Professional development for teachers is also a key goal of the collaborative. Such development will enhance the academics of Catholic education in the deanery.
"We want our teachers and our faculties to continue developing excellence in their teaching and integrating faith in the learning process," Brother Ray said. "We want all our schools to be excellent places to work."
The collaborative can provide enrollment and tuition services, facility management, collaborative purchasing and vendor savings programs. It can also provide cooperative recruitment and marketing, and cooperative development strategies.
"We believe a large amount of efficiencies can come by bringing these services together," Brother Ray said.
As part of the process, each parish and school was given a breakdown of their estimated cost savings based on their level of participation in the collaborative.
Beginning in the second year, there may be opportunities for schools to choose to be managed by the collaborative. Those schools, to be known as "member" schools, will see increased benefits, officials said.
"I think part of the beauty of what we’re starting here today is that there are different levels of cooperation," Archbishop Pilarczyk said. "No parish is forced to be part of this to any degree."
The collaborative concept has generated some positive feedback from school principals.
"I think principals are excited about the potential opportunities that we can do together, especially in the area of professional development," said Anne Battes, deputy superintendent of Catholic schools for the archdiocese and president of the collaborative. "I think as we go forward and we grow, our teachers and our parents will begin to experience the benefits of the collaborative."
The collaborative is one of several models of Catholic school governance now being used in the archdiocese. Others include consolidation of schools, the creation of private schools and the establishment of inter-parish schools.
Published October 12, 2007 in the Catholic Telegraph.