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Well like any school system, some schools are better than others. In my case, my kids are suppose to go to a catholic school in Commack, we were not inpressed. So for an fee, we send the to Sts. Philips and James in St James. It was the right fit for us.
I have heard about issues about some other schools but we did our homework and are very pleased.
No nuns anymore. Except for one, all nuns I had to deal with in the past were nice. Even the one who was just plain mean, kept me after school for extra help on her own time which helped me alot.
Respect and discipline are not a thing of the past. Although the school is not nearly as strict as they are historically know for, its still 100x better than public school.
I'm amazed how polite these kids are to adults and how they help out the smaller kids.
Money will always be an issue and fundraising does get under everyones skin. But then it think how my public school spends $14,000 per year per kid. Let me tell you, its amazing what catholic school does for under $6000 for two kids!
$6000 for two kids isn't entirely accurate. While that may be the figure you pay, your parish (that's every parish) kicks in a huge sum of money each year (approx 15% of its annual intake by Diocesan guidelines) to support its school. You also have the obligatory fund raisers and other assorted fees. While I agree that it's substantially less than the public school figures, it's not as low on a per child basis as you might think.
Yes the parish does kick in some tuition. But out of pocket for two children it runs us $5500 per year. We have only one mandatory fund raiser. Otherwise, I pick and choose what we donate to and what our children will get out of the donation.
Our school has had about 10 new teachers in the past three years ; we had at least 9 teachers who retired so they all had to be replaced. The newer teachers are just wonderful. We only have one nun left ; yes, she can be cranky, but she is a very good teacher.
When one says that the parish kicks in money ; one also has to look at the other side of that coin ; the public schools are still getting our tax money but not using it to educate our children. Its an arguement that goes around all the time.
To get back to the OP question ; I find that our parochial school is reallly on top of the education requirements.
My really good friend went to St. Barnabas and she hated it. I have heard many horror stories from her too. She's 28, so she was probably there around the same time as you. I think that St. Barnabas is more the exception than the rule. I haven't heard negative things from my other friends that attended different Catholic schools. I am sure that, like public school students, many private school students do not like their schools as well. It is school after all.
My hubby went to Maria Regina and was shocked to hear my stories. I think you're right, St. Barnabas was the exception. Maybe that's why it is now Elizabeth Seton.
Does anyone know who writes and updates curricullum for catholic elementary schools? How frequently is it updated to reflect research based additions or improvements? Are these schools using outdated or less successful instuction plans? Also how do I find out if my childs teachers are certified in the subject they are teaching? Any help is appreciated.
Do teachers receive professional development or differentiated instruction?
I agree with KBinspections - every school is different. I teach in public school in Brooklyn which is very different from public school in LI. Here private schools are often much better.
That said, its very difficult to compare public and private schools because they have many differences. Private schools have less funding, but they also have more of a choice in their students. If a student is a real discipline problem or has significant learning disabilities they can simply say that they cannot serve the needs of your child and ask you to take them elsewhere. In addition, a lot of the parents are very involved in parochial schools. It makes sense that if the parents are willing to shell out an additional $6000 that they are also going to be willing to invest their time.
In contrast, very few of the parents of my public school students are involved. Often times, when I try to call a parent I find that the number has been disconnected. We have very little in terms of consequences (no detention, no in-school suspension) whereas in private school I received detention for any infractions. It is also nearly impossible to have a student removed from the school. We had a student suspended (out of school) twice for bringing weapons to school and couldn't have him removed. . . And I teach at one of the best rated public high schools in Brooklyn.
I think that if you are unhappy with your current Catholic school, you might do as others suggested and research other schools. I'm sure you can find a school that you will like better, and unlike public schools, you can go outside of your zoned area.
As far as extra-curriculars and tutoring are concerned - those aren't necessarily free in public schools either. Many parents pay for outside tutoring services, and a lot of additional fund-raising is done for extra-curricular activities like clubs.
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Catholic school curricullum
