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Catholic Schools Initiative Project - June 2011
Work focuses on input from groups
 The Catholic Schools Initiative (CSI) represents the Diocese of Green Bay's commitment to its 61 Catholic Schools as we recognize and address the challenges/solutions in fostering and sustaining Catholic school education in the Diocese.
This is the second monthly updates on the Catholic School Initiative prepared by Frank Donaldson of the Institute for School and Parish Development, project consultant.
Thank you for your continued interest and prayers.
Please stay tuned for more updates in the months ahead.
Dr. Joe Bound
Director of Education
Diocese of Green Bay
June report
Planning Areas solidify challenges
The Steering Committee is focusing on the areas that need addressing in 2011-2012 based on input from the regional sessions and Steering Committee and Core Team meetings.
Here are the top Challenges for each of the six Planning Areas:
- Planning Area A: Faith Integration -- How can we improve catechesis for faculty, staff, administrators and families?
- Planning Area B: Financing Catholic Schools -- How can we explore and develop creative sources of revenue?
- Planning Area C: Marketing Our Catholic Schools -- How can the Department of Education provide training, centralized marketing resources, and access to demographic material so that each school receives the resources needed to maintain and grow their schools?
- Planning Area D: Collaboration among All Catholic Schools -- How can we articulate the need for and value of collaboration among all Catholic schools?
- Planning Area E: Small Community Catholic Schools -- How can we market the story of small-community Catholic schools and invite families to reprioritize their values in a secular culture?
- Planning Area F: Collaboration between Parish, School and Diocese -- How can we help the people in our parishes and schools better understand the role of the Diocese (Bishop, Diocesan Department of Education, and Diocesan Board of Education)?
NCEA Convention brings excellent input
Dr. Joe Bound and Michael Sullivan from the Diocese of Green Bay presented the top five challenges from the six planning areas at the 2011 National Catholic Educational Association convention in New Orleans, April 26-28, 2011.
Attendees were invited to offer solutions to the Challenges. Here are some of highlights:
1. How can we develop a cost-effective operational model to sustain and grow our Catholic schools while also exploring and developing new and creative sources of revenue?
- Institute a cost-based, need-based tuition model for all schools.
- Establish a diocesan 501(c)3 foundation that will generate dollars just for Catholic schools.
- Launch a diocesan-wide capital campaign for a tuition-assistance endowment fund.
- Study other creative financial vehicles:
• Summer and holiday programs
• Rental of space
• School as retail outlet
• Adult education
• Child care
• Parent and student stewardship
- Diocese of Wichita model
2. How can we develop a strong and identifiable brand that consistently promotes all Catholic schools with marketing materials, staff and techniques?
- Institute a collaborative marketing plan to brand and market all Catholic schools in the Diocese.
- Have Diocese coordinate with all schools in the Diocese to create consistent Web sites for each school with links to collaborative areas.
- Educate at in-service administrators, faculty, support staff, boards, parent leaders, student leaders, and alumni leaders on their role in a Catholic school's marketing plan.
- Create and provide diocesan-wide marketing materials and educate all schools on how to effectively use them.
3. How can our Catholic schools, parishes, and the Diocese cultivate and strengthen our Catholic identity through collaboration and more effectively share resources among ourselves?
- Host regular workshops, seminars, and so on, in specific subject, interest and/or grade areas for faculty and staff.
- Study and create plans for more affluent schools to "champion" with smaller and/or more challenged schools.
- Host all-school Mass to kick off Catholic Schools Week.
- Have in-service for all Catholic school leaders on the value of establishing a "Customer Service" culture in each Catholic school.
4. How can we eliminate the competition between Catholic schools and Religious Education programs?
- Develop the action plan for Religious Education in the parish and Religion classes in the school through collaboration of personnel.
- Create a truly collaborative First Communion and Confirmation experience.
- Collaborate fully with parish/school facilities. Implement a collaborative education and training process for Religious Education in the parish and Religion classes in the school.
5. How can we improve the level of catechesis for faculty, staff, administrators and families, while fostering a culture that empowers our students to be Disciples of Christ?
- Host "Supper and Substance" for parental religious education. Implement a policy that requires any family that applies for and/or qualifies for tuition assistance to be a registered and participating member of their parish.
- Require basic certification in the basics of our faith for all faculty, staff and administrators using a combined workshop and on-line learning.
- Host regular and consistent retreats for families and school leaders (administration, board, faculty and staff).
Catholic School Congress planned for September 2011
As stated in the first Update, the Steering Committee will invite people within a100-150 mile radius of Green Bay with expertise and objectivity to participate in a School Congress in September 2011.
Some of the types of people we will be identifying are:
Faith Integration
- Catholic priests
- Protestant ministers
- Directors of Religious Education
- Catholic School Religion/Theology teachers
- Pastoral Associates
- Your suggestions?
Financing Our Catholic Schools
- Business managers
- Financial planners
- Certified Public Accountants
- Higher and/or continuing education presidents/heads
- Advancement Directors - all levels of parochial, private and public education
- Your suggestions?
Marketing Our Catholic Schools
- Directors of Marketing for corporations
- Marketing Directors in Catholic and non-Catholic institutions
- Directors of Communication
- Public Relations/Marketing business owners
- Web-site developers
- Your suggestions?
Collaboration among All Catholic Schools
- Administrators from parochial, private and public education
- Faculty and staff members from parochial, private and public education
- Teachers and consultants of Total Quality Management
- Corporate team-builders
- Strategic Planners
- Your suggestions?
Small Community Catholic Schools
- Administrators (parochial, private and public) from small community schools
- Faculty members (parochial, private and public) from small community schools
- Support staff members (parochial, private and public) from small community schools
- Parent leaders (parochial, private and public) from small community schools
- Small business owners
- Your suggestions?
Collaboration between Parishes, Schools, and Diocese
- Priests, Presidents and Principals from Diocese of Green Bay and surrounding Dioceses
- Bishops, Auxiliary Bishops, Superintendents, Associate Superintendents, Directors of Religious Education and Associate Directors of Religious Education from the Diocese of Green Bay and surrounding dioceses
- Diocesan Communication Directors and/or personnel working in communication
- Leaders of protestant churches and schools
- Your suggestions
Suggestions sought
We invite your suggestions in any of the six Planning Areas. Send your suggestions for types of people and/or names and contact information to our consultant, Frank Donaldson, at
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Information
Dr. Joe Bound
Director, Department of Education
Phone: (920) 272-8309 or 1-877-500-3580, ext. 8309
E-mail: Click here to e-mail the Department of Education
Contact
Deacon Ray DuBois
Director of Communications
Phone: 920-272-8213
E-mail:
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Catholic Schools 
