Standard 13

Have ever taken the time to look at and read the National Standards and

Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools ? If you haven’t yet, I really encourage you to take some time to read and reflect on each standard. There is so much that can be useful for a school leader, a pastor and even a teacher. It can also help serve a school as they prepare a strategic plan or an accreditation.

I wanted to specifically mention Standard 13 because it relates to marketing. On the website, http://www.catholicschoolstandards.org/, you can also find rubrics and other resources to guide you. There are four levels on the rubrics used to assess each standard and its benchmarks. Level 4 means a school exceeds the benchmark and Level 1 means it does not meet benchmark. Where does your school fall if you were being evaluated today for Standard 13 benchmarks? Level 1 or a Level 4?  If you can’t honestly say you are at a Level 3 or 4 for all benchmarks of Standard 13, then maybe this could be a goal for next year.

There are quite a bit of resources from other dioceses to help you if you need more than the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools website. In looking I found a entire enrollment management workbook from the Archdiocese of Seattle Catholic Schools and another from the Diocese of Grand Rapids, both with committee roles and even sample agendas. If you’d like more assistance or direction in working on Standard 13 or marketing in general, please just let me know. I’d be more than happy to find ways to help find you additional resources and suggestions.

The unspoken lessons of Catholic school

My article appearing on page 13 in the 1/29/16 edition of The Messenger, the newspaper of the Diocese of Covington. (http://www.covdio.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/8604MessengerJan29.pdf)

People have asked me over the years why I spend the money to send my children to Catholic schools when we have good public schools in this area. I’ve been asked why I’ve dedicated over 20 years to teaching and working in Catholic schools, stating teachers already get paid less than they deserve and Catholic schoolteachers less than that. Often, my response is that Catholic schools are an extended family, or being able to talk about and share my faith is a right I don’t want taken away. Then there are times my decision to be a part of our Catholic schools is confirmed exponentially.

Several years ago I was a part of a Catholic school family where the principal had received a life-threatening diagnosis. He needed to have surgery and, if successful, he should be able to continue to live a normal life. On the day of the surgery, just before the surgery was about to begin, the entire school gathered in church to pray the rosary.It was a beautiful example and a life lesson for those students; sometimes the most important thing you can do in a day is to pray and to pray for others.

When I was growing up, my Catholic school was near the local firehouse. Anytime the fire trucks or ambulance left to do a run, we would hear the sirens. Every time that happened, our class stopped what we were doing and said a “Hail Mary” for the safety of those in need and for those that were helping them. It is something that I continue today, and I have taught my children to do as well.

This week I learned that a lifelong friend’s husband has a terminal illness. Their school-aged children go to Catholic schools. My son brought home the story about his teacher holding the hands of one of the affected children and telling him she will pray for him, pray for his family and pray that God will be with them throughout this journey. That is a family I want my children to be a part of, a family that I am eternally grateful to be a part of as well. I know that these children’s Catholic school family will pray with them, will care about them and will be able to live out their faith with them.

These unspoken lessons of having faith, of the power of prayer, of love and care, of service for others, and of allowing God to be a part of our lives everyday are the lessons that will carry my children, and continue to carry me, throughout life. That is why I’ve chosen Catholic education as my vocation, and why I have chosen to send my children to Catholic schools.

Shannon Bosley is the technology and curriculum coordinator for the Department of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Covington.