Patricia O’Connell is principal of Peoria Notre Dame High School. She’s responsible for general operations and planning, fiscal planning and forecasting, educational programming, grants, school and student assessment, administration of staff, facilities upkeep, development planning, and school/community relations.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from Fontbonne College in St. Louis; a Master of Arts degree in special education from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.; and a Ph.D. in educational administration from Illinois State University.
Among her professional affiliations, she’s a member of the Illinois Association of School Administrators, Illinois Principals Association, Council for Exceptional Children, and Council for Children with behavior Disorders.
She resides in Peoria.
Tell about your background, schools attended, etc.
I’m the oldest of five children born to George "Bud" and Eileen O’Connell. My siblings and I say we kept our parents young, as our birth dates span 23 years. We kept Mom involved in K-12 school activities for 36 years, while Dad was only able to share 23 of those school years prior to his death. My siblings and I all graduated from parish grade schools and from Catholic high schools. Our parents supported each of us in our many activities at school and within the parish as we grew up and learned to be contributing members at home, at school, at church, and in the community.
Following my graduation in 1958 from the Academy of Our Lady, I entered the religious community of the Sisters of St. Joseph, St. Louis Missouri. During the 13 years I was a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph, my assignments took me to Georgia; Chicago; and Hancock, Mich. In both Georgia and Illinois I served as a teacher and child care worker in residential settings, working with boys and girls ages 6 to 14 years placed by the child welfare systems of each state in facilities owned and operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph under the auspices of the Archdioceses of Atlanta and Chicago. Following my only year of "regular" parish school teaching in Hancock, I applied for a dispensation from my vows and returned to secular life.
I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in 1963 from Fontbonne University, with a major in elementary education and a minor in English. I completed my Master of Arts degree in 1970 at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in special education, with special emphasis on behavior disorders. I earned my Doctor of Education degree in 1987 at Illinois State University in the Educational Administration and Foundations Department, with special emphasis on K-12 education.
I’ve been active in my church as a lector, Eucharistic minister, committee person, and parish council officer. Currently, I’m an active supporter of the Irish organizations here in Peoria.
Who or what influenced you in your career as an educator?
My teachers at each level of schooling probably influenced me subconsciously, while my family, though they didn’t always understand my choices, supported me in every effort I put forth. I can remember two particularly critical decision-making times in regard to my preparation to continue my professional development.
The first critical decision-making time came when I entered graduate school for my master’s degree. I was accepted at Peabody and also at a state school in its graduate school social work program. The social work program demanded that I be released from my duties to go to school full-time, so I decided I would try the summer program at Peabody to determine if I wanted to continue my schooling in the educational field or whether I wanted to pursue a degree in the social welfare field. My experiences in the graduate school classrooms with teachers and fellow students, the community of sisters with whom I lived, and the support provided to me by my family assisted me in making my decision to pursue my master’s degree in the field of education.
The second critical decision-making time came after I decided I would pursue my dream of earning a doctoral degree in 1985 after I was accepted into the College of Education at Illinois State University. After some serious consideration and prayer, I resigned my full-time employment and became a full-time doctoral student in the fall of 1985. Once again, I can proudly say my graduate school teachers, classmates, and the support of my family continued to influence me as an educator.
Describe your role as principal of Notre Dame. What do you do in general and on a day-to-day basis? How is being an administrator different than being a teacher?
In my role as the principal of Peoria Notre Dame High School, I serve as the head of the school under the direction and guidance of the president of the Peoria Area Pastors Board. My duties include being responsible for general operations and planning, fiscal planning and forecasting, educational programming, grants, school and student assessment, personnel administration of certified and non-certified staff, facilities upkeep, development planning, school-community relations, and maintaining the Catholic identity of our school.
I have a message on my desk that reminds me daily of the duties of my job: "The blarney stops here." However, at Peoria Notre Dame High School, I’ve designated personnel who assist with the business and financial matters, the educational programs, the athletic and co-curricular programs, the spiritual elements of building a Catholic culture, student assessment and post-secondary planning, and development planning and school-community relations. I serve as the coach to these team members and am responsible for the working together of all of the parts to carry out the mission of our school.
On a daily basis, I’m available to meet with students, teachers, supervisors, parents/guardians, community persons, and business associates. I try to be visible each day in the Commons area before school and during the lunch periods. I support our co-curricular programs and try to attend as many of those events as possible. Our students, coaches, moderators/sponsors, and families need to be able to see that I, personally, support their participation.
My day typically begins about 7 a.m. on school days. I make every effort to participate daily in the offering of Mass in our school chapel at 7:15 a.m. Starting each day in a prayerful manner, I believe, gives me the spiritual strength to resolve many of the unanticipated happenings that tend to evidence themselves on a daily basis. My typical workday at school ends shortly after 5 p.m. After taking time for supper, which I usually share with my mom, I’m able to participate in some of Peoria Notre Dame’s many co-curricular programs.
The biggest difference between being an administrator and being a teacher is in managing the scope of daily responsibilities. The administrator’s focus is, by nature, more broadly based, whereby the sum of all the parts needs to be working as a comprehensive whole. As a teacher you have specifically defined duties with regard to your teaching assignment and your co-curricular duties. Typically, these duties are viewed as being narrowly focused and often observed as not being directly connected to the next teacher’s duties. This last stated perception often becomes the focus of the administrative staff as I work with the supervisory personnel in building and maintaining the focus of the total operations of the school.
You’ve worked in public schools, parochial schools, and in child welfare institutions. What are the differences between these teaching institutions?
In a sense, there are only minimal differences experienced in the day-to-day operations of the public schools, parochial schools, and child welfare institutions. Each of these teaching institutions typically presents the same kind of day-to-day operational issues in regard to organizational structures, limited resources for operational needs, difficulty in staffing the institutions with certified and qualified personnel, and budgets to support facilities upkeep and to limit deferred maintenance concerns.
There are differences in the customers of the public and parochial schools and major differences between the customers of the school setting and the child welfare setting. In my experience, the parents/guardians of the students in both the public and parochial school settings work hard to make sure the schools meet the curricular and co-curricular needs of their students. In the parochial setting, the parents/guardians expect that the school staff also collaborate with them to continue the faith and moral development of their sons and daughters.
In the child welfare setting, the students are generally placed through legal action, often due to parent/guardian neglect, abuse, or findings that the student has committed some illegal acts and needs to be placed into a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week, supervised setting. Extensive cognitive/emotional and recreational treatment plans are typically part of the student’s program in the residential setting, in addition to the educational components provided either in the regular public school setting or the specialized school setting approved by the state educational agencies.
You taught at the university level and then came back to a high school setting. Why did you make that choice?
After working in schools and residential settings, I observed that I was spending probably 85 percent of my daily effort directed toward teaching staff how to engage students in the activities. So I thought if I focused on teaching and training staff, the staff would then be able to transition and implement these instructional strategies in their work settings. In my university teaching, I learned that often, professional personnel believed their setting was different-they were the only ones facing a difficult dilemma or attempting to cope with a particular kind of conflict. I decided that if I was to be able to impact change in K-12 educational settings, I needed to be working in the educational setting. I decided to return to a high school setting, as I believe you must be a part of the system to serve the system.
Is the mix of students and/or teachers different in the public versus parochial setting?
Based on my experience, the students and teachers are basically the same in the public setting as in the parochial setting. In my professional experience, I’m proud to say I’ve observed that the majority of the students and teachers are committed to doing the best they can in their jobs. For students, their job is to learn how to think in a critical manner, to make decisions based upon moral principles, and to act in a responsible and accountable manner in any given situation. For teachers, their job is to engage the whole student in meeting the curricular and co-curricular outcomes espoused by the school. In the parochial setting, the teacher has a further responsibility to continue to collaborate with the parents/guardians in continuing the faith and moral development of the students.
I’m comfortable in saying the issues students and teachers bring to the school setting are much the same. The students and teachers are more alike across the settings than they are different.
How involved are the parents and/or teachers in the lives of students at Notre Dame?
Parent/guardian involvement in the continuing development of the students at Peoria Notre Dame High School is expected. Our teachers view the parents/guardians as the students’ first teachers. Our role as teachers in the curricular and co-curricular areas is to keep the students and their families informed of what we expect and to seek their assistance in supporting their students in meeting expected outcomes.
Teachers are expected to maintain open communication channels with parents/guardians. Teachers are expected to maintain a professional relationship with the students at all times. In building this professional relationship with the students, the teachers are cautioned to maintain a boundary between themselves and the students-the teachers aren’t a parent to the student, nor should the teachers usurp the role of the parent/guardian.
Notre Dame requires community service from each student. Why is that important to their education?
Students enrolled at Peoria Notre Dame High School for four years are expected to complete an approved 100-hour Christian Service Program as part of their requirements for being recommended for graduation. Transfer students also complete this Christian Service Program and have their hour requirement prorated based upon the number of years/semesters they’re enrolled at Peoria Notre Dame High School.
This Christian Service Program (CSP) is built upon the belief that students, as part of their full development, are to learn to give to those who don’t have the gifts, talents, or basic necessities to be successful in their daily life situations. The focus of the service program is to provide a visible means to help our Peoria Notre Dame High School students learn that, as human beings, we each have a responsibility to share what we have and to assist others in accessing what they need to improve their quality of life.
Part of the Catholic school philosophy is to nurture the spiritual needs of students. How many students enrolled at Peoria Notre Dame are of the Catholic faith?
Over the years, approximately 93 to 94 percent of the student population has been Catholic. All students enrolled in any school year are expected to participate in all of the spiritual components of our educational and co-curricular programs. All students participate in one religion class per semester. All students are required to pass the diocesan religion assessment as part of meeting graduation requirements. Each school day is started with an all-school prayer. Throughout the school day, each class period is started with a prayer. Each month the students and faculty participate in an all-school Mass. Students have the opportunity to participate in daily Mass. Co-curricular groups are expected to participate in a team Mass at lease twice during their season and to share a prayer each time they gather together.
Both Catholic and non-Catholic teachers are employed at Peoria Notre Dame High School. Some school positions require the person be Catholic-namely the principal, religion teacher, and counselor.
How has enrollment changed in the past decade? To what do you attribute this change?
Over the past five years, student enrollment has decreased by approximately 100 students. At the present time, I’m not able to determine exact causes for the enrollment decrease. However, I’m able to identify some contributing factors:
- Fluctuating enrollments in the parochial feeder schools.
- Changing residency requirements in Peoria Pubic School District 150, with particular high schools focused on particular curricular offerings that permit students from one residency center to attend a city high school located in another residency center.
- Decreasing importance being placed by some Catholic parents/guardians on the continuing need for faith and moral development.
- Rising tuition costs and associated registration, book/lab, and drug testing fees in our changing economic situation here in the greater Peoria area.
- Continuing parent/guardian perceptions regarding the quality of public school offerings in particular school districts within the 30-mile radius from which Peoria Notre Dame draws students.
At the present time, I’m working with school staff regarding how we can market our academic and co-curricular programs. All 223 students in our most recent graduating class continued their post-secondary education at a two- or four-year college/university, a technical school, or the military. This class of 2003 earned $4.3 million in scholarship awards. The 2003 class average composite ACT score was 23.6 earned by the 204 students (91.5 percent) who took the ACT. This class average ACT composite score exceeds both the state average composite score (20.2) and national average composite (20.8).
What kinds of discipline can teachers and administrators use on students? How different is that from public schools?
Peoria Notre Dame High School teachers and administrators adhere to the Illinois School Code. The right of a student to attend Peoria Notre Dame High School is subject to the condition that the student complies with Peoria Notre Dame High School rules, regulations, and requirements.
The disciplinary system at Peoria Notre Dame High School is comprised of three aims: to develop within students a sense of Christian moral values, to develop within students age-appropriate maturity and sense of responsibility and accountability for their own actions and those of others within the school community, and to develop a climate within the school whereby students can learn in a Christ-centered learning environment.
Teachers are expected to clearly define their classroom rules to students and to handle disciplinary actions within their classrooms. However, if students engage in behaviors that repeatedly are viewed as disruptive to the classroom setting, disruptive to the school environment, or disruptive at school-sponsored events/activities, further school authorized disciplinary may take place.
Peoria Notre Dame High School and the typical public high school differ in regard to enrollment procedures. Enrolling at Peoria Notre Dame High School is a privilege, while enrolling in the public school is mandated for all students between 7 and 16 years of age. Public schools are required to enroll students who reside within their district’s boundaries. Both Peoria Notre Dame High School and the public schools have defined procedures for recommending expulsion due to disciplinary infractions.
There’s been some controversy recently regarding the dress code at school and dances. Catholic schools have traditionally worn uniforms to school. What’s the current policy?
Peoria Notre Dame High School personnel place importance on modesty and grooming habits of students. The school staff believes a student’s appearance reflects the presence of confidence, self-respect, and respect for others. In addition, the Peoria Notre Dame High School staff believes students’ appearance contributes to establishing an environment for learning.
Peoria Notre Dame High School has an established, structured dress code that’s to be complied with on a daily basis, including exam days. Both young men and young women are expected to wear either navy or tan tailored, straight-legged dress pants (worn at the waist, jean-style and hip huggers aren’t acceptable). Young men are to wear plain blue/white dress shirts (long or short sleeve, tucked into pants). Dress ties are to be worn at the neck. Young women are expected to wear a plain blue/white, full-length shirt-type, collared blouse (long or short sleeve, tucked into pants, buttoned to second button from neck). All students are expected to wear leather/look-alike belts and leather dress shoes (open cut, backless, or tennis shoes aren’t acceptable). All students are expected to wear socks. Solid navy sweaters (v-neck, crew, or cardigan style) are acceptable. Crew neck sweatshirts purchased from the PND School Store are acceptable for young men and women. Modest attire at all school-related functions is required. Students are granted opportunity to be out of dress code for special school events/activities.
Young men are to have hair only one color (hair length to maximum three inches, sideburns no longer than the earlobe). Appropriate jewelry for young men includes rings and watches (medals and necklaces may be worn inside of shirt/sweater/sweatshirt-earrings aren’t acceptable). Cosmetics aren’t acceptable.
Young women are to have hair only one color. Appropriate jewelry includes rings and watches. Two simple earrings may be worn in each ear. Long, dangly earrings or large hoops aren’t acceptable. Cosmetics are acceptable, though eccentric dark colors and/or sparkles in make-up, lipstick, and nail polish aren’t acceptable.
School staff continues to be concerned with modesty issues with some students’ dress at school and school-sponsored events/activities. Following staff discussions last spring, I notified parents beginning with the fifth six-week report card that the school staff were concerned about modesty in student dress. Again in the mailing of the end-of-the-year report cards, I addressed school staff concerns with parents/guardians regarding student compliance with the dress code and informed parents/guardians that students were expected to be in compliance with the dress code for the 2003-2004 school year.
Due to continuing concerns with student compliance with the dress code, I requested the Parents Association form a committee to review the dress code and to make recommendations for consideration for the 2004-2005 school year. The committee is focused on identifying clothing items that are modest, affordable, available from one supplier, and easy for school personnel to monitor. I’m planning to invite parents/guardians to participate in some structured viewing of the suggested dress code items prior to the end of the first semester.
What advice do you have for parents of high school students? How can they best support their children and their children’s school?
I advise parents/guardians of high school students to work hard to communicate in an open, honest manner with their son or daughter. Students need clearly defined limits and expectations. Parents/guardians need to keep consequences directly related to the offenses. Students need to know clearly what you want them to do. They don’t learn what you want or expect if you don’t clearly state your expectations. I believe it’s imperative that parents/ guardians maintain their adult role with their son or daughter. Parents/guardians aren’t the first friends of their children, but rather they’re their first teachers. A careful boundary must be maintained.
It’s important to ask questions in talking with your children. Students need to learn problem-solving skills as they become more independent and that with more responsibility, more accountability is expected. Once children are given a responsibility, they need to focus on how they’re going to respond. Can they respond independently or do they need assistance?
Parents/guardians can support their children and the school by maintaining open communication. I ask parents/guardians to share with their students’ teachers or counselor any concerns they have as the teacher or counselor may not have the insight they have. Their information may be the link needed to support the student’s continued success in the classroom or in a particular school-sponsored event/activity.
What’s the best part of your job? The most challenging?
The best part of my job is working with the school staff, students, and their families in creating a learning environment conducive to supporting and challenging each person to set goals, make plans to achieve their goals, and assess how they did as they progressed toward their goals.
Observing students working together within the school and representing the school in out-of-school events and activities motivates me to be persistent in defining strategies to support our school-sponsored business in a climate of shrinking resources and continuing external pressures to provide more.
One challenging task I face is related to working with students and their families where communications have been broken or not well established. I respect the parent/guardian role and recognize that often, teens move through a challenging stage both at home, at school, and in the community. However, it takes us all to be supportive in assisting our youth to progress to responsible adulthood. Working together in a collaborative mode is essential when dealing with sensitive situations with families and students.
Another challenge I face is working to identify the resources needed in regard to personnel, finances, programs and materials, and facilities to be able to support our academic and co-curricular programs. Each year as a school administrator, I’m asked, and often times mandated by the state legislature, to do more without the finances to support the mandate.
What’s your vision for the future of Notre Dame?
I hope to continue to build on the vision that’s been articulated for Peoria Notre Dame High School. I believe that perpetuating the opportunity for continuing Catholic secondary education is critical to the future life of the Catholic church here in the greater Peoria area.
As continuing curricular needs are defined, serious exploration must be directed toward how to effectively and efficiently meet these needs. Looking at how educational programs can be delivered ought to be focused on how to build collaboratives with other service providers. Comprehensive planning must be undertaken to define how to generate the financial resources needed to allocate necessary personnel, space, equipment, and materials to support programmatic needs.
I see Notre Dame High School as the school of choice for students and families of the tri-county area-able to prepare students to live in a complex, diverse, dynamic, global society. I’m proud to be associated with Peoria Notre Dame High School. TPW