Discusses the difficulty parish catechetical coordinators face in recruiting volunteer religion teachers. Presents recommendations for successful recruiting: stable programs that are spoken of confidently; in-service formation of catechists; recruitment that is done by the entire parish; casting a wide net; and creating an environment welcoming…

Offers suggestions for ways in which Catholic educators can set priorities for developing religious education programs. Recommends visual symbols of Catholicism in each classroom, required prayer, a sacred place on campus, spiritual retreats for students, and reaching out to students. Also suggests that students be required to invest hours in…

Offers web addresses for three different sources that might be useful to Catholic educators: (1) U.S. Government Printing Office, which provides educational information; (2) New Moon Magazine, which urges young people to focus on good works rather than good looks; and (3) Discover Nursing, which aims to recruit people interested in nursing…

Provides a collection of Internet and print resources for understanding and coping with sexual abuse in its personal and legal ramifications. (Contains 15 print references and 12 Internet resources.) (RC)

Outlines the development process and essential elements of a crisis communication strategy. Key steps include: (1) selecting a spokesperson; (2) publicizing the spokesperson's identity; (3) preparing a crisis notebook; (4) providing cell phones; (5) choosing a news conference location; (6) rehearsing crisis scenarios; and (7) obtaining interview…

Describes the major issues tackled by the school board in a New Jersey Diocese. The key areas addressed were: revision and expansion of tuition assistance program, a move to president/principal model of administration for high schools, and overhaul of school policy manuals. Describes characteristics of an effective board. (NB)

Discusses The Values Project of the Archdiocese of New York, designed to document the ways in which Catholic values were taught across the curriculum in Archdiocese schools. Indicates that the Project used the Education Community Opportunity for Stewardship process of infusion. Describes the process' six steps for infusing values into the…

Describes an approach to high school sex education that emphasizes chastity as a positive choice. (DMM)

Highlights the classroom teacher's role in assessing and planning solutions for learning-disabled students. Presents an informal yet systematic assessment method for identifying learning disabilities. Suggests ways of incorporating several teaching methods simultaneously to individualize instruction. Underscores the importance of working as…

Presents the media center network of the Diocese of Pittsburgh as a model of how a network of parish media centers, functioning as satellites of the central diocesan media center, can be developed within a diocese. Media center networking services offered within and beyond the diocese are described. (two references) (Author/CLB)

Proposes guidelines for Catholic religious educators to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable theological pluralism, and infallible and non-infallible religious teachings. Considers personal theological competence to be essential in dealing with dissenting ideas in the classroom. (DMM)

Offers a tongue-in-cheek analysis of the usefulness and pitfalls of long-range planning. Suggests ironically that the process of planning is more important than the product; that planning saves time, fosters meaning rather than rhetoric, clarifies lines of responsibility, minimizes organizational power struggles, and enhances leadership qualities.…

As the number of Catholic teachers in British Catholic schools declines, Catholic authorities are forced to recruit more non-Catholic teachers. This presents problems for the nature and character of the Catholic school. To counteract increasingly secular attitudes and beliefs, the Catholic community must address the crisis in the training and…

Examines the current status of grievance procedures at unionized and nonunionized Catholic schools based on a survey of 33 superintendents and union presidents. Discusses the extent to which Catholic schools have formal grievance procedures and the educators' attitudes regarding due process. (DMM)