I think the more we try to develop successful models for new schools – paternalistic, buzzword this, academic tripe that – the more we end up imitating some of the excellent education traditions from the past.

Cristo Rey, like all Jesuit schools, aims for a concept called cura personalis. In Jesuit education circles, this means that the schools seek to care for the whole person. They are not simply preparing young people for life as college students or professionals. They are preparing them for life as human beings, as loving individuals, as citizens, as thinkers. This is true at every Jesuit school in the country, including those Cristo Rey schools that cater exclusively to low income students.

Also interesting to point out that some of Cristo Rey’s best teachers would have hated the idea of labeling their work as paternalistic. In fact, some went to great lengths to avoid anything that could have been drawn the term.

My take is that Whitman’s assessment is largely on the money. The great teachers at Cristo Rey were pushing their students to be more, but made every effort to respectful of the backgrounds of their students and the cultural traditions. I think it’s possible to be “paternalistic” and respectful.

Those interested in Cristo Rey may also be interested in More than a Dream, the book I wrote documenting the improbable and inspiring startup of the school. More information is available at http://www.morethanadreambook.com.

Definitely – and this is another example of how badly we need simplicity, clarity and openness in education.

And it’s another example of how poorly some seem to understand that need.