The release of the Catholic Curriculum Standards follows closely on the publication of a report in which several Catholic scholars argued that the Common Core standards are incompatible with traditional Catholic approach to education, since they focus on developing marketplace skills rather than on liberal education and training in virtue.
“We want to help, to propose a path forward that is more appropriate for Catholic schools than the problematic Common Core and other secular options,” said Dan Guernsey, a co-author of the new guidelines. The standard—set forth in two groups, one for kindergarten through grade 6, the other for grades 7 through 12—emphasize literature, science, math, and history.
The Cardinal Newman Society is a Virginia-based group dedicated to preserving and promoting a distinctively Catholic approach to education.