Catholic elementary and secondary schools in the United States are known for their academic excellence, safety, discipline, good communication, and a Christ-centered focus that permeates the school culture. However, there many unseen challenges to maintain these hard-won benchmarks that school leaders face daily. Ever escalating costs and limited funding streams, rising expectations of families, divisive culture battles, conflicting and sometimes mutually exclusive views of Church teachings and beliefs chipping away at the core mission, a growing and hostile secularism all contribute to some of the challenges confronting this largest private school system. TheSurvivability of Catholic Schools: Vigor, Anemia, and a Diffident Flock guides readers through some of the undetected trials and joys of keeping Catholic schools faithful to their mission by candidly acknowledging some of the headaches while encouraging parents, alumni, and stakeholders to reinvigorate this pearl of great price.

Michael Caruso holds a doctorate in Catholic School Leadership and was an Associate Professor of Education at both Loyola Marymount University and Saint Louis University where he taught aspiring Catholic school administrators of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Orange in California, as well as the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. He led Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago as President and CEO for ten years and served on the Archdiocesan School Board of Chicago, and is currently the Vice President for Mission, Planning, and Operations at Saint Louis University High School.