Why do parents spend the night outside of Catholic schools the day before school registration starts? Why do parents register their children for Catholic schools the day after the infants are baptized? Catholic schools are once again filled and many schools lack the space for new students. Over 40% of Catholic schools have waiting lists that resemble the waiting lists of the 1950s. The 1990s have seen yearly increases in the number of students in Catholic schools. All indications point to a continuation of this trend.

This growth in student enrollment has taken place despite the fact that many Catholic schools closed. Unfortunately, most closings occurred in urban areas where the Catholic population moved from the city to the suburbs leaving behind a parish too small and poor to support a school.

Many center-city Catholic schools, however, remain open. Most educators recognize that these schools are the only effective schools in urban areas. Individual parishes and dioceses have made valiant efforts to maintain urban schools even though large numbers of their students are non-Catholics.

While many schools have closed, more than 150 new Catholic schools opened during the past 10 years. Hardly a diocese in the country exists that does not have plans on the drawing boards for new schools and additions to others. Catholic parents in suburban parishes are now the prime movers behind the opening of new schools across the country.

A look at Catholic schools

The best way to understand what is happening in our Catholic schools as we enter a new millennium is to take a good look at the following four traits:

1. Catholic identity. If your image of Catholic schools comes from the movie The Bells of St. Marys, you will be very surprised at them today. Formerly, most teachers were priests or members of religious communities of sisters and brothers. Today, over 92% of the Catholic educators are single or married women and men. In a Catholic elementary school the typical teacher is a married woman over 35 years of age who has been teaching in the school for over 10 years.

When this change from priests and religious to single and married women and men began, people asked, "Will the schools remain Catholic?" Today the Catholic schools continue to emphasize their Catholic identity. The priests and religious prepared their young teachers to take over the schools and keep them committed to their central mission of evangelization. Catholic school teachers know their subjects and teaching methods, have high expectations of their students and model the Christian adult.

2. Modern classroom arrangements. A second change you will notice as you visit todays Catholic schools is the instructional program. Formerly, the typical classroom had student desks lined up in neat rows. Little else was in the classroom except a blackboard. Today, the desks are usually grouped in clusters. About 20 to 35 students work in different areas in the classroom. Some students access information from the Internet. At another technology station, students e-mail students on the other side of the globe. Others watch a video. The teacher works with a small group in an instructional area near her workstation. An aide tutors one student. A few students complete assignments at their desks.

While the appearance of the schoolrooms has changed, the curriculum remains similar to what was taught 50 years ago. Catholic schools have always placed a high priority on the basics, with religion being the first of the four Rs. Catholic school educators still maintain that basic information needs to be committed to memory. Yet, emphasis is placed on understanding concepts, not just repeating rote formulas.

3. New administrative setup. Years ago, pastors directed the schools and all aspects of the parish. Principals worked under their direction. Today, pastors oversee a variety of parish ministries. While they have ultimate responsibility, they are not the authority in every ministry. The relationship among pastors, principals and heads of other parish ministries is a peer relationship. Each person has expertise in the particular ministry but each works as part of a team.

Pastors and principals have come to rely on the talents of competent parishioners. Education committees develop the budget, approve policy and offer advice. In todays complex society, no pastor or principal is expected to know all the answers. The parishioners support the parish by the gift of their talents, which is a form of stewardship.

4. Changes in funding. Forty years ago, Catholic schools did not charge tuition or, if they did, it was very modest. The expenses of the schools were minimal largely because the sisters and brothers worked for a modest stipend. They received enough to take care of their basic needs and to send funds to the motherhouse to support the novices and the retired members of the community. Today, tuition covers almost 60% of the Catholic elementary school per-pupil cost. The parish Sunday collection contributes about 30%, and various fund-raising activities generate 10%.

page 1 | page 2 | page 3

• page 1
• page 2
• page 3

Education