Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

Writer Raises Questions About Catholic Ed. Essay

October 17, 2011 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

As an honors graduate of a leading Catholic high school in Indiana and as a former teacher in public and private schools, I found Philip Robey’s Commentary on Catholic schools interesting (“What Catholic Schools Can Teach About Educating the Whole Child,” Oct. 5, 2011). But several questions went begging.

If Catholic schools are so good, why has their enrollment dropped from 5.5 million in 1965 to slightly over 2 million today? Why do a majority of Catholic voters reject vouchers and similar plans to provide tax aid to private schools in state referendums on the subject? Has this anything to do with the fact that Catholics donate only half as much per capita to their church and its schools as do Protestants with slightly lower average incomes?

How does one square Mr. Robey’s rosy view with that of Kirsten Goldberg’s reporting in Education Week on April 29, 1987, about a study of 16,000 high school seniors in public and private schools (“Catholic Educators Surprised by Data on Student Values”) that “significantly greater percentages of Catholic school seniors said they used alcohol, cocaine, and marijuana than public school seniors,” conclusions backed by Michael Guerra, Michael Donahue, and Peter Benson in the book The Heart of the Matter: Effects of Catholic High Schools on Student Values, Beliefs and Behavior (National Catholic Educational Association, 1990)?

Some answers would be useful.

Edd Doerr

President

Americans for Religious Liberty

Silver Spring, Md.

A version of this article appeared in the October 19, 2011 edition of Education Week as Writer Raises Questions About Catholic Ed. Essay

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: May 17, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: May 3, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: April 26, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: March 29, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read