Catholic schools have done a great job staying true to their unique identity.
But if they are going to thrive, said a Jesuit bishop at a June 1 Fordham event, they need to improve academic standards.
Speaking at the 22nd Annual Catholic School Executive Leadership Dinner hosted by the Graduate School of Education (GSE), Bishop George V. Murry, SJ, cautioned that demographic shifts have brought Catholic schools to a crossroads. When parents can choose a public education that’s free, tuition-dependent schools need to raise their bar.
“Many of our Catholic schools are exceptional in the quality of education. But we also know that if we’re honest, we have many schools that are mediocre,” said Bishop Murry, who is chairman of the board of directors of the National Catholic Education Association. “We have to challenge ourselves in terms of quality of education to not simply be good enough, but to be … better than the public schools that are around us.”
Bishop Murry, who acts as chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Education Committee, said that a “living faith, academic achievement, and self-discipline have long been hallmarks” that are worth preserving in Catholic schools.
