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Education


In 2005, when the bishops of the United States recommitted themselves to Catholic education, the document they released began with the following:

“Young people are a valued treasure and the future leaders of our church. It is the responsibility of the entire Catholic community — bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and laity — to continue to strive towards the goal of making our Catholic elementary and secondary schools available, accessible, and affordable to all Catholic parents and their children, including those who are poor and middle class. All Catholics must join together in efforts to ensure that Catholic schools have administrators and teachers who are prepared to provide an exceptional educational experience for young people — one that is both truly Catholic and of the highest academic quality.”

Parents have the fundamental right to choose the school most suitable for their children. The state has a responsibility to allow public and nonpublic options for all. Where existing structures continually fail low-income families, new models and choices become necessary. 

To read the latest document on education by the USCCB, visit www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/catholic-education/upload/renewing-our-commitment-2005.pdf

Questions about education to ponder as you consider a candidate:

• Does the candidate support the expansion of school choice options such as tuition tax credits, opportunity scholarships or similar programs?

• How does the candidate propose to improve the quality of public education, especially for low-income students?