Our Catholic schools are a vital ministry

    Catholic Schools Week will be celebrated at the end of the month. Can you give us an update on the strategic plan for Catholic schools that is now underway?
    I’ve deliberately kept my distance from the strategic plan’s deliberations because I think it’s important that the feedback from the listening sessions comes in from all the various groups. I know that Dr. John Convey and Dr. Leonard DeFiore of Catholic University have already met with several communities and also are planning meetings with the priests, principals, presidents and religious superiors.
    Is the timetable for making the recommendations still on track?
    We hope to have the report before the end of the academic year and then take the summer to review it and begin discerning the actions we will take. The plan will deal with many things. Everybody’s asking the question: “What closures are coming?” We don’t have the slightest idea. But I think it would be foolhardy to think the plan would not recommend the merger of some schools. The fact is in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, we have too many Catholic schools, and in some areas, they are in fierce competition with each other, which is unfortunate. Even more important, the plan will deal with the governance of schools, Catholic identity, excellence in education, finances and what we can do to strengthen the family of schools in the archdiocese. This is one of the largest ministries we have.
    How will the plan be reviewed?
    No strategic plan has all the answers. It will make many, many recommendations, and those recommendations will have to go the various consultative bodies of the archdiocese – the school board, the Council of Deans, the Presbyteral Council, the Administrative Council and the Ministerial Council. In a sense, the plan has to be purified and aligned with what our vision is.
    How are schools doing in terms of Catholic identity and academic success?
    Most schools are strong in Catholic identity and provide excellent education. There are some schools that are not as strong as they could be or should be. It would be irresponsible for us not to identify that and not to help those schools become stronger in Catholic identity and/or educational excellence.
    Since Katrina, public schools have made strides in academics. Do you have any thoughts about that as it impacts Catholic schools?
    There’s no doubt public schools, magnet schools and charter schools have definitely improved. The rate of improvement has varied depending on the area, but they have improved. It’s a fact. This has caused parents to question whether or not they want to afford or can afford Catholic education. We would like to think that parents are sending their children to Catholic schools because they are Catholic and their children will receive both spiritual formation and a good education.
    But we also know that some parents unfortunately are not as interested in the spiritual dimension of Catholic schools but are looking for either a private school experience or a school that offers excellence in education. With public schools stepping up their performance, some families now are questioning whether or not they wish to afford or can afford Catholic school tuition. Someone told me a story of a parent who asked her child during the summer if he wanted to go to Disney World or if he wanted to go to Catholic school next year. I’m not saying in any way that this kind of thinking is reflected by the majority of people, but the very fact that the question is being asked does show the priority some people place on Catholic education.
    Gov. Jindal spoke during his inauguration about expanding opportunities for “school choice.” What do you think that means?
    I attended the inauguration, and his address primarily focused on education. He said that if we’re going to believe in Louisiana, we have to believe in and commit ourselves to the education of our children. It is simply not acceptable to have a failing school – no matter if the school is a charter school, a public school or a Catholic school. I wholeheartedly agree. He is interested in extending the scholarship program for early childhood students that has been offered in the city of New Orleans. I am eager to hear the specifics. I do think he’s someone willing to think outside the box, and he has set education as a priority for his second term.
    What’s your position on school choice?
    Every citizen in the state pays taxes, and those taxes go to public education. But if parents choose to send their children to a Catholic school, they are taxed, and all of their tax dollars go to public education and no substantial amount goes to private education. This is a question of justice that has been raised for many generations.
    What impact has the early childhood program had on the kids and the schools?
    The program has done very well in terms of providing care as well as spiritual formation and basic education. The schools are hoping that by having these programs, they will be able to retain those students as they move into the upper grades. I think it’s a very good program and I’m glad we’re involved in it, but we have to be careful that we don’t base a school’s whole existence on the preschool program.
    Archbishop Aymond will be in Rome Jan. 23-Feb. 1 for his ad limina visit to Pope Benedict XVI.