How awesome is this? I’m a social justice Catholic. I’m thinking about quitting my job and Occupying some main thoroughfare in my town now.
Here’s why.
I’ve had a yard sign on my front lawn this entire school year pushing for school choice. Yeah, I’m that guy. So I was glad to see the bishops coming out and really pushing for school choice.
The Catholic Bishops of Pennsylvania see school choice as a defining social justice issue of our society. Legislation currently being considered in Harrisburg could herald a new, more just era for education in Pennsylvania – an era in which we focus on the ideal educational environment for each student, not on a mandatory system in which students are assigned to a school based solely on geographic location. The current treatment of these children, particularly children from low-income families, is unjust and inequitable. Families are often prevented from accessing the educational options that would be best for them because of economic or social barriers. School choice legislation that includes vouchers and an increase to EITC reinforces that parents – not the state – are the primary educators of their children.
How cool is that? I love being on the forefront of social justice issues. Hey, anyone know where I can get a copy of the National Catholic Reporter?
Maybe I’ll even start up a group called “Catholics for Choice.” Wait, what?
October 17, 2011 at 9:00 pm
If you live in Pennsylvania, please send a message to your legislator in support of school choice TODAY! Click here:
http://www.votervoice.net/Core.aspx?Screen=QuickLogin&APP=GAC&AID=718&SiteID=-1&IssueID=26268&VV_CULTURE=en-us
October 17, 2011 at 9:39 pm
Fortunately, I haven't a copy of the NCReporter, but if I could figure out how to transfer my subscription of America to you I would gladly do it.
I was offered a year subscription for, like $10 (I know, think of all the Food for the Poor that would have purchased!) and I, like a fool, took them up out of curiosity (which in this case almost killed the Cat-olic). About six months ago they began sending me renewal bills. I wrote on the bill, "Please, stop sending these rags to my home, I have adolescents that are like wet cement." Didn't stop it, I think they ramped it up; feels like i get one every other day! ugh…
They're subscription padders, any readers who advertise there beware this home tosses it without reading past the first couple letters to the editor!
October 17, 2011 at 10:50 pm
Sure, the bishops are fine with school choice… they'll be on the receiving end of that sweet voucher cash. Do bishops, however, truly think that parents are free to choose? I inquired about home-schooling religious education instead of sending my children to the local parish (we'll just call it Our Lady of the Rainbow) and I was refused by the local ordinary because home schooling was depriving my children of parish life and I was unqualified (with my assorted degrees in philosophy from nefarious, conservative Catholic institutions). We all know how distressingly complex The Baltimore First Communion Catechism level ZERO is, don't we? When I explained that my spouse and I are the primary educators of our children, they told me that, under Canon 798, I was obligated to send my children not only to CCD at the parish, but for every other class at the parish school as well.
However, if I continued in my obstinate folly, they told me that they would look the other way if I paid them 100 bucks for the First Communion class.
The only real lesson I learned is that, if some money changes hands, the Church seems amenable to any situation. Wait! I learned that for free. What Canon could that be against?
October 18, 2011 at 12:39 am
I have two issues with vouchers:
1) They extend the reach of the state into "private" schools. The Democrats already want more control over the schools academics as part of this package…
2) They don't offer much choice: This Prussian school or that Prussian-school-with-a-neoclassical-veneer.
October 18, 2011 at 3:25 am
Amen and ditto CDNowak!!
And tell them again to research those Canons Blackrep. Or provide them your services for…Let's say…100 bucks? Heheheh:)
October 18, 2011 at 3:42 am
I am dead against vouchers. Tax money always comes with strings attached. Look at other countries (UK, Canada) where national money is given. I do not want the state telling me what I can or cannot teach, especially about morality, and running catechesis through the prism of political correctness. It took me a year to purge that nonsense out of our school through the diocesan approved sets of series the recommend..I'll be damned if I allow that nonsense back with a wad of money. Sorry, even though my parish and school struggle to get by, I'll not allow the responsibility I have as a pastor to see to education of the flock compromised by the state.
October 18, 2011 at 4:11 am
Vouchers are a trojan horse. Money will come with strings attached. It is a way to corrupt and undermine private schools. Don't fall for it.
October 18, 2011 at 3:46 pm
I'm in Florida and we are currently using a state voucher for the VPK program to send our son to our parish school. The one complaint I have- and I pray the legislature will change this if vouchers are to be extended for other grades- is that they have removed the religious education portion from VPK because the state requires that the education they finance be secular. VPK is only a half-day program so they moved all the religious education to the second half of the day for after the VPK kid's leave. The whole point of sending my children to the parish school is so that they get the extra exposure to Christ and Christian morality. If the parish school is forced to remove those aspects of their educational programs so as to be acceptable for state voucher eligibility then there's no point in sending my kids there.