During my time at the WH, one of the best things I worked on was a series of projects designed to raise the profile of the faith-based urban schools crisis and find solutions. President Bush mentioned it in his final State of the Union, there was an associated budget line item (Pell Grants for Kids), the White House hosted this summit, and I wrote this report.????Sadly, the losses in these schools, especially Catholic schools, continued, and the wider world didn't take much notice.
I was beginning to feel like this work amounted to an old, large, proud tree falling in a forest with no one around to hear it. But since yesterday, I'm thinking a better analogy is a planted seed that needs time to grow.
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Education hosted a meeting to continue this critical work. ????Titled the "Forum on Improving the Sustainability and Performance of Urban Faith-Based Schools," the event gathered a couple dozen of the most active folks in this area for a discussion about what can be done.
I honestly had no expectation that this administration would take on this issue. Neither President Obama nor Secretary Duncan has talked about these matters or even visited a faith-based school (even though Judge Sotomayor's important personal narrative includes a fully Catholic primary and secondary education), and their handling of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program was lamentable.
But the moderators of the forum (OII head Jim Shelton and Peter Groff, director of ED's faith-based and neighborhoods office) appear to care a great deal about this issue. Groff even began the meeting by acknowledging the work of the previous administration--an unexpected, humble, and admirable move.
Only time will tell if the committee structure that resulted will lead to results or if the Department will take action beyond gathering activists for conversations. But this was a heartening event, and I appreciate the effort put forth but Peter, Jim, and their staffs.
Moving forward, there are two things the Department ought to do in the short-term. First, as they are finishing up the application and guidance documents for the Race to the Top Fund and the What Works Fund, they should make clear that state applications for the former can include private and faith-based schools as partners, for example as data systems are being built. ????Also, it should be made clear that networks of faith-based schools are eligible applicants for the latter.
Second, Secretary Duncan or President Obama should visit one of these schools in the very near future and deliver a simple message:
"This administration loves all great schools, regardless of provider. We care about and support great traditional public schools, great charter public schools, and, yes, great private and faith-based schools. Urban faith-based schools have been helping America's disadvantaged boys and girls for generations, and we commend them for their service. We will help make sure they are preserved."