Catholic schools:
Partner with parents in education of children

		Diocese of Madison  Office of Catholic Schools  Michael Lancaster  Superintendent of Catholic Schools

During my past six months in the position of superintendent, I have had the opportunity to speak with several parents to address questions and concerns.

Invariably, concerns fall into one of two categories: those regarding academics or those regarding religious and faith formation. These two elements, spirituality and academics, lie at the heart of Catholic school philosophy and both reflect the mission of Catholic schools to evangelize and educate students in the Catholic faith.

Sanctity of human life

	Related column: January 11, 2007 edition: • Catholic schools: Appreciating their origins, mission

The foundation of Catholic educational philosophy is our basic Catholic belief in the sanctity of all human life. We believe that all human life is created by God in His image and likeness. Life itself is a precious gift which we have a responsibility to protect and nurture.

Furthermore, we believe that our purpose and meaning in life is to come to know God, to love God, to serve God and by doing so, through His saving grace and redemption, be united with Him for all eternity in Heaven. This belief forms the first mark of any Catholic school.

Supernatural vision

Archbishop Michael Miller, in his book The Holy See's Teaching on Catholic Schools (2006) refers to this as being "inspired by a supernatural vision." As he states, "The specific purpose of a Catholic education is the formation of boys and girls who will be good citizens of this world, loving God and neighbor and enriching society with the leaven of the gospel, and who will also be citizens of the world to come, thus fulfilling their destiny to become saints."

The primary responsibility for this formation and education lies not with teachers, but with parents. Having been blessed with the gift of children, it is the most fundamental, God given responsibility of parents to ensure that their children are provided with the education and formation not only to succeed in this world, but to live faithful lives so they may achieve eternal life in Heaven.

Partners with parents

Catholic schools recognize, and honor this vital and sacred role of parents. It is the mission of our schools to assist parents in these dual endeavors, to fulfill the promises they made at the baptism of their children to raise them in the faith, and secondly, to assist in educating them so they may not only succeed in, but contribute to our world.

Thus, the view of parents and schools as collaborative partners in the education and faith formation of children is central to all Catholic school philosophy.

Different from public schools

These beliefs differ from the philosophy found in public schools in two significant ways. First and foremost, with our emphasis on faith formation, Catholic schools teach to the "whole child," mind, body, and spirit. Although many public schools recognize a need for "character education," they cannot fully achieve this goal.

Devoid of a moral dimension rooted in faith, public schools cannot fully address the spiritual dimension of our human nature, an essential element of our character. Ultimately, this creates a void that leaves students ungrounded and searching.

As a public school administrator, I witnessed this countless times. While the school nurtured the intellectual and physical aspects of the students, it could not nurture their spiritual dimension. If the students weren't being nurtured at home, there was little that the public school could do but offer inadequate and incomplete advice that never satisfied their hunger.

Share responsibilities

Catholic schools recognize that parenting is a noble and daunting task, especially with the frantic pace and multiplying pressures placed on us by an ever changing, pluralistic society. Thus, they work with parents to assist and share these tremendous responsibilities.

If you visit any one of our schools today, you will see parents in the classrooms, volunteering and working as partners with the school in the education and formation of their children. Parents and teachers are joined together in a community of faith and learning, all working toward the same end.

Next week I will speak more of "communion and community," the second mark of Catholic schools, as well as continue to explore the rich history of Catholic education in America. Until then, I thank you for reading and pray that God may continue to bless all of you.