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+--- Thread: Education models (/showthread.php?tid=309)
Education models - April Maccabees - 05-29-2025
I don't like the direction that public schools are going nowadays. I was wondering what opinions and experiences you have with alternative education models, like Montessori, charter, Catholic, etc.
RE: Education models - William St. Guthlac - 05-29-2025
My wife is a Montessori teacher. I can ask her if your like.
My son did well with private schools except the Catholic school. He had some good teachers but also some bad ones who were untouchable.
We tried home schooling but it was not a good solution for us. My weak points became his weak points.
RE: Education models - enchantmentadm - 05-29-2025
It goes without saying that the public schools today leave a lot to be desired and would not be an option if I had school age children. The schools in New Mexico are notoriously bad. The choice would probably come down to homeschooling or a Catholic school, assuming that there is a Catholic school that actually teaches the Catholic faith. Homeschooling can be tricky and is probably not for everyone. However, I would always defend the rights of parents who wish to home school their children.
I am in a Zoom group that discusses articles in the publication "First Things." ("First Things" was founded by a Catholic priest but has writers from various Christian denominations.) We had our discussion today and one of the articles was about homeschooling. The article presented a balanced viewpoint that confirmed my idea that homeschooling may not be for everyone. However, one of the people in the group recently visited some relatives who were being home schooled. He thought that their writing was on the level of a good college freshman. This is a moot point for me now but if I did home school my children, I would do well in certain areas but certainly could not teach subjects such as physics or calculus. So my (non-existent) children would be exposed to my weak points as well. Perhaps the best solution would be for several families to join forces to home school their children. I know of situations where this has been done.
RE: Education models - susanb - 05-30-2025
home schooling is very popular here
RE: Education models - enchantmentadm - 05-30-2025
I probably should not overlook Montessori or charter schools. Montessori schools were founded by Maria Montessori, who was a devout Catholic. Although not explicitly Catholic, Montessori schools are rooted in Catholic values and the inherent dignity of the human person. Although technically public, charter schools have a certain degree of independence from school districts. They can offer a viable alternative. I think they need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.