Partnering with parents is a core value

When it comes to education, partnership with parents matters.

At Xavier Catholic Schools (XCS), we believe this deeply.

This belief is not a catchy phrase we share with prospective parents or a set of polished words meant to attract families to our website. It is not a flashy slogan designed for social media engagement. Instead, it is part of our core identity — literally.

The Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church states the following regarding the education of children:

“Parents must cooperate closely with the teachers of the schools to which they entrust their children to be educated; moreover, teachers in fulfilling their duty are to collaborate very closely with parents, who are to be heard willingly and for whom associations or meetings are to be established and highly esteemed” (Canon 796).

This emphasis on partnership is one of many aspects that make Catholic education distinctive. I learned just how essential it is early in my career — during my first year teaching at Xavier High School in 2002.

“Ellie” was a quiet senior in my Christian Lifestyles class. From the beginning, it was clear the class was not one of her favorites. While she rarely participated, she was always polite and respectful. When the first quarter ended, her disengagement showed up in her grade: a D-.

At the time, I didn’t think much of it — until her father arrived at parent-teacher conferences the following week. I could tell immediately he was upset. I assumed it was because of his daughter’s grade. I was wrong.

“Why am I just now finding out about this?” he asked. “If she was struggling this much, shouldn’t I have known sooner? Almost three months of the school year have passed!”

I explained my situation. I was coaching football, taking graduate classes, and in the middle of moving to a new apartment. “I’ve just been really busy,” I said.

“Busy” was not the answer he wanted — and it made him even angrier. In no uncertain terms, he made it clear that both he and his daughter deserved better communication.

He was absolutely right.

That moment became a formative lesson early in my Catholic school career. It is a story I have shared many times with our faculty as a reminder of the responsibility we carry — not only to our students, but to their parents as well.

At XCS, we hold high expectations for ourselves and for our students. Our parents do, too. And more often than not, we hold one another accountable through honest conversation and, just as importantly, by listening.

During National Catholic Schools Week, we celebrate many dimensions of Catholic education. As the years have gone by, however, I have grown to appreciate more and more the power of truly partnering with our families.

At XCS, partnering with families isn’t a slogan or a marketing strategy. It’s simply how we operate and, as “Ellie’s” father might say, it’s exactly what parents deserve.

Chris McCarville is president of Xavier Catholic Schools.