Last month, the Philadelphia Archdiocese announced the closure next June of Cardinal Dougherty and Northeast Catholic high schools. Within days, a rumor took hold that deep-pocketed alums were looking at the chance that Northeast - "North" for short - might be converted to a Cristo Rey school. The conversion - a complicated long shot that would no doubt greatly alter North in unexpected and maybe unwelcome ways - could breathe new life into the Torresdale Ave. institution.
(On a side note, maye I just say that North has the most fiercely potective and devoted alums I think I've ever met? With the exception, perhaps, of Cardinal Dougherty's, whom I've gotten to know better in these last few weeks than I know the alums at even my own alma mater, Bishop McDevitt - Go, Lancers!)
In today's Daily News, I wrote about the juicy rumor - which the archdiocese has said is, sadly, not true - but space constraints prevented me from explaining in greater detail just what Cristo Rey is all about. So I thought I'd provide a link here to the Cristo Rey Network, founded by one Rev. John Foley, whose outside-the-box business model is helpig to save Catholic education in poor neighborhoods throughout the country.
So click away. And tell me: what do you think of the model? Would you like to see it attempted in Philly? Why or why not?
I think it's a great idea, the Cristo Rey Network. If it helps keep schools open and helps poor kids attend. Go for it! I would love it if North Catholic High School in Philadlephia, PA could stay open with the help of the Cristo Rey Network.— loristutz- Ronnie, THANK YOU for shining light on this. I can see how it could be controversial, especially given the experience in LA where the only existing school seems to have been wrenched away from the alumni. I would hope that Philadelphians educated in the classic Philadelphia Archdiocesan system (ie, thinkers who still believe in social justice for their actual neighbors) could negotiate a best of all worlds agreement. If the Jesuits can’t solve this, no one can! I have been telling everyone that they need a coed academy – we don’t have one of those between all the orders in Philly – to merge the two schools and elevate people who deserve that shot without the insane tuition that those prep schools charge. Merging boys and girls, poor and middle class, and providing a rigorous education that includes work would be the ticket and if Cristo Rey can’t manage that, I feel sure that the Cardinals and Falcons and other Catholic bird-lovers should be able to wrest this problem out of the Church’s hands and do what true Catholic educators have always done: teach with compassion and example.— mobust
- Cristo Rey is a perfect choice for North Catholic. Students are in classes 4 days/week and work 1 day. Private companies and universities "partner" with the schools and working class families can continue with their children's catholic education. The alums that are in the forefront of this movement are from blue collar families, and are dedicated to keeping their school alive through fundraising. No child should be left behind if their families want them attending catholic school; this is a win/win in my opinion.— Chio
When my phone rings here at the Daily News, nine times out of ten the caller begins the conversation with, “Yeah, so what happened was…”.
Because this is Philly, the caller doesn’t say, “My name is Bob” – or Mary – “and I wonder if I could have a moment of your time?” Philadelphians are too direct for that. They just say, “Yeah, so what happened was…”, and then tumble into a tale they think oughta be shared with a wider audience. I love getting these calls (even the ones where it becomes clear, after 30 seconds, where the caller sowed the seeds of his own misery), because they give me chance to connect with fellow citizens in a way that no other job allows. Well, okay, no other job for which I’m remotely qualified.
That’s why my blog is titled “So What Happened Was…”. To me, it’s the quintessentially Philly way of saying, “Once upon a time.” When I hear it, I know a good story is coming. And I can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Ronnie Polaneczky has been an award-winning columnist for The Philadelphia Daily News since 1999, offering a front-steps perspective on every aspect of city life, from the sublime to the stupid. In her past life, she was the editor-in-chief of Atlantic City Magazine, associate editor at Philadelphia Magazine and a fulltime freelancer published in Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Reader's Digest, Men's Health, MarieClaire and others. She lives with her husband, daughter and various pets in the city's Fairmount section, where she dreams of one day singing The National Anthem at an Eagles game. In addition to her column and blog, you can enjoy Ronnie's musings in podcast form here.
Read more from Ronnie Polaneczky at Earth to Philly, the Daily News blog on anything and everything "Green
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