What does it mean for a Catholic school to truly welcome every child, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities? Mark Bradford, Fellow for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities at Word on Fire, brings a deeply Catholic anthropological vision to that question, rooted in his own experience as the father of a son with Down syndrome. This conversation gives leaders and parents a framework for seeing every student as indispensable to the body of Christ.

What We Cover:

* Why disability is not peripheral but central to a Catholic understanding of the human person

* How the parable of Lazarus and the rich man reframes what inclusive education is really for

* The obstacles families with disabled children face in parishes and Catholic schools and how leaders can remove them

* What sacramental inclusion looks like and why it matters for every child’s eternal life

* The GRACE Collaborative and other growing initiatives helping Catholic schools lead on inclusion

Chapters:

* 00:00: Introduction

* 00:20: Mark Bradford’s Background and Role at Word on Fire

* 02:51: Thomas and the Bradford Family Story

* 06:24: Christian Anthropology and Disability

* 15:16: Reaching All Audiences with the Message

* 21:29: The Pace of Life and Relationship

* 25:21: Sacramental Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities

* 36:41: Persons with Disabilities as Ministers

* 40:16: The Pro-Life Connection

* 43:21: The Renaissance of Inclusion in Catholic Schools

Resources:

* Word on Fire Fellowship for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

* Mark Bradford’s essays at Word on Fire

* Follow Mark on LinkedIn

* Let Us Pray: Catholic Prayers for All Abilities by Mark Bradford (Word on Fire, Amazon, Bookshop)

* Indispensable: A Catholic Guide to Welcoming Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities by Mark Bradford (Word on Fire, Amazon)

* Gaudium et Spes

* Quo Vadis Humanitas: Thinking Through Christian Anthropology in the Face of Certain Scenarios for the Future of Humanity

* Redemptor Hominis

Inclusion and Special Education Funding Support:

* FIRE Foundation

* Catholic Coalition for Special Education

* St. Margaret of Castello Fund Michigan

* Rosewood Foundation Chicago

Join the conversation

* Leave a comment and subscribe at familiaris.substack.com

* Become a paid subscriber at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe

Paid subscribers gain access to monthly collaborative office hours. Office hours are hosted on Zoom and are not recorded. Pop in to ask a question, get feedback on what you’re working on with families, hear what other leaders are doing in their schools.

Upcoming dates:

* Monday, May 11 at 3pm CST

Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about consulting, workshops, and speaking engagements

God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

To receive new Familiaris posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

What does it look like to welcome families into a faithfully Catholic school community? In this episode, Dr. Jaime Madison Vasquez sits down with two Catholic school leaders to explore how mission-driven admissions can form lasting partnerships with families from the very first tour.

Guests

* Tyler Deschamps, Head of School, Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania

* John Rocha, Principal, Holy Rosary Academy, Nashville, Tennessee

What We Cover

* How to embed Catholic mission into every stage of the admissions process, from marketing materials to parent questionnaires

* Informal and formal strategies for assessing mission fit during tours, shadow days, and interviews

* The full admissions process step-by-step: inquiry, open house, shadow day, application, and enrollment

* How to onboard new families into the community during the “golden window” between admission and the first day of school

* Go-to phrases and frameworks school leaders use to open families up and communicate what their school is truly about

Chapters

* 00:00: Welcome and Guest Introductions

* 04:02: Communicating Mission Through Marketing and Admissions

* 11:15: Assessing Mission Fit: Formal and Informal Approaches

* 16:32: The Admissions Process Step by Step

* 27:46: Honesty and Discernment in Admissions

* 32:07: Recognizing Families Who Are Ready to Partner

* 40:38: Onboarding New Families into the Community

* 47:51: Lessons from Business and Previous Schools

* 53:00: Celebrating Families at Graduation and Beyond

* 57:35: Go-To Phrases for Admissions Conversations

Q&A

* Is there anything from your time before your current school (Tyler, from business, or John, from Ozark or Western Academy) that you think worked particularly well in the admissions process?

* Do you have any special traditions to mark the end of a family’s journey with your school?

* Do you have a go-to phrase in your conversations with parents during the admissions process that helps open them up or explain your school?

Resources:

* From Christendom to Apostolic Mission: Pastoral Strategies for an Apostolic Age by University of Mary and Monsignor James P. Shea (Amazon, Thriftbooks)

* Niche.com

* Calendly.com

Join the conversation

* Leave a comment and subscribe at familiaris.substack.com

* Become a paid subscriber at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe

Paid subscribers gain access to monthly collaborative office hours. Office hours are hosted on Zoom and are not recorded. Pop in to ask a question, get feedback on what you’re working on with families, hear what other leaders are doing in their schools.

Upcoming dates:

* Monday, April 27th at 3pm CST

* Monday, May 11 at 3pm CST

Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about consulting, workshops, and speaking engagements

God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

To receive new Familiaris posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Susan Mangels, PhD, Senior Vice President of Consulting Services at AC Fitzgerald, joins Jaime to unpack what it really means to build a culture of giving in a Catholic school, and why it’s far more than hitting a dollar goal.

What We Cover:

* Why “fundraising happens at the speed of trust” and how reframing donor relationships transforms the ask

* The unique challenges and opportunities of development work in Catholic and faith-based schools

* How a school’s mission and vision language forms the foundation of every donor conversation

* Practical tools for storytelling, one-pagers, and building a multi-channel donor communication plan

* Alumni engagement, participation goals, and the green flags of a healthy development culture

Chapters

* 00:00: Welcome and Guest Introduction

* 03:34: Defining Development, Advancement, and Fundraising

* 05:55: What Makes Catholic School Fundraising Unique

* 08:38: Mission and Vision as the Foundation of Development

* 14:04: Inviting Donors to Invest

* 21:06: Balancing Urgency with Relationship-Building

* 24:15: Storytelling and the Donor One-Pager

* 31:56: Building and Evaluating a Fundraising Game Plan

* 39:31: Alumni Engagement and Building Long-Term Donor Culture

* 43:39: Lightning Round

Q&A

* If a school leader feels uncomfortable asking for donations, what is a mindset shift?

* How important is it for a small team to be ready to accept gifts in forms like stock, donor-advised funds, and planned giving?

* What is a small communication habit that could strengthen relationships with donors?

* What is a green flag that a school has a healthy development culture?

Join the conversation

* Leave a comment and subscribe at familiaris.substack.com

* Become a paid subscriber at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe

Paid subscribers gain access to monthly collaborative office hours. Office hours are hosted on Zoom and are not recorded. Pop in to ask a question, get feedback on what you’re working on with families, hear what other leaders are doing in their schools.

Upcoming dates:

* Monday April 27th at 3pm CDT

* Monday May 11th at 3pm CDT

Resources:

* AC Fitzgerald

* AC Fitzgerald Nonprofit Partner Newsletter

* The Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri J. M. Nouwen (Amazon, Thriftbooks)

* Follow Susan on LinkedIn

Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about consulting, workshops, and speaking engagements

God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

The school office shapes the first and last impression every family has of a Catholic school, yet these roles are often underhired and undertrained. Jeremie Solak of Sol Recruiting, Coaching and Consulting joins Dr. Jaime Madison Vasquez to explore what it takes to find, onboard, and support the office staff who hold a school community together.

Guest Jeremie Solak / Founder / Sol Recruiting, Coaching and Consulting

What We Cover

* Why front office roles are as mission-critical as any position in a Catholic school

* The qualities and “fatal flaws” to screen for when hiring support staff

* A two-stage reference check approach that uncovers what interviews miss

* How to structure onboarding check-ins so new hires grow into the role

* Practical habits for hospitality, handling frustration, and building a culture of feedback

Chapters

* 00:02: Jeremie Solak’s Background and Faith Journey

* 03:58: About Sol Recruiting, Coaching and Consulting

* 08:00: Office Roles as the Castle of the School

* 12:23: Challenges Inherent in the Front Office

* 16:37: Identifying the Right Candidates

* 20:14: From Job Posting to Reference Checks

* 28:39: Onboarding and Meeting Cadence

* 36:45: Teamwork and the Tag Team Mentality

* 45:24: Tools, Mantras, and Handling Difficult Moments

* 53:23: Building a Feedback Habit

Q&A

* How can you discern when it’s time to adopt a new tool—and when is it not worth it?

* Do you have any key phrases or mantras that front office staff should keep in mind?

* What are some strategies for responding to frustrated people without getting pulled into their frustration?

* What gesture of hospitality can make the biggest difference in a front office role?

* What’s a quick way a leader could implement a feedback habit with their office staff this week?

Email [email protected] or reply to the newsletter to submit a question for a future Q&A Segment.

Resources:

* Sól Recruiting, Coaching, and Consulting

* Connect with Jeremie on LinkedIn

* The Life of St. Anthony by St. Athanasius (Amazon, Bookshop, Abe Books)

* Superhabits by Andrew Abela (Amazon, Bookshop, Abe Books)

* Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s series on Venerable Servant of God Bruno

Join the conversation

* Leave a comment and subscribe at familiaris.substack.com

* Become a paid subscriber at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe

Paid subscribers gain access to monthly collaborative office hours. Office hours are hosted on Zoom and are not recorded. Pop in to ask a question, get feedback on what you’re working on with families, hear what other leaders are doing in their schools.

Upcoming dates:

* Friday, April 10th at 12pm CST

* Monday April 27th at 3pm CST.

Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about consulting, workshops, and speaking engagements

God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Dr. Jaime Madison Vasquez sits down with author and educator Ginny Kochis to explore how Catholic school leaders can better understand and support neurodivergent (“quirky”) students and their families. Drawing from her book, Quirky Catholic Kids, and her work with the Quirky Catholic Kids ministry, Ginny offers practical tools, spiritual insight, and a deeply human perspective on formation.

What We Cover

* What neurodivergence is and how it shows up in student behavior

* Why behaviors like meltdowns and stimming are forms of communication, not defiance

* How to distinguish between disciplinary and developmental needs in students

* Practical strategies for supporting emotional regulation and learning differences in the classroom

* How educators can better partner with and support parents on the journey of diagnosis and acceptance

Chapters

* 00:00: Introduction and Background

* 04:03: Rethinking the Purpose of Education

* 06:40: Understanding Neurodivergence

* 10:22: Behavior as Communication

* 14:21: Discipline vs. Development

* 21:10: Responsibility, Reason, and Excuse

* 24:08: The Parent Experience and Comparison

* 28:15: Identity, Parenting, and Self-Discovery

* 33:29: Partnering with Parents

* 33:29: Grief, Denial, and Diagnosis

* 42:05: Saints and “Quirky” Holiness

* 47:27: Practical Classroom Strategies & Q&A

Q&A

* How can teachers balance discipline with developmental understanding in situations like aggression or defiance?

* What are effective ways to describe concerning patterns to parents without overwhelming or alienating them?

* How should educators respond when families resist evaluation or support services?

* What can teachers say (or not say) in the middle of a meltdown or escalation?

* How do you talk to other parents and students about neurodivergent behaviors while respecting privacy?

Email [email protected] or reply to the newsletter to submit a question for a future Q&A Segment.

Resources Mentioned

* Quirky Catholic Kids: Navigating Neurodivergence with Faith and Joy by Ginny Kochis (Amazon, Bookshop, Abe Books)

* Jaime’s book review of Quirky Catholic Kids

* Quirky Catholic Kids Website

* Emotional Regulation Cards

* The Brain God Gave Me: Neurodivergence for Catholic Kids

* Executive Function for Catholic Youth: Peace on Purpose

* Made for Greatness: Thrive Edition, a Catholic Growth Mindset Survival Guide for Tweens and Teens

* A Rule of Life for Catholic Youth: Ora Et Labora

Join the conversation

* Leave a comment and subscribe at familiaris.substack.com

* Become a paid subscriber at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe

Paid subscribers gain access to monthly collaborative office hours. Office hours are hosted on Zoom and are not recorded. Pop in to ask a question, get feedback on what you’re working on with families, hear what other leaders are doing in their schools.

Upcoming dates:

* Friday, April 10th at 12pm CST

* Monday April 27th at 3pm CST

Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about consulting, workshops, and speaking engagements

God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

In this solo episode, Jaime Madison Vasquez introduces the Familiaris Framework—the organizing vision behind all of her consulting work and this podcast. Drawing on over two decades of experience as a teacher, literacy researcher, and head of school, Jaime walks through all four quadrants of the framework and explains how each one supports the Catholic school’s mission of partnering with parents as the primary educators of their children.

What We Cover:

* Jaime’s formation: growing up as the oldest of 12 children in a faithful Catholic home and beginning her career teaching in Chicago’s city schools

* Her doctoral research on embedding family communication into the regular professional practice of teacher teams

* Five years as head of school at Willows Academy, and how mission-driven leadership shaped her thinking on parent partnership

* The four quadrants of the Familiaris Framework and practical strategies within each quadrant

Chapters:

* 00:02: Introduction: Jaime’s Background and Formation

* 04:44: From Literacy Coach to Doctoral Researcher

* 07:01: Leading Willows Academy

* 09:19: The Familiaris Framework: An Overview

* 11:45: Quadrant 1: Integrate into Infrastructure

* 14:11: Quadrant 2: Communicate Clearly: Marketing and Enrollment

* 16:07: Communicate Clearly: Ongoing Communication

* 18:49: Communicate Clearly: Problem Solving as Dialogue

* 20:58: Quadrant 3: Educate and Form Parents

* 28:06: Quadrant 4: Welcome with Hospitality

Resources Mentioned:

* Get in touch: Email [email protected] or reply to submit a Q&A question.

* Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about our consulting services, professional development workshops, and speaking engagements, and schedule a free consultation with Jaime.

Join the conversation: Leave a comment and subscribe: familiaris.substack.com

Paid subscribers gain access to monthly collaborative office hours. Office hours are hosted on Zoom and are not recorded. Pop in to ask a question, get feedback on what you’re working on with families, hear what other leaders are doing in their schools. Upcoming dates: Friday, April 10th at 12pm CST and Monday April 27th at 3pm CST.

Become a paid subscriber at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe

God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

In this Leader Insights panel, host Dr. Jaime Madison Vasquez sits down with two experienced school leaders to explore how principals and heads of school can equip their teachers to build extraordinary, mission-centered relationships with parents.

Guests

* Faustin Weber, President, Prince of Peace School, Plano, TX

* Mike Kendrick, Senior Ministry Advisor, Felician Sisters, Chicago, IL

* Follow Mike and Faustin on LinkedIn

What We Cover

* How to articulate and animate school mission, charism, and core values so that they shape every teacher-parent interaction

* Hiring strategies that screen for mission alignment and genuine faith before academic credentials

* Practical ways to mentor new teachers through the relational and formative demands of Catholic school life

* How to disarm anxious, skeptical, or combative parents and move toward authentic partnership

* Communication norms, email boundaries, and social media guidance for protecting teachers and building trust

Q&A

* How do you help teachers strike the balance between being responsive to parents without having to be constantly on call?

* Any suggestions for navigating parent-teacher relationships when the parent is also part of your faculty and staff?

* What guidance do you give teachers about boundaries with parents in terms of texting, social media, or other communication outside of school?

Chapters

* 00:00: Introduction and Guest Introductions

* 02:55: Communicating Mission, Vision, and Core Values

* 10:03: Hiring Teachers Who Are Aligned with Mission

* 16:22: Forming New Teachers for Broader Responsibilities

* 20:17: Practical Support for Teachers Working with Parents

* 28:37: Email, Face-to-Face Meetings, and Communication Strategies

* 33:27: Navigating Challenging, Anxious, and Skeptical Parents

* 39:49: Leadership Perspective and the Flying Buttress Analogy

* 42:35: Handling Discipline and Hard Conversations with Parents

* 52:20: Lightning Q&A

Resources Mentioned

* Faustin Weber’s Blog: Ideas in Catholic Education

* Difficult Meetings with Parents, Part I by Faustin Weber

* Difficult Meetings with Parents, Part II by Faustin Weber

* Discipline, Mercy and Being Creative by Faustin Weber

* Catholic Schools and Flying Buttresses by Faustin Weber

* Row the Boat: A Never-Give-Up Approach to Lead with Enthusiasm and Optimism and Improve Your Team and Culture by Jon Gordon and P.J. Fleck (Amazon, Bookshop, Abe Books)

Join the conversation: Leave a comment and subscribe: familiaris.substack.com

Get in touch: Email [email protected] or reply to the newsletter to submit a question for a future Q&A Segment.

Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about our consulting services, professional development workshops, and speaking engagements, and schedule a free consultation with Jaime.

God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

What does a thriving marriage have to do with running a Catholic school? More than you might think! In this episode, Dr. Jaime Madison Vasquez draws on the landmark relationship research of John Gottman to offer Catholic school leaders a practical, mission-rooted framework for building deep, lasting partnerships with the families they serve.

The Seven Principles:

* Create Shared Meaning

* Get to Know Your Families

* Nurture Your Appreciation

* Turn Toward Each Other Instead of Away

* Let Your Families Influence You

* Solve Your Solvable Problems

* Welcome Problem Solving

What We Cover:

* Why John Gottman’s marriage research is one of the most powerful lenses available for understanding school-family dynamics

* The four pillars of shared meaning and how rituals, roles, goals, and values translate directly into school community life

* How to build habits of appreciation that counteract criticism and contempt before they take root

* Practical strategies for turning toward families, even across the asynchronous gap of newsletters, emails, and drop-off lines

* How to distinguish solvable problems from perpetual conflicts and approach both with mission-grounded wisdom

Q&A:

* How do we avoid falling into defensiveness when a parent comes to us already upset or critical?

* If a parent rarely responds to communication, how should we interpret that? And what do we do?

* Advice for new teachers who are nervous about dealing with parents

* What are small ways teachers can show appreciation to parents without it becoming another big task?

Chapters:

* 00:02: Welcome and Introduction

* 02:20: Why Gottman’s Marriage Research Applies to Schools

* 07:08: Principle 1: Create Shared Meaning

* 11:44: Principle 2: Get to Know Your Families

* 16:29: Principle 3: Nurture Your Appreciation

* 21:14: Principle 4: Turn Toward Each Other

* 30:44: Principle 5: Let Your Families Influence You

* 35:08: Principle 6: Solve Your Solvable Problems

* 41:29: Principle 7: Welcome Problem Solving

* 48:31: Listener Q&A

Resources Mentioned:

* Gottman Institute

* The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country’s Foremost Relationship Expert by John M. Gottman, PhD and Nan Silver — (Amazon | Bookshop | Abe Books)

* Join the conversation: leave a comment and subscribe: familiaris.substack.com

* Get in touch: [email protected] or reply to the newsletter to submit a question for a future Q&A segment

* Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about consulting services and schedule a free consultation with Jaime

God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

In this episode, Dr. Jaime Madison Vasquez sits down with a team from Midtown Metro who provide after school and summer enrichment programs serving low income youth in Chicago. With more than 60 years of experience both centers have robust parent formation programming. The conversation goes beyond logistics into what it takes to build a shared language around character education and the fruits born from years of nurturing relationships. If you care about parent partnership, character formation, mentorship, and strengthening culture with families of all backgrounds, this episode is going to give you both inspiration and practical direction.

Guests:

Vince Meno – Executive Director, Midtown-Metro Achievement Centers

Micheil Pruni – Center Director, Midtown Achievement Center for Boys

Anne Russell – Parent Program Director, Metro Achievement Center for Girls

In this episode, we discuss:

The founding mission of Midtown Metro and its two single-sex centers, serving students from 3rd through 12th grade across three programs: One-on-One, Pathways to Success, and College Orientation Programs

What the parent program looks like at each level and what the commitment asks of families

How Midtown Metro teaches virtue and character to students, parents, volunteers, and staff using a shared language and a recently completed John Templeton Foundation project

How one-on-one mentorship and tutoring creates the relational trust that sustains parent partnerships over time

How Midtown Metro communicates its Catholic identity and values to families, donors, and the broader public with a “Catholic and” (not “Catholic but”) approach

Q&A Question:

“Where should a school begin if they’re serving a similar demographic?”

Chapters:

0:00: Introduction

1:48: What is Midtown Metro? Mission, history, and who they serve

4:27: The parent program across age groups

9:06: Parent commitments and program structure

11:08: Attendance, weekly meetings, and building community

15:15: Stories of family transformation

21:13: The Midtown Metro approach to virtue and character education

44:11: Mentorship, tutoring, and the power of individual attention

48:58: Communicating Catholic identity to families and donors

52:15: Christian formation: how it’s offered and who participates

55:22: Measuring outcomes and sharing impact

58:34: Q&A: Where should a school begin?

Resources:

Midtown-Metro Achievement Centers

Midtown-Metro Mission, Vision, and Values

Board of Advisors Parent Activity:

Metro Achievement Center Parent Program Board Of Advisors Lesson Plan

88.1KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

John Templeton Foundation

Optimal Work

Get in touch: Email [email protected] or reply to the newsletter to submit a question for a future Q & A Segment.

Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about our consulting services and schedule a free consultation with Jaime.

Thanks for listening! This podcast is made possible through the support of paid subscribers.

Please help us reach more schools and families by sharing with your friends and colleagues. God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Guest: Patrick Whalen, Founder of Iliad Athletics — former Marine infantry officer, founding headmaster of St. Martin’s Academy, and father

In this episode, we discuss:

- Why a serious physical encounter with reality is a necessary prerequisite for almost any other educational work and what schools are losing when they neglect the body

- Why parents are the most decisive factor in a child’s physical formation and what basic stewardship of the body actually looks like at home

- The two-pronged approach to physical formation: everyday habit-building routines and big anchor experiences and the role schools can play in supporting both

- Why sports alone does not mean your school has figured out physical education and who gets left behind when PE is an afterthought

- How physical excellence for boys and girls should look different and why both extremes on that question miss the mark

Questions Addressed in the Q&A Segment:

- “I live in Illinois - where nature can be very flat and unvaried terrain. We lived for many years in the city of Chicago and didn’t have grass in our yard. We would make concerted efforts to visit nearby forest preserves for hiking trips, but wondering about your recommendations for schools and families to incorporate nature when they don’t have as direct access in the daily routines.”

- “If a leader realizes this is an area to grow in, what is the place to start that will be the most fruitful?”

- “If you are looking ahead to next year’s budget and want to allocate additional resources to fitness, apart from the Iliad curriculum, what would be your recommendation for investment?”

- “Parents on the sidelines can be a major liability for schools. What are your recommendations for instilling a charitable and partnership-oriented ethos among fans while still maintaining a commitment to excellence and competition?”

- “What about kids who are not naturally gifted in athletics? Isn’t PE just going to make them feel bad?”

- “How can PE contribute to overall school culture including spirituality, discipline, and even advancement?”

Resources:

- Iliad Athletics

- Educator Course Registration

- Summer Camp Registration

- Facebook

- LinkedIn

- Get in touch: Email [email protected] or reply to the newsletter to submit a question for a future Q & A Segment.

- Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about our consulting services and schedule a free consultation with Jaime.

Thanks for listening! This podcast is made possible through the support of paid subscribers. Be sure to leave a comment or to submit a question for a future Q&A Segment.

Please help us reach more schools and families by sharing with your friends and colleagues. God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios