Looking at Catholic schools’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching Principles

The current COVID-19 crisis has significantly impacted all teachers throughout the country, in particular, those teaching in urban schools. The urgent nature of this crisis has brought new challenges to urban Catholic school educators specifically, and their ability to enact and model Catholic Social Teachings which include; respect for the life and dignity of the human person, the call to care for family and community, solidarity in uniting the human community, the dignity of work and the rights of workers, providing persons with rights that ensure decent lives such as an education, preferential option for the poor, and care for all creation. Using critical theory and narrative analysis, this paper examines how 31 urban Catholic school teachers perceive and address the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning in their classrooms. Analysis of these teacher’s narratives illustrate how Catholic Social Teachings are foundational to their response to the current situation. The conceptual framework and methodology of the research, and findings are presented. A key aim of this paper is to provide some concrete examples of the current urban Catholic school landscape and practice recommendations for all teachers, particularly those working alongside marginalized communities

Lessons from the Field: Catholic School Educators and COVID-19

Teachers are regularly tasked with planning for long-term academic and formative goals for entire classes and individual students. This planning involves designing and developing effective routines, creating detailed lesson plans, and tracking authentic assessment of students. Skilled teachers are accustomed to predictable expectations and outcomes in the familiar contexts of classrooms; yet, COVID-19 undermined the ability of teachers to plan. Using a case study and narrative analysis approach, this paper examines how 32 urban Catholic school teachers experienced the transition to remote instruction. Data analysis produced a template broadly aligned with Rush et al’s (2014) framework for effective, emergency, online school professional development curriculum during an emergency. A key aim of this paper is to provide some concrete recommendations for school level crisis preparation planning, implementing online learning platforms, matching needs and resources, communicating with parents, and using social media during this pandemic

Tracking the Legacy of Inner-City Catholic Schools: An Analysis of U.S. Elementary Catholic School Organizational and Demographic Data

Over the past twenty years, Catholic elementary schools that self identify as “inner-city” have closed at a higher rate than Catholic schools in other locations. These schools have also long been associated with a legacy of effectively serving low-income students, students of color, and recent immigrant students, suggesting that the persistent closure of these schools may have a negative impact on these communities. In this paper, we set out to assess the extent to which there have been demographic or organizational changes over the past twenty years in these “inner-city” schools. We found that while these schools do still serve higher proportions of students of color than Catholic schools nationally, there are distinct organizational and demographic trends that have developed in these schools that merit additional analysis or investigation. We conclude this paper with several suggestions for how to build a research agenda around this up-to-date demographic and organizational analysis of this segment of U.S. Catholic elementary schools

Educating Others: A Vocation Promoting Meaning, Purpose and the Universal Apostolic Preferences

Teaching as discerned vocation in urban Catholic schools has the potential to provide a far-reaching, integrative space for enacting the Universal Apostolic Preferences. This research explores the reflections of 31 novice teachers, enrolled in the Urban Catholic Teacher Corps (UCTC), a Jesuit university program in the northeast. This program supports the development and formation of novice teachers through graduate education, living in community, full-teaching responsibilities in an urban Catholic school, mentoring, coaching, and professional development. Teachers completed an online interview that elicited responses about what it means to lead a life of meaning and purpose and the factors that contribute to leading a life of meaning and purpose. Responses illustrated intentionality and planning with the aim of leading a life that was beyond-the self. Finally, the Universal Apostolic Preferences of “Walking with the Excluded” and “Journey with Youth to Create a Hope-filled Future” resonated in all responses. Findings suggest that teaching as discerned vocation in urban Catholic schools offers a far-reaching space for not only enacting integrative Universal Apostolic Preferences as teachers commit to taking up this work as vocation, but also serving as a model for evangelizing students, families, and communities to take up this work

Lessons From the Field: Catholic School Educators and COVID-19

Teachers are regularly tasked with planning for long-term academic and formative goals for entire classes and individual students. This planning involves designing and developing effective routines, creating detailed lesson plans, and tracking authentic assessment of students. Skilled teachers are accustomed to predictable expectations and outcomes in the familiar contexts of classrooms; yet, COVID-19 undermined the ability of teachers to plan. Using a case study and narrative analysis approach, this paper examines how 32 urban Catholic school teachers experienced the transition to remote instruction. Data analysis produced a template broadly aligned with Rush et al’s (2014) framework for effective, emergency, online school professional development curriculum during an emergency. A key aim of this paper is to provide some concrete recommendations for school level crisis preparation planning, implementing online learning platforms, matching needs and resources, communicating with parents, and using social media during this pandemic

Tracking the Legacy of Inner-City Catholic Schools: An Analysis of U.S. Elementary Catholic School Organizational and Demographic Data

Over the past twenty years, Catholic elementary schools that self-identify as “inner-city” have closed at a higher rate than Catholic schools in other locations. These schools have also long been associated with a legacy of effectively serving low-income students, students of color, and recent immigrant students, suggesting that the persistent closure of these schools may have a negative impact on these communities. In this paper, we set out to assess the extent to which there have been demographic or organizational changes over the past twenty years in these “inner-city” schools. We found that while these schools do still serve higher proportions of students of color than Catholic schools nationally, there are distinct organizational and demographic trends that have developed in these schools that merit additional analysis or investigation. We conclude this paper with several suggestions for how to build a research agenda around this up-to-date demographic and organizational analysis of this segment of U.S. Catholic elementary schools