Do you love your Catholic school? (renting, elementary school, tuition)

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by HereinVA

Not in my situation--the Catholic school I send my kids to is appears to be more racially diverse than the local public school.

Elementary or high school? I've noticed the white flight phenomenon around here tends to rears its head once the kids reach high school and all those adorably diverse small children turn into gangstas that scare the heck out of conservative moms and dads.

I'm also curious about these "non-diocesan" independent Catholic schools. Are they generally tilted to the conservative, opus dei "Irish Catholic" traditiionalists? Again are thee high schools or just elementary schools?

[HereinVA]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Elementary or high school? I've noticed the white flight phenomenon around here tends to rears its head once the kids reach high school and all those adorably diverse small children turn into gangstas that scare the heck out of conservative moms and dads.

Elementary.

[car54]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Elementary or high school? I've noticed the white flight phenomenon around here tends to rears its head once the kids reach high school and all those adorably diverse small children turn into gangstas that scare the heck out of conservative moms and dads...

Don't you mean "...all those adorably diverse small children turn into gangstas that scare the heck out of LIBERAL moms and dads"?

If they were conservatives, those black and brown kids would have always scared the heck out of them....from kindergarten on.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by car54

Don't you mean "...all those adorably diverse small children turn into gangstas that scare the heck out of LIBERAL moms and dads"?

If they were conservatives, those black and brown kids would have always scared the heck out of them....from kindergarten on.

Nah, liberal moms' and dads' kids are usually smart and get segregated in the AP and IB classes.

[Yankeesfan]

Originally Posted by HereinVA

Not in my situation--the Catholic school I send my kids to is appears to be more racially diverse than the local public school.

Catholic schools in most areas have fewer African-Americans (although there are some) than public schools simply because not many blacks are Catholic. But there are many students of other backgrounds -- Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese, etc. -- who are traditionally Catholic. At my children's Confirmations I was surprised to see how much higher the percentage of white students was among the CCD students, who attended the surrounding public schools, than among the students at the local Catholic school.

In private high schools the number of non-white students may drop because it costs more than elementary, and some of the immigrant or first-generation-American parents can't afford it as easily. But that has nothing to do with "white flight."

Catholic school graduates also have an almost 100% college-attendance rate. It's rare to have more than a couple of kids in a graduating class who aren't going straight to college. Of course that's not due solely to being in Catholic schools -- there are many factors. But it exerts peer pressure in a positive way; it just doesn't occur to anyone NOT to apply to college and then go.

[Yankeesfan]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Nah, liberal moms' and dads' kids are usually smart and get segregated in the AP and IB classes.

You know, I actually do hear that sort of thing occasionally. I have had people (including non-Catholics) tell me that their neighborhood elementary and junior high are fine but when high school rolls around they're going to send their child to Bishop Ireton rather than TC Williams, for example. But the Catholic high schools give first priority in admissions to students who went to Catholic elementary schools so it usually doesn't work. Which is fine because that's not really the right motivation for going to a Catholic (or any religious) school.

[car54]

Originally Posted by Yankeesfan

Catholic schools in most areas have fewer African-Americans (although there are some) than public schools simply because not many blacks are Catholic. But there are many students of other backgrounds -- Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese, etc. -- who are traditionally Catholic. At my children's Confirmations I was surprised to see how much higher the percentage of white students was among the CCD students, who attended the surrounding public schools, than among the students at the local Catholic school.

In private high schools the number of non-white students may drop because it costs more than elementary, and some of the immigrant or first-generation-American parents can't afford it as easily. But that has nothing to do with "white flight."

Catholic school graduates also have an almost 100% college-attendance rate. It's rare to have more than a couple of kids in a graduating class who aren't going straight to college. Of course that's not due solely to being in Catholic schools -- there are many factors. But it exerts peer pressure in a positive way; it just doesn't occur to anyone NOT to apply to college and then go.

As mentioned, you don't have to be Catholic to attend Catholic school.

Recently I took a well-regarded FCPS men's varsity basketball team to Paul VI, and we got THRASHED...if that tells you anything...

[Yankeesfan]

Yes, but nearly all are, or they started in Catholic schools before high school. The WCAC is considered one of the most competitive sports leagues in the country. I've heard of even lower-ranking schools in the WCAC crushing FCPS Schools. Consider your team lucky they weren't playing a school like DeMatha or Gonzaga!

[car54]

Originally Posted by Yankeesfan

Yes, but nearly all are, or they started in Catholic schools before high school. The WCAC is considered one of the most competitive sports leagues in the country. I've heard of even lower-ranking schools in the WCAC crushing FCPS Schools. Consider your team lucky they weren't playing a school like DeMatha or Gonzaga!

Oh OK, I thought you said that not many blacks are Catholics. But I guess, co-incidently, the few that are...play basketball!

Mmmm, I wonder if WCAC does a little "recruiting?...

[VRE332]

I would only send my kid to a Catholic school if the teachers were still able to beat the misbehaving kids.