Thank you, school teachers

Recently, I attended the National Catholic Educational Association annual convention in Baltimore, Md. Over a three-day period I had the opportunity to visit with many teachers and administrators from schools all over the United States and they were, to a person, extremely positive about their work.

It's pretty well known that teachers, particularly parochial school teachers, don't make much money. If you converted their salaries to hourly wages, based on classroom hours plus the time they actually put in correcting papers, doing lesson plans and talking with parents, they're not getting much of a return on their investment in a college education. Yet, while acknowledging the low pay, most of those that I visited with have been teaching for five, 10, even 30 years.

When I asked what they considered the best thing about their work, most of them said, in one way or another, their reward comes from the opportunity to make a difference in a child's life. Or, as a couple of them told me, feeling the accomplishment that comes when they encounter a child who resists the very idea of school, but with the teacher's guidance turns into a true student, eager to learn.

The cost of educating a child in a Catholic school today is high. A number of administrators told me that they work hard to pay teachers more, but the challenge comes from rising costs and often dwindling enrollments. Very often, when a family goes from educating one child to sending two, three or four to a Catholic school, the cost becomes prohibitive and many parents have to opt out of the system.

One high-school administrator told me that tuition in her school was now at $7,500 a student and that many parents are working a couple of jobs so that they can afford to send their children there. She said that fully 75 percent of her time, much of it evenings and weekends, is spent on fund-raising. "This isn't what I signed on for," she says, but she believes that fund-raising is critical to holding down tuition so that parents can provide their children a value-based Catholic education.

I asked a couple of teachers what their biggest challenge is. Their answer was helping parents find time to be involved in their child's school. With so many families needing two incomes just to break even, working parents don't have the freedom to attend school events or, in some cases, even help children with homework.

One teacher told me that she sends a daily e-mail report to parents, bringing them up to date on what the children are studying and the projects they're working on. She said it keeps them involved and helps them talk to the child about school. Another teacher has a "parent's hour" one evening a month and meets with any mom or dad who wants to talk. "It takes time, but the parent and I are in a partnership when it comes to educating the child so I want them to know how important it is to me."

We have a special blessing in the wonderfully talented and dedicated people who work in our school systems. They deserve our gratitude and prayers every day.

- - -

For a free copy of the Christopher News Note: "Here I Am, Lord - Serving God's People Today," write to The Christophers, 12 East 48th Street, New York, N.Y. 10017, or send e-mail to mail@christophers.org.

- - -

Dennis Heaney is the president of The Christophers

Contact

The Christophers
http://www.christophers.org ,
Dennis Heaney - ,

Email

Keywords

More Catholic PRWire

Showing 1 - 50 of 4,716

• « Prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• Next »

A Recession Antidote
Randy Hain

Monaco & The Vatican: Monaco's Grace Kelly Exhibit to Rome--A Review of Monegasque-Holy See Diplomatic History
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.

The Why of Jesus' Death: A Pauline Perspective
Jerom Paul

A Royal Betrayal: Catholic Monaco Liberalizes Abortion
Dna. Maria St.Catherine De Grace Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.

Embrace every moment as sacred time
Mary Regina Morrell

My Dad
JoMarie Grinkiewicz

Letting go is simple wisdom with divine potential
Mary Regina Morrell

Father Lombardi's Address on Catholic Media
Catholic Online

Pope's Words to Pontifical Latin American College
Catholic Online

Prelate: Genetics Needs a Conscience
Catholic Online

State Aid for Catholic Schools: Help or Hindrance?
Catholic Online

Scorsese Planning Movie on Japanese Martyrs
Catholic Online

2 Nuns Kidnapped in Kenya Set Free
Catholic Online

Holy See-Israel Negotiation Moves Forward
Catholic Online

Franchising to Evangelize
Catholic Online

Catholics Decry Anti-Christianity in Israel
Catholic Online

Pope and Gordon Brown Meet About Development Aid
Catholic Online

Pontiff Backs Latin America's Continental Mission
Catholic Online

Cardinal Warns Against Anti-Catholic Education
Catholic Online

Full Circle
Robert Gieb

Three words to a deeper faith
Paul Sposite

Relections for Lent 2009
chris anthony

Wisdom lies beyond the surface of life
Mary Regina Morrell

World Food Program Director on Lent
Catholic Online

Moral Clarity
DAN SHEA

Pope's Lenten Message for 2009
Catholic Online

A Prayer for Monaco: Remembering the Faith Legacy of Prince Rainier III & Princess Grace and Contemplating the Moral Challenges of Prince Albert II
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe

Keeping a Lid on Permissiveness
Sally Connolly

Glimpse of Me
Sarah Reinhard

The 3 stages of life
Michele Szekely

Sex and the Married Woman
Cheryl Dickow

A Catholic Woman Returns to the Church
Cheryl Dickow

Modernity & Morality
Dan Shea

Just a Minute
Sarah Reinhard

Catholic identity ... triumphant reemergence!
Hugh McNichol

Edging God Out
Paul Sposite

Burying a St. Joseph Statue
Cheryl Dickow

George Bush Speaks on Papal Visit
Catholic Online

Sometimes moving forward means moving the canoe
Mary Regina Morrell

Action Changes Things: Teaching our Kids about Community Service
Lisa Hendey

Easter... A Way of Life
Paul Spoisite

Papal initiative...peace and harmony!
Hugh McNichol

Proclaim the mysteries of the Resurrection!
Hugh McNichol

Jerusalem Patriarch's Easter Message
Catholic Online

Good Friday Sermon of Father Cantalamessa
Catholic Online

Papal Address at the End of the Way of the Cross
Catholic Online

Cardinal Zen's Meditations for Via Crucis
Catholic Online

Interview With Vatican Aide on Jewish-Catholic Relations
Catholic Online

Pope Benedict XVI On the Easter Triduum
Catholic Online

Holy Saturday...anticipation!
Hugh McNichol

• « Prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• Next »