Clear

Catholic school leaders, as you begin the 25-26 academic year, take time to focus your efforts on offering clarity to your school communities. 

Clarity about the purpose of the school - the mission. 

Clarity about the preferred future for the school - its vision. 

Clarity about expectations for performance - policies, procedures, standards of excellence for teachers, staff, students, families, volunteers, board members, fans, alumni. 

From budgets that manage and direct school funding to ways in which personnel receive approval for various permissions to how teachers will be evaluated to the school's code of conduct for students, clearly stating these aspects of our schools provides guardrails within which these stakeholder groups can support the advancement of our school's missions.

As a starting point, focus singularly on your school's mission. From Mission Moments (where you celebrate something that happened that directly relates to your school's mission) during your board meetings to including it on agendas to referencing parts of it during communications to considering ways in which we can measure our effectiveness in accomplishing/advancing it, may we take advantage of these threshold moments in our schools this year - orientations, first days of school, back to school meetings, opening assemblies, kickoff pep rallies, and beginning celebrations of the Eucharist - to proclaim our schools' missions.

If you feel overly repetitive regarding your school's mission, you're doing it right. If you feel like a broken record, trust that the tune is starting to sink in. If you feel as though there is no way that someone couldn't know the mission by now, remember that at the high school level about 1/3 of your school community (new students and families, new faculty/staff) is new each year (the grade school level would be smaller based on more grade levels). Even those you have readmitted (as in added once again to your mission for another year) have varying amounts of experiences with and understanding of your school's mission.

In other words, say it again.

And again.

And again.

And...you get it.

Celebrate the successes of your missions, rally the school around their noble pursuits, use them as a way to inspire even greater levels of excellence.

In other words, just to be clear, concentrate on advancing the mission of your schools.

Concentrate on advancing the mission of your schools.

Teaching Like a Champion

Last month, over 200 teachers and administrators from 15 of the schools across our Diocese gathered for a workshop presented by the team from Teach Like a Champion (TLAC).

For those in attendance, it was a day filled with adult learning – silent solos, everybody writes, turn and talks, cold calls and many other strategies to enhance the teaching and learning in our classrooms.

One of the reflections I had throughout the day centered on how aligned these best pedagogical strategies are with our Catholic faith.

When we consider the model and example of Christ the Teacher, we should be inspired to employ the strategies that He used.

For example, much of the content from that day centered on asking questions. Christ did this masterfully. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus asked 183 questions, offered 3 answers, and asked 307 questions as the answer to a question (Weddell, 2012). In shifting the cognitive load to our students, we must question like Christ did.

Another key component that aligns with a pedagogy of Christ is the importance of dialogue in the learning process. We are made in the image and likeness of a triune God and as such learning is inherently social. Allowing students the opportunities to talk with classmates in low stakes ways honors our communal nature as humans. Frequent turn and talks provide social opportunities to test learning and fine tune answers,.

A final connection – and there are probably many more – is the importance of using names. Our presenters, Doug Lemov and Denarius Frazier, used the names of participants throughout our time together. Doing so honors the inherent dignity and worth of our students and helps to build a classroom culture that is positive, supportive, and safe. The use of names was one of the many reasons that within about 15 minutes the TLAC team created such an environment in a room filled with over 200 educators.

God's Divine Providence weaves together research-based strategies with a pedagogy of Christ.

Teaching like a champion, especially in Catholic schools, should be synonymous with teaching like a Christian.

Reference:

Weddell, S. A. (2012). Forming intentional disciples. Our Sunday Visitor.

Partners in Mission

 "At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit" (Luke 10:1).

As I listened to the proclamation of the Gospel during Mass last weekend, this idea of being sent in pairs resonated deeply with me and our collective ministries in Catholic education.

We have been sent out with others - leaders, staff, faculty, board members, diocesan personnel - to carry out the mission of our great schools.

We have advancement directors, assistant principals, finance directors, athletic directors, campus ministers, and admissions directors to partner with us in the areas of philanthropy, academics, finances, athletics, faith and enrollment management. You have board chairs and department heads and facilities managers and countless other partners in mission.

We also have diocesan and network supporters, superintendents and other representatives with specialties like curriculum, evangelization, human resources, finance, legal, facilities, and communications.

Even in those moments when we feel isolated, the Holy Spirit - the Paraclete - advocates for us and helps and comforts us. In Greek, Paraclete means "called alongside".

We do not go alone.

In fact, we can't. Going alone may enable us to go fast...for a short time. But, going far requires us to go together.

As we continue our summer preparations in order to be excellent during the upcoming school year, think of ways in which you can partner up to do the work with which you have been entrusted. Invite others into the various rooms where it - carrying out the mission of our schools - happens.

And as you collaborate with others, explicitly invoke the Holy Spirit and/or call upon God the Father or Jesus Christ; ask for the saints - especially the Mother Mary and patrons of our schools - to intercede for us in these supernatural efforts.

You do not go alone.

The Lord is with you.

And so are all of the other people inspired by the Holy Spirit to take part in Catholic education. 

These are your partners in mission.

Both-And

Both-And

Last weekend's Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity highlighted a keystone aspect of our Catholic faith: both-and.

The Most Holy Trinity posits God is both three Persons and one God. The Paschal Mystery combines both death and life. In the Incarnation, Christ is both fully human and fully divine. The Eucharist reveals the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the substance of Christ's body and blood: we experience both the outward appearances (accidents) of bread and wine and the essence (substance) of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ. The Annunciation proclaimed both Mary's virginity and her pregnancy. The Holy Spirit unites us both as one and maintains our unique gifts.

Both-and.

Catholic schools and the diocesan/network offices that support them would do well to embrace this theme as an approach to many aspects of school administration: both-and.

DuFour and Fullan (2013) argue that schools should be both autonomous and directed by a larger system. In what they describe as "The Loose-Tight Dilemma", they document the dangers of both too much local-level control (loose) and overly-restrictive district controls (tight).

Site-based management has a negative correlation with student achievement (Marzano & Waters, 2009). Similarly, top-down approaches to motivating people to change with punishments and rewards has a negative impact on the organizations under such a heavy handed approach (Pink, 2011).

The right balance of loose-tight, however, provides a degree of autonomy within the context of direction, coordination, and accountability (DuFour and Fullan, 2013, p. 38). DuFour and Fullan (2013) suggest that organizations define the non-negotiable priorities and parameters within which schools and personnel must operate. Within these tight parameters, local level leaders and educators can creatively work to accomplish these expectations.

Catholic schools and offices of Catholic education should work together to clarify that which must be tight across the network which can then allow for more understanding as to what can be innovatively pursued at the local level. These are exercises that should also occur at the local level - clearly defining both what must be tight - like ensuring students' safety and security - and the loose areas in which employees will be empowered to use their professional and apostolic gifts and talents to advance the mission of our schools.

Loose-tight.

Both-and.

Who We Are

As a Catholic school leader, I would often remind teachers, staff, parents, families, students, and other community members that maintaining the safety and security of the school stood as my top priority. In a sense, I considered it a pre-requisite in order for us to do the work of formation in the Catholic faith and intellectual tradition.

A safety concern remains the only time that I yelled in the presence of students as a principal. While I can imagine handling that situation differently at this point in my career, I see my tactic at that time as justified and in accord with my fundamental responsibility as a school leader.

Along these lines, a number of schools from across the Diocese of Cleveland invested in the safety and security of our schools during a recent Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) Training. Even though it may have surfaced more questions than answers, our engagement with the threat assessment forms, case studies, and dialogue with colleagues from our schools and across the diocese has provided a template for us to use in these incredibly emotional, high stakes, time consuming, and important situations.

As we take this system back to our school communities and use it as our process for identifying and documenting threats, and designing and implementing plans to ensure and restore safety and security in our schools, I also hope that it inspires other deeply held convictions and detailed plans that will allow us to live them out.

For example, Dr. Frank O'Linn, Superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Cleveland, often describes the goal for our schools to be "irresistibly Catholic, academically excellent, operationally sound and geographically accessible." We would do well to embody these goals as the non-negotiable covenants that we make with our school communities. As we do this, we can stand with confidence upon the guarantees to teachers, staff, students, and families that our tactics will allow us achieve these noble ends.

It will give new life to our efforts to celebrate the Eucharist, offer a comprehensive program of retreats, and turn service hours into opportunities for our students to build the Kingdom of God on earthy by performing corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

Rallying together in this way will provide even greater focus to our efforts to form and support teachers to enhance learning in our classrooms.

Working as a network of Catholic schools will multiply best practices regarding finances, advancement, marketing, communication, enrollment management and other administrative functions that will ensure the operational vitality of our schools.

Finally, as a system of schools spanning across the diocese's eight counties, the longevity of the Catholic schools in Cleveland remains essential to Bishop Malesic's vision for providing Catholic education in geographically accessible areas.

This is who we are. 

This is who we must become: irresistibly Catholic, academically excellent, operationally sound and geographically accessible Catholic schools forming students in the Catholic intellectual and faith traditions. 

Alignment and Coherence

Alignment is structure; coherence is mindset. Shared mindset equals system coherence.

-Richard DuFour and Michael Fullan, Cultures Built to Last, 2013, p. 31

This past year my ministry has focused on the theme of alignment. Much hard work has gone into - and will continue to go into - designing structures and systems to streamline the implementation of Bishop Malesic's vision for Catholic secondary education in the Diocese of Cleveland.

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These systems from the diocesan level have the ability to impact student learning (DuFour and Fullan, 2013), which in our context of Catholic education also includes formation.

However, even the best of systems - the most user-friendly observation form, the most detailed performance management tool, the most comprehensive dashboard to collect and analyze data, etc. - depend upon people to use them and to work together in doing so.

As such, our systemness requires coherence in addition to alignment.

Put another way, while we need policies and procedures that are effective and efficient, we also need people who have a shared sense of why using these systems is important.

Coherence entails sound logic and understanding among those of us within the system. DuFour and Fullan (2013) call this the "social glue that makes people's commitment and work" stick together and succeed (p. 31).

Coherence requires that we continue to build a shared purpose as a network of Catholic schools while also doing the same within our respective school communities. We must clarify our goals, strategies, and progress, strengthening and edifying the system itself as we build a collective mindset.

As we clarify these components of our network and individual schools, we must communicate and overcommunicate "clearly, repeatedly, enthusiastically, and repeatedly (that's not a typo)" (Lencioni, The Advantage: Why organizational health trumps everything else in business, 2012, p. 3).

With this in mind, let us take up the dual work of alignment and coherence.

Let us commit to our shared purpose of carrying out the educational mission of the Catholic Church to form disciples to build the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

Let us continue to take action steps to design the systems of measuring the effectiveness of our missions, observing teachers, creating budgets, working with boards and committees, and gaining approval for hiring and temporal goods requests.

And, let us strive to accomplish the goals of increased enrollment, higher teacher retention, improved standardized test scores, more favorable net promoter values, greater financial viability, and - most importantly - stronger Catholic identity and faith formation.

Alignment and coherence. Systems and a collective mindset. Mind, body and soul. Scholars and saints. On earth and in heaven.

The Lukewarm Go Elsewhere

 “It is necessary for us to undergo hardships...” (Acts 14:22).

We are an Easter people and alleluia is our song!

Once of my favorite parts of the Easter season includes hearing the stories from the Acts of the Apostles. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the apostles work to establish the Church by being Jesus to others in word and action. From huge conversions to miraculous healings to living in community to prison breaks to earth shaking prayers, listening to these pioneers of our faith fills me with zeal and conviction.

This Easter, one theme has resonated with me in new and compelling ways: ministry entails hardships.

Put another way: Good Friday precedes Easter Sunday. This is the Paschal Mystery. 

The apostles "rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name (of Jesus)" (Acts 5:41).

They encourage each other to "continue in the faith, saying 'It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God'" (Acts 14:22).

In his second letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul boasts of the following: "Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep; on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure. And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches" (2 Corinthians 11:24-28).

This reminds me of a line from Fr. Ron Nuzzi, who served as the Director of the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program when I joined in 2007. As a way to recruit aspiring Catholic school leaders to this graduate-level course of studies, he quipped, "The lukewarm go elsewhere."

*jump to the 7:27 minute-mark:

In so many ways, we are conditioned to avoid hardships and difficulties - and for good reason. Air conditioning/heat keeps us comfortable. Snacking staves off "hanger." Online shopping saves time. Frequent communication with teachers, families, and students can prevent all sorts of problems. Detailed plans for events such as assemblies, standardized testing, open house can mitigate real-time mishaps and errors. Building systems - enrollment management, moves management, observation cycles - and aligning our efforts to mission should improve efficiency and effectiveness across our organizations.

But, the tales of these early Church ministers should remind us that we work in enemy occupied territory. Therefore, expect difficulties, embrace opposition and rejoice in toiling for Christ's kingdom here on earth.

The work is hard but we can do hard things. 

We should reframe challenges as opportunities for us to grow and minister, literally replacing the words challenges, hardships, difficulties, etc. with opportunity or even blessing!

Let us find encouragement from the apostles as we work in the vineyard of Catholic education. Let us support each other in the efforts expended to advance the Church's vision for Catholic education - to form students who will go out into the world and make it more aligned to the principles of the Gospel.

And, let us rejoice - I say it again, rejoice - for being found worthy to endure whatever comes our way in Catholic education for the Holy Name of Jesus.

The lukewarm go elsewhere. 

Built to Last

The election of Pope Leo XIV filled me with wonder and awe over the longevity of the Catholic Church. As the 266th successor of St. Peter, the first Pope, Pope Leo XIV stands solidly upon the foundations of our faith, firmly established by Jesus when He declared, "And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). 

Standing in front of the center of paganism at the time, Caesarea Philippi, Jesus planted the seeds of the Church that more than 2,000 years later continues to flourish. 

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The longevity of our Church fills me with great conviction and inspiration to ensure that the Church's various structures, including and especially Her Catholic schools, can similarly withstand the test of time. 

Recently, I have been rereading the book, Cultures Built to Last: Systemic PLCs at Work (DuFour and Fullan, 2013), and a few messages from this text have resonated with me in new ways. My previous interactions with this book were prior to working as an associate superintendent.

First, the authors site research that reinforces the impact that a strong central office can have on student learning. Candidly, this has reinforced and galvanized my conviction surrounding the work that I have been entrusted with doing in the Diocese of Cleveland:

Numerous other studies have now affirmed that an effective central office can play a major role in improving schools throughout the system. When Robert Marzano and Tim Waters (2009) conducted one of the largest-ever quantitative research studies on superintendents, they found a statistically significant relationship between district leadership and student achievement. (DuFour and Fullan, 2013, p. 5)

Second, the text centers on the importance of both people and systems. In fact, the authors encourage readers and practitioners to recognize that systems are built and implemented by people. Without this human element - sweat equity, input, buy-in, tweaking - systems and the success they can bring won't last.

Third, the text provides a framework to create and facilitate systems within schools. These components should sound familiar: a clear purpose, a shared vision, detailed action steps, and defined criteria of success. 

Not surprisingly, the authors repeatedly point everything back to doing what is best for students.

As I reflect on the collective work of the Diocese of Cleveland's Catholic high schools this year, our year-long theme has been alignment - to the bishop's vision for Catholic secondary education and to the mission of the school. We spent much time and energy on constructing data that we can analyze in order to improve - aligning our efforts to get better with concrete indicators of whether or not we have been successful. All of our schools have taken steps to reclaim, boldly proclaim, and explain the schools' mission, respectively. From ensuring that Advisory Boards know the mission to including it in Newsletters, much good work has been done to align school communities to the school's mission.

We have tried to provide clarity to processes on the diocesan level. Additionally, we have worked to offer expectations for teachers as it pertains to teaching, planning, assessment, and classroom management, aligning their work to form our students with best practices and standards of excellence worthy of the name Catholic. Similarly, we have brushed the dust from our schools' performance management systems, and taken many good steps toward providing evaluative feedback and support to all who have a part to play in advancing the mission of our schools.

As we move toward the finish line of the 2024–2025 academic year, celebrate the progress that has been made to design structures within Catholic schools that will allow us to ascend to new heights of academic achievement, faith formation, and operational vitality. Celebrate the many ways that you have made improvements so that any success achieved will be sustained and enhanced, regardless of who has our, or any, role within our schools. Finally, as we reflect on the successes of this year, let us set our sights on the creation and implementation of even more systemness within our Catholic schools next year and beyond.

As we do this, we will ensure that all Catholic schools - like the Catholic Church - are built to last.

Good News

“A humanity reawakened by Christ can generate new protagonists in the history of the world – new witnesses able to make judgments, able to discern right from wrong, good from evil, true good from passing pleasure.” 

-Archbishop Christophe Pierre, 2018

Christ is risen! Alleluia!

As ministers of Catholic education, our Church recognizes that we form an apostolate - meaning that like the apostles we have been sent on mission by Jesus Christ. As we share the story of our personal encounter with Jesus Christ, may we also consider the impact of stories in our broader leadership as well.

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Stories have the power to move us. God hardwired our brains to connect with stories. While listening to a story, the activation in our brains mirrors that of the storyteller (Stephens, Silbertc, & Hasson, 2010). We have the ability to predict the next parts of stories and some of the best stories are those that surprise us or twist what was anticipated. We tell stories naturally, seeing our lives in the context of settings, characters, themes and plot.

Stories possess incredible cultural weight. The stories that communities tell over and over convey that which the group values and holds as important (Hammond, 2015). These stories tell the tales of the heroes and protagonists of our organizations and inspire listeners to emulate the actions of the giants upon whose shoulders we stand.

As storytellers, we have the ability to choose the heroes that get honored, the actions that we value, the metrics by which we judge success, and the ways in which we expect the community to behave. Everything tells the stories of our schools: from the news that we share in our newsletters to the data that we decide to collect/construct to the words that we use during graduation ceremonies, welcome nights, and faculty meetings. All of it contributes to the overall narrative of our schools (Deal and Petersen, 2016).

Marshall Ganz (2009) frames stories within the context of leadership in three movements: the story of self, the story of us, and the story of now.

As you tell people your story - why have you said yes to leading at your school at this time in this capacity - you start to rally others to craft, share, and repeat a story of us - why they have similarly answered the call to serve in this place, at this time, in this way. As we build this collective tale of us - who we are as a school, what we value and hold as sacred - we can inspire people to tell the story of now: the motivating account that shows the gap between our aspirations and reality, providing the necessary spark for change.

Tell your story. 

Share the story of your school. 

Inspire action, creating even more good news.

Many United as One

One of the podcasts I listen to weekly is from Fr. John Ricardo. The leader of an organization called "Acts XXIX" (to signify that we are meant to live in the 29th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles) this past week Fr. John discussed the concept of "communio".

Providentially, Pope Leo XIV's episcopal motto mirrors this message: in illo uno unum - "although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one."

Simply, communio means many united as one while still being many. Rooted in the mystery of the Trinity - three Persons in one God - communio should also inspire our work as Catholic educators connected to the local traditions of our schools, the bishop of our respective dioceses, and the universal Church.

United and unique. Part of a system and autonomous. Together and individual.

Both/And.

Ideally, Catholic schools should benefit from being connected to centralized systems - parishes, orders, networks, dioceses - while remaining rooted in local charisms, traditions, and programs.

This duality requires strong balance and nimble flexibility. Much like differentiated instruction in a classroom, this dance between systemness and singularity demands that we create common structures while allowing for variance.

In my role as Associate Superintendent in the Diocese of Cleveland, much of my work has centered on alignment and the building of systems - hiring, temporal goods, budgeting, observations, board management, advancement, and data collection. This has been tempered with a respect for and consideration of the local realities of the schools here in the diocese. 

Like the early apostles who toiled to establish our Church throughout the world, much work remains in order for us to function in communio with each other while remaining unique. In a sense, this work always remains - we will always need to move and adapt in order to meet the needs of our current contexts while staying grounded in the beliefs of our faith.

For now, let us find inspiration in the zeal of the apostles for us to dialogue with and encourage each other through the various iterations of our systems. Let us mimic their hope that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide us in this important work of designing structures, programs, and procedures that will more effectively and efficiently allow us to carry out the missions of our schools, respectively. And, may we imitate the bold faith of the apostles as we ensure our efforts always brings others into a relationship with Christ.

Hearts of Apostles

The Easter season features readings from the Acts of the Apostles. These tales of Jesus's disciples turned missionaries demonstrate the radical power of the Holy Spirit and the entrepreneurial approach to building the Church and extending the Kingdom of God on earth.

From healings to mass conversions to prison escapes to the ground shaking with the boldness of the apostles, these passages should encourage us as ministers and fellow missionary apostles.

In many ways, the work we have undertaken across Catholic education resembles the start-up mentality of these early Church heroes. Not to discount the hundreds of years of collective existence of our schools, we have been called to lead in times of transition and in ways that move from survival to thriving vitality.

These efforts require iterative drafts and models of policies, procedures, systems, and structures aimed at enhancing our work to live out the mission of our schools and carry out the vision for Catholic education of our Church

These starts and stops, revisions and edits, and successes and failures require apostolic leadership traits: missionary, visionary, strategic, collaborative, analytical, and professional.

We must balance and integrate origins and innovations. We must complement aspirational visions with concrete strategies. We must couple humble analysis with consistent professionalism. We must collaboratively bring others into these both-and approaches, inviting others into the important work of advancing the mission of Christ, His Catholic Church, and our schools.

Let us find inspiration in the acts of the apostles and boldly proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ so that the ground shakes. Let us imitate the first disciples and bring healing to a broken and wounded world so that the lame will rise up and dance. Let us walk in the footsteps of the giants that have gone before us - St. Mary, St. Peter, St. John the Evangelist, Pope Francis, and so many other holy women and men - so that others may come to know Christ through our words and actions.

“There must be nothing little among us; we must have the hearts of Apostles" (St. Julie Billiart). 

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Origins

Happy Easter! Christ is risen - Alleluia!

One of the most beautiful and impactful methods of our Church includes the opportunities each year to return to the heart of our faith. The liturgical seasons mimic the cyclical seasons of God's created world. We pass through times of penitence and preparation (Winter and Spring) into phases of celebration and harvest (Summer and Fall). 

The yearly celebrations of Lent and Easter - among other periods of the Church's liturgical calendar - provide many chances for disciples to return to the foundations of our faith: the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Paschal Mystery, and the Eucharist. 

Lest we grow numb out of familiarity or fall out of practice due to lifeless routines, the Church keeps us awake and alert and active with these moments to return to the origins of our faith. 

Because I definitely need more than one entry point into these types of formative messages, God has layered individualized instruction for me on top of the whole group lessons given to all. 

First, my son will soon receive Holy Communion for the first time. I recently witnessed him on retreat in preparation to receive Jesus's Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.  Part of the retreat experience included parents and family members writing letters of encouragement to the First Communicants. This provided rich soil for me to remember my First Communion and put into words the seed of faith in and devotion to the Eucharist that got planted in my heart that day. 

I hope and pray that my son's journey of faith and reception of Jesus in the form of the Eucharist will be an anchor of his relationship with Christ, a compass for him to deepen his connection to Jesus, and a map for him to use to find his way back to our Lord in times of doubt, darkness, and despair. Watching the wonder and excitement of my children's participation in the sacraments has provided many powerful reminders of the origins of my faith and a desire to stoke those initial sparks into even brighter flames. These moments have served as opportunities to return to the joy, wonder, excitement, and passion of my original seeds of faith.

Second, I also had the immense blessing to visit my alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, for the ACE Teaching Fellows retreat for ACE 32.

I owe so much to the University of Notre Dame and the Alliance for Catholic Education. Not only did my Holy Cross formation plant within me a desire to work in Catholic schools it provided me with the zeal to make God known, loved, and served. Providentially, one of the rooms that housed a breakout session I was "randomly" assigned to was the very room in which I had the inspiration to become a teacher - DeBartolo Hall, Room 117. Working with the Diocese of Cleveland's new ACE teachers and witnessing their motivation for joining ACE and teaching in Catholic schools added fuel to the fire of my faith and my ministry. Part of the retreat invited me to reflect on my early days as an ACE teacher harkening me back to teaching 9th grade English and Physical Science in a mobile classroom at St. Petersburg Catholic High School.

This moment to return to the joy, wonder, excitement, and passion of my original call to the ministry of Catholic education encouraged me to reclaim that initial spark and bring it to life in new ways. 

Considering the origins of our lives of faith, our ministries, and our schools can provide renewed vigor and energy for our ongoing growth, work, and efforts. Re-membering allows us to re-profess our vows, re-claim our faith, re-commit ourselves to our work - to once again become a "member" of God's family, our Church, our schools, and our ministry of Catholic education.

As we near the end of the Octave of Easter, may you take some time to return to the origins of your faith, your ministry, your invitation to serve in your respective schools, and even the origins of your school itself. As you retrace the steps that led you to these various moments of faith, ministry, and history, may you grow more convicted in your response to Christ's initial calls to follow Him.

The origin of the word origin is the Latin origo, which means "to rise, get up, or become visible". 

May returning once again to these origin stories - of our faith, of our ministries, of our schools - inspire us to rise up with the Resurrected Jesus and propel us into the future with renewed energy and conviction.   

Return to the origin and rise. 

Catholic Schools Change the World

Fr. Pedro Ribadeneira, a Jesuit priest, declared to King Phillip II of Spain, "All the well-being of Christianity and of the whole world depends upon the proper education of youth" (O'Malley, 1993, p. 209).

Similarly, Bl. Basil Moreau, the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, encouraged members of his order, “Hurry then, take up this work of resurrection, never forgetting that the special end of your institute is, before all, to sanctify youth” (Christian Education, 1856).

Our Church agrees. The Second Vatican Council Education declared, "So indeed the Catholic school, while it is open, as it must be, to the situation of the contemporary world, leads its students to promote efficaciously the good of the earthly city and also prepares them for service in the spread of the Kingdom of God, so that by leading an exemplary apostolic life they become, as it were, a saving leaven in the human community" (1965, para. 8).

The well-being of our faith and of the whole world, depends on our efforts to form students in the Catholic faith and intellectual traditions.

We participate in the work of the resurrection, transforming dead things into wellsprings of life, hope, and fullness.

We form students so that they can become leaven in the human community, preparing them in the spread of the Kingdom of God.

Today, as we celebrate the feast day of St. John Baptist de La Salle, the patron of teachers, may we experience renewed zeal for our vocation and deeper conviction for doing the work that God has entrusted us to do.

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Hurry.

Take up this work of resurrection. Make our students smarter and better so that they can form our world more closely to the principles of the Gospel, designing stronger systems of justice, creating more beautiful works of art, promoting more authentic statements of truth, and building more mechanisms for charity and healing.

The whole world, and more importantly each of our students, depends on our efforts.

Go change the world.

St. John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us!

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). ​