Anonymous wrote:

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

Have you reported it? Because, no, they are not still protecting those creeps, they are reporting them, and have been since the 1980s, and they are being prosecuted just like any other abuser.

Oh boy. Yes they still protect them, by moving them from parish to parish or to another diocese. They report when they HAVE to (a lawsuit comes to light) the church lobbies against clawback laws at the state government level when necessary.

Did you report your first hand knowledge of this?

The challenge our DD faced was getting used to higher expectations. The academic environment is what I remember from the 80s, which I think is a good thing. She has a lot of purposeful work and the simple expectation is that she gets it done.

The teachers are very supportive and help her when she’s behind. Her Physics teacher in particular has been amazing. She stayed after 2-3 times a week to help our DD with concepts she was struggling to understand.

For some folk the adjustment to a single sex school (some Catholic schools) and even uniforms is a big change from progressive education.

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

Have you reported it? Because, no, they are not still protecting those creeps, they are reporting them, and have been since the 1980s, and they are being prosecuted just like any other abuser.

Oh boy. Yes they still protect them, by moving them from parish to parish or to another diocese. They report when they HAVE to (a lawsuit comes to light) the church lobbies against clawback laws at the state government level when necessary.

Anonymous wrote:

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

The dumbing down of academics
The dumbing down of science

I think the biggest challenge will be the switch happening after 9 years in a completely different kind of environment. Most Catholic schools that I have seen do have a long list of infractions even for “minor” things like wearing the wrong color shirt or wrong style of shoes.

Catholic schools also have a reputation of not being as strong when it comes to math and science (although progressive schools aren’t always so great a math either), but strong humanities and writing. Of course the religious element can be quite heavy feeling for a non-Catholic who is new to the parochial school environment.

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

The dumbing down of academics
The dumbing down of science

There needs to be some context.

No, I don't think a kid that spent K-8 at a Waldorf School (and liked it) is going to like a Catholic school.

Now, maybe they hated their Waldorf School and want what the Catholic school offers.

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.

High school

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

As if indoctrination doesn’t happen at other privates and even public schools also.

Spend a week at GDS…

Anonymous wrote:

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.

As if indoctrination doesn’t happen at other privates and even public schools also.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Oh look, it's the "indocrtrination" poster again.

When my kids get to high school, their options would be Bishop Ireton, Bishop O'Connell, or Annandale High School. One of these three performs very poorly, and I think you can guess which one.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Oh look, it's the "indocrtrination" poster again.

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

Have you reported it? Because, no, they are not still protecting those creeps, they are reporting them, and have been since the 1980s, and they are being prosecuted just like any other abuser.

Anonymous wrote:Don't - Catholics don't want "progressives" in their schools. Aren't the many other progressive options good enough?

Progressive is a style of pedagogy, not a political philosophy. It's more project-based, but these schools can also have missions of social justice etc. -- which may be what you are referencing.

My DC just graduated from a progressive K-8 school. It was fantastic. But DC is ready for a different experience and wanted to chart their own path. We are not Catholic, but we know many non-Catholic families that very much like their Catholic schools. It does not hurt that the tuition is considerably less. Moreover, the Catholic school DC will be attending seems a lot more ideologically and socio-economically diverse than the traditional NW DC schools that adhere to the standard progressive pedagogy.