Seton Magazine Catholic Homeschool Articles, Advice & Resources
A number of parents have asked us for information about the Common Core and how it will affect homeschooling. This, from a concerned mother, well represents the questions we are receiving.
“I would like Seton to address Common Core and how it will or will not affect Seton and home school families in general. Our state is bringing it to the public schools in our area but so far there is no requirement on home school families. The Common Core curriculum is horrible and the parents are worried.”
Here’s another from a mom in North Carolina,
“Hello! I am curious about Seton’s position on the Common Core issues. I am new to all of this. Is it true that one way or another, our homeschooled children will be asked to take national or state tests that are based on CC? I am so confused!”
The Common Core State Standards (usually simply called Common Core) are a set of curriculum guidelines for public schools. These standards have been adopted by nearly all the states, which has brought concern to those who oppose national education standards. Many parents, and advocates of smaller government, believe that national standards take control away from parents and local teachers, who have the greatest knowledge of the needs of individual children.
Common Core does not directly affect home schoolers. Home schools and private schools are not subject to these curriculum guidelines unless they accept federal funds. Seton Home Study School accepts no federal funds. We have no plans to adopt Common Core guidelines. Our concern is the passing down of timeless Catholic truths from one generation to the next.
Because we at Seton Home Study School write many of our own books, and strive to use as few secular textbooks as possible, we expect Common Core to have no impact on Seton’s educational program. Regarding standardized tests, Seton students have always performed extremely well on standardized tests, and we expect this to continue regardless of any future changes made to the tests.
If you would like more information about Common Core and home schooling, the Home School Legal Defense Association (www.hslda.org) has written many articles on this topic.
