How do they do it?

Richard A. Sokerka

Sunday begins a special week in the Paterson Diocese and across the nation. It’s the start of Catholic Schools Week as schools celebrate their achievements with their faith community and the community at-large through event-filled days that offer an inside look at the innovative and cutting-edge educational opportunity they offer in an atmosphere of love and caring for every student.

It is a well-known fact that Catholic school students score above the national average in reading, math, language and science; that they are more likely to graduate and go on to college.

But those are not the only reasons parents choose to send their children to Catholic schools.

Parents know there is a benefit to Catholic schools that no other institution of learning can provide — a set of values and a faith-filled education, so that their children are imbued with a solid moral and spiritual foundation that they carry with them for the rest of their lives.

William Bennett, a former U.S. Secretary of Education, once marveled at what Catholic schools accomplish: “Often, with less funds and fewer resources than their public schools counterparts, Catholic schools, by virtue of their accountable structure and commitment to curriculum content and values, have done more with less. To many that is a paradox: but if it is, it is a paradox to be proud of.”

That paradox often causes many to wonder how Catholic schools do it. How do they accomplish so much while keeping the cost per pupil at a fraction of what public schools spend per student?

The key reasons are:

Minimal bureaucracy: Catholic schools are unburdened by the bureaucracy that is layered into the public school system. This enables Catholic schools to run more efficiently and without top-heavy administrative costs.

Work as a mission: Catholic school teachers see their job not just as work but a mission and emphasize shaping character as well as the mind with personal attention to each student.

Parental accountability: Catholic schools require a huge degree of parental involvement. In Catholic schools, parents join closely with teachers and students in the educational process and in all phases of the school’s operation.

It is for these reasons that our Catholic schools will continue to excel. They deserve our full support for the difference they make in the lives of each and every student.