Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- Over 1,000 concerned Catholic parents have signed a petition asking Archbishop Listecki to remove Common Core from their Catholic schools.I think the Archdioceses approach here is totally off base. Cutting the parents out of all the decision making on the education of their children, not letting them have meetings on church property, and who's the group with tin foil hats on their heads? Why would anybody trust the archdiocese to educate their children when they clearly do not believe the fundamental truth of our faith, that parents are the primary educators of their children. I have yet to see Dr. Kathleen Cepelka confirm that she even agrees with that statement.
Evidence continues to emerge that Common Core State Standards represent untested, experimental standards that are threatening the independence of Catholic schools. Many Catholic parents share the sentiments of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that the Common Core was developed for a “public school audience” and is “of its nature incomplete as it pertains to Catholic schools.”
"A Catholic school's first priority is to get children into heaven, not Harvard. Second, to teach the children how to think, not what to think. Common Core changes the integrity of our Catholic schools making them nothing more than public schools with crucifixes, statues, and prayers.”
– Heather Schweitzer
Catholic parents are frustrated that school standards were changed without adequate parental notification or input, and feel that their concerns are not being addressed by Archbishop Listecki or the Archdiocese. The other four dioceses in the state have decided to not adopt the Common Core standards. The petitioners pray that this petition will inspire the Archbishop to reverse the decision to adopt the Common Core standards in the Milwaukee Archdiocese, and to remove Common Core materials from their schools.
Media Contacts:
Steve Becker: mozdiripple@gmail.com 414.588.5214
Abby Figi: abby.m.figi@wi.rr.com 414.235.4700
About Catholic Parents Against Common Core - In the Milwaukee Archdiocese A group of concerned parents, troubled by Common Core, created a facebook page and outreach program to help educate parents about the tactics used to pass the standards, the academic cost of the standards and the impact of Common Core on the mission of the Catholic schools. We invite parents to visit our facebook page for more information.
https://www.facebook.com/endcommoncoreinthemilwaukeediocese
Concerned Catholics in the Milwaukee Archdiocese, are invited to sign our online petition
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/176/132/362/end-common-core-in-the-milwaukee-archdiocese/
Catholic parents deliver 1,000 petition signatures to Abp Listecki to "Remove Common Core"
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3 comments:
I have yet to see Dr. Kathleen Cepelka confirm that she even agrees with that statement.
Yah, well, don't hold your breath.
Hello to parents in Wisconsin. You have stood your ground as God has commanded you to do in regards to your children. St. Michael defend us in battle be your battle cry. Parents cannot let them have your children. The financing given to Catholic Archdioceses by those with the goal of indoctrinating our children is simply 30 pieces of silver. Now...we double down with prayer and sacrifices. First they ignore you...then they laugh at you....then they fight you....then you WIN. God Bless all who have stood firm and may you have continued courage and support those on this mission for our world our faith and our families.
I think one of the biggest challenges being faced really has to do with the approach to Catholic Education as a whole. Just reading the comments (*warning- many are offensive, personal attacks) thread on the Journal Sentinel article of the petition submission, it is clear that there is little understanding of what authentic Catholic Education really means. Many parents, as well as many Catholic school teachers commented about their lack of concern over the CC standards since "math and language arts aren't religious subjects". They share the same approach as many anti-Catholics on the same comment thread, incredulous at the very idea of religion being anything more than a subject.
This is the true tragedy of this debate, and I pray that someone actually wakes up to it. Many people are fighting against Common Core because they see it as threat to a Catholic Education pedagogy that actually no longer exists in the overwhelming majority of Catholic schools, and it hasn't for 50+ years. The Catholic in "Catholic school" has come to mean 1 class a day of religion, school Mass once a week, and a crucifix on the wall. If that really is what Catholic education is about then why worry about Common Core?
In the spirit of the "New Evangelization", our Catholic Schools, their faculties, staffs, parents, and donors need to be exposed to the richness of what it means to be Catholic and to offer truly Catholic formation, one where yes, even Catholicism permeates the "non-religion" subjects.
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