Here’s a summary of the latest Catholic education news in the US
Minnesota bishop quotes Gracie Abrams in speech on teachers’ role in healing wounds
Bishop Andrew Cozens of Crookston shared a video performance of pop singer Gracie Abrams during his keynote address. National Catholic Educational Association conference.
While discussing the role of teachers in helping youth heal from their wounds, Cozens played a video of Abrams performing her song “Camden”.
“The poetry she sings about expresses the depth of pain in her heart, and what’s even more telling is that it resonates with thousands of people her same age in the stadium,” Cozens said during her April 7 speech. According to UCA News. “Many people in the stadium also feel like singing.”
In the song, a detailed reflection on insecurities and personal struggles, Abrams sings, “All mine, a wound to close / But I leave the whole thing open / I just wanted you to know / I was never good at coping.”
“It’s the pinnacle of popular culture,” he said. “This is what our youth are singing about, the wounds deep in their hearts.”
Catholic educators, he said, should invite young people to encounter Christ in their wounds, rather than finding value in social media, artificial intelligence, popular culture or politics.
The National Catholic Educational Association conference took place April 7–9. Other highlights of the event include: Living butter statue of Pope Leo XIVand “Puppy Love” sessions sponsored by Safe Hands Rescue and Healing Hearts Rescue, according to program schedule.
Chicago Archdiocese says public school system abruptly cut funding for students with disabilities
More than 800 students with disabilities attending Chicago Catholic schools will be affected after the city’s public school system suddenly suspended funding for social services before the end of the school year.
The Archdiocese of Chicago said In a statement dated April 10 Chicago Public Schools (CPS) targeted only Catholic schools in ending services for individuals with special needs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
The statement said students with learning differences would lose access to math, reading and writing tutoring, causing “severe hardship for hundreds of students” who relied on services until the end of the year.
“We are not aware of any other non-public school system or individual school, religious or secular, that has had IDEA services terminated,” the archdiocese said. “It is not clear why Catholic schools are being treated differently, but Catholic school students have the right to be treated equally under the law.”
Cardinal Blaise Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, said the archdiocese “cannot tolerate this shocking and possibly discriminatory action by CPS, not only because it is an insult to Catholics, but even more so because this injustice will disenfranchise the students we serve.”
The archdiocese said efforts to reach CPS Superintendent McCullin King “did not elicit any response.”
The archdiocese said the Chicago school system had verbally confirmed during Holy Week before notifying the archdiocese that funding for services would continue through the end of the school year “as recently as March 25.”
“While federal funding for these services was provided to CPS for the entire school year, we were informed that the last day of services would be (April 10),” the archdiocese said.
Archdiocese of Georgia launches virtual Catholic high school
The Archdiocese of Atlanta is launching a fully online Catholic high school program this fall in partnership with Catholic Education Services.
The launch of Sacred Heart Virtual Academy comes amid growing demand among homeschooling families April 8 report From the Georgia Bulletin.
The curriculum will be provided by Catholic Education Services, whose mission is “to partner with Catholic school leaders and provide services that extend the reach and impact of your school’s mission through faith-centered, rigorous academic education with a flexible learning platform.” According to its website.
“We knew we were not meeting the needs of a group of children living in our parishes,” Kim Shields, the archdiocesan associate superintendent of schools, said in the report. “It provides that opportunity for a kid who doesn’t want to go to a brick-and-mortar school.”
Classes 9-12 will be taught in the school, According to its websiteand is open to students from outside the archdiocese.
“My hope is that it will do what we want it to do – provide programs to help students grow in all areas of their lives,” Shields said. “The premise is that everything is centered around the mission of the Catholic Church.”
