By
THE MOST REVEREND WILLIAM E. LORI, S.T.D., BISHOP OF BRIDGEPORT
Fairfield
County Catholic, November 17, 2007
I
know it's not Catholic Schools Week, but I cannot resist writing about our Catholic
schools. As you will read on the front page of this 
edition of Fairfield County
Catholic, Catholic schools in our diocese are undergoing a renaissance. The headline
is that nine of our 33 elementary schools qualify to apply for recognition as
"Blue Ribbon Schools" by the U.S. Department of Education. Many others are on
the cusp of doing so. A school can only apply for such recognition if it is in
the top 10 percent of all schools, both public and private.
In
these times when we read about so many failing schools, this is good news indeed!
CAPTION:
Principals of "Blue Ribbon" nominated Catholic Schools celebrate their
achievement with their Pastors. (Photo by Pat Hennessy)
In
fact, a lot is going on - so much so that I scarcely know where to begin. But
I'll start with the governance model of our schools. A few years back, shortly
after Dr. Margaret Dames began serving as Superintendent of Schools, the
decision was made to reorganize our schools. Instead of regional schools - which
had become too decentralized - we searched for a model that would provide for
both local input and investment combined with more centralized oversight of Catholic
identity, curriculum, in-servicing programs for teachers and school leaders, as
well as school finances.
So
we re-organized the schools as diocesan schools and charged each of them to field
a single advisory board comprised of clergy and laity. We were looking to populate
these boards with people whose passion for Catholic education is coupled with
expertise in areas such as finance, management, marketing, strategic planning,
and other allied skill sets. To aid these dedicated boards, a school finance and
staffing model was developed, as well as a standard budgeting process. The goal
was not to paper over challenges but, rather, to confront them head-on so as to
ensure not only the survival of our schools but also their growth in excellence.
A
few weeks ago, I invited these advisory boards to a dinner at the Catholic Center
in Bridgeport. The room quickly filled, not just with people but also with energy
and ideas. As I walked from table to table, many told me about their background
and about the work their boards are doing on behalf of their schools. After dinner,
Dr. Dames and her team presented an executive summary of current statistics and
diocesan initiatives to strengthen our schools.
The
statistical news was positive. Overall, enrollment is up nearly 2 percent
this year over last year. Enrollment in the inner-city schools is up 4.4 percent
over last year and is up 10 percent over the last several years.
Test
scores continue to climb. Although the State of Connecticut does not allow private
school children to take the same standard test (Connecticut Mastery Test) as their
public school counterparts, they do take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Fortunately,
we have found a way to compare the Connecticut and Iowa tests. By every measurement,
Catholic school students in the Diocese of Bridgeport are doing very well. On
average, they scored in the 90th percentile in reading and in math; this puts
our students in the top 10 percent of all students in the United States.
Along
with good statistical news, Dr. Dames' team reported on the progress of diocesan
educational initiatives, such as curriculum mapping in reading, math, religion,
and now science. Mapping is a process by which it is determined when and how the
content called for in the curriculum is to be taught; in a word it is an educational
road map for the benefit of parents, students, teachers, and educational leaders.
It helps us gauge what we're doing, when we're doing it, and how well we're doing
it. This process has led to a sharing of best practices across the system and
renewed enthusiasm among teachers.
There
is also good news on the technology front. Each school is required to have a technology
plan. Our schools are investing in laptop computers on carts, Smart Boards, library
programs, and other advances. Some are improving their science and computer labs.
We also employ a technology curriculum group called "Educate" which supports our
curriculum through the use of technology.
Coupled
with enhanced technology is a new pre-engineering program that is about to be
introduced into our high schools. It is envisioned as a partnership between Catholic
and public schools by which an "academy" is to be established, most likely on
a university campus. The purpose is to raise the level of science, math, and technology
such that our children can compete on global basis and get into the much-neglected
field of engineering.
We
were also able to report that each Catholic school now has a marketing plan in
place. Some are more advanced than others, but we do have a foundation on which
to build. Michael Byrnes, a dedicated volunteer, is leading this effort
throughout our schools. He is helping our schools to tell their stories of faith
and educational excellence in a way that will grow the enrollment and build broader
support in the State of Connecticut and in the various towns of our diocese. We
also just hired Cathleen Donahue as a marketing specialist to work with
Michael in carrying forward this plan.
I
am most grateful to the clergy for the support they give to Catholic education
and to these important advisory boards. But I must also give great credit to Dr.
Dames and her team, including Dr. John Cook and Sr. Mary Grace Walsh,
A.C.S.J., the Deputy Superintendents, together with Martin Tristine,
who oversees the finances of our schools. It is a small, cohesive, and effective
team that works tirelessly on behalf of Catholic school children and their parents.
In an age when businesses must replace bureaucracies with flexible and creative
working groups, this team fills the bill nicely. And their efforts are bearing
fruit. I was very pleased when, a few months ago, the Connecticut Post ran
a headline on the leadership of "Dynamo Dames." Not only is she dynamic, she is
also nearly ubiquitous. She and her team face problems head on without losing
focus on the good things we're trying to accomplish. They are a study in what
leadership should be.
Never
to be forgotten is why we do all this. Of course, I am delighted that Catholic
principals and teachers are highly successful educators. But we are in this for
a reason: to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ and to help our young people
become the persons God meant them to be from all eternity. We are in it to build
new generations of leadership in the Church and society, a corps of people who
will know their faith and understand how it transforms the human condition while
helping to shape a more humane society. And we are seeking the ultimate good of
our students: friendship with God in company with the saints, beginning now and
unfolding fully at the end of their lives.
Yes,
it's not yet Catholic Schools Week, but any time is a good time to talk about
these excellent schools. And it's true they may not be as flashy as their counterparts
that are funded by public money, but the performance of our schools is at the
top of the charts.
I hope that many parents will read this column and consider investing in their
children's future - not only their immediate future but, indeed, their absolute
future, the future that will never end.
(For
more information on the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Bridgeport,
click here.)
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