Essentials

I leave St. Michael Catholic High School on Friday, and I think my leaving presents an opportunity for the school. Every institution must be open to change. Heads of school come and go, and with each new leader, the school has the chance to rethink its assumptions. This is part of the natural cycle of a school and the chance for each school to “begin again.” 

New leaders, however, are wise to make distinctions between the “essence” of the school they are inheriting, and the changeable elements that can be improved to better fit the needs of their communities. I’ve had the privilege to lead three Catholic high schools (Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School in Montgomery, AL, Pope John Paul II High School in Nashville, TN and St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, AL), which has given me a chance to reflect on what I believe to be the “essentials” of Catholic high schools.  Here are my top four: 

We Cannot Allow Students to “Settle”— Every student in a school, regardless of aptitude, should feel a bit of “angst” about the classes they’re taking! I don’t mean they should feel hopeless, but that they should have a tinge of worry that if they don’t work hard, they won’t succeed. Nothing kills the academic culture of a school faster than putting kids in classes that allow them to float, without a lot of paddling! This is why I am generally against dividing students into more than two academic tracks. The capable kids should be encouraged to take the highest level courses available  as they move up the ladder, and not be allowed to “settle” with something in between A.P. and “regular” classes in their junior or senior year ( often misnamed “honors” courses) that give them an excuse not to work harder. And kids on the other end of the spectrum should not be allowed to “settle” on remedial courses that don’t prepare them for the world ahead. In three schools and 34 years as principal, I’ve never presided over the “third track,” whatever the school may call it.  No, it is not prudent for even the most capable students to take 7 A.P. classes at a time—they can mix and match  A.P. classes and electives to create a reasonable schedule. And no, taking regular classes is not an easy path for kids who struggle, but if we are being honest with them, life is hard, and they must develop the work ethic to face it.  If teachers are available to help them after school, if the school puts in place thoughtful policies such as “50” as the lowest test grade, and if teachers are inclined to give kids who work hard the opportunity for  retests and second chances, these kids will succeed and become our proudest graduates, having achieved a real milestone. 

Relationships. Relationships. Relationships—Just as the three most important characteristics of real estate are “location, location and location,” so too does the quality of the relationships in a school determine its success. Those relationships go in every direction: from teachers to parents, from teachers to each other, from teachers to students, and between the students themselves. 

While that may seem obvious, it’s easily forgotten as schools age, and job descriptions, policies and duties begin to settle. As tempting as it is to set policies for reasons of efficiency and to “pre-solve” the many issues which are likely to come a principal’s way, the danger is if these policies remove the human element and the pastoral judgment required to handle the particular needs of a child in a particular circumstance. That’s why I’ve always resisted spelling out “X” disciplinary consequences for “Y” offenses. Our handbook says something like “Disciplinary consequences include after school detentions, Saturday detentions, in-school and out of school suspensions and expulsions. The school administration will decide which is appropriate, based on their judgment and the interest of the student and school.” Even for the super serious stuff, like drug and alcohol use at school or a school function, our handbook says the student is liable for expulsion.   

Of course, handling each matter pastorally, rather than bureaucratically, is becoming increasingly difficult. Dioceses face the reality of lawsuits, and our parents are much more inclined to immediately call the police to report issues at the school, even if the principal has already taken steps to protect the safety of students. It would great if principals had time to gather all the data and prayerfully consider how to handle the tough cases!  But I don’t believe we should simply resign ourself to these new realities and give up! Families in difficult circumstances need us to handle their child with care and love. That’s the message of the gospels; it’s the message of the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the wheats and the tares. Bureaucratic policies and the threat of lawsuits can wipe out the human element to the detriment of everyone! 

Both-And— I once knew a girl who was a softball phenom. For the age of 7 through her senior year, she was the best player on whatever team she played on. Largely due to her abilities, her youth teams usually played all the way to the end of the summer in national championship games, just in time for “fall ball” and then onto the high school season in the spring. As she neared graduation, she was offered scholarships to several well known D-1 programs. I noticed she was unhappy, and called her into my office to talk with her about what was wrong.  She began weeping: “Mr. Weber, all I’ve done with my life is play softball. I’m sick of it. I haven’t done fun things like my classmates have, and here I am at graduation, without any close friends. I don’t want to play  softball in college. I want to be a regular student. ” And so she declined the scholarships and attended the college like every other student. I was proud of her. Last time I saw here, she was doing quite well. 

There’s a clear lesson here: Children flourish when they’re encouraged to engage in many things—and the more different, the better. That was a big reason we wanted to have 8 periods per semester. Taking 8 allows them to take a band or choral class, for example, even while they take weights and conditioning as required by their sport. It isn’t Chamber Choir OR football, but “both-and.” I believe this is good for the teenager’s soul—that they are happier and healthier.  I heard a comedian say his wife was in labor with their first child for 30 hours. His punchline was “I don’t even want to do something that feels GOOD for 30 hours!” And yet we end up doing this to kids all the time, convinced that unless they play (insert sport here) year round, they won’t have the skills for a college scholarship. Our children’s happiness and health aren’t worth it. And if they’re some of the truly rare kids who are athletic enough to make a living playing professional sports, then they have the ability to play a lot of other sports along the way in high school—witness the fact that most players in the NFL or NBA starred in multiple sports.

A Vibrant, Ecumenical and Confident Faith— When I was a younger principal, I feared if we came on “too strong” about our Catholic faith, it would offend our Protestant families. But I have come to understand that our Protestant families know exactly what they’re signing up for when they place their children in our schools, and they expect us to build a dynamic Catholic culture here. They want their children to be exposed to adults who give joyful witness to their faith! Yes, of course we should be ecumenically sensitive.  I was once given a gift of a large Marian statue for our athletic fields, and told I could put whatever I wanted on the plaque. I didn’t choose the title “The Mediatrix!” Instead the plaque simply said “Be it Done Unto Me According to Thy Word.” (Luke 1:38). Better to appeal to what we share in common, Scripture, than to emphasize our differences. 

Even so, I also believe it’s a dreadful mistake to water down our witness to some sort of “lowest common denominator” with our other Christian families. It’s the sometimes unusual, often fun celebrations that make our Catholic faith so interesting to our students!  In my first year as principal at John Paul II in Nashville, Mardi Gras came and went, without fanfare. This was totally unacceptable to me, borne and raised in the city that began Mardi Gras parades (that’s right New Orleans folks, it began here), so the following year, I loaded up 5 pillow sacks of candy, and told the administrative team to go into live classrooms, shower the kids with candy, and say “Happy Mardi Gras!” The students, of course, loved it.  Our kids need to see that our faith enlivens us!   That’s why I believe the “critical mass” of our faculty must be Catholic, but it’s also why ALL of our faculty and staff need to be practicing, joyful Christians. 

And confident ones! I am not persuaded that we should give “room” in our school for Christian adults who are struggling in conscience with the fundamental teachings of our faith. Yes, of course we should give people space, to the extent they are individuals!  But I am not hiring people to work in a factory or a retail store. I am hiring ministers of the faith, who themselves must be authentic, living witnesses of that faith to our students, so that their faith is ignited! Catholic schools should be  “furnaces for formation,” I heard someone say recently. Amen! 

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I am convinced that Catholic high schools can develop many personalities, and no two schools are the same. But the most impactful Catholic high schools, the ones that truly advance the trajectory of teenagers’ lives, both as students and as people of faith—are those, I believe, who incarnate these four essential beliefs into their policies and practices. In the end, we are building a culture, and the culture will determine the school’s success more so than any program or strategy.

May God bless St. Michael Catholic High, and all those who work in Catholic high schools across the country.  Ours is noble work!