Striving for Balance Steadfast in Faith

Catholic elementary school principals speaking out in a major nationwide survey report faithfulcommitments alongside acute challenges in the operation of their schools and they identify financialmanagement marketing Catholic identity enrollment management and long-range planning as theirschools' top five areas of need.The study completed by the University of Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education and its MaryAnn Remick Leadership Program is a rare comprehensive glimpse of these principals' views on whatthey need in order to do their jobs better and how they describe the state of Catholic education today.It is difficult to read the responses of Catholic school principals in this study and not sense both their commitment to this ministry and theoverwhelming responsibilities that are associated with it say the authors of Leadership Speaks: A National Survey of Catholic Primary SchoolPrincipals. They paint a picture of many principals as faith-filled individuals confronting unusually challenging expectations worthy of new forms ofsupport such as their own national association.The study provides enormous amounts of data describing today's Catholic school principals and outlining their views and the authors conclude withfour recommendations:• Develop new models of governance for Catholic elementary schools that shift the panoply of principal responsibilities into a moremanageable and realistic position description.• Develop a program of ongoing professional development and renewal for principals thataddresses their needs both professional and personal.• Organize a national association of Catholic school principals as a means to give voiceto their leadership concerns at every level and to promote advocacy for Catholic schools at thenational level.• Convene multiple groups of national and international stakeholders to advance theunderstanding of Catholic schools as instruments of the new evangelization.