Written by Michael St. Pierre, Ed.D., superintendent of Catholic education, Diocese of Allentown, PA, [email protected]
I was offered a Catholic school superintendency eight years ago. Commuting into New York City wasn’t compatible with having four young kids so I turned it down. While I knew that it wasn’t the right timing for my family, I never lost the desire to become a superintendent and have always loved Catholic education.
Fast forward to 2023 and our Diocese (Allentown) announced an opening for the role of superintendent. I thought I knew enough to be an effective superintendent. After all, I’ve worked with priests my entire career, have sent my children to Catholic schools and have led a successful school turnaround in a previous chapter of my career. I’ve since led the revitalization of a national Catholic apostolate.
I thought I was ready to be a superintendent. I may have been wrong. Let me explain.
To say that the role of superintendent within a Catholic diocese is difficult would be an understatement. Between the oversight of many schools, the challenge of attracting talent, the complexity of diocesan systems and the courage it takes to lead, a superintendent can quickly burn out. It’s easy to feel like a firefighter, going from one emergency to the next. It can be easy to get to June and wonder – what did I actually accomplish in the past year?
The problem, as a new superintendent quickly learns, is that playing defense is exhausting. Even if you’re good at it, you still need to help your schools grow their enrollment and articulate models of academic excellence. You’re expected to show each school how to enhance its authentically Catholic mission. Oddly enough, you’re expected to know the ins and outs of a job that you’ve never had before. It’s not about if you’ll make mistakes but when you’ll trip up. You’re paid to think, to communicate and to make prudent decisions. You’re required to solve incredibly difficult problems. As the saying goes, “that’s the job”.
Becoming a superintendent is a humbling process and yet one that is immensely rewarding. The opportunity to impact thousands of students’ lives is a gift.
What follow are seven things that I’ve gleaned from my first year as a superintendent here in Allentown. While hardly an exhaustive list, they may serve to help those considering such a jump into similar roles.
1. Don’t presume you know how to communicate.
We all have our blind spots when it comes to communication. It’s important to figure out (as early as possible) how your Ordinary prefers to give and receive information. From there, it’s vital to learn how your board and direct supervisors like you to share things. For me, it’s helped to schedule quarterly one-on-ones with my bishop, 3x-per-week emails with my direct supervisors and weekly messages to my board. These have been immensely helpful in keeping the most important people included in the ebb and flow of my work.
2. Curate your own professional network.
NCEA does a good job of connecting new superintendents with one another, but it is up to you to steward the relationships you gain through the process—3-4 trusted colleagues in your area can go a long way.
3. Be as practical as you are visionary.
It sounds easy to mandate a particular curriculum or insist on a best practice when it comes to faith formation. When the rubber meets the road and the limitations of schools present themselves, your great ideas quickly soften. This isn’t to say that you should give up on casting vision. Rather, it is a reminder that going slow in the beginning pays dividends in the end.
4. Don’t underestimate the importance of your own organization and productivity.
I have what I consider to be a relationship with my work. It’s part of who I am as a Catholic professional and layman. I would not have survived my first year without clean lists, a tidy inbox and a desire to continually work smarter than the day before.
5. Reinvent yourself.
Working “for the diocese” is perceived differently by different people. When you become a superintendent, you represent the diocese in many ways, some unbeknownst to you. It’s worthwhile to get some coaching and feedback from those further along in the superintendent journey. This produces support but also the perspective you need to reinvent yourself as a Catholic school leader. Whatever you did before, it’s different once you become a superintendent. There’s a weight to the role that is, at times, hard to describe.
6. Get used to more input than you’ve ever experienced in the past.
I once heard a superintendent say, “there are no secrets in our diocese.” What he meant was that people talk—about schools, about parishes, about priests, and whether you like it or not, about you. This is not to imply that our diocese is rife with gossip. This is hardly the case. It does mean that you’ll receive input from more individuals and boards than you’ve likely experienced before in your career. Do your best to listen graciously to all and pray for the gift of humility.
7. Never neglect your life of prayer.
No role in ministry can survive without a hearty, personal life of prayer. I count it a great blessing when I sit each morning with my well-worn Bible and a cup of freshly brewed coffee. With all that is expected of me as a superintendent, I need the Lord’s guidance, sustenance and direction in an intimate way.
Here’s the good news: it gets better. While it’s demanding and some days are difficult, I’m so grateful for the opportunity to serve and support the 600 teachers and 8,600 students in our diocese.
