LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 371

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PARISH SERVICES 371

B. Developing Relationships

To carry out the overall goal. the School Department seeks
to develop relationships with appropriate individuals and groups
significant to Lutheran elementary and secondary education.

Federal Contacts

In order to accomplish this. it is necessary to establish
appropriate contacts with federal legislators and education
officials. The Secretary of Schools has attended appropriate
meetings called by the United States Office of Education and
made strategic contacts with officials of Health, Education. and
Welfare, the U.S. Office of Education, and the National Insti-
tute of Education. He has testified on behalf of Lutheran edu-
cation before congressional committees and has met informally
with a number of congressmen. The staff has attempted to keep
abreast of governmental decisions and discussions regarding
education and to help synodical Districts and local schools use
their rightful opportunities. The staff has also attempted to
relate to public school officials at city, state, and national levels.
Special efforts were made to contact executive officers of
national education organizations as well as organizations that
have secondary interests in the educational welfare of our
nation’s children.

Nonpublic School Contacts

It is imperative to plan and work cooperatively with other
nonpublic school systems. Thus the department has met with
leaders of all other major nonpublic school systems to share
ideas and promote common concerns. The Synod’s Secretary of
Elementary and Secondary Schools is a board member and
currently serves as president of the Council for American
Private Education. This council is composed of nine national
nonpublic school systems representing the major parochial
and denominational school systems and the National Association
of Independent Schools. The council has been most effective in
its attempt to acquaint leaders of nonpublic school systems with
the uniqueness of each system. It has also made an impact on
the national government and educational scene. The Board of
Parish Education’s membership in this council will continue to
be extremely valuable not only for Lutheran education but for
nonpublic education in general.

Church Contacts

Through the School Department the Synod’s Board of Parish
Education has attempted to share ideas and goals with church
groups basically more supportive of public education than of
parochial education. It has also attempted to communicate
the goals and the effectiveness of Lutheran schools to many
church-related organizations. Future plans include setting up
conferences with Lutherans in public education, so that they
may function better as Christian witnesses and also be of special
help to the church.

C. Communications

In a third area of activity, the Board of Parish Education
communicates with those responsible for full-time educational
programs in the church to keep them adequately informed.

Vehicles of Communication

The school Department assembles and edits several on-
going publications to maintain regular direct communication
with elementary and secondary teachers. administrators, and
board members at the local and District levels. These publica-
tions include Alight (a school newsletter prepared quarterly
and intended primarily for prekindergarten and elementary
level personnel), and Lutheran Secondary Schools Quarterly
(designed primarily to assist those engaged in secondary pro-
grams). The department also prepares articles and materials
for inclusion in publications which regularly reach a variety of
persons responsible for Christian education. Articles on Chris-
tian education are submitted to publications such as Inspirit.
Interaction. Lutheraw Education. Advance. Issues, Lutheran
Witness. Other essential communication opportunities include
workshops, conferences, committee meetings, task force
meetings, etc. Pertinent data regarding the elementary and
secondary school statistics are gathered and distributed in a
variety of ways.

New Lutheran high schools were opened in 1973 in La Verne,

Calif.. and Orange County. Calif. That same year the former
synodical high school in Oakland. Calif.. changed its structure
and was classified as a community Lutheran high school. In
September 1974. two more Lutheran high schools were opened.
in Holt, Mich.. and St. Charles, Ill. New secondary programs
are expected to begin in 1975 in the metropolitan areas of
Orlando. Fla.: San Diego. Calif: Dallas. Tex.; and Winter
Haven. Fla. The Lord is surely blessing the labors of those
committed to Lutheran schools at all levels.

News Media Coverage

Through the help of the Synod’s Department of Public Re-
lations and the Communications Division of the Lutheran Coun-
cil in the United States of America (LCUSA) several radio and
television interviews with the Secretary of Elementary and
Secondary Schools have been arranged. These along with a
variety of releases to the news media have proved to be effec-
tive means for communicating the cause of Lutheran and other
nonpublic schools.

D. Statistics

In the 1972—73 school year the 1.243 Lutheran elementary
schools enrolled 151,668 pupils. In 1972 statistics for special
education and prekindergarten programs were included for
the first time. During the 1973-74 school year 1,239 schools
served 151,590 prekindergarten, special education. and ele-
mentary pupils. This compares to a 1974—75 school year enroll-
ment of 151.954 pupils in 1.229 schools.

The 1972 statistics also reveal that 30 community Lutheran
high schools enrolled 12,604 pupils. (These statistics do not
include the four synodical high schools.) One year later, 1973—
74. the 33 community Lutheran high schools served 13,219
pupils, and in 1974—75, 35 schools enrolled 13,655 students.

E. Personnel Services

Another area of the School Department's work is providing
personnel services to meet the needs of the church's educa-
tional ministries.

Placement Coordination

School Department personnel are involved in coordinating
placement for all candidates who desire to enter the church's
educational ministries. This includes developing a variety of
manuals and policy and procedural statements, and communi-
cation with District presidents, District education executives,
and placement officials.

Even though the nation was experiencing a teacher surplus
each year, there were a number of calls from congregations
that could not be filled. This does not mean that all graduates
were placed. For a variety of reasons some graduates desired
placement in specific communities. It was not always possible
to receive calls from congregations in those locations for such
candidates. Study of the church's current needs and the number
of candidates available for the teaching ministries anticipated
indicates a definite teacher shortage. Therefore synodical
teacher colleges must increase their recruitment efforts.

Stimulation of Ministries

An important phase of personnel service is the development
of a variety of educational ministries within the church. Even
during a time when there seemed to be a problem of too many
candidates, the real problem was a shortage of positions for
educational ministry. Thus congregations need to discover ways
their Christian education programs might be expanded and im-
proved by employing graduates of the synodical teachers col-
leges in a variety of educational ministries. Much effort has been
made to increase the need for teachers of full-time Christian
education at early childhood, elementary, and secondary levels.
Efforts have also been made to develop director of Christian
education opportunities.

Personnel Files

The School Department also maintains an updated file con-
taining personal and professional information on all persons
engaged in the professional educational ministries in the church.
Cooperative planning with the Synod’s Personnel Department
and the Concordia Plans Department regarding a computerized
central personnel information storage and retrieval system will
continue. Such a system would be most beneficial in circulating