Superintendent’s Office

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of the Office of Maine Catholic Schools and the superintendent of schools is to assist the diocesan schools to carry out the mission of Catholic education: to proclaim the message, to build community, to provide service and to celebrate worship.

As instruments of evangelization, Maine Catholic schools form students who, as faith-filled Christians, are responsible stewards committed to the service of others. These same students are challenged to be lifelong learners capable of both critical and creative thinking. The mission of the Catholic Schools in Maine is to strengthen the Catholic Church and to create an environment in which the faith is preserved, nourished, shaped and communicated to foster values that give meaningful direction to the Christian family and society.

Catholic education is total education - free to impart knowledge not only of the ways of the world but of the ways of God. Thus, Maine's parochial school system has grown from a few missionaries spelling out the catechism to a handful of Native Americans in a remote forest clearing to the scores of schools, the hundreds of teachers, the thousands of pupils who constitute the system today. Nor is the growth at an end. From the earliest foundation of the diocese, Maine bishops and priests, the religious and laity have worked and sacrificed, as they will through many a tomorrow, to bring the priceless benefits of a full Christian education to every Catholic child.

Contact:
Maine Catholic Schools
510 Ocean Avenue
Portland, ME 04103-4936
207-321-7801

Responsibilities

Leadership

  • To foster an empowering and enabling leadership style.
  • To ensure that Catholic schools in Maine are faithful to the teaching mission of the Church.
  • To coordinate efforts to develop a vision and direction for Maine Catholic schools for the 21st Century.
  • To nurture the dual purpose of providing an effective religious education and a quality academic education.
  • To provide opportunities for the professional and spiritual growth of Maine Catholic educators.

Administration

  • To coordinate the Office of Maine Catholic Schools.
  • To monitor the ongoing operations of the schools by means of school visitations.
  • To maintain and foster communication with school communities, clergy, administrators, faculties, boards, parents and students.
  • To supervise and evaluate school administrators.
  • To serve as educational liaison within the diocese, the state and national arenas.
  • To assist pastors in the process of selecting and hiring administrators.
  • To provide programs of orientation and professional development for principals, teachers, and school board members.
  • To monitor the professional certification of Maine Catholic school personnel: administrators / teachers / educational technicians.
  • To establish professional requirements for diocesan professional educators.
  • To collaborate with NCEA, USCC, CACE and NECACE on matters which affect Maine Catholic schools.
  • To keep abreast of educational research and relevant national and state legislation and to serve in an advocacy capacity concerning educational issues and to coordinate diocesan efforts on their behalf.
  • To serve as executive secretary to the Diocesan School Board and to monitor the implementation of diocesan policies.

Planning

  • To gather and analyze data and statistical reports pertaining to education, particularly Catholic education.
  • To analyze trends and propose alternatives for the future.
  • To encourage and assist with strategic planning at the diocesan, regional and local school levels.
  • To assist with the preparation and review of local school budgets
  • To actively encourage and enable schools to collaborate on planning for the future of Catholic education in Maine.
  • To encourage the growth of programs of development and marketing at the local / regional level.