Sustaining Catholic Education in and for the Black Community
By Lois J. Carson, Sr. Roberta Fulton, S.S.M.N., Dorothy Gupton, Veronica Morgan-Lee, Freida D. McCray, Mary Crowley McDonald, Kathleen A. Merritt, Sr. Jamie T. Phelps, O.P., Ph.D., Brother Gary Sawyer, ECSA, Deacon Marvin Threatt, PhD.
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Solutions
Although the total number of Catholic schools has decreased in the past 35 years, the Church has not lost sight of its commitment to educating children, particularly poor children within inner cities and urban areas (NCEA, 2006). Forty-four percent of all Catholic schools are located in urban and inner city areas, despite population losses and great financial difficulties in maintaining them. Schools in various dioceses have developed new structural models to remain open.
With costs rising and the relative support from parishes decreasing, schools (particularly those in inner cities) must pursue a variety of sources to secure financial stability. Catholic schools can no longer rely on the support of the local parish to provide funding. Catholic schools must gain knowledge of successful models for sustaining schools in other cities and dioceses. Many schools are becoming financially independent, headed by business- and marketing-savvy lay boards with a spiritual commitment to helping the needy (Borja, 2005).
Financially stable Catholic schools must be established within Black communities and supported by the Black businesses, social organizations, and churches. Funding development with individuals, corporations, industries, and existing foundations must be developed. Tuition fees must be reduced for families from lower socioeconomic levels.
The establishment of a United Black Catholic Education fund will help to ensure the ongoing development of funding opportunities for schools as well as individuals. On a wisely invested funding base, such as an endowment, the returns could considerably lessen the amount the individual schools must raise each year through fundraising events (Borja, 2005). With this type of funding base, teachers can be paid adequate salaries as well as maintain curricular, technology, and school plant needs (NBCC, 2006).
Catholic schools will need to develop strategies for the hiring and retention of qualified teachers. Teachers and staff members of Catholic schools who understand the role and mission of Catholic schools in the ministry of the Church will project Catholicity into the everyday life of the school. Qualified religion teachers also are essential to maintaining the Catholicity of the school. Good Catholic schools provide several outstanding advantages over traditional public schools: Christ-centered spiritual growth activities; discipline in student behavior, dress, and accountability; and improved student achievement.
The ongoing development and implementation of educational models that sustain the future of Catholic education for the Black community will help to uncover new funding strategies, improve learning programs, and enhance a faith-based environment that addresses the total needs of the school populations being served. Support and direction must be provided not only for students, but for parents and the community, as well.
A strong Catholic identity must be reflected in the mission, philosophy, and curriculum of inner city Catholic schools. Curricula must be inclusive of all world cultures and customs. Diversity training must become a staple for teachers, administrators, staff members, students, and parents. Textbook publishers must be made aware of the importance of inclusion of appropriate material for all cultures and socioeconomic groups. It is the overall goal of inner city Catholic schools to produce academically competent, socially responsible, Christ-centered students who are prepared for a globally and locally diverse world.
Closer inspection reveals that the religious mission is still pursued through a variety of means, ranging from the use of diocesan funds to keep insolvent inner city schools open (as in Washington, D.C., where the Center City Consortium of parish elementary schools is funded by the Archdiocese of Washington), to mandatory community service, to dealing with students according to avowed principles of Christian respect (Youniss & Mclellan, 1999).
The Catholic community in this country may appear to be presiding over the gradual dismantling of perhaps its greatest achievement: the creation and maintenance of an academically competitive school system geared to the faith formation of the Catholic young (Hidy, 1998). However, while funding and enrollment have decreased, the dioceses' commitment to Catholic education remains strong.
Several models have been shown to improve, maintain, and enhance the existing status of Catholic schools. According to the NBCC, a publication unifying best practices in Black Catholic schools is a solution to ensure the continuance of Catholic education in Black communities (NBCC, 2006). Therefore, the NBCC Catholic Education commissioners provide this publication as a resource to the Catholic Church in America. We hope that this book will be a vital resource in sustaining Catholic education in and for the Black community.
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