ICSL and Catholic Schools for the Future

This week we are hosting the Institute for Catholic School Leaders (ICSL) led by NCEA in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It has been a great partnership and we have worked hard to build a program that will result in attendees coming away with something tangible they can implement at their individual school sites.

On Sunday night at the start of the conference, I shared with the attendees the recent survey data from Gallup that found that 39% of Catholics in the U.S. attend Mass on a weekly basis. This percentage has been dropping consistently over the past decades (in 1955 it was 75%). While this data can be depressing for us as a Church, it is also informative for those of us who work in schools because at times it feels like much of the talk centers around the ‘Catholic school crisis’. While Catholic schools are struggling, they are an indication of the larger struggle the Church itself is facing. We can also choose to see this as an opportunity for us in Catholic education because we have the future faithful in our schools today and our work can ensure a vibrant, healthy Church for tomorrow.

When we consider the numbers today in comparison with over 60 years ago we can become nostalgic for that past. There is a good definition of nostalgia, however, that says nostalgia is simply history without the pain. What that means is that we look back and idealize the past as a time where there were not struggles and difficulties. Of course, that is not the case – the Catholic school educators is of then faced significant challenges as well – they struggled then as we do now and they had joy then that we have now. I imagine having 60 first grade students in one classroom was not ideal for that teacher! In the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, a Catholic school was opened, on average, once every 20 days for about a 15-year period. It is clear that growth had its share of struggles.

In The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis wrote:

“Some people nowadays console themselves by saying that things are not as easy as they used to be, yet we know that the Roman empire was not conducive to the Gospel message, the struggle for justice, or the defense of human dignity. Every period of history is marked by the presence of human weakness, self-absorption, complacency and selfishness, to say nothing of the concupiscence which preys upon us all. These things are ever present under one guise or another; they are due to our human limits rather than particular situations. Let us not say, then, that things are harder today; they are simply different. But let us learn also from the saints who have gone before us, who confronted the difficulties of their own day.” (#263)

Thus we understand that our challenges may be unique to our time, but we are also unique to our time. Our faith tells us that we are the ones God believes are capable of overcoming the challenges that lay before us. He has faith in us; it is we, too often, who doubt.

It is human nature to focus on the challenges that face us but we also must recognize the opportunities. We have a burgeoning Catholic population, especially in the West, which is driven by immigration. This is very much akin to what the Church in the Northeast experienced in the early part of the 20^th Century. Then it was the Irish, Italians, Germans and Poles and today it is the Mexicans, Salvadorans, Koreans and Vietnamese. As we think back on those dedicated Catholic school educators who built and grew Catholic schools during that time our question must be: what would the saints of yesterday have done with the opportunities of today?

There is great hope and potential but for it to be realized we must engage in active progress. We must focus on leadership, first and foremost, that ensures our schools are strong in faith formation and Catholic identity and are rigorous academic institutions that use data to make decisions and share that data with both internal and external constituents. We also must be good stewards of our schools, managing resources efficiently and effectively. Finally, we must be willing to innovate to think about how best to educate the students of today, and not revert to the ways we were taught as young people. Building a culture that is in a constant cycle of improvement ensures that our Catholic schools remain great and will continue to serve for generations to come.  

Re-engaging the CTE Blog

As we approach a new school year (and July is shaping up to be quite busy), I am going to make an effort to post more regularly on this blog. I think it is too easy for me to cite busyness and not enough time as excuses for not posting, but i also find myself writing more and wanting to engage others in ideas that I am thinking about. So we will see how long I can keep it up but let us begin!

I was blessed to be named a Parhara Institute Education Fellow and we had our first gathering in Park City, Utah at the end of June. It was an extraordinary experience to be with 24 extraordinary educators and three extremely capable moderators. This was the first of four sessions and it focused on the challenge of leadership. I will be processing for a while because there was so much conveyed, shared and learned but I am very excited for the rest of the sessions.

While I was in Utah, I was listening to a podcast and heard a recommendation about a bit from James Corden’s show where he rides around in a car and signs karaoke with a famous singer. This particular one was with Paul McCartney. I have not watched much of this in the past but I took the 20 minutes to see this one and I was really glad I did. First, it is incredibly endearing – I have no idea if Paul McCartney has just been famous for so long and gets how to interact and appear humble but he clearly seemed happy to be back in Liverpool. And he exhibits great humility throughout as he interacts with surprised people from his home town.

The part that struck me in particular was about how Paul McCartney wrote Let It Be. He talks about having a difficult time and having his deceased mother come to him in a dream to let him know all will be well and to just let it be. James Corden is moved by the story and tells him how his dad and grandfather, who was a musician, had him listen to Let It Be when he was a little boy to know what real songwriting is like. He then tears up and says he wishes his grandfather could see him right now sitting with the writer of the song. Paul McCartney gently reassures him that his grandfather is indeed looking at him right now.

I think these small moments of faith and spirituality are important and I used this little story to speak with our first year principals last week as they went through their on-boarding process. My message was essentially to always know that you are not alone and that we can be inspired and motivated when we believe that loved ones who passed before us are watching us on our journey today. After all, our success is directly tied to the impact they have had on us in our lives.

A footnote to this story is that after I had spoken to the principals one of them approached me to let me know that Fr. Jim Martin had posted an article on the America Magazine website about the Corden/McCartney interaction. As you would expect, Fr. Martin does a much more capable job of communicating the grace and power of the interaction but it made me feel good to be in such great company!

Leadership Formation Program

We conducted the first two days of the Leadership Formation Program for our new principals this past week. The days were intense and a mixture of theory and practical issues connected to leadership that covered the areas of Leadership, Faith, and Stewardship (both managerial/financial and human resource issues). We have two more days in early August that will center on Excellence (Instructional Leadership) and practical questions that they may face in the job. They will have their mentor principals with them on the last day to assist with any questions they may have regarding all that has been presented.

The structure of the LFP is different than we have had in the past few years. It used to consist of a week-long 'boot camp' where information was flooded into the new recruits like a fire hose. We have broken the week into two separate sections of two days each in order to lessen the overload that can often accompany such training. At first look it seems to have been positively received. What I took away from the first two days is that it was rather intense and long and I couldn't imagine doing another three days with similar material without completely wiping everyone out. The idea is that the new principals will be able to go back to their school locations now and reflect on what they heard while getting their hands into the individual challenges present at their sites. They will then come back armed with questions and feedback when we see them in early August.

The entire LFP - for new principals but also for current principals and for those who are considering leadership in the future - is an exciting endeavor for our office. We recognize that good leadership is the number one key to having a successful school. If we get this part right over the long term then we firmly believe that we will have the growth that we vision for the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Looking at the road ahead can be daunting because there will be fits and starts and the over all long term goal seems very far away. But there is no time like now to start and we recognize that we are building for a future that is not our own but rather for future generations of students who will benefit from the rigorous education, grounded in faith, that results from strong leadership in our schools.

Trying to get back to this...

With the summer here, even with the workload still high, I believe it is time to try to get back to this blog and write a bit more. This is inspired to some degree with Work With Hope, who I had lunch with last week. He is trying to post more as well so we can try to push each other to move the dialogue forward.

I have been thinking a lot about the upcoming school year. We have a number of new staff joining us in the office and with that comes great energy and excitement. The primary focus for us over the next few years will be on leadership formation of principals and those who desire to be principals in the coming years. Leadership is an interesting issue (and I am trying to finish writing a book on leadership that I am behind on so I am also hoping the blogging will also help spur me on) in that it is an area everyone agrees is essential but very few people have concrete plans to address it.

In my mind, every other issue pales in comparison to effective leadership. When good leaders are present in schools - or any organization - then all other issues become secondary. I like to say that good leadership eliminates all minor problems and mitigates major ones. Essentially, if a good leader is in place then all other issues of finance, enrollment, technology integration, instructional leadership, etc. are taken care of by virtue of their presence.

We have spent the last year looking at leadership and we have the outlines of a Leadership Formation Program that we are implementing this year. Part of that program is how we work with those who are new to the principal position, which consists of summer training and then follow up sessions throughout the year both in a group setting and with a mentor.  But there are other two aspects are equally important.

The first is how we address 'building a bench' of future leaders to fill principal positions in the coming years. We had 40 principal openings this year, which was a bit higher than usual but we normally need 25-30 new principals each year. How we invite and form these new leaders will determine the success of our schools in the coming years. We had information meetings this past spring and we will have four sessions over the course of this coming year in the areas of Leadership, Faith, Excellence and Stewardship to introduce the participants to the practical aspects of the principal position. Many either have already gone through an admin MA program or are planning to so the intent is not to focus on theory but the practical nature of the job.

The second aspect of the LFP is to nurture current principals in our schools. The principal job can be a lonely one and it is no secret that it is easy to burn out if there is not constructive support present. So part of the program is to invite principals to attend a summer session every five years of their tenure (so in the fifth, tenth, fifteenth, etc. summer) in order to refresh their knowledge and renew their spirit. We have also tried to incorporate more leadership PD in monthly deanery meetings so that principals get needed support and guidance without having to attend an additional meeting.

Much to do in this area and I would welcome feedback. Chris Mominey (from Philadelphia) and Dave Faber (from Grand Rapids) and are going to be leading a session on this topic at CACE in October so I would be interested in learning what else is happening around the country.

Catching up

My intent to blog regularly ran into a buzz saw that is the job...but I did just post a rather long item on Catholic schools in Los Angeles. This was originally in response to this article in the NY Times that in my mind was a big negative about the future of Catholic schools. You can read my post in full but in short my belief is that Catholic schools have a bright, optimistic future in Los Angeles. With a large and growing population, a dedicated and capable team in the Department of Catholic Schools, and an Archbishop who is clearly committed to seeing Catholic schools strong and viable, there is no limit to what can be accomplished.

Catholic Schools in Los Angeles

There has been much in the national press recently on the enrollment crisis that has affected Catholic schools in the United States in recent times. The announced closure of 25 more schools in the Archdiocese of New York last week added to the already large number of Catholic schools that have been closed in recent years. While we have not closed schools in significant numbers, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has had similar struggles. During the period from 2001-2010 we saw a 23% decline in enrollment in our K-8 Catholic schools.

But in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, we do not see a grim future ahead. Indeed, we see tremendous hope on the horizon that is driven by a realistic optimism in the purpose of Catholic schools. For the first time in over a decade we have had enrollment increases in our K-8 schools in 2011-12 and 2012-13. In addition, we have focused on a growth agenda that aims to further increase the Catholic school student population in the coming years. We are blessed to have Archbishop Jose Gomez leading us at this time and he is a tireless advocating for the promise and the purpose of Catholic schools.

A reason for optimism is the tremendous support we receive from multiple partners in our mission of faith education. The Catholic Education Foundation, which is celebrating its 25^th anniversary this year, has provided over $120 million in scholarship assistance to families since it began. This, in addition to the archdiocesan Together in Mission appeal, has assisted countless schools and without a doubt kept many open over the past two decades. We are also blessed to have strong university partnerships with both Loyola Marymount University and Mount St. Mary College and both offer training programs to assist both our teachers and our principals.

However, the key reason we are optimistic about the future is the data. With just under 5 million Catholics the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is far and away the largest in the U.S. With approximately 1 million Catholic school age children (which is predicted to reach 1.6 million by 2040) there are plenty of students for our schools. But our currently Pre-K-12 enrollment is just over 80,000 – just 8% of the Catholic school age population. If we could increase that number to 10% - just 1 Catholic student out of 10 – we could double our current enrollment to 160,000 by 2040. This doesn’t take into account the large number of non-Catholic students that we have in our schools nor the fact that 10% is a rather low goal to shoot for. What it we got 15%? Or 20%?

But the big question that follows is how? The fact is a large percentage of the 5 million Catholics in Los Angeles are low-income, minorities who are often first or second generation immigrants to the US. The issues of access and affordability are essential if we are to tap into this population that is in desperate need of Catholic education. There are many aspects to this growth agenda but I will touch on two briefly.

The first is leadership. In order to create long term growth and sustainability schools need to have strong leaders who focus on establishing clear Catholic identity, rigorous Academics and active Stewardship. Leadership has to be present both in the principal who runs the school and in the pastor of the parish of our K-8 schools. Quality schools of value attract parents and students and, even in low income areas, a strong leader who creates and develops a quality program tends to lead to solid enrollment.

The second area is innovation. Catholic schools need to adapt and innovate to meet the needs of the 21^st century family and student. The ways that have worked in the past will not in the future so change is a requirement for growth. The original model for the Catholic parochial school is not sustainable in many locations and the advent of new technologies requires new approaches to how we govern and educate students in Catholic schools. This includes how we integrate technology into our classrooms as well as curriculum innovation, such as dual language immersion schools, to better meet the needs of the 21^st century student and family. The ability to innovate has contributed to some Catholic schools in Los Angeles staying open even when enrollment has declined significantly. We have been able to implement alternative structural models that have allowed schools to stay open and financially viable for the communities they serve.

With approximately 5 million Catholics, we firmly believe that we have the capacity to grow significantly in enrollment in the coming decades and why we see great signs of hope for Catholic education in Los Angeles. It will require solid, effective leadership at the school site level that focuses on faith, academic excellence and efficient administrative management. We also must continue to innovate in areas of governance, technology integration and instruction and assessment so we are best able to meet the needs of the 21^st century learner.

The crisis is real in Catholic schools but the response should be to approach the challenges with a bounding optimism that faces the challenges with hope and confidence that the best days of Catholic education lie ahead of us and not in the past. 

Excellence

The next area of focus will be on Excellence, which is centered narrowly on academic rigor and excellence. The reason for this is very specific - if you ask Catholic school principals what makes their school excellent, most will reply with some form of answer that centers on Catholic identity. They will cite the tangible identity that is present, the wonderful sense of community, the shared values between family and school...all of these are wonderful characteristics and those of us committed to them appreciate how integral they are to school excellence.

But that is why we have an exclusive focus on Faith (see previous post) that addresses this directly and stresses that faith should not simply be part of the school but infused through all aspects of school life. So when we cite Excellence, we are referring to academic rigor and achievement, which are both hallmarks for Catholic schools historically.

We start from the premise that Catholic schools charge for a product that is free down the street. Because we compete with free public schools (including charter schools) we need to ensure that the academic product that results in our schools is at minimum equal to those in other academic environments. Ideally we know that the product to be superior to that found in other schools.

The bottom line with our focus on excellence is this: Catholic schools have a deserved reputation for academic excellence. When the nuns were teaching in elementary schools it was a badge of honor to be able to effectively diagram a sentence or have perfect handwriting. But we can never rest on what we have accomplished in the past. Jim Collins in his book Good to Great says it well, "No matter what you have achieved, you will only merely be good in relation to what you can become." We have to reject the status quo and continually look to new ways to improve what we do in the classroom.

This requires thinking about education for the 21st century vs continuing with how things have been done in the past. Using data to drive instruction in the classroom, exploring alternative curricular models such as immersion language instruction and utilizing technology to both access content and engage learners. I will have a separate post on technology but the key point in this area of excellence is that we must ensure we know what we want to accomplish prior to implementing any new technology. So the new technology is not the innovation, it is the tool for the student and teacher to use in order to learn.