question for the Catholic mommies....

In response to what Michele said
'You can have a 'learner' on your hands but in a non-productive school... '
On the same note, you can also have a child that is not motivated to learn, in the top school in the world, and all the money in the world will not always (of course its possible, money does 'talk')change the child's motivation and ambition to succeed and make a difference in the world.

I know several people that have gone to quite expensive schools/colleges and their current situations/jobs are nothing to write home about (getting bashed for that one).. Of course they can MOVE UP in life if they chose to or made the effort but some people are just content where they are. I just dont see why they would have spent so much money on getting certain degrees, schooling, etc.

In response to MrsTC saying mom and dad saved $ on clothes. Im sure the uniforms werent cheap and all they spent in tuition (and everything else catholic schools charge for) was more than what we spent in clothes im sure.


I went to the Catholic schools for religion class once a week, so Im not totally against them at all.
I also went to their summer day camps, and volunteered at the day camps when I was older.(13-15) Also, funny sidenote, (I said this in another post on this topic) At Sunday mass, all of the kids there were the public school crowd. Where were the catholic school kids? (this was just in our case, we'd joke about it to the priest every sunday).

Lisa, nice to hear good words from a Commack schools-alumni

I guess the whole thing that bothers me is the mixing of faith and business... Unfortunately the Catholic church is a HUGE business.

Michele, although they may not get our tax dollars, they get plenty of other dollars which they can give to their teachers...

Do you know the starting salary of a CS teacher is 18K ? Is that right?

So I guess I have an opinion on the whole CS thing based on this too. I will NEVER support the CS system. The church is different to me and I dont have to buy my faith in God. I dont have to fill every envelope they send me to make myself feel that I have fulfilled my obligations..(ok im getting into a whole other issue...)

Everyone will do what they choose is the best decision for their families, and what works for them.

First of all, I student taught for 2 semesters in a Catholic school that has an excellent reputation here on Long Island. The structure of the classes were such that everyone learned everything together, by rote memorization, and there wasn't much intervention done for the children who couldn't learn that way. Children with extreme problems were bussed to be serviced at local public schools, and I know this is also done in the district where I teach. MANY parents of special needs children often remove their children from the public system and put them in private or Catholic schools because there is no 'special ed', and they want to avoid the label. Class sizes are also much larger, and 32 children in a class in SOME catholic schools (like the one I worked at) is the norm.
Teachers in the private sector are also not held as accountable as teachers in the public sector, and therefore more children can become 'lost' along the way.

It is my opinion that unless you are living in a violent or unsafe district, or you want a religious education, public schools are the better bet, especially when you add loving, supportive, interested parents into the mix. A child can, and will learn ANY WHERE, as long as the adults in his or her life support and encourage him.

Please remember that this is ONLY my opinion based on my experiences as an educator, and I'm not speaking the gospel.

well said Jenn!

*round of applause* John anthony and mommy clapping

I didn't even go to a Catholic school and I think my West Babylon High School education was fine. I am just saying that it is a PERSONAL decision and should be based on how a parent feels at the time their child enters into school.
There are also tons of people who feel that home schooling is the answer- I am NOT one of the them. But there are many options for parents and it is up to a parent to decide what is best for their child.

If you want to send your child to public school you should. If not, then look into the other types of schools.

Theres also a bunch of Christian Schools. They are just as good as catholic schools, teach the same moralistic values, have comparable lessons but I personally liked being in them better... they felt more 'alive'... JMO though...


(I used to be a substitute Teachers Assistant)