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Originally Posted by cincibuck
Apples and Oranges. You can't compare the two systems because the playing field isn't level. Having been a teacher and coach at Archbishop Moeller High School for 20 years, assigned there by Hamilton County Education Service Center, I would like to point out a few differences, crucial differences, that make your statistics irrelevant: 1. All private schools and parochial schools are free to operate under different rules than public schools. 2. Private and parochial schools retain the right to dismiss students. 3. Private and Parochial schools do NOT have to educate ALL students, regardless of abilities, behavior, standardized test scores.
In every national comparison I have read Private and Parochial schools do NO better than comparable public schools when the playing field is level in terms of socio-economic standards.
I loved my years at Moeller and I consider it an excellent school, but there were public schools that were every bit as good and serviced ALL who entered their doors.
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Interesting....I spent 17 of my 30 years in Catholic education at La Salle. I coached, I taught, I moderated, I served, I cared...about every young man who "chose" to become a Lancer. There is certainly a difference, it seems, between someone choosing to be in a particular school or kind of school....and someone being assigned for whatever reason. The mission of any Catholic school goes far beyond academics and athletics.....It would be interesting to see how some of your colleagues at Moeller would respond to your perspective.
BTW, speaking of level playing fields.....Bishop Watterson's feeder parishes include North and Northwest Columbus, some areas not nearly as affluent as Dublin. I would also like to visit the school that claims to have "serviced ALL who entered" its doors. A remarkable claim that would be for any institution.
My doctoral research would not support your supposition about Catholic schools....but I studied an inner-city Catholic school serving Latino kids...not a suburban school in Montgomery like Moeller.