There was a time long ago when public schools were thriving, and Catholic schools were also thriving. They were not in competition for students or money. But as our financial demands began pressing on both sectors, Catholic schools began closing and struggling to survive. Among rightwing ideologues, it became conventional to proclaim Catholic schools as “better” than public schools because they were free to kick out the students they didn’t want.
Mollie Wilson O’Reilly, an editor at Commonweal, calls on certain tabloids (i.e. Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post) to stop using Catholic schools to shame public schools. She hearkens back to that long-ago ethic when the different sectors served different populations and knew it.
The Post is unlikely to cease its attacks on the city’s public schools, because Murdoch loves school choice and lionizes charter schools. The Post eagerly prints press releases from Success Academy without ever bothering to fact-check or to acknowledge that SA is an exemplar of high attrition rates and high teacher-turnover rates.
O’Reilly writes (and this is only part of her article):
I can’t comment on the soundness of the decisions being made by the New York City Department of Education. But I know who I see using the pandemic to stuff their pockets, and it isn’t fat-cat maintenance workers. The Post’s implication that public-school educators are unconcerned with their students’ wellbeing is disgraceful. And while it is true that Catholic schools can be a lifeline for students served poorly by public education, I have also known families who have moved their children out of Catholic schools because the public system provides—is required to provide—services for learning disabilities and other special needs that Catholic schools can’t always accommodate. “Putting education first” is not as simple as it sounds.
Catholics should be standing in solidarity with all our neighbors as we do our best to cope with this crisis. We degrade our witness when we allow Catholic schools to be used in a propaganda campaign against public services—or against an honest reckoning with the facts. As the 2020 election approaches, conservatives are eager to exploit the Catholic school success story to advance the claim—let’s call it what it is, a conspiracy theory—that liberals are dishonestly playing up the threat of COVID-19 to make President Donald Trump look bad.
The truth is, my kids and their schoolmates are part of a broad experiment to find out whether masks and distancing and all the other safeguards in place are enough to prevent the spread of the virus. All of us, public and private, parents, teachers, and administrators, are looking for the best way forward in a highly unstable situation. That situation is not the fault of teachers’ unions, or lazy public-school janitors, or even (despite his many sins) Bill de Blasio. It is a direct consequence of the reprehensible failure of the Trump administration to protect Americans from COVID-19. We are all still scrambling, months after schools first shut down in March, because we have inadequate testing and tracing, no national recovery plan, and a president who undermines public trust and sneers at his opponent for wearing a mask. The real scandal we’re all facing isn’t the lack of a functional school system. It’s the lack of a functional federal government.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
The line “other special needs that Catholic schools can’t accommodate” is a propaganda line. Catholic schools could accommodate students with special needs if they cared to; they just don’t give a crap about those children and aren’t willing to spend their resources on them.
A Power Parish Catholic school in my part of my city kicked a child with a disability from a terminal illness down its saintly front stairs (metaphorically speaking). The family’s two older children attended the parochial school. The ill child attended my children’s public school, which welcomed and supported her and the family through her illness and death. There’s a memorial to her on the playground now. I know the parochial school parents still sneer about the supposedly inferior public schools. (As readers might perceive, this disgusting, un-Christian, cruel hypocrisy still causes me to splutter with rage.)
This wasn’t the only such situation, of course; other children with learning disabilities landed in our public school, kicked out by the “superior” parochial schools, and parochial school parents will say casually, “my youngest had to go public because he has a disability,” not questioning the hypocrisy. The dying child was just such an extreme case. (Of course they need the money for the pedophile priest payouts, it’s true.)
I would actually challenge the statement that right-wingers say Catholic schools are superior because they’re free to kick out students they don’t want. They just say Catholic schools are superior because they’re private. The real reason Catholic schools have an edge of sorts is that they’re free to reject and kick out the students they don’t want. This doesn’t give them a moral edge; hypocrisy is not an admirable or Christian quality.
Jefferson- In all ages, in all countries, the priest aligns with the despot.
Martin Luther King certainly was not an example of this. Nor was John Wesley or William Wilberforce. Indeed we should be careful to ascribe all priests to the status of Richelieu or Mazarin, for religion has often motivated revolution. I think of Grito de Dolores, celebrated each year as the beginning of Mexico.
Jefferson will take note.
Now, now, Linda. Have you not yet learned that when it comes to politics and religion, anecdotal exception to the rule always eclipse overwhelming evidence and experience? And although I don’t have time to cite my prior readings, if I remember correctly, the example of Wilberforce is not as clearcut an example as MLK. I will plead ignorance on Wesley and Grito de Delores.
Greg: Rebellious priest Miguel Hildalgo rallied the opposition of the common people in the Town of Dolores to begin the series of events that led to the creation of Mexico in 1821. Each year Grito de Dolores (the cry of Dolores) is celebrated as the beginning of Mexico.
Other examples of political opposition to the status quo can be stirred from the pages of history, and I would, for the most part, go along with you, Linda, and Mr. Jefferson.
Still, it is notable that abolitionism was primarily a religious movement both in Britain and the United States. This is why the southerners found it necessary to defend slavery on religious grounds. In France, it was Victor Hugo who was derided by his critics as “that Christian Socialist.” Hugo cared about the common people, a place the Church organization ironically did not go.
YES, and the organized church supports the money candidates
Greg-
Your first sentence should be preserved for posterity.
The reason that libertarians in league with Catholic political power brokers trash the public sector and promote Catholic institutions is reflected in the significance of Biel v. St. James Catholic school. The SCOTUS ruling renders worker protections almost non-existent.
Catholic organizations are the 3rd largest employer in the U.S.
“The New York Post” is turning into a political version of the “National Enquirer.” It is a rag. Their goal is to cast aspersions on liberal, democratic ideals and politicians that support those ideals. The ‘NY Post’ recently published the QAnan laptop story of dubious veracity. This paper is trying to sow seeds of doubt in left leaning institutions and politicians.
The right is on a decades long campaign to destroy the common good. The Trump administration’s direct assault on democracy has opened eyes of many unsuspecting people. Understanding what is going on is the first step. The most important step is to vote and encourage other like minded individuals to vote.
Was it ever anything but a rag? In my 20 yrs as a denizen of NYC, the Times was for news, the Daily News for sports, funnies & Dear Abby, & the Post for wrapping garbage.
Very odd to hear the Post being quoted as a source for the “news” of the last few days.
I have never understood why the Catholic Church has been allowed to run schools in the wake of the enabling and cover-up of the sexual abuse of children. It is especially egregious in my home of Boston, where these schools took PPP money and now prance about trumpeting that they’ve reopened school buildings while public schools for the most part are remote.
The case that sticks most in my mind is of a woman who took in her sister’s four little boys after their mother died. She already had three young sons, so when the parish priest offered to come by in the evenings to help get them into bed and listen to their prayers, she glad accepted his offer. She never considered he might abuse them.
The further kids get from public schools, the less we can protect them.
I share your concern(s) 😐, but pedos are everywhere-even in public schools ☹️.
That is so, but I’ve never seen a public school system which enabled and protected child sexual abusers.
Eddie took the words right out of my mouth. Sexual abuse is everywhere; the predatory prey on the most vulnerable; they get away with it in direct proportion to lack of transparency/ accountability. Even where there is minimum transparency [e.g. in church establishments], if the organization is big enough, truth will out sooner than in all the little mom&pop church schools, ad hoc youth groups– and families.
It’s a mistake to tie the child-abuse uncovered in the Catholic establishment to vows of celibacy, thus making it a particularly ‘Catholic’ thing, suggesting Catholic schools/ youth activities are dangerous to children as opposed to any other private school, Y, camp, etc. To a pedophile, even marriage is ‘celibacy,’ and their preferred sexual relationship is taboo in any context.
Christine-
Media widely reported about the broadcasted comments of the head of the Office of Spiritual Development of the Archdiocese of New York, during the Jerry Sandusky scandal. The priest defended Sandusky and said, in a lot of cases, 14, 16 and 18 year olds are the seducers.
That may have been the view of devout Catholic, Joe Paterno.
Christine-
Sure, it’s what you describe.
But, it’s also the unconscionable support for a chain of private religious schools (some tax supported) that take a poor kid’s paycheck while denying him 20% of the education that his rich peers get. And, it’s that those same supporters vote Republican and encourage the faithful to vote GOP, starving the community of tax dollars. They are smart enough to know the model for private and religious schools reduces local economic multiplier effect with the anticipated economic and social devastation.
Yep; we;ve got a Cristi Rey down the street.
Here’s the kicker, though. A friend of the family applied to be an administrator there. They made her employment conditioned on her marrying her partner because “morality”. To do so, she had to seek an annulment from her first husband, with whom she has two grown children. She complied.
The hypocrisy is thick.
The real scandal we’re all facing isn’t the lack of a functional school system. It’s the lack of a functional federal government.
This is a great ending to the post.
Oligarchy.
Despots in bed with conservative religions’ leaders.
I never would have expected it, but we’re applying to Catholic high schools for next year given the chaos of the NYC public school system. And we’re one of a huge rush of families doing that.
Tax -supported Catholic school? If so, it is wrong for me, as a taxpayer, to be billed for it.
Report back the demographics of the school.
Let blog readers know if and when the school sponsors a trip to D.C. to demand an end to decisions by a women, man and their doctor regarding reproductive decisions.
I think you said your student was a son. A conservative religion priest/bishop, teachers and principals can screw up boys but, it seems the consequence to a girl could be irreversible.
I have no idea what the demographics are, and I’m not particularly interested.
Linda, I wish that you were as offended by fundamentalist Christian nationalists as you are by extremist Catholics.
Rhetorically-
Does the fundamentalist Christians’ political clout and success in D.C. and state capitols match that of the conservative Catholic power brokers? I’ve ordered Power Worshippers. Does the book compare it for readers? Does the book compare the amount of Trump promotion by each?
I know there are no fundamentalist Christians on SCOTUS and, I know Leonard Leo and the Koch’s Paul Weyrich are/were Catholic.
Are there fundamentalist political organizations similar to the state Catholic Conferences operating in almost every state? Do they publicly announce their alliance with the AFP and EdChoice?
Is there a fundamentalist school chain operating in 17 states? How many schools do Catholics operate vs. fundamentalist Christians? Which of the two sects receives more tax revenue? Has there been a scandal in the fundamentalist Christian sect that rivals in scope the pedophilia and coverup in the Catholic Church?
Are there as many opportunities for the white washing of fundamentalist Christian churches in msm as there are for Catholic schools and churches or, are they more often vilified like Peter Wehner’s piece, “Evangelicals Made a Bad Bargain with Trump.” Sasse put a target on the fundamentalist Christians in msm, also. Wehner’s EPPC board includes Leonard Leo and Robert P. George.
Hasn’t Trump delivered for them? Where’s the article, “Catholics and Trump Seal the Deal”? How many people click on a story in Commonweal? The Manhattan Institute (granted it has low readership) isn’t the only conservative think tank promoting the Catholic brand.
Msm didn’t even attempt to get the story right about the Trump photo op at the Knights of Columbus shrine. At this blog, there was almost a giddiness to believe msm’s version that Bishop Anthony spoke for the church and a reluctance to accept he was condemning the church hierarchy.
At the Republican Convention was there balance between Catholic speakers and Christian fundamentalists? In his administration, which is doing the heavy lifting for Trump? He mocks evangelicals, not Catholics.
Are Christian schools as active in numbers of students sent to capitols to influence lawmakers?
Do Christian universities produce conservatives elevated to positions of power at the same rate that a Notre Dame, Georgetown or Catholic University of America does?
Extremist evangelicals voted 80% for Trump. “Extremist” white Catholics voted 60% for Trump.
You know what Linda, there are many Independent,
Catholic faith based schools that are VERY different than Archdiocese Schools and you may educate yourself about the difference. My son goes to one of these Progressive, Catholic with a small “c” schools and we pay for it. No money from the state, but they are accredited by the state. My children are 1/2 watered down Christian and 1/2 watered down Jewish and my son has never come home to tell me that they have tried to bring him “into the fold”. For boys who love the religious aspect, there is peer ministry set up for those who wish to particiapte. Yes….they all have to attend the occasional “c”atholic mass but they are not required to pray or take communion….they are asked to be respectful. For the 1st time ever, he loves school because he is respected as a human being and not used as a data point or as a kid who will do well on the stupid standardized tests.
Most of the families there are fleeing the public school systems because of over testing, data collection and the garbage common core curriculum. Many of these boys were in public MSs that used “Personalized (un)Learning”. A fair amount of the teachers are former students and quite a few of the teachers left the public school systems because of the misuse of standardized testing, adoption of the common core which they felt was wrong for children and a loss of autonomy in the classroom. When I was able to walk through his school, it felt exactly like my public HS of the early 1980’s (I lived in a blue collar/lower income area) where I received a very good public education. When I walked through my older child’s public HS (we live in a high tax district), it was devoid of anything that made learning meaningful.
I hate to demean public schools, but something has to change if they want to stay viable. The kids aren’t happy and the parents aren’t happy…heck, even the teachers aren’t happy! Public education needs to get back to what school is supposed to be for children. Bob Shepherd’s description of the awful CC ELA standards and what they have done to the ELA curriculum is the perfect example….and it’s like this in every class in public school (math, science, history….even art and PE!! (they take notes and tests SMH!!!!).
I don’t ask any for tax dollars to pay for my son’s private education and I don’t make a stink that my tax dollars still support the public school system that my child does not attend. I don’t want Vouchers, because when one takes tax dollars from the Gov’t, the Govt’ always wants something in return……data, testing, adoption of CC etc. You should really look at the difference between Independent and Archdiocese before you throw them all under the bus because of your personal disgust of extremist Catholic faith.
LisaM
I have no “disgust” for the Catholic faith. When children are abused and there is a widespread cover up that is illegal, I’m disgusted with the perpetrators. When religious leaders align with Republican libertarians to destroy the public sector, I, as a citizen of the United States, am compelled to work to end the assault.
Christian, Scientology, Muslim, Wiccan, different Catholic types, different Jewish types,… schools become the focus of public debate when they flex their muscle in the public square to gain tax dollars.
Concerns specific to me which have limited support at this blog include (1) valuing public education as a unifier in a diverse nation
(2) the threat to America’s prosperity in aggregate and democracy when religious beliefs absorb teaching time and contradict well-established scientific knowledge and civic lessons (3) the taxpayer cost of an entire monitoring and enforcement system to regulate different schools that parents select to match individual tastes (4) The prospect of elimination of locally elected school boards by anti-democracy Bill Gates and Netflix’s Reed Hastings. (5) Loss of the villagers’ interest which works to ensure the communities’ children flourish. Communal urban, rural and suburban societies require something greater than individual gain in order to survive.
Bill Gates and Walton heirs fund the Cristo Rey Catholic school chain, schools which also receive taxpayer support. Bill and Melinda Gates (he participates in the Catholic Church she attends, she is a Catholic school graduate) are the people who drove the testing that makes students dissatisfied with their public schools. Gates and Zuck are investors in the largest seller of schools-in-a-box which has an anticipated ROI of 20%. Bill Gates’ philanthropic efforts have been charged with conflict of interest before.
Wealthy libertarian Republicans and corporations pushed legislatures and federal government to mandate the noxious things in public schools that you describe. But, don’t you worry about any of the preceding information as long your kids are in the private school that pleases you and people avoid stepping on the toes of the religious, regardless of how much clout their leaders have in public and tax policy.
You still refuse to see that there IS a difference between Archdiocese schools and Independent catholic faith based schools. Archdiocese schools have accepted gov’t money and they have adopted deforms in exchange for that money. I wouldn’t put my child into an Archdiocese school but I can’t say that I love public schools too much either at this point. What is the alternative, Linda? Do I try to “homeschool” my child when I know that I am not qualified to do so? Maybe I should just “un-school” my child and let him become like the uneducated Trump supporters and QAnon-ers? Do I put him in public school where he is unhappy, becomes a behavior problem and feels he’s worthless? I want you to tell me the best way for my child to become a responsible and educated young adult who is prepared to enter society? You seem educated, yet you’re unwilling to open your mind about anything that doesn’t fit squarely into your ideas about the evil Catholic faith. Square pegs do not fit into circle holes. In between the black and white is a whole lotta gray.
LisaM
I have never written, intimated in writing nor, do I plan to write that the Catholic, LDS, Jehovah Witness,…faiths are evil because it is not what I believe.
Parents try to make decisions in the best interest of their families and one hopes that the greater good isn’t sacrificed by the decision. As the original post states, the least that the people looking out for their own interests can do is to not throw public schools, democracy, and Main Street under the bus by criticizing them for what billionaires imposed on them.
If citizens are willing to do more, they can vote for community members and state and national politicians who support the common good. They can communicate with the diocese, state Catholic Conferences and other politically active religious organizations expressing their dissatisfaction with alliances with economic libertarians. They can proactively find other ways to fight against the intent to destroy democracy and thwart access to economic opportunity. They can work to oppose implementation of disportioncate penalties for being poor and being a person of color.
Thank you for not trolling me and not calling me ignorant.
Flerp!
If I’m paying for the school, I don’t want it to discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, disability, sex,…
I resent that you expect me to pay for your son’s privilege.
Best wishes to you as well, Linda.
Flerp!
I also resent paying money to an organization that overtly discriminates against women. I don’t know the relative amount of racism in the American Catholic population as contrasted with other demographic groups. Based on anecdotal evidence, church leaders should be concerned enough to be proactive, unless they themselves are racist and sexist. We do know the answer to 50% of that equation.
Biel V. St. James Catholic school gives the church the right to violate civil rights employment law. The Catholic Church instigated the lawsuit.
If you were a black, Jewish woman, who after Espinosa and the billionaire privatizer/Catholic voucher campaign was forced to fund Christian, racist and sexist organizations, how would you feel about an answer, “best wishes”?
If you were a taxpayer who in adulthood had an illness directly linked to the abuse you suffered at the hands of a priest(s) and were forced to pay for the organization that covered up the crime, how would the response, “best wishes”, sound to you?
Linda, I’m just trying to get a good education for my son. I’m sorry for whatever negative experiences you may have had. And I do wish you the best.
Flerp
My reply is in moderation.
Your reply is no longer in moderation.
Flerp
Thank you for your concern.
My empathy and the underpinnings for my views aren’t tied to personal, harmful experiences.
Me, my family, friends, church, schools, employment etc. – largely free of adverse circumstance. However, most of that time predates the influence of William Barr, Leonard Leo, Grover Norquist, ALEC, and Charles Koch.
I wish the best for you and your son as well.
NYC Catholic schools are largely self-supporting, but are entitled to the same public services that many nondenominational private schools receive – busing and lunch.
AND NYC Catholic schools are very diverse racially and in some cases, religiously diverse. Chill out, people.
While it has long been decided that Catholic and private schools receive public funds for busing and food for public health reasons, I still oppose those expenditures coming from tax dollars. In essence, these public funds have enabled practices of indoctrination, intolerance, and, in some cases, sexual abuse. And I’m fairly chilled.
It also does not escape my attention that many Catholic and private schools were spawned in reaction to the Brown decision and the schools that existed before it have reaped great financial and enrollment rewards. The irony of using public funds for transportation, food and other public services (like not paying taxes) to escape federal law is also a reality that can’t be swept under the rhetorical rug–although it has a strong history of actually doing so.
Beth-
SCOTUS case Espinosa v. Montana.
SCOTUS case Biel v. St.James Catholic school- colonialism- exemption of Catholic teachers from U.S. civil rights employment law.
Those who are “chill” about Barrett’s confirmation, don’t value America.
Beth
My reply is in moderation.
To me, Catholic schools and charter schools have always been synonymous, but charter supporters cannot make the connection for whatever reason.
They’ve made “the connection” just fine. State Catholic Conferences co-host school choice rallies in state capitols with the Koch’s AFP. And, the Conferences work in league with EdChoice.
Bill Gates and the Waltons fund the Cristo Rey school chain and they are the biggest school privatizers in the U.S.
Do you really think the Catholic Church promotes vouchers singly without the help of Republican libertarians?
To clarify, I’m talking about rank and file charter supporters i.e. my fellow parents, not the leadership.
Beth-
If parents told me they wanted their children to attend a school that discriminates based on demographic profiles because they believe their kids are superior to other community children or, because their children deserve to have teachers and staff who are willing to expose themselves to the risks of the pandemic, I wouldn’t know whether to advise them to choose a religious or charter (contractor) school.
If parents want to lose the right to democratically elect a local school board, either choice works.
Students, their parents and, teachers from charter and religious schools both take time from the educational day to rally in the capitols during school choice week.
Beth-
Betsy DeVos certainly married the two, financially supporting both with federal dollars from taxpayers.
Betsy DeVos at Hillsdale suggests her policy changes will be difficult to undo
– from The Detroit News
Oct. 19, 2020
Earlier, she took part in an “education freedom” roundtable focused on the college’s liberal arts curriculum and its mission of providing a classical education
Hillsdale — U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos emphasized Monday at a gathering in Michigan that school of choice will remain key if President Donald Trump is reelected and she remains on his Cabinet.
DeVos, at an education round table at Hillsdale College, also added this salvo to any incoming administration if Trump is defeated in November: a new education secretary would find it difficult to reverse policy changes she has made.
“We have been very methodical about our rulemaking and regulatory moves to do everything according to law, so that if there are changes, they have to be done by law as well,” she said.
She cited Title IX provisions added under her leadership as increasing protections for those accused of sexual assault on college campuses. DeVos said a new administration could not invalidate new, controversial policies for those accused of sexual assault.
In May, the Education Department finalized campus sexual assault rules that bolster the rights of the accused, reduce legal liabilities for schools and colleges, and narrow the scope of cases schools will be required to investigate…
“Parents are more aware than ever before how and what their children are, or are not, learning,” she said. “And far too many of them are stuck with no choices, no help and no way forward.”
DeVos sought to portray education challenges arising from the pandemic as a problem of choice, not just between virtual or in-person learning, but of choices between public, charter and private schools.
Check out this story on detroitnews.com: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/10/19/betsy-devos-hillsdale-college-education-roundtable/3706409001/
Unlike 1820 and 1920, when the choices were public and private schools, today’s parents have:
public school (all of us know about that 🙂),
private school (i.e. Catholic, Lutheran, Christian (non-denominational), secular, Muslim, Jewish and ????),
home school (historically, schools have closed for extreme weather and illnesses),
home school (taught by parents, tutors and internet materials),
online school and
alternative schools (i.e. military schools for child actors, circus kids, the Fame school, schools for naughty kids).
🙂
I disagree with Ms. DeVos. 😐
Also, historically, correspondence school by mail, radio and television.
cx: military, tutors for child actors, circus kids,
In Chicago, long ago Congresspeople Frank Annunzio, Dan Rostenkowski, Dan Lipinski and maybe Henry Hyde advocated vouchers. It never happened. 🙂
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the questionable aspects of Roman Catholicism. Much of that religion is based on what some popes and saints decreed, which usually isn’t biblical. ☹️
The Bible never said to worship popes, saints, statues (idols) and Mary. Nowhere does the Bible state God had a mom. If God did, we would have read about Mary or Goddess throughout the Bible. If God wanted statue worship, he wouldn’t have had the Ancient Israelites destroy statues when they conquered lands. 😐
In the future – when only the real truth about Covid death reporting, ways of exaggerating the testing modalities & so many other misrepresentations of Covid19 come to the fore, many who exclusively blamed the President for this biological type warfare, released into the world, people will stop blaming Pres. Trump. He took in every single American from abroad, at critical times without reservation or without testing. He honored their lives even after realizing that they could be spreading the virus which we knew so little about! No American was left behind. Sadly, as per many economists, shuttling down the entire country / world was a so called scientific decision that will affect our national and international economies for decades to come.
As a former teacher- I agree that it’s not the teachers’ fault that we were hit by this plandemic-pandemic.
Nevertheless, the country cannot be shut down forever because the emotional, psychological and intellectual toll on our nation’s children will be an indelible mark in their psyche, regardless of which schools they used to attend. We are living an unprecedented time that only historians will be able to assess correctly. Please stop blaming one person for the disastrous virus that closed everything or almost everything- for everyone. Thank you!