Diocesan Leaders to Focus on Future of Catholic Schools at NCEA Financial Summit

Arlington, Va.—Leaders of 26 dioceses and archdioceses will explore innovative solutions to the financial challenges Catholic schools face at the National Catholic Educational Association's Financial Summit on Catholic Schools March 10 and 11 in Chicago.

"Catholic elementary and secondary schools across the nation are confronting a financial crisis. By bringing leaders together for the first conference of this type, we hope we can help dioceses identify creative and innovative ways to address this challenge" said Daniel F. Curtin, executive director of NCEA's Chief Administrators of Catholic Education.

The summit at Loyola University Chicago will draw bishops, chief financial officers and school superintendents from the dioceses and archdioceses across the country that enroll 20,000 or more students. The members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Catholic Education will also be participating.

"Our goal with this summit is to encourage those who lead Catholic schools to think differently about ways to strengthen schools for the benefit of present and future students," said Dr. Karen M. Ristau, NCEA president. "We plan to continue this conversation across the country for Catholic educators to explore creative and innovative ways to sustain the schools."

The Chicago summit will feature Joel Barker as the keynote speaker, "who will help us to think imaginatively about shaping a brighter financial future for Catholic schools," said Ristau.

A futurist who made the term "paradigm shift" popular, Barker has worked with organizations around the world to help them create stronger futures. His recent focus has been on what he terms "innovation on the verge," which he will discuss in his presentation on "A New Approach to Innovation: Thinking Inside the Verge Box."

In two panel presentations, Catholic educators will share their success stories. A "Finance" panel includes Scott Jensen, senior strategist at the American Federation for Children, who will discuss expanding access to Catholic schools through school choice; John R. Eriksen, Diocese of Paterson, N.J., schools superintendent, who will talk about benefits and challenges of centralized financing in Catholic schools; and Dr. Michael J. Fedewa, Diocese of Raleigh, N.C., schools superintendent, who will give a presentation on "From Cost-Based to Parochial: One Size Does Not Fit All."

A "New Ideas" panel will feature Dr. Kevin Baxter, Archdiocese of Los Angeles elementary schools superintendent, who will look at innovation and growth; Anne P. Battes, president of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio, Catholic Education Collaborative, who will talk about how the collaborative unites communities for excellence; and Jeffrey L. Hausman, founder and executive director of the Jesuit Virtual Learning Academy, who will discuss the role of technology as a renewal tool for Catholic schools.

"We've built ample time into the summit schedule for those attending to discuss ideas with the panelists as well as with each other," said Curtin. "This event will be an excellent opportunity for participants to explore solutions they can take back to their dioceses to implement."

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Catholic Education and Loyola University Chicago are collaborating with NCEA on the conference. "We're also grateful to the Archdiocese of Chicago, Cardinal Francis George and Catholic Schools Superintendent Sister Mary Paul McCaughey, OP, for their great support," said Ristau.

Other event sponsors are Catapult Learning of Camden, N.J.; TADS of Minneapolis, Minn.; FACTS Management Co. of Lincoln, Neb.; and William H. Sadlier Inc. of New York, N.Y.

NCEA, founded in 1904, is a professional membership organization that provides leadership, direction and service to fulfill the evangelizing, catechizing and teaching mission of the church. NCEA's members include elementary schools, high schools, parish religious education programs and seminaries.


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