ridiculous!! My daughter would read these books on her own. I love that she is pushed to read English literature now.

Moms of Liberty in da house!

Why do you say that? I said my daughter reads these books, and others, on her own. I want her to be pushed academically in her honors English class. She is reading books that she would never pick up on her own. How does that make me MOL?

Because it’s their talking point. I’m sorry if you’re not. But the hate you give is a real book with an important message. It’s not that different than the scarlet letter which is considered literature

Welp, I stand by my point that kids should be reading things that are incremental to what they would read on their own. I never said these books shouldn't be read and in fact my kid has read both of these on her own time.

[Anonymous]

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]

Exactly. It’s almost as good as independent but a lot cheaper