Volume 8, Issue 16
March 22, 2010

Monday, the Fifth Week of Lent

On this day in Lent we hear the readings with the story about Susanna who was falsely accused, and the Gospel in which Jesus calls himself the Light of the World. Jesus challenges the Pharisees not to judge Him because they do not know Him. Listening to these scriptures invites us to open our minds and listen with our hearts. The bridge between the two readings is the Psalm of the Good Shepherd. As sharply as Jesus deals with the Pharisees, so by contrast does He offer kindness, comfort and consolation to those who believe. This lesson is reiterated throughout the Lenten season. We are invited to listen to Jesus’ teachings in his stories and accept his challenges to become his strong disciples despite whatever others may be tempting us to do along the way.

Message from the Secretary for Education/Superintendent

In the next two weeks, we will experience Palm Sunday, the Easter Triduum and the culmination of Lent in the Easter Liturgy. These holiest days in the Church Year invite us to accompany Jesus from the joy of Palm Sunday through the Last Supper, Betrayal of Judas, Agony in the Garden, trial and Crucifixion to the Resurrection. Although Easter is early this year, we are beginning to see crocuses springing from the ground and the tempering of the cold weather to more spring-like temperatures. New life is around the corner. The Church in her wisdom gives us Lent to prepare our hearts and minds for the glory and joy of the Resurrection. We take time to reflect upon and rethink our relationship with God and others to make ourselves more pleasing to Him so that we can fully enjoy the blessings of Easter.

ACTION ALERT! On ESEA

Your help is needed by Friday, March 26, 2010 to convey to Members of Congress the importance of addressing the needs of students and teachers in private schools as they work to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (most recently known as No Child Left Behind). Send your message about our priorities to eseacomments@mail.house.gov.

Many Catholic schools have found accessing services for their students and teachers to be very complicated and frustrating. Please include in your email message:

• Equitable participation by students in private schools has been a requirement in ESEA since it was first passed in 1965.
• In recent years funds generated by students in private schools have been diverted to public school programs in which our students cannot participate, such as Supplemental Education Services and All School Improvement programs.
• ESEA should be changed so that the proportional share of funds to serve nonpublic school students and teachers in private schools will be based on the total allocation of a program prior to a public school district setting aside funds that only public schools can use.

If you have examples of how your students and teachers do not receive the full benefits of the federal funds the students generate, please do not hesitate to provide them in your email message.

I hope you have set up your ACTION ALERT networks to desseminate this message quickly. Thank you.

Attention Principals: Some Wireless Microphone Systems Must Be Scrapped
The Federal Communications Commission has promulgated a new regulation requiring users of wireless microphones operating in the 700 MHz band (frequencies between 698and 807 MHz) to stop operating those wireless microphone systems no later than June 12, 2010. The manufacturers of those devices never adequately informed purchasers of these systems that they were required to obtain an FCC license to operate in the 700 MHz band. Until last year, wireless microphones were sharing the 700 MHz band with television broadcasters, and no harmful interference resulted from that sharing. However, as part of the transition to digital television last year, broadcasters vacated channels 52 through 69, and that spectrum was licensed to commercial and public safety users. Wireless microphone systems that continue to operate in that spectrum will cause harmful interference with public safety communications, such as police, ambulances and fire departments, as well as commercial wireless broadband systems.  

The largest manufacturers of wireless microphone systems – Shure, Sennheiser, Audio-Technica, and AKG – are offering rebates to purchasers of their wireless microphones that used the 700 MHz band. The FCC decided that although wireless microphone users in the 700 MHz band had been violating FCC rules for years, it would not penalize those users, since they were not made aware of the improper use of the spectrum by the sellers of the wireless microphone systems.  

See:  Federal Communications Commission, Operation of Wireless Microphones in the 700 MHz Band is prohibited After June 12, 2010, at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/wirelessmicrophones.  

The best thing to do if any wireless microphones are in use at our schools is to check the FCC Web site using the following link:
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/wirelessmicrophones/manufacturers.html.

That Web page has a list of microphone manufacturers and models that are affected by the new regulation. If you have questions, let your area superintendent know. We will then forward your questions to Kevin Burke in the Legal Office.

Vocation Web Sites Promotion Campaign – It’s Not Too Late!
The Vocation Office is in the home stretch of its vocation Web site campaign. It is your chance to be entered into a raffle for up to $6,000 in cash prizes for your parish, school, or organization. All you need to do is print the Vocation Office official Web site logo on your materials, link it on your own Web site, or place it in your parish bulletin. The more you print, link, or publish the logo, the more chances your parish, school, or organization receives. All you need to do is to send us a sample with the logo printed on it. For specific rules and to download the official logo, go to: www.clevelandcatholicvocations.com. The campaign ends May 31, 2010 so don’t delay with your chance to win cash for your parish, school, or organization.

Grand Prize:     $3,000

Second Prize:     $2,000

Third Prize:     $1,000

These are just a few of the ways the logo is being advertised:

• School sports banquet programs
• Sunday bulletins (either by way of a special announcement or on the back)
• Parish, school, or organization’s Web site

Justice for Immigrants

The U.S. Bishops’ postcard campaign in favor of comprehensive immigration reform has distributed over three million postcards to dioceses around the country – over 100,000 postcards here in the Cleveland diocese. As Catholics, faithful to the Gospel and to the Church’s social teachings, we are calling on Congress to enact legislation that keeps immigrant families together, adopts smart and humane enforcement policies, and ensures that immigrants without legal status register with the government and begin a path toward citizenship. To send an electronic postcard to Congress, and for more information on the Church’s position in favor of comprehensive immigration reform, please go to the JFI Web site, www.justiceforimmigrants.org.

Yesterday, Sunday, March 21, 2010, ten buses of people from the Cleveland Diocese traveled to Washington, DC, to show their support for immigration reform in the “March for America: Change Takes Courage and Faith.” They began the day’s events with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, celebrated by Cardinal Roger Mahoney at Saint Aloysius Church in Washington, DC. Please pray in solidarity with those who traveled to Washington and for all of our immigrant brothers and sisters.

Our God, you have given us in your word the stories of persons who needed to leave their homelands—Abraham, Sarah, Ruth, Moses. You have chosen that the life of Jesus be filled with events of unplanned travel and flight from enemies. You have shown us through the modeling of Jesus how we are called to relate to persons from different nations and cultures. You have called us to be teachers of your word. We ask you, our God, to open our minds and hearts to the challenge and invitation to model your perfect example of love. Amen.

Safe Children Audit Results to be Released Tomorrow
The release date of the 2009 Annual Report has been confirmed. The Report will be placed on the USCCB Web site on March 23, 2010. The Catholic Church is keeping Her promise to reach out to victims and keep children safe in Her care. Yes, continued vigilance is importance, but that should not overshadow the progress that has been made. The bishops of the United States wish to thank all those who helped implement the Charter in the diocese. And those who have been so faithful in assisting with information for the audit are to be congratulated. It is important to show accountability to ensure children are safe. The importance of the life and dignity of children is why we do what we do.

What the Church is now doing to protect children and reach out to victims is serving as a guide for many others, both here in the U.S. and in other countries.
Here is a quick list verified by the audits:

•   Safe environment training is taking place in every diocese.

• Background checks are conducted on Church personnel who have contact with children.
• We have trained more than 2 million clergy, educators, employees, and volunteers in parishes in how to create safe environments and prevent sexual abuse.
• We have prepared more than 5.5 million children to recognize abuse and protect themselves.
• We have run criminal record checks on more than 1.6 million volunteers and employees; 167,000 educators; 53,000 clerics; and 6,000 candidates for ordination.
• Dioceses have codes of conduct.
• Victim Assistance Coordinators and Safe Environment Coordinators are in every diocese.
• There have been many reconciliation services.
• Counseling assistance is provided to victims.
• Bishops are meeting with survivors/victims.
• The Church maintains a Zero Tolerance policy on abusers that means that if there is a credible accusation against a priest or deacon, they are out of public ministry forever.
• Seminary Screening has been tightened.
• Audits of dioceses have been conducted every year for the past seven years.
• Diocesan Review Boards exist in every diocese and with that, their increased lay involvement.
• Dioceses are cooperating with public authorities on allegations.
• A National Review Board has been established that is composed of lay experts.
• The Church issues a national public report annually which is shared with the Holy See.

Ohio Achievement Assessment (OAA) Test Score Results

Questions have been raised about the OAA test scores being posted on the ODE Web site as a public document. The following is a combination of information from Sue Cosmo at ODE and from Carolyn Jurkowitz (quoting from HB 1) at the Catholic Conference of Ohio. It helps to clarify what we can expect.

Assessments For Students Who Are Recipients of CSTP and EdChoice Scholarships

Students on CSP and EdChoice Scholarships must take all state achievement assessments, and results must be reported to ODE.

Student scores, the only data we are able to report, are in test vendor files and are identified by an SSID, not by student name.  Students who do not have a scholarship do not have an SSID and cannot be included in the percent passage rate.

These students’ scores will be aggregated by (a) public school district of residence for the students on the CSTP or EdChoice scholarship from that district; (b) chartered nonpublic school.

Scores will be disaggregated by students’ (a) age; (b) race and ethnicity; (c) gender; (d) students who have participated in the scholarship program for more than 3 years, 1-3 years, and one year or less; (e) economically disadvantaged students.

This information will be posted on the ODE Web site and distributed to the parents of all scholarship students.

THE ODE CANNOT REPORT DATA FOR ANY GROUP THAT CONTAINS FEWER THAN 10

STUDENTS.

The ODE also will provide the parent of each scholarship student with information comparing the student’s performance on the state assessments with the average performance of similar students enrolled in the public school that the student would otherwise attend.

Educational Seminars from the U.S. State Department

Educational seminars provide opportunities for teachers and principals to participate in fully funded, short-term educational exchanges with Argentina, Brazil, Greece, India, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, Thailand, and Uruguay. The program is funded through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS. While in the host country, participants shadow their international peers’ schedules, network with educational leaders in the country, and develop joint classroom projects and school partnerships supportable through the program’s grant funds. Through nation-wide competitions, approximately 80 U.S. teachers and principals are selected each year to participate in 2-3 week exchange programs in the host countries. Additionally, the program brings approximately 80 international teachers and principals for 2-3 week programs to be hosted by schools across the U.S.

Applications for principals to participate in programs in Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico due March 31, 2010 can be accessed at www.americancouncils.org/es. Next year’s applications will be available in summer 2010. For more information, email edseminars@americancouncils.org or Elise Schneck Skiba at esskiba@americancouncils.org.

Teachers of Critical Languages Program

The Teachers of Critical Languages Program (TCLP) is funded through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS. TCLP seeks to develop Chinese and Arabic programs in K-12 schools throughout the United States by bringing EFL teachers from China and Egypt and placing them in US schools for an academic year where they teach Mandarin or Arabic language and culture. TCLP provides teachers’ salaries, health care, r/t airfare, training, professional development funds, and on-going program support. Additionally, host schools receive access to $5,000 grant opportunities to support language-learning projects, and their designated mentors receive monthly honoraria as well. For more information, contact Ben Dunbar: bdunbar@americancouncils.org or Eliza Doton: edoton@americancouncils.org.

Summer Workshop at John Carroll University for Teachers, JUNE 28-JULY 2
The workshop will examine how tensions between bold, even rash, reformers and cautious popes led to disputes and delays before eventually being approved and translated into creative renewals.

Sessions include:
The Franciscans:  Reform Debates & Dissent, 1230-1350…Fights over poverty and a “New Age” heresy and the split into two orders.  

The Jesuits: Tensions of ‘Creative Fidelity’ Chinese Rites, the Reductions, and alleged plots…and Papal suppression in 1774.

Daring but Devout: American Women Religious… Pushing to the brink of defiance and eventually winning over America’s bishops.

Theology & Liberation: A Workable Marriage? - The danger…and questions of mixed or subtle messages on social justice?

Workshop costs:  Basic Workshop  (breakfast, lunch, readings) $375; two graduate workshop credits $250. The week includes an evening visit with refreshments at a local Benedictine Abbey.

For registration:  Catholic Past Workshop, Institute of Catholic Studies, John Carroll University, Cleveland, OH 44118.  

For information, contact Dr. W.F. Ryan (wryan@jcu.edu) or Dr. P.V. Murphy, Director, Institute of Catholic Studies (pvmurphy@jcu.edu) or call 216/397-4558.

Summer Courses 2010 at Hiram College
Hiram College offers graduate-level courses for professional educators. Participants can earn graduate credit hours that may be applied toward updating teacher certification/licensure and advancement within a school’s salary structure. For more information and to register visit www.hiram.edu/future/grad/programs/teachers.html or call 1.330.569.6111 or email mais@hiram.edu.

Titles of courses include:

Universal Design Applications for Your Classroom – June 14-18, 3 credit hours.

Get Moving! Physical Science Explorations to Energize Students – June 14-18, 3 credit hours.

Using Multiple Intelligences in the Middle and High Classrooms – June 15-17, 1 credit hour.

Wetland Ecology Studies – June 21-25, 3 credit hours.

Holocaust Education – June 21-25, 3 credit hours.

What is Normal? Ways we respond to physical and mental abnormality – June 21-25, 3 credit hours.

Modeling Future Heroes – June 28-July 2, 3 credit hours.

Stop the Bullying: Creating a Culture of Respect in the Classroom – July 5-9, 3 credit hours.

Place Based Education: Using the Community as a Learning Laboratory – July 12-16, 3 credit hours.

The Spoken Word: Storytelling in the Classroom – July 12-15, 19&20, 2 credit hours.

The Face Tells the Story: Using Masks in the Classroom – July 12-15, 19&20, 1 credit hour.

Communicating with Media Savvy to the Media Savvy – July 26-30, 2 credit hours.

Cost per credit hour is $190, which includes tuition, books/materials, and fees. Register prior to May 15 and receive a 10% discount with full payment.

Courses are available for a non-credit workshop fee of $100 per credit hour.

Once registration is received, you will be sent an email confirmation with payment instructions. A $100, non-refundable deposit, which is applied to tuition, is required to secure your registration. Full payment is due two weeks prior to the beginning of class to avoid a cancellation fee. Payment can be made online by credit card (2.5% convenience fee) and electronic check payment. Additionally, payment can be made by check (payable to Hiram College) or by cash at the Student Accounts Office. Registrants are required to provide a copy of their teaching certificate/license.

Save the Date - New Direction: Catechetical Conference 2010
Save the dates, Monday, August 9, 2010 and Tuesday, August 10, 2010 for the annual New Directions: Catechetical Conference at Magnificat High School. The Office of Catechetical Services will be releasing more information next month for the 2-day conference.  The conference is a great way to begin, continue or finish course work towards your catechetical certification.

Pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes, and Paris

Join Father Michael Gurnick from the Vocation Office for an 11-day pilgrimage to Fatima, Burgos, Lourdes, Nevers, and Paris, November 9-19, 2010. The tour cost is $2,499 (double occupancy) and includes round trip airfare from Cleveland, accommodations at First Class/Select hotels, deluxe motor coach service, most meals, professional tour escorts, sightseeing admissions, and other features. Additional taxes apply. Mass and devotions will be offered daily. For more information or to register please contact Father Gurnick at 1.440.943.7630 or email: mgurnick@dioceseofcleveland.org.  

Year for Priests

As priests renew their ordination commitment on Holy Thursday, let us thank God for his ministers and pray for blessings upon the good and holy men who serve us in our Diocese. John Paul II wrote in his Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday, 2004:

“We were born from the Eucharist. If we can truly say that the whole Church lives from the Eucharist…we can say the same thing about the ministerial priesthood: it is born, lives, works and bears fruit “de Eucharistia.” There can be no Eucharist without the priesthood, just as there can be no priesthood without the Eucharist.

“The ordained ministry…enables the priest to act in persona Christi and culminates in the moment when he consecrates the bread and wine, repeating the actions and words of Jesus during the Last Supper.”