If I were to assign a theme to this time of the school year, it would be “Choosing.” Nearly everyone is making choices. Faculty, staff, and administrators are determining if their school is the best place for them to grow as professionals while also deciding whom to hire. Current parents and guardians are assessing their children’s experience as they review the re-enrollment contract. Even some older students are considering if they want to change schools. Admissions committees are evaluating applications and offering places in their incoming classes. Prospective families are weighing all their options and gathering as much information as possible to help them decide if they will enroll in an Episcopal school and, if not, which independent, public, or charter to attend.
So many choices are being made! Understandably, it can feel intense or unsettling, especially for schools that are experiencing enrollment or staffing challenges. But, what if we considered this time of ‘choosing’ as an opportunity to highlight the value of Episcopal schools and how we support the spiritual as well as the academic formation of our students?
One of our ‘essential strengths’ is that we tend to the spiritual formation of all students. This sets us apart from many other approaches to school. It is predicated on our core principle of respecting the worth and dignity of all and is fundamental to our Episcopal identity. Tending to the spiritual formation of students isn’t optional if we are to respect the dignity of the students we serve. Because of this commitment to this formation, we focus on all aspects of the student’s development—physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and spiritual.
“The head should not be furnished at the expense of the heart.”
William Augustus Muhlenberg
How we communicate the value of the spiritual formation of students is critical and complicated. One reason is that typically more than eighty-five percent of students in our schools are not Episcopalian. Another challenge is that prospective families and educators may be apprehensive about joining our school communities because they are of a different faith or are non-religious. Others may have had negative experiences during their spiritual formation or with organized religion. Some only focus on what they perceive to be rigorous academics and measurable outcomes, such as secondary school or college matriculation. These are some of the reasons why it is important to reflect on how we articulate our schools’ value propositions—especially our commitment to our students’ spiritual formation. Telling compelling stories can help those making choices make more informed decisions.
Crafting authentic stories that demonstrate the value of spiritual formation is important and will take time. Each school has its examples of how they focus on this aspect of students’ development as the Rev. Mary Ellen Cassini, D.Min. shares in this month’s blog post. Some ideas for creating stories include having a brainstorming session with the leadership team, asking for examples from faculty, asking alumni to talk about their spiritual formation, and engaging current students and parents. I will always remember when one of my parents pulled me aside to thank the school for being integral in strengthening her daughter’s Jewish faith. In her words, “My daughter is a more faithful Jew because she attended an Episcopal school.” She went on to talk about the powerful impact our religious studies curriculum and participation in chapel had on her daughter’s spiritual formation. As you might imagine, I asked her to tell her story in an upcoming publication and at an admitted-student event!
One of the added benefits of collaboratively collecting these stories is that those who share them are reminded of the positive impact of the school’s focus on spiritual formation. A teacher who is sharing a story about a former student may be inspired by the part they played in the student’s growth. Current parents may make strong connections with the Episcopal identity of the school.
Telling prospective families, faculty, and staff these stories can bring spiritual formation and the school’s Episcopal identity to life for them. It makes them tangible in a way that a mission statement or overview of the program may not be able to do. During an admissions coffee, for example, sharing a story that shows how a particular aspect of the program, such as an advisory program, is directly connected to spiritual formation—and why that is important—can shift the focus from a narrow viewpoint of “show me the college list” to “how will my child grow and develop as a person?” Families and prospective faculty members can better understand that we support the spiritual, as well as the academic, formation of our students. And, as we have often experienced in our school communities, with this knowledge, they then choose our schools.
In this time of choosing in our communities, highlighting spiritual formation can help decision-makers make their choices with a greater understanding of who we are as Episcopal schools—communities in which we respect the worth and dignity of all human beings. As Muhlenberg writes, “The head should not be furnished at the expense of the heart.” Tell your stories!
Monica M. Gillespie, Ph.D. is associate director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools.