Schools

I’m spending a lot of time with Catholic schools in the Midwest and Northeast where enrollment trends are a concern and a challenge.  We often hear and see through research that populations are changing and shifting, more people are moving to the sunbelt and warmer climates, and many Catholic families and families in general are having fewer children. Too often we hear that demographics are impacting enrollment as there are simply fewer children out there.

A recent article by Nathan D. Grawe entitled “The Enrollment Crash Goes Deeper Than Demographics,” provides an interesting take on why enrollments at colleges and universities are declining overall.  And much of what the author puts forward as a higher education experience fits our view of Catholic schools and what has been taking place in our overall declining enrollments over the past decade or more.

When we lead an enrollment management study or strategic growth planning process, one of the first questions we ask the administrators, faculty and board members is: “What distinguishes your school from all others?  What do you offer that makes it unique in your market area?”  We often hear a common response – “We’re like a family,” or “We have an affordable tuition,” “We have the most dedicated faculty and staff,” “We are very Catholic,” among other similar descriptions that pretty much many of our schools can voice.  Too often we hear these responses at schools where enrollment is becoming or truly is a major challenge, which can be troubling.

In his article, Nathan Grawe says a key to enrollment decline is that school leaders, administrators, boards, etc. are “failing to address changes in the market.”  Many times, these school leaders look to working harder or working smarter and hope “that good things will happen.”  What they do not realize is that they are not focusing on offering “value” – unique and innovative solutions for the communities they are serving.  Having, in current education lingo, “cutting edge, high quality 21^st century programs” that generate interest in a school can make parents and families aware of the distinction and value our Catholic schools.  We often refer to this as building a strong value proposition. 

People shop differently for their children’s education today and all of us in school leadership roles need to keep our finger on the pulse of what our market wants and what they “will buy.”

Tom J. Heding

I recently read an article in a digital publication called “Ladders, Inc.,” an information/news source focusing on a wide range of work, career and management-related issues.  What piqued my interest is that it shared missteps to avoid in developing a comprehensive growth plan, obviously a topic that warrants a read by a planning consultant.

There were five key missteps in planning that in my experience with strategic planning with Catholic schools over the years capture what can quickly derail or unravel even the “best laid schemes of mice and men” as Robert Burns once shared.  For consideration:

1. Not including the right people in the planning process.  Engagement is the key to success so those most impacted by a plan should have an opportunity to share their insights and concerns and ultimately, take ownership for their future.  For us in our Catholic world, subsidiarity is incredibly important so those in our school communities believe they are heard and taken seriously. In our work, this includes faculty and staff, parents, students, pastors, alumni, community leaders, supporters and friends.
2. Failing to consider the people and their culture early in the process.  We often share what we refer to as our unofficial tagline – “if you’ve seen one Catholic school, you’ve seen….one Catholic school.”  Understanding that each school community has its own history, traditions, culture, and interpersonal dynamics (and yes, even politics) is an essential first step in any planning process. Tailoring a planning process to that distinctive culture and life of a school warrants adaptability over a template-based planning process.
3. Making bold statements and eye-catching goals without essential data.  One of the hallmarks of a good plan is the data that provides its foundation and from which wise decisions can be made. Understanding community and Catholic demographics, enrollment and financial trends and projections, sources of students and enrollment management data are all critical in assessing the vitality and sustainability of our schools. It’s one thing to be bold, it’s another to be well-informed.
4. Opting for big-picture, ambiguous goals and objectives rather than more tactical ones.  We were once challenged that some planning goals we presented were “not aspirational enough.”  In our experience, aspiration is important, but most school leaders are looking to address challenges they are facing and sometimes being tactical and more focused is the right call.
5. Not allowing enough time to have a plan develop.  There are times when we are asked to lead a planning process where school administration and board members will develop the plan during a weekend retreat or in a month of meetings. Building a comprehensive three- to five-year plan takes time – time to gather and analyze the necessary data (#3 above), engage the right people (#1 above), and better understand the culture and hopes of the school community (#2 above). As we tell folks – we can do it fast, or we can do it right.

Effective planning is an art and a skill that takes time, patience and a willingness to envision how our schools can be more focused and innovative in their academic efforts and allows schools to achieve their mission – to bring the children closer to God in holiness, wisdom and understanding.

Tom J. Heding

December 3^rd marks the eighth Giving Tuesday since its inception in 2012.  In 2018, on Giving Tuesday, over 400 million dollars were raised online from over 150 different countries.  #GivingTuesday has created a movement.  Yet, hasn’t that movement of the spirit of generosity been planted in our hearts from our inception? As I reflect on the concept of Giving Tuesday and its mission to build a more just and generous world, I am reminded of a book that was given to me called Everyday Stewardship: Living An Extraordinary Life written by Tracy Early Welliver.  The book assisted me in recognizing that as a Christian I am called to be an everyday steward and not solely a Giving Tuesday steward.  For as a Christian I am called to live loudly the words of St. Teresa of Avila who said, “Christ has no body now on earth but yours; therefore, I am challenged to let the Christ in me recognize and respond to the Christ in you.” This message ruminating in my thoughts is juxtaposed with my recent attendance at the performance of Encounter: From the Heart of Pope Francis at my parish, Holy Apostles in New Berlin, Wisconsin.  The performance highlighted the message and lifestyle of Pope Francis, who “compels the global Church to a radically renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ.” This Advent, I will again participate in Giving Tuesday. I also commit myself to practicing everyday stewardship by developing more the traits of mindfulness, prayerfulness, gratitude, graciousness, and accountability so beautifully delineated by Tracy Earl Welliver in her writing on the stewardship journey.

May this year’s Giving Tuesday be a reminder to us of our call to generous stewardship.

Jackie Lichter, Ph.D.

As a company we have guided many dioceses through the process of merging, opening and regionalizing schools. The folks leading those efforts often feel a sense of frustration when people express anger, heartache and sadness upon hearing the news that their beloved Catholic school is closing, merging or reopening under a new name.  For those who have worked behind the scenes gathering the data to make an informed decision they have had time to process the news. Those learning of it for the first time have not.  Perhaps a better response may be-thanks for caring.  For many people, their Catholic school is the place in which they have grown up and come to know and experience Christ.  Aside from the family, their school is often one of the first “communities” to which they have belonged. The bishops of the United States in their 1972 pastoral message To Teach as Jesus Did expressed this reality:

Community is at the heart of Christian education not simply as a concept to be taught but as a reality to be lived. Through education, men must be moved to build community in all areas of life; they can do this best if they have learned the meaning of community by experiencing it.”

(National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1972, §23)

In 2005 this message was echoed and expanded upon in the USCCB’s Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium:

These Catholic schools afford the fullest and best opportunity to realize the fourfold purpose of Christian education, namely to provide an atmosphere in which the Gospel message is proclaimed, community in Christ is experienced, service to our sisters and brothers is the norm, and thanksgiving and worship of our God is cultivated.”

(p. 266)

It is no wonder families are often tossed into an initial state of grief at the news of closures, mergers and regionalizing schools.  Yet, just as the Christian story doesn’t end with death, nor does the story of our schools, for we as Christians believe in the Resurrection.  Just as the Apostles initially felt sadness, loss and fear following the death of Jesus but ultimately were moved by the Holy Spirit to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, so too are we as members of these schools going through a similar change and transformation.  We too are called by the Holy Spirit to move beyond our grief to trust in God’s continuous presence in our world and be people of hope and courage invigorated by the vision aimed at not only sustaining but growing our Catholic Schools.  Drawing on the writing of the saints, McNeill and Higgins (2002) wrote:

I had been looking at my life in one way… And then things happened to destroy it… To change it… And in the midst of the destruction, In the midst of the changes, I remained faithful to God. I held on, and God created something new.”

(pp. 252-264)

God indeed is creating something new in our schools today.  We at Meitler feel it in a very palpable way. In this past year not only have we helped with regionalizing schools, we have assisted in 8 new school studies!  So, while yes, there is sadness and loss associated with change, I pray my response remains a “thank you for caring” because without the love and care of one another there is the absence of community.

Dr. Jackie Lichter