The first in a set of five publications on the educational "ministry" begins with the title essay by Sister Rose Marie Hennessy. Citing Old and New Testament passages, the essay suggests that the Catholic School principal lives out a form of prophetic leadership in the church: to serve a given community in its relationship to God. "Guidelines for…

This publication completes the series that focuses on the five groups of persons involved in the educational "ministry" of the Catholic school. Based on a survey of pastors and diocesan and archdiocesan superintendents of concerns related to the pastor and his role within the school community, this essay discusses seven areas of pastoral concern…

This monograph describes a process to transform the routine managerial aspects of the Catholic school principalship into a vibrant and prayerful ministry. It opens with a portrayal of a fictitious Catholic school principal, and the contemplative skills that are used as a method of reflective practice and leadership. The focus is on how to…

The principles and practices of Catholic school supervision, as distinguished from school supervision in general, are predicated on a special Christian view of education, emphasizing the unique value, diversity, and personal growth of pupils and teachers alike within a mutually caring Christian community. Accordingly, an approach is developed for…

The author explains the particular relevance of participatory decision making for the Catholic school administrator, with reference to such organizational theories as McGregor's Theory Y and Maslow's hierarchy of human needs. (Author/SJL)

This booklet is produced by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) for sponsors of programs that prepare people for the principalship of Catholic schools: archdioceses and dioceses, colleges and universities, and religious orders. After a brief introduction that describes recent changes in the ecclesiastical and organizational…

The way in which a school community deals with a crisis situation is a test of its sense of community. This guidebook, intended for Catholic-school principals, presents a detailed plan to help schools establish crisis-management teams and offers directions for their operation. Chapter 1 presents an overview of crisis management and focuses on how…

This guide provides philosophical and theological underpinning for authority and its exercise inside of Catholic schools. It examines authority from a cultural perspective and accords primary consideration to the principles of democracy, Scripture, and church teaching while reflecting upon what these imply for Catholic educational leaders. Chapter…

Over the past several years, the role of the Catholic school principal has expanded to include many new tasks that principals of earlier generations never even considered. Today principals need a procedure that will help them recall their many responsibilities, to help them place these in priority, and to give them some sense of accomplishing…

The principal's first priority is to take care of himself or herself, next the teachers, then the entire school. Laughter and creativity are emphasized as important tools for principals to use in relieving the stress of their positions. Principals need to understand their jobs, that there are few ready made solutions and no magic formulas. They…

Presents a relatively simple, completely unscientific, occasionally amusing, and obviously novel scale for a principal to use in appraising his or her school. (Author/SJL)

The five papers in this volume are directed to Catholic educators. The first paper discusses the practical problems of organizing and implementing a successful retreat program for high school students. The second paper concerns the complex process of developing effective teacher evaluation instruments. It presents a survey of the literature on…

During summer 1992, 32 administrators of Catholic elementary schools participated in the 1992 Principals Academy in Washington, D.C. This document contains 21 articles related to issues on which the academy focused--leadership, public policy, school and society (responding to multicultural diversity), and educational technology. A list of priority…

To assist administrators of Roman Catholic elementary and secondary schools, this manual examines 15 primary areas of responsibility or tasks for Catholic principals. Using a checklist format, the manual discusses a number of aspects of each task, including a definition of that task, a description of the principal's responsibilities, lists of the…

This booklet contains various papers, commissioned by the National Catholic Educational Association, on the hiring, education, and evaluation of Catholic school teachers. The topics discussed include (1) guidelines for hiring teachers, (2) characteristics to look for in teachers, (3) preparation of teacher applications and conducting the…