Innovate - Roots and Wings

Earlier this year, in writing about the mission of Catholic schools, I cited the importance of organizations  holding fast to a timeless reason for existing (mission) while also remaining open to new ways of accomplishing this goal (Lowney, 2003, acknowledging the work of Harvard and Stanford researchers). 

Strong organizations have an identifiable core that is preserved while also striving for progress which stimulates growth and change. 

Put another way, strong organizations have solid roots and powerful wings. 

These paradoxically related characteristics of enduring and thriving organizations comprise the essential ingredients for innovation. 

Google defines "innovate" as: (verb) to make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products; to introduce something new, especially a product. 

Far from chasing after shiny objects or the latest trend, innovation occurs as a result of leaning on the core identity of our organizations to meet situational shifts in new and creative ways. 

The efforts of Catholic educators five years ago at this time exemplified innovation. How can we continue to form students in faith and academics in the face of a worldwide pandemic? Our core - education in the Catholic intellectual and faith traditions - stimulated the progress of online and asynchronous learning, video conferencing, and finding new ways to catechize and evangelize our school communities. 

Innovation born out of a deeply rooted sense of our core identity sprouts wings for our organizations to soar to new heights.

Roots allow us to double down on the heroes of our schools - the founders, the original orders who staffed them, and pillars of the community who devoted much time and great effort to advance our schools. Roots allow us to more clearly establish our instructional framework - what excellent teaching and learning looks like at our school. Roots strengthen the ways in which we govern, budget, and administer the policies and procedures of our schools. Roots galvanize the virtues we strive to form in our students, clearly establishing the profile of a graduate at graduation and all that she/he will embody. 

As we develop these roots over time and by consistently ministering to our communities, we will simultaneously grow wings that will enable us to ascend in new and even more impactful ways. Knowing our origin story inspires new heroes to find new ways to embody the school's mission and beliefs. A defined understanding of academic excellence will encourage educators to tweak and continuously improve their art and craft; similarly, it will excite students to embrace a sense of awe and wonder, pursuing knowledge and formation for their own sake. Holding fast to our budgets, bylaws and policies will put spotlights on ways in which we use all of these things more effectively. Having a known destination will allow us and our students to get there and beyond through new programming, stronger relationships, and greater accomplishments. 

Roots and wings. 

Into the deep. To the heights. 

Innovation.

Subsidize to Strengthen

 Fr. Edwin Leahy, the Headmaster at St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, New Jersey, often reminds his community, "Never Do for Students What They Can Do for Themselves.” Known as a Fr. Ed-ism, this way of operating has led to a specific identity for the school and unique programming at St. Benedict's. Not something that can be done overnight and/or without appropriate structures and systems to provide students authentic learning, leadership, and real-life opportunities, this maxim is the result of many years of tweaking, adjusting, and improving.

I came across this concept from St. Benedict's Prep as a principal in 2016. I rediscovered it on an immersion trip to that school in 2018 and over the course of the next few years. I came across this once again last week I did some work in my current role.

*For more on St. Benedict's Prep, go here: https://www.sbp.org/ and/or watch below: 

This, along with a handful of other situations over the past few weeks, has caused the principle of subsidiarity to surface multiple times during my prayerful reflections as of late. 

Many of my efforts center on connecting, collaborating, and coordinating efforts across and among schools, offices within the diocese, groups such as boards and committees, as well as stakeholders from within the Office of Catholic education and across elementary and high school personnel.

In trying to fulfill my role more effectively, this teaching of subsidiarity from the Compendium of Social Doctrine of the Church acts as an important concept and approach to understand and apply.

Many view subsidiarity as empowering groups and even individuals to decide and act for themselves. Efforts should be taken to allow the most local level possible to think, decide, and act for themselves.

However, one other - and often overlooked - complementary component of subsidiarity is that the larger group, organization, or institution should provide the resources necessary for as much local level/individual autonomy as possible.

A third branch that is also often missed and/or mistaken is that the individual and or smaller group should actively participate and contribute to the larger organization as well.

So, what does all of this have to do with Catholic school leadership?

Simply, a lot.

More complexly, this principle is at the heart of my efforts as the associate superintendent of secondary schools in the Diocese of Cleveland. Our efforts to collect data - teacher observations, enrollment trends, student behavior, finances, advancement moves, faith formation activities - are intended to give all stakeholders concrete evidence on which decisions can be made, and actions can be taken.

Similarly, strengthening the functionality of our advisory boards with systems of strong by-laws and functioning committees, should provide greater accountability, invite more support and creativity, and allow for the amplification and intensification of our efforts to advance our missions.

Designing ways in which the diocese can more effectively and efficiently support schools in the areas of academic excellence, Catholic identity and faith formation, legal, human resources, financial, and construction require my efforts as connector, coordinator, and collaborator to exercise the principle of subsidiarity.

These processes, systems, and collections of data should provide local level leadership greater clarity about leading their schools. Additionally, it should also provide key diocesan decision-makers ample information to maintain oversight of and confidence in what is taking place at each school, within each program and department, during each class period, and throughout every interaction between and among adults and students.

From both perspectives, I can understand that these efforts can seem too meddlesome and/or heavy-handed on one hand, or too loose to maintain aspects of control and/or influence on the other. The principle of subsidiarity can help us to thread this needle and balance between being too involved and being too disconnected.

In this way, this principle requires an ongoing dance and oscillation on the continuum of influence. At some times, we may need to reign in spending or lesson planning or praying, and at other times we will need to offer more freedom, flexibility and discretion.

As we exercise subsidiarity and manage all of its complexity, may we continue to drill down to the most local level possible within our schools: our students. As we prioritize their formation, let us continue to consider the impact that all of our decisions and actions have on their good, and let us build structures and systems within our schools and across our diocese that allow them to thrive.

Like Fr. Ed says, "Never do for students what they can do for themselves." By employing the principle of subsidiarity, we can do just that. 

Awaken

 

Luke 9:28b-36

Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white.

And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.

As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying.

While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”

After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen. 

Yesterday's Gospel reading featured Luke's account of the Transfiguration. This feast day kicked off my work this past academic year with a network of leaders across the Diocese of Cleveland, gathering on August 6, the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, for an opening of the year retreat. 

This event - the Transfiguration - also marks the fourth Luminous Mystery of the Rosary. As such, I reflect on it in prayer every Thursday. 

My focus typical centers on the fact that Jesus transfigured so that Peter, James, and John saw His glory and magnificence. I often pray that I might be able to transform the world to reveal God's greatness to others. In fact, we workshopped this same idea during the latter half of our retreat: transforming our schools to transform the world. 

We discussed ways in which we could transform our schools by emphasizing our school's significance, highlighting our mission, philosophy, beliefs, values, charism, and history​.

We conversed about how we could transform our schools by creating and implementing systems, structures, and strategies across all aspects of our schools. 

We dialogued about the power of stats​ to transform our schools. Remember, that which gets measured gets done and that which gets analyzed gets better​. 

We acknowledged our ability to transform our schools by ensuring their sustainability through a collective vision for the school's future along with faithful stewardship of its resources.  

Finally, we talked about how great strength comes from simplicity: we can transform our schools and in turn the world around us by focusing on the most important parts of our schools - our students - and forming them in the Catholic faith and intellectual traditions. 

In short, my past reflections on the Transfiguration have centered on transforming in ways similar to Christ's glorious transformation in front of the disciples. ​

Yesterday at Mass, though, the deacon's homily offered a nuanced perspective: the disciples were the ones who transfigured so that they could see Jesus's glory. 

The disciples, who had been asleep, awoke and saw Jesus for who He is. Jesus didn't change. He was and always has been the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The disciples, though, had been blind to who Jesus was and is, only seeing Him with their own preconceived notions about how the Messiah should act and the type of leader the Savior would be. 

During their transfiguration, the disciples awoke to the presence of the Almighty God in their midst. They awoke to the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets through the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus transfigured the disciples - and continued to do so throughout the remainder of His ministry and even after His death - so that they could transfigure the world in turn. 

So, this Lenten season, before embarking on the work of transforming the world let's invite the Lord to transfigure us first. 

So that we can embark on the "improvement of social structures, making these structures more conformed to the principles of the Gospel'...forming "human beings who will make human society more peaceful, fraternal, and communitarian" may we awaken to the ways in which God is transfiguring us for His greater glory (Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, 1982, para. 19). ​