Catholic Schools: A Gift to the Nation.

Overview & Synopsis

This paper raises awareness of the accomplishments of Catholic schools and discusses the model of quality education Catholic schools represent. First, a picture of American public education as a whole is presented, followed by a description of three areas in which the Catholic schools serve as a model for the reforms happening in American public school systems. The first area is curriculum, which is humanities-based and aimed at ethical as well as cultural literacy. The second area deals with teacher education and the fact that Catholic teachers are not required to train in colleges of education. The third area is the administrative structure, which recognizes that the larger the administrative bureauracy, the lower the quality of education. Other issues discussed are innercity Catholic schools and school choice. (SI)