Catholic Schools Office
| School Council Thoughts | |||||
Thoughts on Council Effectiveness |
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| Thoughts on Council Effectiveness | ||||
| Alice in Wonderland, when asked by the Cheshire Cat, “Where are you going?” replied, “I don’t know.” The cat remarked, “Then, any road will get you there.” | ||||
Getting the Most from your Meetings
Finally, efficient School Council meetings are important for a number of reasons. Obviously, they conserve time, but they can also ease frustration, assist in communication and improve decision-making. Our School Councils are blessed with kind, generous volunteers whose goal is to serve the children in the most effective, efficient ways. |
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The
School Council and the School Principal The role of the School Council is to provide the principal with a group of persons with varied backgrounds who bring a multi-faceted point of view, educational background, experiences and expertise to focus on how to provide the best Catholic education to those who deserve it. The role of the principal in his/her relationship to the School Council can be divided into two categories: data collection and results. Data
Collection:
The School Council cannot work in a data vacuum. In order to carry out its role as an effective Council, input is vital. The principal has available hundreds of facts about subjects such as:
Principals can share information on an as-needed basis or as part of a regular in-service program for the Council. Most often it is a combination of both. The Council may make frequent requests for information for its planning and projects. Often, regular presentations are made by the principal or a teacher who is invited to explain a particular program or service offered at the school. A useful practice prior to every meeting is to send all Council members a written principal’s report with the agenda. In this type of relationship, there is always a need for confidentiality. Results The Council formulates its policies based upon the principal’s perception of the needs of the school. The principal may simply present information for the Council to act upon or he/she may call for specific action to be taken by the Council. The Council should follow the direction of the principal when it is formulating policy. It is important to remember that the principal’s role is primarily administration, while the Council’s role is to advise and assist. Evaluating the Partnership During the self-evaluation in December and January, the Council should have scrutinized its partnership with the school administrator. The Council should remember that its evaluation is specific only to the principal and is confined only to his/her relationship to the Council. |
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Forging a good relationship between the School
Council and the principal is at the heart of leading a Catholic
school. |
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| Foundations of the School Council | ||||
Catholic School Councils in our diocese are a gift and a challenge. In order for School Councils to be effective, they must be built on a strong foundation. First and foremost, the School Council must have a Constitution accepted and approved by our Bishop. Balanced representation, strong committees, regular inservices, adherence to a code of ethics, and an understanding of the Council members’ roles are essential elements in building a strong School Council foundation. Constitution
and Bylaws Balance Committee
Structure Written agendas and minutes for each meeting should be mailed (or e-mailed) to the entire Council. Committee minutes should include who was present/absent; content of the meeting; the actions to be taken to the full Council for consideration; the length of the meeting; and the date, time, and location of the next meeting. The Executive Committee is the key committee of the Council and sets the example for all the other committees. Orientation
and Inservice Code
of Ethics Council
Roles The Chair of the Council woks in conjunction with the principal and pastor to establish the agendas. The secretarial work can rotate from member to member or the school secretary may serve the capacity. Only a quality, functioning, planning-for-the-future Council is worth the time and effort. The beneficiaries of this type of School Council will be the STUDENTS! To Do: Enroll your School Council today in the National Association of Boards, Commissions and Councils of Catholic Education. |
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| Gathering Information | ||||
| As
the new school year begins, many School Councils are setting new
goals and strategically planning new ways to grow the school community. One of the most challenging areas for me as a Superintendent
during this time of year is dealing with individual school council
members’ requests for information in areas of enrollment trends,
testing results (ITBS and LEAP 21), tuition history and staffing
needs of schools. Requests
for information are handled as quickly as possible to avoid errors,
but sometimes our database is flawed.
I would like to recommend a way that School Councils can receive the information in a more accurate way. First, the request for information should come from the School Council President only. This way the Council President and I can discuss the gathering of information to ensure confidentiality and accuracy. Second, a copy of the request should be disseminated to all members of the Council (unless confidential). These procedures will help put into context the mission of the Superintendent’s Office: “Drawing the Spirit of the mission of the Diocese of Shreveport, to praise God, to proclaim and teach Jesus Christ, the office of Catholic Schools seeks to provide services and direction to pastors, principals, teachers, and other school leaders so that the vision of Catholic education in the Diocese of Shreveport can be realized.” |
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| Commandments of the School Council | ||||
| It’s December, the end of the calendar year,
and the beginning of preparing for school year 2002-2003. This would be a great time to evaluate the Council (Board)
in areas of responsibility. The self-evaluation may serve as a tool to providing good
leadership and appropriate counsel to the principal and the pastor. Attached to this page is an Education Council Self-Evaluation. I would ask each Council President to use this tool as
an in-service opportunity in the December or January Council meeting.
This diocese is blessed with strong School Councils at each of the schools. The responsibilities of the Council may be summed up into Six Council Commandments:
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| Setting Time to Set Direction | ||||
| School
Council membership and participation are two ways the laity
take their share of the responsibility for the teaching mission
of the Church. To accept membership on a School Council is
to respond to a call to ministry, recognizing that Council
activity is more than developing policy, strategic planning
and financial accountability. The first priority of any school
council in the Diocese of Shreveport is to nourish and strengthen
the parish community and to model Church. This does not mean that the Council is not about policy development, strategic planning and financial accountability. It is. But it’s about more. And that “more” is what makes a church school council different from school boards in the public sector. There is a scriptural, spiritual and theological dimension to this ministry that needs to be understood and embraced. Many school councils begin the new school year with a Planning Retreat. This allows the pastor and entire school council to set ample time aside to set direction for the following school year and determine if the objectives of the five-year plan are on course. Many groups such as management teams use an approach known as SWOT. It is a simple step-by-step process that allows the council to examine the status of the school from four different viewpoints: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Thus, we have the acronym SWOT. It is commonly used to:
Preparation
for the Retreat Role
of the Facilitator During the Retreat
5.
Summarize the process thus far. Identify the goals to specific
committees. |
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| What Makes A Catholic School Council "Catholic?" | ||||
| Perhaps
the most significant factor which sets Catholic School Council
apart from their public school counterparts is the structure
of authority in the Church. Though tradition has maintained the structure, in recent decades the role of the laity has changed dramatically. When Vatican II defined the Church as “the people of God,” it added a whole new governance of the Church. In order that the voice of “the people of God” could be heard, a number of consultative groups, such as parish and diocesan councils, have arisen since Vatican II. The benchmarks of the Catholic School Council are as follows: ¨ Its authority is derived from Jesus through the bishop of the diocese. Our bishop is Michael G. Duca, D.D. ¨ Its goals and philosophy are derived from the gospel and the teachings of the Catholic Church. ¨ The Council sees Catholic education as a ministry of the Church. ¨ Its decisions are made through dialogue ¨ Deliberations are imbued with justice and charity. ¨ Meetings open and close with prayer. Furthermore, Catholic School Councils must respond to the Church’s and the Gospel’s call to service. They must participate in the shared ministry of the parishes. |
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| Decreasing Conflict | ||||
When
your meeting agenda includes a report or presentation that
is likely to spark a high level of interest or concern among
attendees, try this approach to increase understanding and
decrease conflict:
These suggestions may help to lower the emotional level and increase the level of understanding. |
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The
Catholic Home School Group:
Where Do They Fit into the School Community? |
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| Parents
who send their children to Catholic schools are an integral
part of the process, because they initiate and continue their
children's education within the home. They are their children's
primary educators and have the greatest influence over them. As a School Council, you may wonder how close the School Council relates to the Home-School Association. The following diagram will serve as a guide to how the HSA fits into the puzzle. |
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| The purpose of the HSA is to serve as a vehicle to mobilize
parental efforts in support of the Catholic school. The association's
principal purpose is communication. It provides a forum in
which parents and teachers can coordinate the educational
process. Secondly, the association also provides the means to organize grassroots parental support for the school. Some of these support activities may include clean-up campaigns and physical plant improvements, as well as assistance in the library, playground, and cafeteria. An increasingly important activity in each Catholic school is development. Catholic school development, as outlined by the NCEA, is a major on-going activity in which each school attracts friends and supporters to ensure that the school is living up to its mission. The concept holds that each Catholic school's highest destiny is realized by defining its philosophy and mission, formulation, corresponding short- and long-term goals taking the steps to ensure that the goals are accomplished. A major benefit of development is to help the school meet its growing operating costs without escalating tuition. Without it, Catholic schools may become part of the assemblage of elite private institutions that are only affordable by wealthy families. Unique Characteristics Development activities in Catholic schools are usually organized under the School Council. Among the school's parent organization, the HSA has some unique characteristics. One of these characteristics is membership. Membership is based upon the student's enrollment in the school. The HSA can be a powerful and influential force in the school community, but its realm of responsibilities and duties should not be confused with those of the School Council. Finally, the HSA has five major purposes: 1. To promote communication among parents, teachers, and administrators. 2. To provide parents and teachers with the information to aid in all aspects of education and the students' growth and development. 3. To promote good will and cooperation between and among the parents, faculty, administration, School Council, and the Church parish. 4. To direct and coordinate parental support to the school through specific assistance activities, social functions, and fund-raisers. 5. To organize political action as advocates regarding local, state, and federal legislation that effects Catholic schools as well as the lives of students and parents.
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2008 Diocese of Shreveport