National Appreciation Day For Catholic Schools

January 14, 2011

TO: All Superintendents

FR: Daniel Curtin
Executive Director, Department of Chief Administrators of Catholic Education

On February 2, 2011, our Catholic elementary and secondary schools across the country will observe "National Appreciation Day For Catholic Schools." As the 112th Congress opens, it is more important than ever for Catholic school advocates to spread the good news of how Catholic education benefits the nation.


Once again we are asking the assistance of CACE members in contacting legislators.

• Letters from superintendents. Please prepare a letter for the congressional leaders from your district and state. You may download a draft letter for your convenience by clicking here. Feel free, however, to edit it, or draft a new letter which reflects your specific concerns. Your letters should be addressed to the congressional representatives in Washington and emailed or faxed directly to him/her by February 2.

• Letters from parents, principals, teachers and students. In addition to hearing from CACE members, we also would like members of Congress to receive letters from parents, teachers, principals and students. These letters should be personal accounts about the value of Catholic education. (Students might tell a story about why they enjoy their classes and teachers. Teachers might explain their reasons for choosing to teach in Catholic schools. Principals could discuss parental involvement in schools, test scores, or graduation rates. Parents could outline the reasons for sending their children to Catholic schools. They can address the importance of legislation that assists all parents, but especially low and middle income parents in exercising their right to choose the school they believe will best meet their child's needs.) These letters should be e-mailed or faxed directly to the legislat ive office on Capitol Hill by February 2. It is our hope that thousands of letters filled with reasons to support Catholic schools will reach the Hill during Catholic Schools Week.

If you would inform your principals about our letter writing campaign, I would greatly appreciate it. A great resource for obtaining addresses for your congressional representatives in Washington can be found at the following internet address: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/...ory/congdir.tt. This site allows you to search for your US senators and representative according to your zip code.


If you have any questions about the letters, please feel free to call me. Thank you for your help in making "National Appreciation Day 2011" a success.