Great Schools Start with Great Teachers

As we prepare to head back to Catholic schools this month, families are buying uniforms, purchasing backpacks and new shoes, studying their budgets to make tuition payments, and breathing a sigh of relief that children will soon be back on schedule in the classroom. Meanwhile, our teachers are busy getting rooms in order, checking on course curriculum, reviewing the status of learning tools they need for classroom instruction, and studying the rosters for their new students. It’s a magical time to prepare for a new year as summer comes to a close!

I remember looking forward with great anticipation to having the teacher that was in the next grade – because I knew who my teacher would be. Today, is a different story. There is a national teacher crisis and even in our own Catholic schools we are facing new challenges to recruit and retain the faithful teachers we love and need in our classrooms.

With multiple reasons for teacher turnover, much has to do with these past two years lost to hybrid learning, shifts in population, compensation, and increasing levels of stress from additional workloads. Our Catholic teachers are the unsung heroes in adapting and excelling in their vocation to educate by making sure all students learn in these trying circumstances.

At the CCF-LA, we are working to bring more resources and compensation to the teaching staffs in our schools to let them know they are appreciated. A great Catholic school is only possible with a great principal and great teachers! Call us if you would like to know more about how you can help. 

-Kathy Anderson,

President and Executive Director

Our Catholic Schools are Thriving!

When reading today’s news headlines, you get the impression that the state of K-12 education is rather gloomy. From students not returning to school, to student learning loss, to political battles from the board room to the classroom, schools have been at the center of tension, debate and setbacks recently, all with children at the center of systems that continue to struggle and fail.

Fortunately, you don’t have to look further than the Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to provide you with a great deal of hope and optimism. While local school systems have been reporting significant enrollment declines, enrollment in the archdiocese was up this past school year by 4%. Moreover, more than half of our students demonstrated academic growth in reading and math by 4.2% and 6.8%, respectively. When we consider the challenges children and families have faced these past two and a half years, it’s reassuring to see our Catholic schools demonstrating growth, resiliency and perseverance during challenging times. 

At the core of our ministry are our people – teachers, principals, staff, pastors and volunteers. Catholic schools, more than any other, have always sought strength from within. Our people, when combined with families, achieve great outcomes for children. The need to ensure our school personnel, especially teachers and principals, can continue to serve in the ministry of Catholic schools, we are committed to seeking advancements in compensation, health care, retirement and child tuition benefits. These efforts seek to reinforce the cornerstone of our foundation and will ensure a long-lasting ministry in service of future generations.

We welcome your support, thank you for your generosity and ask for your continued prayers for our schools and students as they embark on this new school year!

-By Paul M. Escala

NDA’s Disruptive Innovation Learning is a Game Changer for High Schools

Established in 2018 by alumna Catherine Wood ‘74, the Duddy Innovation Center for Excellence (DICE) has brought a new wave of thinking to Notre Dame Academy (NDA). Modeled after ARK Invest’s open research ecosystem, the Disruptive Innovation course is an interdisciplinary experience that exposes students to the cross sections of science, technology, engineering, and business. The course offers a multi-year scaffolded curriculum that was UC approved in 2020. The DICE program gives students the tools to become the next generation of innovators and leaders. This approach to education is not new for Notre Dame Academy. NDA earned the 2020 Dr. Karen M. Ristau Creative Innovations Award from the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA). NDA has been recognized for their work in educator training and in promoting growth mindset, habits of mind, and design thinking. Notre Dame Academy is the first TK through 12 school to earn this award which honors an individual, school, or program that has furthered the mission of Catholic education through an innovative program or approach. Learn more at academy.ndasla.org. 

CCFLA Clients Find Many Ways to Support Catholic Schools

Catholic schools provide an excellent and affordable education as well as a safe, faith-filled haven in virtually every neighborhood. Clients at the Catholic Community Foundation of Los Angeles recognize the importance of Catholic schools and today most of our $50+ million in annual grants are awarded to Catholic schools across the city. 

Our clients create funds to support our Catholic schools in creative, yet effective, ways. CCF-LA clients direct grants to teachers for classroom supplies, to renovate classrooms, and to provide tuition assistance, and scholarships to students. Outgoing grants quietly and efficiently support the needs of Catholic school every day. Grants support schools at year-end so the teachers have a year-end bonus. Scholarships commonly support students in memory, or in honor, of a loved one. Scholarships typically are awarded to students who achieve certain criteria. Most recently, CCF-LA and its clients played an important role in supplementing teachers’ salaries at Catholic schools to make them more competitive with salaries at public school. In short, CCF-LA and its donors work collaboratively to identify and support the needs of our Catholic schools

-Maggie Byrne,

Head of Development and

Assistant Treasurer

-Andrew O'Boyle

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Finance 

Capital markets rebounded modestly in July and investor sentiment improved due to falling energy prices, persistent growth in the labor market, and a better-than-expected start to the second quarter earnings season. The S&P 500 Index gained 9.2% in July, bringing year-to-date losses to -12.6%. All sectors posted positive results for the month lead by Consumer Discretionary (+18.9%) and Information Technology (+13.5%). Global equities also rebounded but underperformed U.S. equities. The MSCI EAFE index rose 5.0% for the month of July. As anticipated, the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates by 75 basis points raising its policy rate to a range of 2.25%-2.50% and the European Central Bank delivered its first interest rate hike in over a decade, increasing rates by 50 basis points. Fixed Income returns were positive as bond yields fell and prices rose. The Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index gained 2.4% for the month of July. The US 10-year yield fell from 2.97% to 2.64%.

Both of the pooled funds managed by CCF-LA showed positive results for the month of July. The Balanced Pool portfolio experienced a +5.81% return (net of fees) in the month of July and -12.27% for the first seven months of 2022. The Intermediate Fund pool returned +3.23% for the month and -5.79% so far this year. The current yields on the STIF and Cash accounts remain at 0.02% - 0.05%.  

CCF-LA Interns Cruise Meals on Wheels!

On Tuesday, July 19th, Catholic Community Foundation Los Angeles (“CCF-LA”) interns, Jackson Figge, Annie Flanagan, Jojo Flanagan and Head of Development, Maggie Byrne, attended a tour of the St. Vincent Meals on Wheels (“SVMOW”) headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. St. Vincent Meals on Wheels is a non-profit organization that prepares and delivers meals specifically to senior residents but also to any homebound person in their area who need meals. SVMOW has a fleet of 24 vans that drive over 300 miles a day. They serve over 2,200 meals a day. Although each meal costs about $10, recipients are asked to pay what they can. Not only does SVMOW deliver these meals to their senior clients, but they also check in and say a friendly hello. In some cases, the regular meal delivery visit may result in aiding a recipient through wellness checks, which has saved many of their senior clients and served as a lifeline. St. Vincent MOW also offers a pet program that includes cat and dog food, and even cat litter.

Jackson, Annie, Jojo and Maggie

walked through the site and explored the garden outside where fresh produce is grown for SVMOW clients. The tomatoes grown are specific to their vegetarian clients and are placed in their salads. The fresh vegetables are cut and prepared to go into a stew that was being delivered later in the day. The interns were impressed by the cleanliness of the site and the timely manner in which the work was being done. They were able to meet and speak with many of the staff members who work behind the scenes, and observed the love and devotion they share with many of their clients and the work they do for these citizens of Los Angeles. Their visit to St. Vincent Meals on Wheels was extremely impactful and stimulated an immense amount hope and inspiration for future obstacles relating to hunger.

-Jojo Flanagan

Intern