In the world of many independent schools, there are certain code words used to convey the sense that enrolling allows you to not just join a school, but the country club. “Competitive admissions,” “premier,” “superior” and “elite” are part of a brand that speaks of exclusivity and privilege, and the tuition, averaging $27,800 for 8th grade schools and $31,800 for high schools (NAIS, 2020-21) seals that impression, though most give financial aid to students who meet specially targeted criteria.
In contrast, the mission of Catholic schools is broader. Novelist James Joyce once said about Catholicism that “it’s the here comes everybody Church,” and so the aim of our schools must be to educate the “everybody,” including the best and brightest—those with aspirations to attend our nation’s best colleges—as well as those with more parochial goals.
I am proud of our inclusive mission. The problem is when we speak about this broad emphasis in the marketplace, what would-be prospective families often hear, whether we use this language or not, is that we’ll aim our academic programs to the middle, adapting a kind of “lowest common denominator” approach to reach the “broadest possible number.” In other words, the parent hears that we’re good for the “ordinary” or “average” kid, but not so good for the high flyers. Perhaps that perception should help us enrollment wise, as by definition “average” describes the most number of people, but the problem is that few parents think their children are ordinary, and even if they did, they’d want more for him or her. So ironically, we end up appealing to a very narrow segment of the school market precisely by saying we serve a very broad one.
I’ve written many times about crafting our mission statements to be more aspirational (here, here, here and here) reflecting our belief that God’s grace is truly transformative in the lives of our students. Our mission should focus on our desire for students to discern and accept God's magnificent plan for their lives. Overlaying our schools with soaring rhetoric is part of building a school culture and a marketing “brand” that is entirely consistent with the belief that students are children of God, temples of the Holy Spirit, and thus capable of doing great things! These themes channel a deep desire of parents for their children that resonates well in the marketplace.
But even while aiming our mission statements to be more aspirational, we must celebrate our inclusiveness as a strength, not a liability! It’s the gospel, after all! So I try to do that in our admissions materials and in my orientation talks. Here’s perhaps my best stab at it recently, taken from our handbook:
As a school that professes to place the gospel of Jesus Christ before all else, our mission is much grander than serving only the intellectually elite or the economically advantaged. Such homogeneity often makes schools stale—too similar in values, tastes, and sensibilities. Rather, it’s the chemistry and interplay of students with different aptitudes and socio-economic backgrounds that give Catholic schools their authenticity, their liveliness, and perhaps even, their “flair.”
That's right--flair! Yes, we have smart kids, and our job is to challenge and push them to strive for excellence in well-taught honors and A.P. classes. Yes, we have weaker students, and we must lead them to strive, too, by offering them a solid college preparatory program. In the end, we are not a country club, but an interesting amalgam of the "everybody," united by a common faith and mission. Let us proudly proclaim it!
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