{"id":510730,"date":"2022-11-16T02:45:05","date_gmt":"2022-11-15T23:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-catholic-schools-didnt-fail-while-public-ones-did-during-covid\/"},"modified":"2022-11-16T02:45:05","modified_gmt":"2022-11-15T23:45:05","slug":"why-catholic-schools-didnt-fail-while-public-ones-did-during-covid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-catholic-schools-didnt-fail-while-public-ones-did-during-covid\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why Catholic schools didn&#8217;t fail while public ones did during COVID"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a299dd52ba4c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a299dd52ba4c\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-catholic-schools-didnt-fail-while-public-ones-did-during-covid\/#%E2%80%9CWhy_Catholic_schools_didnt_fail_while_public_ones_did_during_COVID%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Why Catholic schools didn&#8217;t fail while public ones did during COVID&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWhy_Catholic_schools_didnt_fail_while_public_ones_did_during_COVID%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Why Catholic schools didn&#8217;t fail while public ones did during COVID&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n        <\/aside>\n<p>In case you missed it, American education is in free-fall. The National Center for Education Statistics <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.federationforchildren.org\/naep-scores-demand-school-choice-now\/\">released the first national test scores<\/a> for fourth- and eighth-graders since before the pandemic, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> is somehow worse than we could have imagined, with catastrophic learning loss, the largest declines ever recorded and decades of progress wiped out.<\/p>\n<p>But in America\u2019s Catholic schools, the failure and free-fall simply <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/amid-the-pandemic-progress-in-catholic-schools-partnership-naep-report-card-math-reading-public-charter-black-hispanic-11666902117\">did not happen<\/a>. In fact, in both math and reading, Catholic scores stayed the same or improved in areas where public schools dramatically declined.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, Catholic students in 8th grade <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2022\/10\/voters-should-demand-accountability-for-school-closures\/\">saw a one-point average <em>increase<\/em><\/a> in their reading scores, compared to the three-point drop for public school 8th graders. Scores for 4th-grade math stayed the same for Catholic schools but dropped five points for public schoolers in the same grade.<\/p>\n<p>The losses facing America\u2019s public-school students can\u2019t be overstated \u2014 researchers typically consider 10 points as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.weirtondailytimes.com\/news\/local-news\/2022\/10\/test-scores-show-historic-covid-setbacks\/\">equivalent to a year\u2019s worth of learning<\/a>, so most of our public-school students have lost months they can\u2019t get back.<\/p>\n<p>Unsurprisingly, the education establishment has been scrambling. They seemed unable to decide whether this disaster <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rweingarten\/status\/1586731593703559168?s=46&amp;t=ICyEodNLHXs75TixDwmc5w\">affected all states<\/a> regardless of COVID closures (<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2022\/10\/voters-should-demand-accountability-for-school-closures\/\">it didn\u2019t<\/a>), or whether it was the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SIfill_\/status\/1584525753479155712\">inevitable result<\/a> of trying not to spread the virus. A quick look at European schools throughout much of the last few years casts doubt on that idea, but Catholic schools now offer a powerful rebuttal much closer to home.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/11\/catholic-school-02.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Researchers typically consider 10 points as equivalent to a year\u2019s worth of learning.\" class=\"wp-image-24666820\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/11\/catholic-school-02.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/11\/catholic-school-02.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/11\/catholic-school-02.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Scores for 4th-grade math stayed the same for Catholic schools but dropped five points for public schoolers in the same grade.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As Partnership School\u2019s Kathleen Porter-Magee <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kportermagee\/status\/1584660501656543232\">pointed out<\/a>, if Catholic schools were a state, they\u2019d be the highest-performing state in the nation. They\u2019d also be the most cost-effective state \u2014 by a long shot.<\/p>\n<p>Families pay an average of $5,847 to send their children to Catholic school, compared to the roughly $16,000 public schools <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/data\/tables\/2020\/econ\/school-finances\/secondary-education-finance.html\">receive per pupil<\/a> \u2014 not counting the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/09\/08\/magazine\/covid-aid-schools.html\">billions the education establishment received<\/a>, and then largely did not spend, during the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, it could be done. The public school system just decided not to do it.<\/p>\n<p>In retrospect, the outcomes seem obvious. Across the country,\u00a0most Catholic schools <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncea.org\/NCEA\/How_We_Serve\/News\/Press_Releases\/NCEA_Releases_2020_-_2021_Data_on_State_of_Catholic_Schools_Amid_COVID-19.aspx\">stayed open<\/a> and kept teaching students, while most public schools closed and offered at best <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/restoring-america\/community-family\/dont-confuse-virtual-learning-with-the-teachers-unions-pandemic-learning\">a paltry attempt<\/a> at actual remote learning.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n    <\/aside>\n<p>The decision to stay open and keep teaching students was an extraordinarily <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fordhaminstitute.org\/national\/commentary\/time-crisis-catholic-schools-offered-choice-not-echo\">bold one<\/a>. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fordhaminstitute.org\/national\/commentary\/time-crisis-catholic-schools-offered-choice-not-echo\">As Porter-Magee recently noted<\/a>, it was made amid substantial uncertainty and constant rhetoric from teachers\u2019 unions and their allies that reopening schools \u201cwas tantamount to murder.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The fear-mongering rhetoric never came true, of course. And thanks to the brave decisions and hard work of Catholic school leaders across the country, neither did the massive learning loss that plagues public schools today.<\/p>\n<p>Families across the country have rewarded Catholic schools for standing in the gap when it mattered. Catholic-school enrollment is soaring, while public-school enrollment plummets.<\/p>\n<p>After many years of struggles for Catholic schools, with pillars of the community forced to close when they could no longer make ends meet, this is a welcome change. But more must be done.<\/p>\n<p>Despite recent growth, many Catholic schools operate at a financial loss. That\u2019s because the average cost to families doesn\u2019t come close to capturing all the expenses involved. To make up the difference, Catholic schools rely heavily on private donors, diocesan support and endless work of administrators who are dedicated to the mission of Catholic education.<\/p>\n<p>But there is another option to make Catholic education sustainable for another generation: school choice.<\/p>\n<p>In leading school-choice states like Florida, Catholic school enrollment growth was <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thefloridacatholic.org\/dioceses\/venice\/catholic-school-numbers-skyrocket\/article_79833890-136a-11ed-891d-ebf1ea02c2da.html\">especially strong<\/a>, and schools have not faced the same types of existential struggles as many in other states regularly do.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n    <\/aside>\n<p>When parents can redirect some of their education tax dollars to the schools of their choice, many choose Catholic schools \u2014 and many schools no longer face the same financial burdens as before.<\/p>\n<p>School choice offers a solution to ensure that the growth Catholic schools are experiencing now continues into the next generation. As an added bonus, there is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/reimaginedonline.org\/2021\/12\/controlling-the-narrative-parental-choice-black-empowerment-and-lessons-from-florida\/\">compelling evidence<\/a> that school choice helps public schools as well.<\/p>\n<p>For Catholics, education is core to our identity. As the Catechism says, \u201cParents have the right to choose a school for them which corresponds to their own convictions. This right is fundamental,\u201d and \u201cpublic authorities have the duty of guaranteeing this parental right and of ensuring concrete conditions for its exercise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During the pandemic, leaders across the country proved their dedication to this mission by keeping students learning in historically challenging conditions.<\/p>\n<p>They succeeded where the system failed. As we continue to learn more about the scale of the challenge ahead of us to clean up the disaster of the last few years, lawmakers should pass the types of programs that ensure Catholic schools can remain strong for another generation who will need them.<\/p>\n<p><em>Tommy Schultz is the CEO of the American Federation for Children.<\/em><em\/>\n                        <\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/11\/15\/why-catholic-schools-didnt-fail-while-public-ones-did-during-covid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Why Catholic schools didn&#8217;t fail while public ones did during COVID&#8221; In case you missed it, American education is in free-fall. The National Center for Education Statistics released the first national test scores for fourth- and eighth-graders since before the pandemic, and the news is somehow worse than we could have imagined, with catastrophic learning&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":510731,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/11\/catholic-school-01.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[135574,76909,1545,74212,69286,76231],"class_list":["post-510730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-11-15-22","tag-catholic-schools","tag-coronavirus","tag-public-schools","tag-schools","tag-standardized-testing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=510730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510730\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/510731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=510730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=510730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=510730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}