Loyola Marymount University’s School of Education, long a resource for training teachers, administrators and leaders in Catholic school systems in California, is expanding its programs with the launch of its new Center for Catholic Education.The CCE brings together a broad range of successful programs to advance PK-12 Catholic education and adds mentoring and leadership development offerings for governing board members and pastors. The center will also provide needed research into Catholic education trends and subjects.
In the Los Angeles Archdiocese, more than 80,000 children and their families rely on Catholic schools to provide the moral, spiritual and intellectual education that has enabled so many Catholic school graduates to become productive, socially conscious adults. But these schools are facing significant challenges. Enrollment in Catholic schools has declined 12 percent nationally in the last decade. Many schools are struggling financially. “Catholic schools are integral to the success of our city and country,” said Shane Martin, Ph.D., dean of SOE and professor of education. “The new Center for Catholic Education will help to strengthen the good work that Catholic schools do for the community.” The new Center for Catholic Education will ensure that the rich tradition of Catholic education endures and grows in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as well as Catholic school systems across the country. “The Center for Catholic Education will enhance LMU’s already strong commitment to the Los Angeles region and its partnership with the largest Catholic archdiocese in the country,” says Thomas Batsis, O.Carm., the center’s executive director. “By bringing our Catholic education programs together and working toward a common purpose, we expect to make a tremendous difference for Catholic schools in Los Angeles, as well as for the larger society.”
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