(By Kathleen Porter-Magee, excerpted from Thomas B. Fordham Institute’s “Flypaper”)
The recent closing of the ten Jubilee Schools in Memphis has rumbled through the Catholic schools world like an earthquake.
Those who fear the worst about the future of urban Catholic education now believe they are right. Those who felt we had turned a corner were shaken free of any illusions that incremental change will be enough. Everyone has been left on edge. We know that the next few years may well be our last chance to ensure we can continue providing high-quality educational opportunities for generations of students to come.
One of the things that has been so painful about the Jubilee news is that there is no doubt that these schools are worth saving. The “Catholic School Advantage” has been proven time and again, and it’s as strong today as it has been over the past two-hundred years.