Javier C. Hernandez writes in the New York Times about the Trinidad Campus of Center City Public Charter Schools, formerly Holy Name Roman Catholic, and how the change from a Catholic school to a public charter school has affected the community:
Many here are grappling with a question of mission: Is it possible to impart centuries-old values of Catholic education without crossing the line between church and state?
[…]Where mornings at Holy Name began with the Lord’s Prayer, Trinidad students start each day with a recitation of the school honor code: “I will arrive at school each day on time and ready to work. I will treat all with respect and dignity. I will solve any conflicts that arise peacefully. I will care for and protect our environment.”
Classrooms are filled with discussions not of the Bible and Jesus but of 10 “core values”—perseverance and curiosity, for instance—that are woven into the curriculum.
Read the full article here.