Message from Bishop Burns
How does School Choice Affect Public Schools?
School choice programs introduce more competition among all public and private schools, compelling them to work harder to attract and retain students. Not a single empirical study has found that outcomes at public schools worsen as a result of school choice programs, and numerous studies have found that they improve over time. Learn more about how school choice can be a complementary approach for families looking for the best education setting for their children.
Why it Benefits Everyone
School choice legislation allows Catholic families to choose schools that align with their religious beliefs and values. This ensures that children receive an education that reflects the moral teachings and faith-based principles upheld by the Catholic Church, while also affording families the ability to select a faith-based education.
The Catholic schools in the Diocese of Dallas have a long history of providing high-quality education, character formation, and community service. School choice helps sustain and expand these vital institutions, ensuring that more students can benefit from a Catholic education.
Competition among schools, including Catholic schools, motivates them to continually improve their educational offerings. When parents have choices, schools are incentivized to excel in academics, character development, and faith formation.
Catholic schools emphasize values such as compassion, social justice, and service to others. School choice legislation allows more students to access schools that prioritize character education and the formation of responsible, morally grounded citizens.
Catholic schools have a rich tradition of serving diverse communities, including low-income and underserved populations. School choice helps ensure that these valuable educational resources remain accessible to a wide range of students and families.
Catholic families who desire a faith-based education often face financial sacrifices to afford tuition. School choice can help alleviate this burden by providing financial assistance or scholarships, making Catholic education more accessible to all income levels.
Catholic schools often serve as centers of community life, fostering a sense of belonging and unity among families. School choice can help strengthen these community bonds by ensuring the sustainability of Catholic schools.
School choice aligns with the principles of social justice advocated by the Catholic Church. It empowers marginalized and disadvantaged families to access educational opportunities that can break the cycle of poverty and provide a path to a better future.
Catholic teaching emphasizes the role of parents as the primary educators of their children. School choice legislation respects and reinforces parental authority, allowing parents to make educational choices that align with their faith and values.
By supporting school choice, Catholics can contribute to the broader effort to strengthen education in Texas. It’s an opportunity to be good stewards of education resources and help shape a brighter future for the next generation.
Catholic schools teach students the importance of civic engagement, ethical leadership, and the common good. School choice can expand access to such schools, nurturing future leaders who prioritize these principles.
Catholic schools often embrace diversity, welcoming students from various backgrounds. School choice supports these efforts by enabling more families to choose schools that prioritize diversity, inclusivity, and intercultural understanding.
Catholic social teaching emphasizes the inherent dignity of every person. School choice legislation helps ensure that all children regardless of their circumstances, have the opportunity to receive an education that respects their human dignity.
As Catholics, we are all called to Faithful Citizenship
Faithful Citizenship is the mindful consideration of public policy and important issues through the lens of the Church’s teaching. It is also a “call to action” to become involved with legislative policy, to be a voice for the vulnerable, and to advocate for the dignity of all. Learn more about faithful citizenship here.