10 Facts Every Catholic Should Know About the Common Core Aug 3, 2014 by Staff educationviews.org/10-facts-catholic-common-core/ cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/3431/10-Facts-Every-Catholic-Should-Know-About-the-Common-Core.aspx cardinalnewmansociety.org/Portals/0/Mail/Renewal%20Report/pdf%20for%20web%20Final.pdf As a part of The Cardinal Newman Society’s work to help Catholic families, educators and Church leaders better understand the Common Core State Standards and to protect the extraordinary legacy of Catholic schooling, the Newman Society has released “10 Facts Every Catholic Should Know About the Common Core.” Last December, the Newman Society issued a statement expressing serious reservations about the rapid adoption of Common Core in Catholic schools across the country. Ever since, the Society has been answering questions about the Common Core and Catholic education. The “10 Facts” resource explains how the Common Core is rushed, untested, and experimental, and how Common Core is (ultimately) concerned with textbooks and curriculum. It explains how Catholic schools are already outperforming public schools, and how Common Core may hinder students’ education and formation. booksThe final fact that all Catholics should know about the Common Core, the “10 Facts” resource states, is that “Our ‘common core’ is the Catholic faith.” “Catholic education didn’t become successful by striving for secular standards; its success begins with its Catholic mission,” the “10 Facts” resource continues. The Newman Society is encouraging readers to share the “10 Facts” resource with family and friends. For solid information, analysis and arguments to more fully understand the potential impact of the Common Core on Catholic schools, visit the Newman Society’s Catholic Is Our Core website and initiative. Catholic Education Daily is an online publication of The Cardinal Newman Society. Click here for email updates and free online membership with The Cardinal Newman Society. - See more at: cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/3431/10-Facts-Every-Catholic-Should-Know-About-the-Common-Core.aspx#sthash.a8UorHz4.dpuf 10 Facts Every Catholic Should Know About the Common Core. The Common Core is not mandatory for Catholic schools. 1 No government has required the Common Core in private schools, and Catholic educators are under no obligation to conform. It is up to each state whether to adopt the standards as their own, and those standards are mandatory only for government schools. Nevertheless, for decades many Catholic schools have voluntarily conformed their curricula and teaching to secular state standards— now Common Core in most states. The lack of distinct standards for authentic Catholic education has long been a concern, but it is getting more attention due to the national controversy over the Common Core. The Common Core is not intended for Catholic education. 2 The Common Core’s stated purpose falls far short of the Holy See’s rich vision for Catholic education: “The standards… are designed to ensure students are prepared for today’s entry-level careers, freshman-level college courses, and workforce training programs.” While educators and reformers are hotly debating whether the Common Core’s objectives are appropriate for government schools, clearly the objectives were not developed with Catholic education in mind. Catholic education is much greater than college and career preparation. Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, former secretary to the Congregation for Catholic Education, explained in a 2005 lecture at The Catholic University of America: The enduring foundation on which the Church builds her educational philosophy is the conviction that it is a process which forms the whole child, especially with his or her eyes fixed on the vision of God. The specific purpose of a Catholic education is the formation of boys and girls who will be good citizens of this world, enriching society with the leaven of the Gospel, but who will also be citizens of the world to come. Catholic schools have a straightforward goal: to foster the growth of good Catholic human beings who love God and neighbor and thus fulfill their destiny of becoming saints. The Common Core is rushed, untested and experimental. 5 The Common Core was developed quietly by a few bureaucrats using Gates Foundation funds and then “sold” to the National Governor’s Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers to avoid public scrutiny and accountability. It became popular to educators and then legislators as the Obama administration dangled a promise of federal grants, causing many states to adopt Common Core standards even before they were completed. Now the NCEA (armed with a $100,000 grant from the Gates Foundation) and its Common Core Catholic Identity Initiative are warning Catholic educators and Bishops that “it is important to get on board” with the untested standards. The Common Core standards have never been tested, and there is no evidence that they will achieve their objectives of college and career readiness. Indeed, although standards influence how educational success is measured, even the “best” state standards—as ranked by the respected Thomas B. Fordham Institute—have no discernible impact on student outcomes. Instead, the Common Core’s English language and “new math” standards were developed by little-known “experts” with no solid research basis, despite misleading claims. For instance, the push for reading more “informational texts”—such as manuals and scientific articles—relies upon distortions of NAEP data. The 2006 federal Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) found that higher NAEP scores for literacy in fact correlate to more reading of novels and less frequent reading of information. The Common Core may hinder students’ education and formation. 7 Hardly the least concern, critics have noted several ways in which the Common Core could do real harm to education. The standards demand greater emphasis on reading informational texts, with a corresponding decrease in great literature. Some recommended (not required) texts are morally problematic. The “new math” techniques ignore traditional and successful math programs. Math standards are lowered: pre-algebra or algebra is no longer the eighth-grade norm, nor pre-calculus or calculus for 12th grade. Some of the expectations are simply not age-appropriate. The emphasis on skills and career preparation ignores other aspects of student formation that are key to Catholic education. Proponents argue that the Common Core can be supplemented with Catholic instruction, so weak standards do no harm. But if the success of schools and students is measured by the Common Core standards, the natural inclination is to reduce attention to Catholic identity and student formation. It is the same path taken by now-secularized Catholic colleges. The Common Core violates the principle of subsidiarity. 8 National standards tend to confine educators to a particular vision for education, which stifles innovation and threatens the independence and unique mission of Catholic schools. In April, the U.S. bishop’s office for Catholic education issued a statement acknowledging their concerns about the Common Core: In the Church, the principle of subsidiarity directs that human events are best handled at the lowest possible level, closest to the individuals affected by the decisions being made. …This principle provides a great strength for Catholic schools as it gives the local diocesan and school community the ability to make decisions at the school level related to guidelines and curriculum. It also allows for adjustments and adaptations to be made by teachers and administrators for the children under their care. Subsidiarity also applies to the parents’ role as first educators of their children, a fact taught clearly in the Holy See’s teaching on Catholic education. Parents have been largely absent from decisions regarding the Common Core. Our Catholic Is Our Core initiative seeks to bring parents into the conversation so their concerns are heard. The Common Core may endanger religious freedom for Catholic educators. 9 State and federal involvement in Common Core could lead to religious liberty violations. Catholic schools’ protection from threats like the HHS mandate depends on showing consistent Catholic identity, because First Amendment protections often depend on demonstrating a bona fide religious character. The Common Core may diminish a school’s Catholic identity by “crowding out” important elements of authentic Catholic formation, emphasizing skills and practicality over vocation, and failing to teach reasoning from a foundation of truth.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 21:28:10 +0000
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