On April 29 at St. Bernard Prepartory School in Cullman, the Diocesan Advisory Council for Catholic Education held its first Aligning for Success event, connecting the diocesan council with school advisory councils and boards from throughout the diocese. To be held twice annually moving forward, the event strengthens communication between those groups, monitors progress in the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Catholic Education for Diocese of Birmingham Schools, and helps build governance capacity throughout the diocese.

The keynote speaker at the event, George Valadie, president emeritus of Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga, TN, focused on articulating the true vocation of Catholic education.

Other sessions included an overview of Catholic school governance structure, the roles and responsibilities of a school advisory council or governing board, and an update on the strategic priorities of the Catholic Schools Office and the Diocesan Advisory Council for Catholic Education, led by Superintendent of Schools Margaret Dubose. Strategic Plan Implementation Committee chairs reported on progress in their respective areas including mission and Catholic identity, academic excellence, operational vitality, governance and leadership, and marketing and development. Dr. Joe Ross, chair of the Diocesan Advisory Council for Catholic Education, and Tom Economy each led sessions on the science of high performance and developing an entrepreneurial spirit to guide the work of Catholic school leadership.

More on the Strategic Plan

The Strategic Plan for Catholic Education was finalized in the summer of 2019 after a year of receiving input from over 3,500 stakeholder voices through various means. It contains 13 goals and 82 objectives and was designed for implementation over a five-year period. Progress is monitored on an ongoing basis by the Executive Committee of the Diocesan Advisory Council for Catholic Education. Adjustments to the original document have been made as changes have occurred and priorities have shifted since 2018-19.

Notable accomplishments from implementation of the plan were communicated at the Aligning for Success event in key areas, including:

• Building a culture of trust and collaboration between Catholic Schools Office, schools, and chancery offices.
• Development and beginning implementation of a comprehensive strategic plan.
• Establishment of a functioning, thriving Diocesan Advisory Council with coordinated processes.
• Implementation of MAP Growth testing and training.
• Highly successful COVID response plans that resulted in no missed instruction and increased enrollment. 
• Reduced turnover of school principals. 
• Creation of Human Resources guidance for principals and updated processes for evaluation.
• Institution of a Code of Ethics for Catholic Educators in the Diocese of Birmingham.
• Increased enrollment by 6.8%.
• Institution of CSO-led Professional Learning Unit program for principals and teacher leaders.

A copy of the full plan can be downloaded at: bhmdiocese.org/schools.