33,000+ Reasons To Read About a Remarkable Marquette Alumna

Helen Reilly died eleven days short of her 100th birthday.  A person can do a lot of living in that amount of time.  I didn’t know Helen, but I learned something truly remarkable about her in the homily of a mass one Sunday at my home parish.She  was a graduate of Marquette and had been a second grade teacher at MPS’s William Cullen Bryant School for 14 years.  Those two counts alone qualify her as someone to honor on our Marquette Educator blog.    But there’s more.

For the record, Helen’s husband, John, had served as a Wisconsin Assemblyman representing Wauwatosa and as a Milwaukee County Civil Court Judge.  Their marriage produced two children, Jane and Peter, and in turn, two grandchildren.  A fulfilling family life is certainly worth celebrating, too.

But it’s another fact that truly sets her apart.  She was a daily communicant. Our priest told us that Helen had attempted to attend mass and receive the Eucharist every day since she made her first Holy Communion, probably around the age of 8.

He estimated her number of trips to the altar at 30,000 times.  If my calculations are correct, though, it’s probably closer to 33,000.  Maybe it seems like splitting hairs, but let me give you a lens on just the 3,000 difference.

A “Little” Perspective

I’ve been going to Communion pretty much weekly for almost 50 years, and I figure my highest possible total would be 2600.  Since my attendance hasn’t always been stellar, my number is probably a fair amount less.

In other words, my entire count of Communion visits at its most generous doesn’t equal Helen’s rounding error.  It will take me roughly eight more years just to reach that amount.  In fact, if I aspired to equal her overall total at my current rate, I would need to live to the ripe old age of 715, still short of Methuselah by 254 years, but obviously a ridiculous lifespan nonetheless.   Even Moses only made it to 120.

Please know that I mean no disrespect to Helen by interjecting these comparisons and references.  On the contrary, I am simply trying to make a point that qualifies as both profound and memorable.

Living the Marquette Mission

Recently I had the good fortune to connect with Helen’s daughter, Jane.  She told me that her mother had a deep love of education and passed it along to her children.   She also recounted a recent experience that gave her insight on the impact her mother had exerted in the classroom.  Her words were as follows:

An incredible thing happened about 2 months before her passing. A young woman, who is a caretaker at St. Camillus, came up and introduced herself to me. She said that she was shocked when she saw my mother. This woman – about age 35- 40 – had mom as her 2nd grade teacher.  She expressed nothing but fond memories of my mom.  It was so thrilling to think that someone remembered her after all those years.

There is one more aspect to Helen’s life that her daughter shared with me, and it bears mentioning.  It turns out that Helen was religious in a very different way.  How? She almost never missed a Marquette basketball game!

So, please join me in celebrating Mrs. Reilly’s long life, one that surely enriched her family and friends  and touched many urban school children in wonderful ways.

And let’s celebrate her receipt of the Body of Christ — done with such frequency that, one foot at a time would measure exactly 6¼ miles high.  That’s got to be pretty close to Heaven, which seems only fitting.

by Bill Henk

Weekend Writers Weigh in on Mayoral Control Issue

Just FYI, in today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Alan Borsuk, longtime education reporter and now senior fellow in law and public policy at our MU Law School, cited the work of Dr. Kenneth Wong on the topic of mayoral control of MPS.   Dr. Wong’s book, The Education Mayor: Improving America’s Schools, is described as ”the fullest examination to date of the range of ways mayors have become involved in school governance in dozens of cities across the United States.”  

According to Alan, the book generally took the position that “mayoral control creates a political environment for stronger decision making about improving schools.”

Equally important, Wong’s work was also interpreted to mean that although there were improvements in reading and in math, mayoral involvement “didn’t help and sometimes harmed efforts to close the achievement gaps between have and have-not students.” 

The article went on to say that in a recent visit to Madison and Milwaukee, Dr. Wong was even more notably favorable to the position of mayoral control, because encouraging evidence had emerged since the writing of his book.  He referenced statistically significant effects for reading and math achievement as well as the accountability and motivation advantages that accrue with a “clear point of power.”  And the researcher also raised the question of the opportunity cost involved in not implementing mayoral control. 

The article made reference to an interesting alternative governance proposal by Rep. Tamara Grigsby and State Sen. Spencer Coggs that plays a central role in another fine JS piece today on mayoral control by Eugene Kane that I highly recommend, too.  

If you’re moved to comment on these articles, you should certainly do so directly to JS On-line, but please know that your reactions to ideas about mayoral control are welcome here as well.  The next few months figure to be one of the most important chapters in the history of the Milwaukee Public Schools.

COED News: November 21, 2009

It can be tough keeping up with everything that’s going on in the College of Education. So, we figured we’d help you out a little bit. Here’s some of  the latest and greatest news that you might have missed!

NEWS:

• Academic Senate Approves New STEM Major
• Emeritus Dean at Work on Third Volume of Acclaimed CACE History
• Alliance School Receives Charter Award
• Kathleen Cepelka Receives Vatican II Award for Distinguished Service in Education
• Fr. LaBelle’s New Book Discusses Key Issues Surrounding Catholics in Contemporary Society
• Dr. Robert Fox Featured as MU Expert – Video on Temper Tantrums

Events:

• WORTHWHILE CAUSE:  MU Food Drive – Raynor Memorial Libraries and Marquette Student Government are sponsoring a food through Friday, Dec. 18. Nonperishable food items will benefit the Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee, which distributes more than 9.5 million pounds of food to area food banks. Collection barrels are located in the Raynor lobby, AMU Information Desk and the MUSG office, AMU 133.
• Ongoing – Women’s Centennial Events

Want more news?

Visit the College of Education Web Site
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Welcome to Milwaukee, Archbishop Listecki!

by Bill Henk

In last weekend’s news, we learned that the Archdiocese of Milwaukee would be blessed with a new leader, Bishop Jerome Listecki of the Diocese of LaCrosse.  The appointment seemed like a long time in coming, but figures to be well worth the wait.

As an educator, an understandable question for me is, “What will the appointment mean for K-12 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese?”

Challenges Await

Our new Archbishop will face many challenges here. Certainly there are financial and related legal issues to overcome for the Archdiocese itself, as well as many noteworthy parish-centered quandaries.  Even so, my sincere hope is that our K-12 Catholic schools will be numbered among His Excellency’s top priorities.

At this point Bishop Listecki’s record of supporting Catholic schools in his current diocese isn’t something that’s well known to me, and I’m eager to learn more.  It’s no secret to anyone who reads this blog that I think Catholic schools represent one of the Church’s best hopes for the future.

Unfortunately, our new Archbishop will be confronted by the same issues that plague K-12 Catholic education across the country.  Most importantly, school closings nationwide have been too plentiful and significantly fewer students are attending Catholic elementary and secondary schools.   

The reality is that schools in general are expensive to operate, Catholic philanthropy is down in the current economy, and many families struggle to afford a private education.  The expense is almost certainly why 85% of Catholic school children attend public schools.  We have to face the fact that Catholic schools must make the case that they add significant value or families will be unwilling to assume the extra costs.  

The Catholic School Value Proposition

On the plus side, many and maybe most Catholic schools can rightfully make the claim that they cultivate academic excellence.  But unforunately not all can.  Thankfully, almost all of them are safe, and they tend to do a superb job of character education.   Regrettably, though, the decision to send children to a Catholic school frequently comes down to whether or not the experience is worth the accompanying financial hardship.  

What does this caveat mean for parents and for schools? 

• Catholic parents will want schools to be at least as good as the public alternatives when it comes to student achievement. And in all likelihood, they would expect Catholic schools to be significantly better to justify the expense.   
• At one time it was enough of a selling point for Catholic schools to provide religious education.  But nowadays Catholic identity and faith formation alone might not be compelling enough for parents to shoulder the additional monetary burden, especially with fewer clergy there to guarantee its infusion.

Although these challenges are admittedly formidable, they are not insurmountable.  But they’re going to require enormous will and skill.

A Community Eager to “Be The Difference”

Hopefully, then, Archbishop Listecki will quickly learn that our Archdiocese’s Office for Schools and the lay leadership of the Catholic School Commission as well as the region’s Greater Milwaukee Catholic Education Consortium stand very much ready to help.   We all seek to make the K-12 Catholic schools in our Archdiocese world class in every possible respect.

So, please join me in extending a warm Milwaukee welcome to our new Archbishop and wishing him well in promoting the  educational mission of the Catholic Church.   

 

 

Toto, I Don’t Think We’re In a Public School Anymore

by Amanda Lloyd, First Year Teacher Blogger

I am a product of public schools.

From kindergarten through senior year of high school, I attended the public schools in my small hometown. To be honest, there didn’t seem to be many other options. The one exception was the lone Catholic school which served the 30-minute radius around my hometown. That little Catholic school boasted the largest graduating class ever of eight students when we finished eighth grade, which many parents did not seem to find appealing.

In my young mind, Catholicism and education were two separate entities. I was raised in a Catholic church, but was never baptized. I went to Sunday school on Sunday, to Mass with my parents, and, every once in a while, I got to sing at church. It was a weekend event. It was certainly important, but was never an inherent part of my lifestyle and daily activity.

That was, until I went to Marquette.

Yikes…Blog Readership Skyrockets!

by Bill Henk

To be honest, I’m still kind of stunned.  Yesterday marked the single most viewers we’ve ever attracted to the Marquette Educator — and by a landslide!

Apparently the  combination of a story about Marquette basketball and the opportunity to win free stuff through a trivia quiz rocks our readership.

Our previous record  for readers occurred for the story about Dwyane Wade, President Obama, and an aspiring 11-year old reporter named Damon Weaver.  That early post netted 406 visitors to our blog.  It was also the answer to trivia quiz question #8.

The new high water mark for our blog measured an impressive (DRUM ROLL PLEASE) – 782 readers!

At this point I’m thinking that we should do another trivia quiz and offer Marquette basketball gear or game tickets as prizes.  I just can’t think what the quiz would be about!

Now without further adieu, let me share the names of the blog trivia contest winners (ANOTHER DRUM ROLL PLEASE):

• Nicki Thompson
• Rebecca Simo
• Lindsay Swanson

Congratulations to these diligent and faithful Marquette Educator readers, and thanks to all of our readers for your support!  Our trio of trivia champs will be receiving their free College of Education tee-shirts soon.

Lastly, if you’re just dying to know the answers to all the trivia questions, here they are:

1. Climbed out the school window
2. Superman and Wonder Woman
3. Owning a Dairy Farm
4. Ferris Bueller
5. Ron Clark
6. Mother Teresa’s eyes
7. 3 figures in the near death experience
8. Dwyane Wade
9. Nativity Jesuit Middle School
10. Touchdown Jesus
11. Get a Tattoo
12. Audrey Noel Henk

Tiebreaker:  The answers didn’t appear upside down, because we didn’t know how to do it!

Looking for a Free Tee-shirt? Try the Marquette Educator Trivia Contest on for Size

by Bill Henk

OK, here’s the deal.  The first three readers who answer all or the most blog trivia questions below will receive a College of Education tee-shirt.

And this is no ordinary tee — it’s got long sleeves, official Marquette styling, and a special quote on the back.  I can just hear the wild woo-hooing, unbridled shrills of joy, and thunderous applause out there already!

Just the same, try to control yourself long enough to complete the quiz.  Note that every answer can be found in a blog post, so if you’re willing to do some searching, you can get them all correct.

Dominic, Wesley, and Steve Score Big-time for Education

by Bill Henk
What follows is a story about Marquette hoops and education that I’ve enjoyed telling the past four years.  But now that I’m blogging, I can share it with our readers.  Hope you like it.

First, though, I have to tell you something about myself, and I promise to be brief.

I absolutely LOVE basketball.  Always have.  When I was just a little guy, I practiced for hours on end, hoping that the big kids would let me play with them.  Eventually they did, and at first they thought it was amusing how a kid my size had game.  But later they regretted it, because I started humiliating them.

In the years that followed, the only thing that held me back was my diminutive stature, but in the summer after my junior year, I grew over five inches, and came into my own during my senior season.  Then it was off to college on a scholarship to play the game I love.  It was probably a pipe dream, but I really thought I’d play in the NBA — at least until I experienced a career ending knee injury after a promising sophomore year.  But up until then, for better or worse, basketball was my identity and my life.

The Story Begins

So in my second year here, I was keyed up to learn that some of our Marquette basketball players were going to stop by our Hartman Literacy and Learning Center and read aloud to the children in the late afternoon.  Our Hartman kids struggle with reading, and it was thought that having some MU hoopsters stopping by would be a thrill that would increase their motivation.  Busy or not, I wasn’t about to miss this visit.

At the time, a former player who continued to work with the team after graduating, Todd Townsend, was asked by Dr. Lauren Leslie, the Hartman Center director, to send some players.   Todd had taken some Education courses and even read to the kids himself in the previous year.  I thought that we’d get some well-intentioned, but probably lesser known players, but lo and behold, in walked Dominic James, Wesley Matthews, and Steve Novak.

Dominic and Wesley were highly touted freshmen, and Steve figured to have his breakout year as a senior now that the remarkable Travis Diener had departed.  The elementary school kids stood in utter amazement when they witnessed  the 6′5″ Matthews and the 6′10″ Novak. They found the 5′10″ James less intimidating, and they might have warmed up to him a little more because of it!

The Story Continues

To be honest, I didn’t expect much. The players would be dragging physically after a long practice, and besides, what did they know about education?  I figured that they’d be awkward with the kids and would pretty much go through the motions reading their books, hurrying up so they could get out of there.

Wow, was I ever wrong! Talk about a pleasant surprise.

Each one of the players read his book at a comfortable pace and with surprising animation.  They made sure that the kids could see the pictures as they moved through the books.  For goodness sakes, they even asked questions!  They were gentle, soft spoken, kind, and sensitive to the children.  Who would’ve thunk it?

Maybe Todd had coached them, but I honestly don’t think so.  What came clear is that, from an educational standpoint, the scene could not have been drawn up any better. Here were three fine young men taking the time to be role models for children in need of inspiration.

Some of you probably know that Steve Novak had a well earned reputation around campus of being a really good guy.  The Marquettte nation didn’t know much about the two freshmen apart from the fact that Dominic had been runner-up in the hoops-crazed state of Indiana as its Mr. Basketball, and Wesley was Mr. Basketball in Wisconsin.  I got to spend time around both of them at a practice and on a road trip, and they certainly seemed like gentlemen to me.

On that day in the Hartman Center, it was Dominic who shined brightest among two other “reading stars.” He talked to the children about the importance of listening to parents and teachers, and how necessary it was to learn how to read and get a good education.  Then he spoke to the need for them to achieve good grades, and that he definitely planned to use what he had learned in school when his basketball playing days were over.   At the end he said that the odds of making it in the NBA were slim, so he was grateful to the university for giving him the opportunity to obtain a degree that would serve him for a lifetime.

I’m not kidding when I tell you that his remarks brought tears to my eyes.  My already solid respect for the basketball program skyrocketed that day.  If these three players were indicative of the caliber of young men we recruited to Marquette, then I had even more reason to be proud of this university.

The Story Ends

Marquette basketball fans already know much of the ending.  Most importantly, all three did well academically and graduated.  In that season, Steve Novak went on to have a first-team All Big East year, and Dominic received Rookie of the Year honors in the conference.

Along with Wesley, and their fellow freshman running mate, Jerel McNeal, the trio demonstrated that the Golden Eagles could be a force in the Big East for the next three years.  And were they ever!

Following the season, Steve was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the second round and played there before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers where he is a reserve on the roster.

Wesley appears to have made the Utah Jazz squad, and is getting about 20 minutes per game and scoring nicely.  Rumor has it that the organization really likes his drive and attitude.

Dominic played for the Milwaukee Bucks in the Las Vegas Summer League, suffered yet another regrettable injury, and eventually was released.  He received an offer from a Turkish club in Mercin, but I’m not sure if he took it or not.

Let me end by wishing all three of these Marquette alumni the very best, and by saying that I’m thankful to Dominic, Wesley, and Steve for making that one day so special for the College of Education, but most especially, for our appreciative Hartman Center kids.

Stop Bullying Now

Attending the Law School’s conference on bullying yesterday took me back vividly to the one and only time I was bullied.  It only lasted about 24 hours, but it made such an impact on me that I’ll remember it always.

When I was in sixth grade, our class bully threatened to kill me because I beat him out for the basketball team. I was traumatized, because he had flunked two times and was physically superior to everyone in my class.

He was a mean dude in every respect, and reveled in making others cower.  I took his threat seriously.  In fact, I faked being sick in class so I could be sent to the nurse’s office.  But I never went there.  I ran straight home instead–fearful, full of terror, and paralyzed.   It took every ounce of courage I could muster to go to school the next day.

Fortunately for me, that very day another player got injured and the coach put the bully on the team.

Don’t Be a Bully Bystander: Restorative Justice Conference Today!

Lots to learn at today’s Restorative Justice Conference, sponsored by the Marquette University Law School!

Couldn’t make it to today’s sold out conference?

No worries! Get an inside view of today’s happenings over at the Law School Faculty Blog where Justice Janine P. Geske (ret.), Distinguished Professor of Law, talks about the focus of the conference and the importance of respectful and civil dialogue in our schools.

RJI Starfish Awards

Of special interest — eight “unsung Milwaukee urban heroes” who generously and regularly make a significant difference in the lives of children, will receive the RJI Starfish Award this afternoon at 3:00 p.m.   Among the recipients is College of Education alumna, Jacquelyn Spence, who has created a reading program in MPS that helps students read as well as confront some of their issues including bullying, violence and relationships.

Congratulations, Jackie!