Academics

Standards for Christian Anthropology

A document written early in 2019 by the Congregation for Catholic Education opens by acknowledging an educational crisis in the area of affectivity and sexuality that stems from “an anthropology opposed to faith and to right reason.” It calls for: “well-structured educational programs that are coherent with the true nature […]

Although Dispersed, Catholic Colleges Preserve Faith Communities

One of the distinguishing factors of a faithful Catholic college is its vibrant community life. Students spend four years immersed in a truly Catholic culture, where faith and virtue are promoted and students, faculty and staff make friendships to last a lifetime. Now faithful Catholic colleges have closed their campuses to […]

Webinar: Maintaining Catholic Identity in Home-based Instruction

Dr. Dan Guernsey, senior fellow at The Cardinal Newman Society, and Tyler Graham of Donahue Academy offer this webinar on “Maintaining Catholic Identity in Home-based Instruction.” Click on this link or the video below to view the full webinar. You can find the corresponding Issue Bulletin at http://newmansoc.org/DistanceLearning.

Keeping the ‘Catholic’ in Distance Learning

Faithful Catholic schools are far better for Catholics than public schools. But how do they maintain their distinctive advantage when students are forced to stay home? In important ways, Catholic schools are doing just that with the help of students’ parents. And in this time of anxiety and isolation, the […]

Maintaining Catholic Identity in Distance Learning Instruction

With little time to prepare, Catholic schools have had to respond quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic by moving education from traditional brick-and-mortar buildings to students’ homes. Thousands of teachers are now seeking to re-package instruction tailored to distance learning. A common way for teachers to facilitate at-home education is to […]

Students Learn Science, Ethics at Franciscan University

Studying the sciences at a faithful Catholic college, like Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio, prepares students for their careers and for considering the moral dimension of their work. Students are given “tools to work through ethical decisions guided by the light of Truth,” says Dr. Dan Kuebler, dean […]

Catholic Colleges Refuse to Disintegrate Faith from Science, Says Newman President

Our Sunday Visitor recently published the following article online, featuring Newman Society President Patrick Reilly: There is a false notion that religion is an impediment to science. It is a contention that students in the sciences of biology will likely confront in their field. Educators at committed Catholic colleges explain […]

False Freedom at Some Catholic Colleges

The purpose of higher education can be summed up in one word: truth. If a college is not genuinely committed to truth, then the education is not “higher” at all. Today students and educators are greatly challenged by distortions of the truth about man and God. Some of the most […]

Study Science at a Faithful Catholic College

Catholic high school students often ask: can I study engineering, medicine or the other sciences at a faithful Catholic college? Or, to put it another way: can a college that teaches theology and philosophy be good at teaching science? St. John Paul II thought so! He urged Catholic colleges to address the […]

Preparing Medical Professionals Who Reject Planned Parenthood

The ouster of Planned Parenthood’s president, who disappointed activists for not being aggressive enough on abortion despite her defense of horrific state laws, should be a wake-up call to Catholics to better educate future health care professionals about the reality of abortion and what true health care means. It’s a […]

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3 Eye-Opening Lessons for Catholics under Common Core

It’s been five years since controversy peaked over the Common Core State Standards and their use in Catholic schools. What have we learned? By 2013 the Common Core was being adopted rapidly by Catholic schools and dioceses across the country, prompting deep concern among Catholic families. The Cardinal Newman Society launched its […]

Catholic Schools Not Improving Under Common Core

The Nation’s Report Card administered by the U.S. Department of Education reveals stagnant and even slightly declining test scores among Catholic schools since 2013, when many embraced the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Public schools also are showing no marked improvement, which is not what many had claimed would result from […]

America’s Common Core: Standardization by a Low Standard

Many years ago, the English writer G. K. Chesterton claimed that the “coming peril” facing civilization was “standardization by a low standard.” Today, almost a century later, Chesterton’s words have something of the mark of prophecy about them. Standards of literacy and numeracy, to say nothing of standards of morality, […]

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Resources for Implementing the Standards

Guidance for Implementing the Catholic Curriculum Standards Webinar with Fr. John Belmonte, Jill Annable, and Mike Juhas on “Guidance for Implementing the Catholic Curriculum Standards” Blog Posts The Transcendental Taxonomy and Catholic Education  Jan 2, 2018, Rubicon – more information on using philosophical questioning in all disciplines Teaching and Assessing Dispositions […]

Taking a Catholic View on Academic Freedom

So much about an answer depends on the way one poses the question. In the old story about the two monks who liked to smoke, for instance, it is easy to see why the one who asked if he could pray while smoking received permission, but the one who asked if he could smoke while praying had his request denied.