Brian Ragatz, president of the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence, recalls the early days of the pandemic in 2020, when schools closed their campuses in March and shifted to online learning. Information was ever-changing, schools needed to decide what was best for students and there was a strong desire to resume in-person learning as quickly as possible, he said.
To recognize the effort at Catholic schools, CSCOE’s virtual fundraiser and gala at 7 p.m. May 8 will bestow its Legacy of Greatness Award on all 2,500 teachers and staff in the 79 Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Ragatz said in an interview for the “Practicing Catholic” radio show set to air at 9 p.m. May 7.
Brian Ragatz
Some of the essential workers who have sacrificed, taken risks and “gone well beyond” to help communities thrive in the midst of the pandemic are indeed found in Catholic schools, said Patrick Conley, “Practicing Catholic” host, as he introduced Ragatz.
In addition to school leaders and teachers, parents and others shared their expertise to help safely re-open campuses in the fall of 2020, Ragatz said. “It was a great exercise of community,” he said.
“And 79 schools, pre-K to eight in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis opened up and they stayed open, and parents are really grateful for that,” he said. “We know in-person learning is the best thing for all of us.”
During the pandemic, Edina-based CSCOE, which works to enhance excellence and increase enrollment in Catholic elementary schools, provided support to those schools in a number of ways, including connecting principals through an online “principal hub.”
CSCOE also provided mental health and wellness assistance to parents, teachers and principals as they supported children in that difficult time. The initiative was called Peace of Mind.
“In just a few weeks, we had over 5,000 people logged in to some of these (Peace of Mind) webinars and seminars, and one-on-one interactions with licensed psychologists,” Ragatz said.
Ragatz credited the assistance CSCOE receives from foundations that support Catholic schools with scholarships and the leadership of Archbishop Bernard Hebda and Bishop Andrew Cozzens in supporting in-person learning.
Ragatz said the unique part of what Catholic schools and teachers provide is making sure each student feels like he or she is the only one in the classroom. “They have a kid-first mentality,” he said. “And this is so indicative of Catholic school teachers. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
As part of its recognizing teachers and staff, CSCOE received more than 1,400 responses to a request for nominations for people who did “amazing things” this past year and deserve a reward. From those 1,400, CSCOE randomly selected five who will each receive $1,000 from CSCOE, as will that person’s school. And one person was randomly selected to receive $5,000, as will that person’s school. Winners will be announced live during the virtual event May 8.
CSCOE also plans to do something special for all 2,500 teachers and staff members. To see it live, learn more, or make a donation, visit cscoebash.org.
To hear the entire interview with Ragatz, tune in to this episode of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show. It also airs at 1 p.m. May 8 and 2 p.m. May 9 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Mickey Nickelson, who discusses her new role as president of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, and Anne Fredrickson from Alpha Women’s Center, who describes its mobile women’s clinic.
Listen to all of the interviews after they have aired:
soundcloud.com/practicingcatholic
Practicing Catholic on Spotify
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