Sister Julia Marie Hutchinson, SND, to Receive O'Neil D'Amour Award
Two New Publications Help Connect Beliefs with Leadership Roles
National Symposium: "Leadership for New Ways of Learning"
Invest in Your Board with WWW: Webinars, Webcasts, & Wikispaces
Plan Now to Attend the 2010 NCEA Convention & Expo
Prayer to Open the Meeting
by Michael Coombe
Reflection:
Temptation is the topic that leads off the Scripture readings appointed for the Sundays in Lent. The choices one makes when faced with temptation were a major concern to Jesus, who showed us the way of faithfulness in both his teaching and his example.
Being a church organization does not mean we always make the right decisions when facing temptation, or that we automatically treat people justly. This holy season of Lent calls us to organizational as well as personal self-examination, particularly in these times when the survival of our beloved institutions is at risk. Are justice and love practiced only when we can afford it?
Are there times when for the sake of survival—or expediency—we are tempted to abandon what is good and right, or even take away what others deserve? The cause may seem worthy. "For the good of the nation," rationalized the high priest when he felt his own position was at risk. And then he took away what legitimately belonged to Jesus: his very life. Does self survival justify any means to achieve it?
Brother Lawrence Harvey, CFX, posed this very question at a symposium titled "Design for Success II: Configuring New Governance Models" at Boston College June 25-27, 2009. "Catholic institutions must survive, but with a distinct posture and presence in society.… Are they really living the Catholic social teaching that is part of the Catholic heritage, or do they abandon it in the face of economic pressures?"
Jesus posed the same question another way, when he asked, "What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" (Mark 8:36)
As administrators and board members, perhaps Lent calls us to self-examination regarding everything we do in our passion to serve our school. Are our decisions consistent with Catholic social teaching? How do we treat those we have power over, particularly our staff? What sacrifices do we impose on others for the sake of the institution? How do the decisions we make affect real people? Do the decisions we make help others to see and love Jesus?
Prayer:
Lord God, our strength, our ancient foe tempts us with his deceits and empty promises. Give us the vision to see clearly the mission of Jesus, and the courage to follow it. Let us not fall into the all-too-common belief that the end justifies the means. Pour out upon the leaders in your church that spirit of service which is the true mark of authority among your people. Bless those who lead in our school and those who provide support services, those who teach and those who learn, and all of their families and support systems. May we together grow in knowledge and faithfulness, and build your kingdom on earth. We humbly ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
(Note: Two new hot-off-the-press additions to The Board Member's Thumbnail Series provide helpful guidance to board and administrators on how the teachings of the church can guide our lives and decisions. The titles are Virtuous Leadership for Catholic Schools and Leadership and Catholic Social Teaching. A brand new "CODE OF ETHICS FOR CATHOLIC BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS" also is available. Look for more information toward the end of this newsletter.)
8 Miles of Copy Paper Saved
by Paul Langhorst, Chief Marketing Officer, SchoolReach Instant Parent Contact
8 Miles of Copy Paper! That’s what St. Monica’s on Mercer Island, WA, saved by using their SchoolReach parent notification system to eliminate mailed letters and notes sent home. The copy paper is only half the story; many of those sheets were tucked into envelopes with an expensive postage stamp on the outside totaling thousands in annual savings.
“My office copy paper supply closest is still full!” commented Ann Davis, principal of St. Gabriel’s in St. Louis. Same concept, same results; Principal Davis is guiding the school to use their SchoolReach notification system for more than school closures and is enjoying the financial results. “I used to refill my office copy paper supply closet right before Christmas and I just noticed that it’s still full,” explained Davis. “Parents like getting information electronically so they can organize it on the computer. No more papers buried in the deep black hole of a student’s backpack!” said Principal Davis.
A Growing Trend. These are but two examples of a growing national trend where school notification systems are being rediscovered as a source of substantial savings. By eliminating more costly forms of communication and converting others to voice or email broadcasts, Catholic schools across the country are savings thousands of dollars and freeing up money to be spent in more critical areas.
The savings manifest themselves in the following areas:
Reduced paper consumption
Reduced print supplies consumption
Reduced postage and mailing costs
Recovered labor
Increased collections, donations, and payments
End-of-Year Communications. The school year is fast coming to a close where parent communication needs can spike. Parent notification systems represent an ideal tool for reaching parents effectively during the latter part of the year. Would you like an early read on your enrollment next year? Send a broadcast phone survey asking parents for a quick yes/no on their plans, or simply remind them to turn in registration forms early. High school placement test reminders, First Communion, school picnics and graduation plans all require massive amounts of communication. A parent notification system can do it faster and cheaper.
For every sheet printed, stuffed, folded, mailed and handed out, there is human cost and energy spent. Today’s instant parent communication systems can represent a return on investment between 300% and 700% when used properly and wisely. Most importantly, schools report that their parents love the service. They love the increased communication; more timely communication; and the elimination of reading pages and pages of words to find the important times, dates, and meetings to remember.
Your efforts to research and implement a parent notification system will be rewarded many times over, both financially and in the form of improved parent involvement and appreciation. It’s a simple solution with big results.
An Encouraging Story
by Regina Haney, Ed.D.
A recent article in the Chippewa Herald gives me hope! The article reported on the Chippewa Area Catholic Schools' (CACS) in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin plan to expand in order to attract more students into schools and to better serve those currently enrolled. This news was in glaring contrast to articles reporting on Catholic school closures.
CACS's plans for growth include expanding staff to add a fulltime special needs coordinator and a lead instructor, augmenting technology by adding smart boards and increasing educational programs to add Latin classes and virtual courses to enable high school students to receive high-end courses. Theses plans send the message that the system is here to stay.
More than 20 years ago the Chippewa area schools rolled out its most significant and bold plan. That plan was to configure several elementary schools and one high school into one system in order to strengthen the schools and to ensure the future of Catholic education in the area. For 20 years the schools/system has served a diverse economic level of families. The new plan, like the one 20 years ago, is to strengthen and ensure the schools' future.
In 2008 the system was recognized as a Selected Program for Improving Catholic Education (SPICE) for its long-term reconfiguration success. SPICE is a diffusion network, a joint project of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) and the Center for Catholic Education at Boston College. It was created to "assist Catholic school leaders to choose and to replicate programs that ingeniously and successfully meet the needs of the contemporary Catholic school." Each year SPICE committee members choose a topic and select programs from across the nation that exemplify best practices. In 2008 the focus area was Design for Success: New Configurations for Catholic Schools. The CACS was selected as a model for others to adopt.
This model is a unification of three parish-based schools into a unified parochial system in which the pastors retain authority. Rather than create an independent school system, the CACS system makes the pastors the authoritative body over the schools through the dean of their territory in the diocese. This shared authority makes support by multiple parishes feasible.
CACS demonstrates that Catholic schools should not be abandoned just because changes in society make it difficult to sustain the traditional single-parish school. Deliberate steps must be undertaken to create ever-evolving ways for parishes to continue to extend their teaching ministries through Catholic schools, even if that means working together in new and creative ways.
The February 2010 article announces to the nation that this model of configured schools and governance works. It gives hope to those in search of ways to keep Catholic schools available if you dare to be creative!
Haney, R. (in press). Design for success: New configurations and governance models for Catholic schools. Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice.
Haney, R., & O'Keefe, J. (Eds.). (2009). Design for success I: New configurations for Catholic schools. Washington, DC: National Catholic Educational Association.
Hochstedler, L. (2010, February 25). Changes in store for CACS, 2010, from http://www.chippewa.com
'Tis the Season to Think about New Board Members
by Regina Haney, Ed.D.
As you plan ahead for your new member orientation, look back at the time when you were a new member. Ask yourself this question: What do you wish you would have known when you started as a member that would have helped you make more informed decisions? Your answer will help in planning a worthwhile orientation.
I posed this same question to the participants of a recent webinar on board member recruitment. Their responses represent two perspectives—the administrator's perspective and the member's perspective.
From the administrator's perspective, she/he would have a clear understanding of the role of the board and his/her relationship to the board. This understanding would promote more comfort with the board's involvement so that the administration would share the leadership and open the door wider to collaboration.
From a member's perspective it would have been helpful to have had more information about the following:
Responsibilities, roles, and relationships
Board bylaws
A better understanding of Catholic Church structures for the leadership of schools
Responsibilities of the members to the administration, parents, faculty, and church
What are my overall responsibilities?
Who leads each committee?
What are the responsibilities of the committees?
Who would be the best resource?
The above provides a very enlightened outline for an orientation or two! The intent of a good orientation is to help the new member hit the ground running. This should avoid the type of experience that one of the webinar participants shared: "I felt like I was playing catch-up for quite a while until I got my bearings! It took several months to really understand how everything fits together and functions, and feel like I was part of a team."
As you plan ahead for your new member orientation, look back at the time you were a new member.
Useful Information from Board Surveys Coming Soon
In partnership with Marquette Univesity, the NCEA Department of Boards and Councils recently conducted a nationwide survey of elementary, secondary, and diocesan boards. The intent is to update the information provided by the 1994 survey that served as the foundation for the landmark publication Benchmarks of Excellence: Effective Boards of Catholic Education. That practical, how-to book shared guidance and experiences that contributed to the development and practice of boards for more than a decade.
As school governance structures continue to evolve and grow, along with the communities they serve, sharing the most successful adaptations and practices today can continue to benefit all Catholic schools.
Below is a taste of the preliminary analysis of the data provided by Dr. Martin Scanlan, who heads up the project. The complete findings will be published before June 2010.
Parish elementary school boards tend to be most homogenous and have the most restricted authority. They are most homogenous in that over three quarters (78%) are one type – advisory. They are restricted in authority in that over 90% are either advisory (78%) or consultative (16%). Only 5% have limited jurisdiction. Other elementary school boards are slightly more varied in authority structure, but still are predominantly restricted in authority as either advisory (63%) or consultative (21%). Secondary school boards are most varied in authority structure and strongest of the three types.
Other preliminary data were presented in the November 2009 of NCEA NOTES.
Outstanding Board Awards Announced
Five outstanding school boards will be awarded the Outstanding Board Award in 2010. The ceremony will be held at the NCEA Convention in Minneapolis at a special awards luncheon on April 7, 2010, from 11:00 am to 12:45 pm. A limited number of tickets will be available. Anyone interested in joining in the celebration is invited to purchase a ticket at the Department of Boards and Councils booth at the convention. This will also be an opportunity to learn about the best practices of these boards.
Congratulations to these outstanding boards of 2010:
Trinity School Board of Trustees
Ellicott City, Maryland
St. Cyril of Jerusalem School Board
Encino, California
Infant Jesus of Prague School Board
Flossmoor, Illinois
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School Board
Greenville, South Carolina
St. Charles Borromeo School Advisory Committee, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sister Julia Marie Hutchison, SND, to Receive O'Neil D'Amour Award
At the same awards luncheon, Sister Hutchison, superintendent of schools in the Diocese of Charleston, will be presented the 2010 O'Neil D'Amour Award. This award is given annually to an individual in recognition of outstanding contributions of state, regional, or national significance to the growing importance of boards in the governance and support of Catholic schools.
All these awards are presented annually by the NCEA Department of Boards and Councils. More information about these awards and previous recipients can be found at /departments/boards/index.asp.
Three New Publications Help Connect Beliefs with Leadership Roles
The Board Member's Thumbnail Series is a series of eight-and-a-half inch by three-and-three-quarters inch pamphlets that provide guidance to administrators as well as board members. Each title in the series addresses a specific issue. Some titles even may be useful to staff members or parents. The following two titles were just delivered fresh from the printer to our stockroom:
"Virtuous Leadership for Catholic Schools" offers guidance on how the "theological virtues" and the "cardinal virtues" described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church might shape our lives as board members and administrators. "Our employees – staff, teachers and administrators – are human persons, and the board as well as other leaders in administration are entrusted with the care and the dignity that is due them." The summaries and examples under each virtue provide a vivid connection between our beliefs and day-to-day life. (BDS-25-1473)
"Leadership and Catholic Social Teaching" offers insight into how the "rich tradition and teaching regarding social issues, particularly with respect to human dignity and the common good," should influence the decisions we make and how we regard the people we oversee and work with. Some specific practical suggestions flowing from teachings about "participation" and "subsidiarity," for example, provide very helpful guidance as we strive to faithfully carry out our responsibilities as administrators and boards. (BDS-25-1472)
Both of these additions to The Board Member's Thumbnail Series were written by James Funk. They are $9 for a shrink-wrapped pack of 15 copies of the same title. Order by phone at (800) 711-6232 or print a Quick Order Form.
A new "CODE OF ETHICS FOR CATHOLIC BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS" is also hot off the press. It is organized around the virtues or traits of character that board members should have and is printed on sturdy 8 1/2 by 11 inch card stock. It is completely different from the out-of-print code that was published by NCEA some time ago. This new code was written by a nationally known ethicist teaching at the University of Portland, Dr. Thompson Faller. Every new and veteran board/council/commitee member should have a copy. Suitable for framing. Only $1 each. (BDS-25-1477)
National Symposium: "Leadership for New Ways of Learning"
June 24-25, 2010, at Boston College and the Diocese of Dubuque
Registration Deadline: June 1
Leaders of our schools who have found success in changing their educational community because of the power of their program or programs will share their successful strategies with the annual SPICE symposium participants.
Key areas of Leadership for New Ways of Learning to be examined and discussed are:
Leadership Competencies Needed for Change;
Spiritual Leadership;
School Buildings of the Future Including the Technology Infrastructure Design for the School of the Future;
Professional Learning Communities;
New Models of Learning—21st Century Learning Environments/Digital Learning Including Curriculum; and
ELL/Inclusion and Special Education Including Responsiveness to New Populations.
SPICE, which stands for Selected Programs for Improving Catholic Education, is jointly sponsored project by NCEA and Boston College that disseminates information about successful programs that can be replicated or adapted by other schools.
Two sites will be offered this year. Some presentations and panels will be at Boston College, as in the past, and some will be at a second site set up in the Archdiocese of Dubuque Pastoral Center for participants from the Midwest who prefer not to travel to Boston. The two sites will be connected through distance-learning technology, and SPICE leaders will be present to facilitate the event at both sites.
Registration forms for both the Boston College site and the Archdiocese of Dubuque Office site are available at www.ncea.org/services/SPICE.asp.
Invest in Your Board with WWW: Webinars, Webcasts, & Wikispaces
Webinars
Board members, principals, presidents, superintendents, other administrators, pastors, committee members, and anyone who works with a Catholic education board can benefit from participating in these 3-week webinar courses from the comfort of your own computer.
Come away with a plan of action.
Go online any time of day or night during the course.
Read assignments, answer questions, learn from one another.
Interact personally with the professional trainer.
Dialogue and share ideas with classmates.
Receive 1.5 CEUs upon completion.
Class members may choose to continue the discussion with one another after the webinar concludes through a special Wikispace created for that purpose.
$45 for members of the Department of Boards and Councils, $110 for a team of 3.
$80 for non-members, $200 for a team of 3.
Sign up 3 people from another school and you or someone you designate can take an upcoming course FREE.
You will come away with the ability to create marketing objectives and strategies and translate them into measurable action plans. In the process you will learn how to understand and articulate the board's role in situation analysis and be able to identify the school's strengths, competitors, and target markets, and develop a marketing budget.
1. Board's Purpose and Sense of Mission:
On Being Entrusted with the Mission
After this class you will understand the unique identity of a CATHOLIC school and how a board functions within it. You will be better able to help your board formulate recommendations or decisions that ensure that all aspects of the school's life are shaped around the school's purpose and mission.
(This course would be excellent preparation for the new members who have been selected to serve on the board in the next school year.)
Apr. 5, 2010
April 11-30, 2010
2. Board's Faith Development:
Articulating Shared Vision Grounded on Mature Faith
You will become better able to articulate your vision about maturity in the Catholic faith and identify commonalities that are important in setting direction for the school. You will be able to help the board to understand and implement a mature Catholic vision in its leadership of all aspects of the school.
(This course would be excellent for deepening the preparation of new members who have been selected to serve on the board in the next school year.)
May 24, 2010
May 30 - June 20, 2010
Plan Now to Attend the 2010 NCEA Convention & Expo
The 2010 NCEA Convention & Expo in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will have a lot to offer board members, administrators, and superintendents.
All who are involved in the governance of Catholic schools and religious education programs will find professional development sessions that will help you do business better in any number of areas. Networking also provides valuable information and contacts to follow up later.
Marketing and Enrollment will be the theme of a whole series of sessions in the strand for Boards and Administration.
This newsletter is a benefit of your membership on a board or council that is a member of the NCEA Department of Boards and Councils.
Please do not forward this newsletter to anyone who is not a member of the boards department.
Administrators: Please send all board member additions, deletions, or address changes as soon as they occur to services@ncea.org. Keeping our database current will keep your dues at the lowest rate. Thank you.
You are invited to send us contributions to this newsletter or ideas for things you would like to see included.
National Catholic Educational Association
