Catholic schools launch recruitment campaign

The U.S. Department of Education predicts that the nation will need about 3 million new teachers in the next 8 years, 568,000 of them for private schools. In an effort to prevent a teacher shortage in area Catholic schools, the Diocese of Green Bay is hitting the airwaves with a teacher/substitute teacher recruitment campaign.

Two separate radio commercials explaining the benefits of teaching in Catholic schools will air repeatedly on WIXX-FM over the next two weeks. In addition, anyone wishing to apply for a teaching position may do so at the Green Bay diocesan website, www.gbdioc.org.

According to Chris Broslavick, Education Programs Consultant at the Diocese, school administrators have been aware of this growing need for teachers for some time, and discussions of those needs began several years ago.

However, this year "a solution fell into place when the Catholic Foundation provided the Education department with a grant for the radio spots," Broslavick said. The National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) produced the radio ads as part of a recruitment kit.

The Diocese of Green Bay is home to 75 Catholic elementary schools, four middle schools and six high schools, excluding colleges.

Total student enrollment is approximately 16,378. Total enrollment of Catholic school students in Wisconsin is 80,256. Nationwide, there are 2.6 million students enrolled in 8,144 Catholic elementary, middle and high schools.