Connecticut’s 2024-2025 school year is in its third month and the pages of the Courant have chronicled challenges and aspirations for our state’s students, youth and the people who educate them. There are many challenges facing education today. Whether it’s tackling the crisis of disconnected youth or rowing against the drift of distractions taking away from teaching time, the common thread I see is one of the great aspirations we all share for Connecticut’s students.
Education is one of the most personal and important decisions every family makes. Sending your sons and daughters to school is an act of hope and faith. And there are good people who have dedicated their lives to teaching, coaching and caring for them.
As the superintendent of Connecticut’s largest Catholic school system, I see those challenges and share in the greatest of aspirations for all students that come through the doors of the Archdiocese of Hartford’s Catholic pre-K, elementary, middle and high schools. Our schools educate students from all cultures, ethnic groups and faith backgrounds. It is too easy for youth today to become disconnected from family, school and friends, and the caustic, anti-social culture brought to every child by the so-called social media in the palm of their hands is far too easy to fall prey to.
To be sure, our students face the same challenges as their friends in public schools. As Discover Catholic Schools Week approaches, I thought it important to shed some light .
