A Modest Proposal

Because of the large number of schools and area in ADLA, we subdivided into geographic groups, which meet monthly. Ours is one of the larger deaneries and covers the entire Southwestern part of LA County.

The meeting is largely a time to meet, hear from the Department of Catholic Schools, gather in fellowship, and support each other (largely in a kvetching way).

My suggestion is to begin the meeting earlier to allow a focus on the school hosting - combining a 20-30 minute tour and a listening session. I attempted to offer this when I hosted the meeting in September, but no one was interested.

The objective would be three-fold:

1. Increase community - allowing principals to build rapport, see each other's issues, and increase honest amongst schools that sometimes see themselves as competitors.

2. Provide a chance for the host school to "show off" to a group which can recognize the hard work and progress a Catholic school can make under a leader.

3. Provide a chance for feedback and support - allow the sharing of issues and possible solutions ideas, with the added visual of students, teachers, and classrooms in action and a campus seen.

I believe these objectives are worth the sacrifice in time (30-45 minutes) and can help build systemness. So whose school can I go to? Who wants to come to SJS?

Backlot tour optional.