March 28, 2007 was an outstanding day for the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford. For the first time in the history of our school network, over 350 delegates gathered for the Educational Symposium 2007 to learn, to share, to be inspired and challenged, and to plan for a strong future. A panel of four extraordinary speakers shared the national perspective with attendees in the four core value areas central to Catholic school education: Dr. Timothy Cook, Director of Secondary Education at Creighton University in Omaha, NE spoke on the topic of Catholic Identity; Dr. Lorraine Ozar, Director of the Center for Catholic School Effectiveness at Loyola University, Chicago, addressed Quality Catholic Education; Sr. Dale McDonald, PBVM, PhD, Director of Public Policy and Educational Research for the National Catholic Educational Association, spoke on the subject of Catholic School Accessibility; and Larry Furey, CFRE, CPA, Partner at The Advancement Counsel, informed the audience about Catholic School Advancement.

Educational Symposium Planning Committee Members - Front Row (L-R): Rhonda Hebert, Maureen Pellegrini, Patricia Teufel-Driscoll Second Row (L-R): Michelle Murphy, Superintendent Dale R. Hoyt, Anne Clubb, Sarah Adanti, Sr. Valerie Noone, OP, Mary Ann Sprankle

In addition to the inspiring addresses, delegates broke into small group discussion sessions to review and prioritize the belief statements and action steps identified by the school focus groups as most critical. The Symposium Response Forms completed by each table group at the conclusion of these conversations will be synthesized and utilized in the development of the Strategic Plan for Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford. Delegates enjoyed the opportunity to exchange insights with those from schools beyond their own areas, and many took valuable ideas from their discussions and from the speaker presentations back to their schools.

The importance of the event was underscored by the attendance throughout the entire day of Archbishop Henry J. Mansell, along with his auxiliary bishops, Bishop Peter Rosazza and Bishop Christie Macaluso. The Archbishop greeted the audience with comments in strong support for Catholic schools and then wove the “common threads” of the speakers’ comments into his own concluding remarks. Also in attendance doing research for an upcoming book on the Symposium process was Dr. Regina Haney, Executive Director of the National Association of Boards, Councils and Commissions of Catholic Education for the National Catholic Educational Association.

Delegates enjoyed a special treat at the inception of the Symposium – the “premiere” of a marketing DVD produced by the Office of Radio and TV promoting Catholic school education. The DVD was distributed to all Symposium delegates and contains two videos, one in support of elementary education, and one targeted to prospective Catholic high school students. Schools can utilize this DVD in their recruitment efforts and may order additional copies for distribution to prospective families.

The next step will be the creation of the Strategic Plan and its accompanying Pastoral Letter, both of which will be promulgated at a special Mass at the Cathedral of St. Joseph on the first Sunday of Catholic Schools Week 2008. As the plan is being developed, the words of our speakers will echo in our minds:

“Catholic Schools must be compelling, irresistible, and irreplaceable.” (Dr. Timothy Cook) - Position paper

“We must make excellence a priority and…..raise the bar and close the gap.” (Dr. Lorraine Ozar) - Position paper

“Investment in Catholic schools is an investment in the future of the Church.” (Sr. Dale McDonald) - Position paper

“We need a shared vision and collaborative leadership and then philanthropy comes.” (Larry Furey) - Position paper