Section 3: The Winner is..............

When looking at the statistics on national test a clear winner can be identified, Catholic Schools.

The Cost

Today in the United States the average spent to send a child to a public school each year is just under $11,000.  This cost varies greatly from state to state and even down to the district level.  Catholic schools vary from $5,100 at the elementary level to just over $10,000 at the High School level. 

So as you can see the cost on average is just about the same, however keep in  mind that much of the money that pays to send a child to a public school system comes from property taxes and government subsidies.  You may elect to send your child to a Catholic school but you still WILL pay these taxes.  Based on this to send your child to public school costa about $10,000 less than sending them to a Catholic school.  So what exactly are the benefits if any of sending your child to a Catholic school?

Benefits of a Catholic School

Many students say that the structure and regimented learning systems in place at a Catholic school has helped them immensely at the collegiate level.  The biggest advantage I can personally see in a Catholic School is flexibility.  Catholic schools are not beholden to unions.  If a curriculum is not working or if they need to resize classes it can be done internally without approval from union boards, etc.  Educating our Children: Catholic Schools doing more with less

Now onto academics.....In the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress tests, which are administered by the U.S. Department of Education Catholic schools outperformed Public Schools in every area.

In reading 8th graders in a Catholic School out performed their public school counterparts by an average of 20 points.  In mathematics the difference was smaller but Catholic School students still put performed their counterparts by 13 points. 

In a 2013 Ohio study, Catholic students scored a composite score of 23.6 on the ACT in comparison to Public Schools at 21.7. On the SAT's Catholic Schools again came out on top.  Catholic schools scored a 1,118 (Reading and Math combined) compared to 1,079 in Public Schools.  Ohio Study

Disadvantages of a Catholic School

So is the juice worth the squeeze...........Catholic school teachers tend to be paid less and not as educated as their public counterparts but they do enjoy the ability to be flexible.  One of the disadvantages of a Catholic school, besides the cost, is the mandatory religious training.  Maybe you are an atheist but want to get the best education possible for your child.  Catholic schools may not be for you.  Another disadvantage is a lack of diversity, Catholic schools can be selective in who they admit and then again comes the cost of attending a Catholic school.  All these things will prohibit many diverse students from enrolling. 

Conclusion

Catholic schools began in this country earlier than the public school system.  Although declining over the last thirty years they still educate over 2 million students a year, all of whom pay tuition to attend.  The public school system, which is tax per funded, is the primary means of educating the youth in the United States but the system is overburden with legislation, changing policies, and over crowded classrooms.  A Catholic education will do a better job preparing students for the rigors of College Academics and Standardized Testing but comes at the expense of freedom of religion and diversity. 

Section 2: The History of Public Education in the United States

The development of public education was developing at the same time as Catholic schools were in the colonies.  While catholic schools first took hold in Maryland and in Louisiana, public education was first seen in the New England colonies. 

COLONIAL ERA - New England

The oldest existing school within the United States, public or private, is Boston Latin School founded in 1635.  This school was originally created to educate the colonial elite of Boston, and relied heavily on the Classics and Latin in it's curriculum. The school is still an outstanding institution, ranking 62nd out of the top 100 high schools in the United States. 2012 U.S. News High School Rankings

                                                           BOSTON LATIN SCHOOL

The first school supported by tax payers was the public school in Dedham, Massachusetts.  Led by Reverend Ralph wheelock this school used the traditional English system of education children.  basic arithmetic and literacy was taught within the family household and schools supported such as efforts.  By the middle of the 1800's the role of public schools had supplanted the role of the family in a child's education. 

Dedham Massachusetts Public School

Soon other colonies in New England began to follow the Dedham model.  In 1642 the Massachusetts Bay Colony made education compulsory, perhaps the first law of it's type in the New World. By the end of the 1650's just about every colonies in New England required children to attend school, however this was for males only and few facilities for women existed at the time. 

By the middle of the 18th century, the forerunner to high schools, called grammarr schools were prevalent in large towns in New England.  However, by the 1780's many of these grammar schools were replaced by private academies that remain prestigious up until today.  These schools continue to feed into the Ivy League colleges.  

                                                                   Andover Academy

COLONIAL ERA - Southern Colonies

In direct contrast to the New England colonies, colonies in the South lagged far behind their northern counterparts. Most of the schools that were in operating during the early part of the 18th century were sponsored by different sects of the Catholic Church.  The planter class in the south hired tutors or sent them to these private religious schools.  The better off plantation owners in the South would often send their children back to England for school.  Most education overall in the south relied heavily upon private tutors and funded public projects that educated but did not create a proper school.  By 1770 approximately ten grammar schools did exist in Georgia but again they were taught by clergy.

After the American Revolution some schools began to appear in Georgia and South Carolina but public institutions were still very rare.  It wasn't until after the Civil War during the Reconstruction period do we see public institutions of education opening, both for African Americans and White Americans.  High Schools became more prevalent in larger cities around 1900 but was available only to Whites.  Rural Southerners of any race rarely went past 8th grade until after 1945.   

 

COLONIAL ERA - Non English Colonies

 

Three other major European powers colonized North America; France, Spain, and the Netherlands.  As previously discussed France and Spain were instrumental in the creating of the Catholic based schools in New Orleans. 

 

By 1664 the Dutch had established elementary schools in their colonies around Manhattan Island, New York.  However with the English taking control of these Dutch towns and villages the schools were converted to private academies. 

 

A smaller group of immigrants that settles in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania were the Germans.  However most of the schools they established were linked to their protestant churches. 

 

CIVIL WAR/RECONSTRUCTION

 

Prior to the Civil War, the 1840 census indicated that about 3.7 million children between the age of five and fifteen lived in the United States.  Fifty-five percent of these attended public or private primary schools. 

 

During the 1800's the Monitorial System was implemented in public education.  In this system children of all ages are taught in the same classroom.  Think, one room school house.

 

                                              One-room Schoolhouse (Monitorial System)

 

The quality of education varied from locality to locality under the middle of the 1800's when Horace Mann implemented reforms as the Secretary of Education in the state of Massachusetts.  Mann believed that all children regardless of social economic status or location should be afford the same education.  He therefore established a system to create professional standards for educators and schools based on the Prussian model of "common schools".  These reforms carried favor across the northern states and from the middle class.  Some key aspects were the division of students into grades based on age and the lecture form of instruction. 

 

                                                                      Horace Mann

 

After the Civil War private academies were still more prevalent than publicly funded schools.  However by 1870 all states at free elementary schools established.  By the end of the 1800's public secondary schools out numbered private academies and parochial schools.

 

Due to reconstruction following the Civil War, Freedmen's Bureau created thousands of schools in the southern states to educate African American children.  By the end of the Civil War, ninety-five thousand former slaves were enrolled as students in public schools.

 

                                                                   Freedman's School

 

 

 

PROGRESSIVE ERA (1890's-1930's)

During the progressive era public education exploded in size and coverage.  By 1940, about fifty percent of all American's had a High School diploma.

The leading Educational developer of the era was John Dewey.  Just about anyone in education has heard of Dewey and his impact in education.  Dewey advocated that public schools were not just a place to live but a place to learn how to be a productive member of society and to fulfill one's true potential.  Dewey like many others today believed that only through education can someone change their station in life.  Although Dewey's ideals were widely known they were not as widely implemented. 

                                                                      John Dewey

Another widely used concept was the Gary Plan, so named after the town of Gary, Indiana.  William Writ focused on the maximum use of buildings and spaced divided his classes into two groups.  While one was studying in the classroom the other was outside studying nature or in the gymnasium.  Curriculum was adapted and new courses of instruction such as night school class, wood shop, and typing were implemented for the first time.  With the onset of the Great Depression the Gary Plan schools disappeared as quickly as they had arrived.

                                                                       William Writ

During the Progressive Era High School had evolved from College Prepatory Academies to a major aspect of common school systems. In thirty years (1890-1920)the number of students in public high schools increased by 1.8 million students!  Schools were rapidly being built in industrialized areas and parents began moving from rural areas to the city to enroll their children.  IT was also during the 1920's that High Schools began to become a social center and influence in the cities and towns they were located in.  Sports began to be implemented and schools become more than just about education. 

1960's - 1970's

As far as education is concerned in the 60's and 70's is concerned the Coleman Report was seen as a key factor in shaping education in the public sector.  This controversial report stated that data supported the ideal that funding for schools had little affect on a students success.  James Coleman stated that a students background and social economic status  played a much more important role in determining success of a student.  This report has entrenched the current public school funding system based on property taxes in a district not based on need or equality across a district, state, or country. 

1980's

In 1983 the National Commission on Excellence in Education released a report tiled "A Nation at Risk". This report stated that Americans were falling behind internationally and spurned an increase in the rigor of course work in American classrooms.  This report is seen as the first push toward today's currently legislation of No Child Left Behind.  During the 1980's the number of school days a year and hours of school were increased and higher standard of testing were created. 

Current Policies

In 2002, Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act.  This act essentially tied Federal Aid to public schools with performance on standardized testing.  Schools also can now be penalized for poor performance on these examinations.  Although originally calling for full implementation by 2014 as of today only about half of the states have implemented this legislation. 

Conclusion

Although starting slowly public education has really grown in the last half of the 20th century to present day.  What once were small prep academies for the wealthy elite, today's public education system reaches every child in ever neighborhood. 

I purposely did not address the evolution of public education with regards to women and other minorities as those in and of themselves should have an entire section devoted.  I also refrained from publishing currently statistics because these will be compared to Catholic school numbers and performance in the next blog.

Today our education system is funded in large part by property taxes.  So those children with upper middle class parents attend well funded schools while students who live in the Ghetto of East St. Louis go to schools without enough supplies and support.  The best teachers flee to the suburbs where the districts can afford to pay them a high salary taking their skills to students in an already superior academic setting. 

The No Child Left Behind Act is tied to federal funds for schools so schools in the ghetto had to work harder with less support and underpaid teachers and staff to take students with a lower SES and outside distraction and have them pass standardized testing.  If they are not successful even more funding is cut from this school digging them into a deeper hole.

Today if you are a student in the public schools you can receive a world class education or left far behind.  It all depends on where you live and what imaginary line you live behind.  The rich stay rich and the poor stay poor.  As someone who is fairly conservative this is one area where I am not. 

Section 1: History of Catholic School Systems in the United States

With any journey to educate ourselves about a topic with no prior knowledge I think it is important to study the background information. Only through learning about the roots of Catholic Education can we fully understand how it compares to education in the Public Sector here in the United States.

English Colonies

During the colonial era not many Catholics immigrants settled in the English colonies. This was due to England being a primarily Protestant country. However, a small Catholic population settled in the in the colony of Maryland. 

Saint John's Catholic Prep was officially created in 1829 in Frederick, MD by a Jesuit Priest named John McElroy. Although this school has gone through several changes over the years it still is educating children today.

                                                        Prospect Hall (St. John's Prep)


Saint Johns Prep

French/Spanish Colonies

The Spanish and later French colonies in North America is where we can see a substantial influence of Catholic education.  Originally settled by Spain and later administered by the French, New Orleans was where Catholic education really took root.  Here Ursulines and other Catholic nuns ran private Catholic schools to educate the well off and the poor.  These efforts even reached out and taught free and enslaved African Americans. 

The oldest school for girls, Ursuline Academy, was founded here in 1727, and graduated the first female Pharmacist and first woman to contribute a book of literary merit. The list of important contributions this school has made for women in the United States is quite lengthy.

                                              Entrance to Ursuline Academy (Present Day)

Ursuline Academy

Parochial/Parish Schools

As stated previously the majority of the country was Protestant until the mid-1800's where the potato famine in Ireland drove an exodus of Irish immigrants of Catholic faith to the United States.  Many Americans at the time felt that these new Irish immigrant children should be educated in public schools to become "Americanized".    In the 1880's the Blaine Amendments were passed which forbid public tax money to be used to fund parochial schools in the United States.  This not only just affected Catholics but other minority religious sects and their associated private schools. This however did not deter the Irish who by the late 19th century had created a large footprint of parochial schools to protect their faith, language, and culture,

The parochial schools were staffed by low paid Catholic nuns who often times themselves not the most educated.  In fact until well past World War II the Catholic Education system was known to lag behind the Public system in quality of education. Strict obedience, piety, and religious studies were the focal point of these early parochial schools with education taking a sub-servant role.  In 1904 the Catholic Education Association was formed to organize and the parochial school movement across the country.  In 1911 the Catholic University in Washington D.C. began summer training courses to educate the nuns in the parochial schools in pedagogical techniques. 

Catholic schools despite this reputation for sub standard education grew at roughly the same pace as the public schools.  In 1900 their were 3,500 parochial schools and by 1920 that number had almost doubled to over 6,500.  In 1900 approximately 100 Catholic schools were in operations and by 1920 that numbers had grown to more than 1,500.  Catholic school enrollment peaked in the mid-1960's with over 4.5 million elementary students and 1 million high school students.  By the 1970's though the Catholic school systems started to shrink in size with more people moving to the suburbs and enrolling in public schools.  By 2013 the total enrollment of students in Catholic schools from K-12 is just over 2 million students. Present Enrollment

Historical Legislation/Landmark Cases

Oregon Compulsory Education Act (1922)

In 1922 the citizen of Oregon voted to amend state law to require all children between the ages of 8 and 16 attend public school.  This law, commonly called the Oregon School Bill was sponsored by the Masonic Lodge and the Klu Klux Klan and was a direct attack on Catholics in the state of Oregon.  In 1925 the Supreme Court of the United States heard the case, Pierce v. Society of Sisters, and ruled that the Oregon Compulsory Education Act was unconstitutional.  

Blaine Amendments

In 1875 President U.S. Grant called for free funding of public schools and the prohibition of tax money being allocated to sectarian schools.  The President directed this toward parochial schools because he felt they were corrupt.  The irony is that President Grant was one of the most corrupt Presidents in the history of the United States (President Grant Scandals)

Around the same time as President Grant's call for an amendment, Maine Senator James Blaine proposed such a law that failed to pass through Congress.  However 34 states took the legislative work that Blaine did on this amendment and used it for the framework for similar state level legislation.  These laws passed and are still in effect today.

                                                                Sen. James Blaine


Conclusion

Although Catholic schools were present as early as the late 18th century, it wasn't until the influx of Irish immigrants in the mid-19th century that they started to spread.  This movement in parochial school growth lasted until the mid-1960's when more and more people began to move to the suburban schools (public).  Today although over  2 million students are enrolled in parochial schools that number continues to decrease.

As we read about the history of the development of Catholic based education I can see a lot of anti-catholic influence in legislation.  Is this the right answer?  Separation of Church and State being the basis?

While many parochial schools at the beginning of the 20th century focused more on religious topics I think it has obviously shifted to more of preparing students for college level academics (we will dig into this in section 3).  So should some forms of limited government funding be allocated to private religious based schools as long as that money isn't applied toward religious studies?  What if that money was used to pay for athletic teams, advanced science equipment, etc.?  Or do we assume that the cost of tuition shouldered by parents are to be used for these items?

As we continue to research the topic it will be interesting to see if the lack of federal funding has impacted student performance and if it can be linked if it appears it has. 

Sources not directly links:

Catholic History 
Catholic Schools in the USA
History of Catholic Education in the United States
Blaine Amendments

Why this topic....

I spent the majority of my impressionable years in Pottsville Pennsylvania.  This town of roughly 16,000 people had two educational systems running side by side.  It was if these two systems competed with each other.

                                                                     Pottsville, PA

The kids in my neighborhood were pretty tight knit.  I grew up in the Forest Hills section of Pottsville.  We were considered the well off kid's because my home wasn't attach to another.  We did everything together fromn pickup baseball games in the summer and football games in the fall.  However, when it came time for school half of us when to Pottsville Area School District and the other half went to the Catholic school system.

For those of us in the public system we attended D.H. Lengle Middle School and then Pottsville Area High School.  The kids who went to the Catholic system attended All Saint's Middle School and then Nativity High School.

                                                          DHH Lengel Middle School

                                                         Pottsville Area High School

                                                          All Saints Middle School

                                                           Nativity BVM High School

While in middle school we were all still pretty close knit as we moved into high school we began to form two different groups within the neighborhood that sometimes interacted.  Usually those interactions were centered around sports or the pursuit of girls.   You either played for Pottsville High School or Nativity High School and that carried on into our pickup games in Forest Hills.

I remember the general impression was that Pottsville High School was always more dominant in athletics but that Nativity had better academics.  Over fifteen years later that got me to thinking, is Private School systems, particularly Catholic School systems preparing students for college level academics better than their public counterparts?

This blog will have a total of three sections not including this one:

Section 1:  History of Catholic School Systems in the United States
Section 2:  History of Public School Systems in the Untied States
Section 3:  Comparing and contrasting present systems and performance of the two systems.