Wisconsin Catholic Common Core roundup

Update on Superior

So as I mentioned in the last post on this topic, here's the score:

Madison: Diocesan
Green Bay: Diocesan
La Crosse: Diocesan
Milwaukee: Common Core
Superior: Common Core Diocesan

I'll try to break this down schoolwise, we sort of did this on an old post.   Fill me in and I'll update the list accordingly.

This is a list of the Catholic High Schools in the state that are affected.

La Crosse Diocese - 8

Aquinas (La Crosse)
Providence (La Crosse) * Independent
Assumption (WI Rapids)
Columbus Catholic (Marshfield)
Regis (Eau Claire)
McDonell Central (Chippewa Falls)
Newman Catholic (Wausau)
Pacelli (Stevens Point)

Green Bay Diocese - 6

St. Thomas Aquinas (Marinette)
Notre Dame Academy (Green Bay)
Roncalli (Manitowoc)
Xavier (Appleton)
St. Mary Central (Neenah-Menasha)
Lourdes (Oshkosh)

Madison Diocese - 2

Edgewood of the Sacred Heart (Madison)
St. Ambrose Academy (Madison) * Independent

Milwaukee Archdiocese - 14

Catholic Central High School - Burlington
Catholic Memorial High School - Waukesha
Divine Savior Holy Angels - Milwaukee
Dominican High School - Whitefish Bay
Marquette University High School - Milwaukee
Messmer High School - Milwaukee
Pius XI High School - Milwaukee
Saint Joan Antida High School - Milwaukee
Saint Thomas More High School - Milwaukee
St. Anthony - Milwaukee
St. Catherine's High School - Racine
St. Joseph Catholic Academy - Kenosha
St. Lawrence Seminary High School - Mt. Calvary
St. Mary's Springs Academy - Fond du Lac

Superior Diocese - 0?

I see zero Catholic High Schools in the Diocese of Superior?
http://www.catholicdos.org/index.php?cat=1240406070823452

Summary:

Worth mentioning, Bp. Callahan did state this was a topic of discussion at a recent WCC meeting:

The Diocesan Pastoral Council was also given an update on my meeting with the Wisconsin Catholic Conference held in Milwaukee at the end of October. Items discussed there included healthcare mandates and the preservation of conscience rights for medical professionals, the immigration reform efforts currently being considered in Congress, and some discussion of the Common Core in education curricula that may have some effect on Catholic schools.

Bp. Ricken

Is it necessary for us to “adopt or adapt” the “common core standards?” No, it is not necessary. Some Catholic schools across the country are “adopting” these standards, while others are “adapting” them, in the hopes that the standards will improve their academic performance. Private schools are not required to adopt or adapt the “common core standards.” Several years ago, in the Diocese of Green Bay, we developed comprehensive standards of our own and these have served us very well.

I have instructed our diocesan Department of Education staff, school principals and school system administrators that they not “adopt or adapt” the “common core standards,” but may use them only as a reference to improve the curriculum we already have. It is my directive that the schools of the diocese utilize the diocesan standards previously in place and not substitute for them with “common core standards.”

Bp. Morlino

Lastly, and most importantly, it is undeniably clear that the success our schools have had and continue to enjoy stems directly from the Catholic approach to education which seeks to model all things on Christ. This recognizes and affirms the dignity of each student as unique daughters and sons of Christ, and in so doing challenges students not only to acquire a “standard” level of knowledge and skills, but to realize their full, God-given potential, to develop and refine these gifts and skills, and then use them to better society and the lives of others through service to God and neighbor. It is precisely this focus on the development of the whole person that results not only in exemplary academic performance, but truly places our students on the path to holiness and sainthood. Our students are encouraged not only to succeed academically, but to live lives of heroic virtue. It is not the fundamental aim of Catholic education to develop the intellect for academic success alone, but to develop all the skills and faculties of the human person, oriented toward Christ and His service. It is precisely this moral orientation that guides our students in the use of their gifts and allows them to achieve great things, to transform our world and to achieve the ultimate standards -- holiness in this world and Heaven in the next. 

Catholic schools in the Diocese of Madison will not adopt the Common Core State Standards. Rather, our parish elementary schools will continue to use our own, diocesan academic standards.

The Diocese of La Crosse has commented to The Cardinal Newman Society (Bp. Callahan has not publicly commented):

The Diocese of La Crosse, Wis., will be “neither adapting nor adopting” the controversial Common Core State Standards, the Catholic school superintendent has told The Cardinal Newman Society.

Yet we do find this on a La Crosse diocesan school's website:

St. Paul School has integrated the Diocese of La Crosse Catholic School Language Arts Curriculum into its education foundation. This curriculum is aligned to the Common Core Standards. Guided by Catholic values, this curriculum helps form students into lifelong learners who critically examine literature, effectively research information, and clearly articulate their thoughts and ideas through written and spoken language.

So....  I'm not sure. 

In the Diocese of Superior, I found some stuff.  It looks like there was a Common Core initiative in 2010 that Catholic schools began complying with.  The Diocese of Superior shows on these charts that at that time they did apply Common Core standards to certain aspects of the curriculum.  Are these the same standards that are being rolled out today?  I'm not sure, perhaps someone can enlighten us.

And as we have seen now, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has attacked anyone who would question the Common Core standards or their implementation. 

Anti-Common Core Speaker Disallowed from Speaking on Church Property

And Abp. Listecki:

Why the recent uproar over “Common Core”? I believe it stems from a basic mistrust of authority, especially the government.

There is a joke: “Hello, I’m from the government and I’m here to help you.”

There is a fear that standards which lead to curriculum will embody a type of social reconstruction envisioned by the “cognoscenti” (those in the know).

We live in a secularist mentality, which fosters value-free neutrality and the suppression of freedom of expression which would not be tolerated in a Catholic school, yet could be promoted in the public-sponsored forum. Many are fearful that a type of social reconstruction could be embedded in the promotion of types of literature, or selected topics or the preparation and constructions of exams.