Common Core

by: Ann Rodgers

Bishop Zubik’s letter gets widespread exposure

On March 18, Bishop David Zubik issued a statement that Catholic schools in the Diocese of Pittsburgh are not using federal or state educational standards known as the Common Core. This has drawn widespread Internet attention from people engaged in a wider debate over the merits of Common Core.

The bishop emphasized that his concern was to explain why the Common Core standards aren’t helpful to the diocese’s dual commitment to a strong Catholic identity and high academic standards. The Common Core is a set of minimum standards, developed to assist public schools with their effort to prepare students for higher education and for the workforce. His statement pointed out that schools in the diocese have always aimed higher than the standards of the Common Core, both academically and spiritually.

“This is a matter of preserving our higher standards, moral and intellectual, in our schools,” Bishop Zubik said. “I intended my statement to be a point of clarification for anyone who has questions in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.” While Catholic schools meet or exceed the general educational standards of the state of Pennsylvania, our schools are not required to follow any federal or state Common Core standards.

“We are pleased that our Catholic schools remain as strong as they are, grounded on the teachings of the Catholic Church. We continue to build on that strong tradition,” Bishop Zubik said.

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