January 3, 2011
Volume 14, Number 5
CACE UPDATE
Chief Administrators of Catholic Education Newsletter
Called to be Prophets
CONTENTS
Announcements
CACE News/Events
NCEA News/Events
Helpful Resources
Noteworthy
Prayer
SPONSOR:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Appreciation
CACE extends appreciation and best wishes to Dr. Nicholas Wolsonovich
nwolsonovich@orlandodio9cese.org who has announced his retirement as
Secretary of Faith Formation/Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the
Diocese of Orlando effective June 30, 2011. Nick has served Catholic
education for many years especially as superintendent of schools in the
Diocese of Youngstown, Archdiocese of Chicago and for the past three years
in the Diocese of Orlando.
Request for Information
NCEA Mission Statement
Rooted in the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, the National Catholic
Educational Association
(NCEA) is a professional
membership organization that
provides leadership, direction
and service to fulfill the
evangelizing, catechizing and
teaching mission of the
Church.
NCEA Events
The Office of Catholic Education of the Diocese of Richmond is interested in
hearing from dioceses that have developed workable, parish subsidy funding
models and diocesan Catholic school governance structures. Bishop Di
Lorenzo has asked our office to conduct this research in support of Catholic
schools with consideration given to parish needs as well. The models we are
requesting can be tried and true, or new and innovative. Dioceses that have
recently done spade work in these areas and developed new models are
encouraged to share the process by which the models were developed. Any
creative solutions regarding tuition models related to Catholic and non-Catholic
rate as a function of supporting and non-supporting parishes would be helpful
as well. Contact: Annette Parsons, Chief Administrator, Office of Catholic
Education at aparsons@richmonddiocese.org or 804-622-5119.
Session Notes from 2010 CACE Meeting in Mobile, AL
Notes and summaries from the follow-up sessions for ‘Weathering the Storm:
Finances’, ‘Weathering the Storm: Leadership’, ‘Weathering the Storm:
Strategic Planning’, and ‘Motivating Catholic School Parents to Advocacy’ are
available online at:
Weathering the Storm: http://www.ncea.org/UserFiles/File/CACEFiles/Weathering_the_Storm_Follow_Up.pdf
CACE Website
Parental Advocacy: http://www.ncea.org/UserFiles/File/CACEFiles/Parental_Advocacy_Follow_Up.pdf
NCEA NEWS/EVENTS
Special Needs Conference
The 2011 NCEA Special Needs Conference is now open for registration. It will
be held February 20-22, 2011 at the Hyatt in Savannah, Georgia.
For more information or to download the registration form, please go to:
http://www.ncea.org/departments/elementary/2011NCEASpecialNeedsConference.asp
Catholic Schools Week 2011
Marketing Kits for Catholic Schools Week are a key tool in promoting your school
and celebrating a successful week. From January 30-February 5, the CSW
Handbook gives you ideas and sample publicity materials to get the most out of
every day. The CSW Liturgy Guide provides a detailed overview for the Opening
Mass and a complete prayer service for each day of the week. The cost is $30 plus
shipping and handling. To order, go to http://catholicschoolsweek.ncea.org or call
(877) 772-2289.
Holiday Sale!
To celebrate Epiphany, we are giving free shipping & handling for all Catholic Schools Week orders! Save
$12 or more for three days only (January 5 – 7). Order as many items as you like – the shipping and
handling are FREE. Extra customer service representatives have been added to help you.
Public Policy Update
E-Rate news
The filing window for E-Rate applications for the 2011-2012 school year extends from
noon Eastern time on Tuesday, January 11, 2011 to the closing at 11:59 pm Eastern
time on Thursday, March 24, 2011. The window will be open for 73 days. Form 470
must be filed at least 28 days before applicants post the 471 form within the window
period.
FCC Clarifications on New E-Rate Rules: A recently issued order from the FCC contains several changes
effective in the 2011 application cycle for school year 2011-2012. These changes involve Technology Plans,
leasing of dark fiber, Community use of E-Rate services, CIPA requirements and other items pertaining to
application filings. More information is available on the NCEA website.
The FCC has issued clarifications on new E-Rate rules with frequently asked questions and answers
available here.
Congress extends tax benefits for teachers and parents:
Congress renewed the “Crayola Tax Credits” for two more years. This provided an above-theline deduction for certain expenses incurred by elementary and secondary school teachers.
Classroom teachers in public and private schools may continue to deduct up to $250 for their
out-of-pocket expenditures for books, computer equipment and software, and other materials
and supplies used in the classroom.
Congress also authorized a two year extension of the Coverdell Education Savings Accounts legislation
which was first enacted in 2001. These accounts allow families to earn tax-exempt interest on up to $2,000
in annual savings for education-related expenses, including tuition, for students enrolled in with elementary,
secondary, college education at a public or private school.
NCEA NEWS/EVENTS
Public Policy Update Continued…
Federal Budget Appropriations:
Since the federal budget for 2011 has not been passed, Congress is operating under a continuing
resolution (CR) until March at which time another CR or a new budget will be put in place. For
the present, last year’s (2009-2010 school year) federal program allocations are being used.
When (if) a budget gets passed, whatever numbers are finalized will apply -- so programs may
have cuts (more likely) or increases. In such situations, the LEA may hold back some funding
until final budget numbers are finalized.
Superintendents and other personnel who consult with LEAs about participation of Catholic schools in
federal programs should be vigilant so that the LEA does not hold back too much funding and then waits
until very late in the school year to notify schools that they have only a few weeks to spend the rest of their
allocations. After mid-March, designated personnel should check regularly with the LEA to determine what
is happening with budget allocations and be on record as wanting to be notified in a timely manner about
remaining funding and how it may be used effectively.
EPA Recommendations regarding fluorescent lighting fixtures:
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released guidance recommending that
schools take steps to reduce potential exposure to PCBs from older fluorescent lighting
fixtures. As part of EPA’s ongoing efforts to address potential PCB exposures in
schools, this guidance is based on evidence that these older ballasts containing PCBs
can leak when the fixtures fail, potentially exposing students, teachers and other school
personnel to these harmful chemicals. The guidance also provides information on how to properly handle
and dispose of PCB-containing ballasts, and how to replace them with energy-saving models.
While intact, functioning ballasts do not pose a health threat, although these lighting fixtures are expected to
fail at some point. Removal and replacement of all ballasts over time is prudent to protect the long-term
health of children and provide them with a clean, safe learning environment.
The guidance document is available online at: www.epa.gov/pcb.
For more updates on public policy issues, go to www.ncea.org and click on Public Policy.
Dale McDonald, PBVM
mcdonald@ncea.org
Director of Research and Public Policy
NCEA Departmental Electronic Newsletters available online to CACE members
As a service to CACE members, various NCEA Departmental Electronic Newsletters are available by
clicking on the appropriate link listed below. Please make use of these newsletters and share with your
colleagues who might benefit from the information provided.
Elementary Department:
http://www.ncea.org/departments/elementary/IndexofElementaryNews.asp
Secondary Department:
http://www.ncea.org/departments/secondary/newsletters/enews/
Religious Education:
http://www.ncea.org/departments/religious/newsletter/
NCEA NEWS/EVENTS
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
And join us in New Orleans for the 2011 NCEA Convention & Expo, April 26 to 28, 2011.
Dear CACE Members,
Thank you for your membership in the Department of Chief Administrators of Catholic Education. One of
your benefits is advanced notice for registration and hotel reservations for the 2011 NCEA Convention &
Expo. Please click on the secure link below to make your convention registration and/or hotel reservations.
2011 NCEA Convention & Expo Registration:
https://www.xpressreg.net/register/ncea041/start.asp
2011 NCEA Convention & Expo Hotel Reservations:
https://www.tphousing.com/r/startres.asp?EICode=2029&AttCode=72
For more information about this year’s convention, please refer to the 2011 Convention Web pages at:
http://www.ncea.org/events/NCEANewOrleansCentral.asp
Be sure to plan on attending Professional Development Sessions that will be informative, uplifting and
cutting edge. Make time to visit our large Expo Hall that will be full of resources to assist you in your career.
For an added bonus, select the Best Value Package and receive your registration AND conference
recordings. This option allows you to access sessions recorded LIVE at the conference. The audio is fullysynchronized to the PowerPoint presentations used in each session in order to provide you with a true
multimedia recreation of the event. These session recordings, as well as online handouts and MP3 files, will
be accessible to you 24/7 through the Web-based NCEA Live Learning Center. Click here for a sample
session from the 2010 NCEA Convention & Expo.
Sincerely,
NCEA Office of Events
SEE YOU IN THE CRESCENT CITY!
HELPFUL RESOURCES
Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice
is now available online, open access.
Visit our website to search and access current
and back journal issues free of charge:
www.bc.edu/catholicedjournal
Register online to subscribe to our e-mail list and receive notification upon the release of each new issue.
______________________________________________________________
Job Bank
NCEA is pleased to offer its members the services of a Job Bank to make known the various openings in
Catholic education and catechetical ministry throughout the United States. Individuals seeking employment
in Catholic Education may post their resumes/CV here as well To access the job bank, click here!
Legislative Resources on the Internet
The Thomas Legislative Resources on the Internet is a good place to stay current on what
is happening in congress with regard to specific legislation. http://thomas.loc.gov/
Teaching Ambassador Fellowship Accepting Applications – Open to Private School
Teachers
For the first time since the inception of the program, private school teachers are eligible to apply for the U.S.
Department of Education’s Teaching Ambassador Fellowship program (TAF). The Office of Non-Public
Education encourages teachers in private schools to consider applying to be a fellow.
The TAF program offers two, year-long tracks: the Washington Fellowship, which is a full-time appointment
based at the Department's Headquarters in Washington, DC; and the Classroom Fellowship, which
enables teachers to remain teaching in their schools and participate on a part-time consultancy basis for the
Department, working in collaboration with the Department's Regional Offices.
Fellows spend a year gaining greater knowledge of the content of key federal programs and policies, in
addition to the context and process by which they are designed and implemented. Fellows share their
expertise with federal staff members; provide outreach and communication about federal initiatives to other
educators on behalf of the Department; and facilitate the involvement and understanding of teachers in
developing and implementing these efforts at the federal, state and local levels to improve the likelihood of
their success. The deadline for applying for the TAF program is January 17, 2011.
For additional information about eligibility, follow this link.
To apply for the program, visit this link.
Noteworthy
From the Daily News published by Education Week as well as other news sources:
Group's Indiana ad campaign backing school choice January 3, 2011
Historians Find Some Va. Texts Filled With Errors December 29, 2010
Harvard Plans a National Digital Public Library December 16, 2010, Digital Education Blog
Researchers Give Advice for Teaching Social Studies to ELLs December 15, 2010, Learning the
Language Blog
Voucher Expansion in the Works in Florida? December 13, 2010, State EdWatch Blog
Gov. Daniels' education agenda includes vouchers December 9, 2010
Most Students Fail to Meet Common Standards December 6, 2010. An ACT study finds that only a third
to half of juniors were proficient in the content and skills outlined in the new common standards for English
and math.
Poll: Public Blames Grad Rates on College Students December 9, 2010.
Religious clothing policy offered for Ore. schools December 8, 2010
Prayer
Prayer for a New Year
Another year has begun, and with it comes unexpected invitations for grace and blessings.
We pray that Christ in our midst will keep our heart and mind open to new
understandings and fresh ways of living out the gospel messages of love, justice and
peace.
We ask this through Christ and the Holy Spirit, with you, One God, forever and ever.
Amen.
Staff
Daniel F. Curtin
Executive Director
Chief Administrators of Catholic Education
curtin@ncea.org
Meg DeBoe
Administrative Assistant
Chief Administrators of Catholic Education
mdeboe@ncea.org
SPONSOR
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