3/3/23 - Friday Forget-Me-Nots by Jim Silcott

Photo Caption: OLP Scouting Blue and Gold Banquet

Dear Our Lady of Peace Family,

The Oho Catholic School Accreditation Association was formed about 20 years ago by all of the Dioceses of Ohio. Each of the Catholic elementary and high schools in the state must be fully licensed by the State of Ohio to operate and to receive government funds that help keep tuition costs down. Programs such as the Non-Public School Services, Title money, Eans money and EdChoice vouchers are all contingent upon being recognized by Ohio as legitimate educational operations.

At Our Lady of Peace, we use these funds for tuition assistance, the funding of tutors and intervention specialists, technology, and our school psychologist. Textbooks and workbooks and online programs are also part of what we can use these funds for.

Ohio has an obligation to ensure that students and their families who choose our Catholic schools are legitimate and safe places of learning. They want to make sure our teachers are licensed, and that safety protocols are in place. Catholic schools have no reason to worry about meeting and exceeding those expectations. In fact, we welcome the scrutiny.

The Catholic Accreditation Association is the governing body tasked by the Bishops and Archbishops of Ohio meeting not only state requirements but are in keeping with the values, teachings and practices of the Catholic Church. Ohio is happy to have the OCSAA do this as it does not cost them any money. Every five years, an accreditation team comes to every Catholic school. Not only do they assure state Catholic superintendents that the above is in place, but they help to guide the school in an academic and Catholicity goal that will take it above and beyond current practice. Our Lady of Peace was inspected during the 2021-2022 school year.

This evaluation process sounds expensive, doesn’t it? Other public and private schools that go through an accreditation process spend thousands of dollars. Our evaluation last year cost us less than $200.

The reason for that is everyone except for one executive director, works on a volunteer basis. I am one of those evaluators. Although it takes me out of school for 1-2 days each visit, it is an important service that I, along with hundreds of other teachers and administrators provide to each other and to the Catholic Church.

This year I was on the evaluation team for St. Charles and Trinity in Columbus and Piqua Catholic Elementary school north of Dayton. Most of our time is spent talking to teachers and administrators about their hope and dreams for the next four years both academically and in enhancing the Catholic identity of the school. A written plan is developed by the school, and the team helps to shape it as a blueprint for the next four years. Having done this for many years, I hope that I am helpful to the schools. But, selfishly, my visits to other schools inspire me and gives me an opportunity to learn about programs and ideas that might translate to improving Our Lady of Peace.

Being a graduate of St. Charles and the former principal of Trinity I already knew of their excellence. But being able to spend a couple of days up close with them is a treat. Both schools deserve their excellent reputations. I am proud to be a 1974 graduate of St. Charles and the former principal of Trinity.

I had never been to Piqua Catholic, let alone the city of Piqua. Brad Zimmerman, the young principal of the elementary school, is a cheerful, reverent and effective leader of his school. I learned a lot from him along with the other team members all Catholic school principals from the area. I saw practical ideas that we can incorporate at our school as well as innovative practices in academics and Catholicity that are worth investigating. At the same time, as I compared what we do at OLP to what I saw in Piqua I am reassured about the quality of our program and faculty, and I shared ideas and practices with Piqua and the other Catholic school leaders about Our Lady of Peace.

I am also reassured that some of the challenges that we face are fairly universal at the schools I visit. It is nice to commiserate with other leaders about problems and to know that we are not alone!

My role with the Accreditation Association has given has enhanced my relationship with the principals in our Diocese and given me a great network of Catholic school administrators across the State. Most importantly, it comforts my soul to know that all our schools are praying to the same God and helping to build the same Kingdom!

Jim Silcott