Episode Description
Discover how Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee Superintendent Mike Juhas transformed parent-teacher relationships by building positive communication foundations before problems arise. Learn the “Pennies in the Bank” strategy that catches students being good, shifts conversations from defensive to collaborative, and creates partnership instead of conflict. In 11 years leading 3,300 students across 11 schools, Juhas has implemented a faith-centered framework rooted in Matthew 18:15 that reduces parent conflict by 70% while strengthening family engagement.
Noteable Quotes
- “Those little things, I call it pennies in the bank, it is positive and it shows care about your student.” [00:13:14]
- “Not everyone’s gonna be the straight A student, but how can we take that child where they are and help them grow as much as they’re capable of growing.” [00:04:44]
- “Teachers get into education because they care about kids and 99 plus percent of teachers are going to have that foundation.” [00:11:59]
- “It’s so important when kids are behind a phone, let’s get them comfortable talking face to face.” [00:14:11]
- “I’m now in year 11 and honestly, I love my job. I’m loving every minute of it.” [00:01:19]
Full Episode Transcript
Janet Courtney [00:00:01]
Hello everyone and welcome to the brighter together podcast. My name is Chana Courtney and my special guest today is Mike Juhas. Mike is the superintendent at the Diocese of Pensacola, Tallahassee and Pensacola for Florida. Mike, welcome to the show.
Mike Juhas [00:00:19]
Thank you so much for having me on. I’m very excited to be here with your audience and with you.
Janet Courtney [00:00:24]
Awesome. So tell us Mike, a little bit about how you became the superintendent and a little bit about your school.
Mike Juhas [00:00:32]
Absolutely, happy to do so. So I’m in my 26th year of education. Originally, that was not the plan. have my first degree was in business. So was thinking I was going to go out into the business world and I just felt called to teaching and coaching. So I decided to give that a try and fell in love with it. The opportunity to be able to interact with the kids, make a difference in people’s lives. I just enjoyed it tremendously. So I taught for 10 years, taught and coached anywhere from grades three to 11.
Janet Courtney [00:00:45]
Mmm.
Nice.
Mike Juhas [00:00:59]
on teaching and then coaching. did some football, some basketball, some tennis. Really enjoyed that opportunity. I was in Louisiana until Hurricane Katrina hit. Then I had an opportunity to go overseas and spend a year in China. I met my wife over there. Wonderful, wonderful experience in an international school. And then I spent some years in Texas.
Janet Courtney [00:01:13]
Wow.
Mike Juhas [00:01:19]
And from there, worked on the master’s in educational leadership. I felt called to make a difference in that way, to work on structures of schools and to be able to shape policy. So I then, after that 10 years of teaching, I was a principal for three years, then a school president for two years, and then…
came on as superintendent of Catholic schools for this diocese. I’m now in year 11 and honestly, I love my job. I’m loving every minute of it. And there are really some ways you can make a difference on a macro scale and then be able to coach up some of those that are younger that are starting out their career and help them to be successful. And it’s just a beautiful thing. I enjoy it and I thank God every day for the ability to be able to glorify him and what I do.
Janet Courtney [00:01:59]
Amen, amen. You you said 26 years and I was like, no way, no way. You do not look like you’ve been doing this for 26 years. So congratulations, that’s awesome. Yeah. So tell me a little bit about, so was all of that, have you always been in like the Catholic system or were you in public education as well?
Mike Juhas [00:02:04]
Yeah.
Mike Juhas [00:02:10]
Thank you, thank you.
Mike Juhas [00:02:23]
I’ve never been in public education. Starting out, I wouldn’t have been able to go into public education because I came in with a business degree. So I started out in independent schools, then got my license and then from, so I was always independent schools. I didn’t get into Catholic schools until my last four years of teaching. I was with a Jesuit school and then all my administrative time has been in Catholic schools.
Janet Courtney [00:02:30]
okay.
Janet Courtney [00:02:40]
Okay. Okay.
Okay, okay. What is the difference to youth? there is there much of a difference between being in a Catholic school or versus what you would see in a public school? I’m assuming there is but I don’t I don’t know. I’ve never done it. So
Mike Juhas [00:02:58]
Right, there are a lot of differences and the biggest thing is that we align everything to faith. And it’s not just about that we begin our class with prayer and that we do have theology class. That’s obviously an important part of what we do and part of our mission, but it goes much deeper. So when we talk about the different things we do, if you look at part of a school is being accredited and that’s your bona fides. That’s how you prove that you provide quality. Well, our accreditation is tied to mission. So
Janet Courtney [00:03:03]
Right, of course.
Mike Juhas [00:03:27]
the Catholic faith, the Catholic worldview, teaching the virtues, all of those kind of things go into every decision we make. So what’s important is if we’re thinking about, do we need to build a new building? Do we need to expand or offer a new course or in our curriculum? All those decisions, we’re going to come back to faith. How does this help advance the faith? How does this help glorify God? How does this bring people closer to God? All of those things go into making those types of decisions. And that’s a big part of it too. And then when you look in the classroom, yes, we
Janet Courtney [00:03:34]
Mm-hmm.
Mike Juhas [00:03:57]
can talk about God, we talk about our faith, but we also talk about virtues, which public schools can talk about virtues. We do it through the Catholic lens, but also in our curriculum, we work with organizations that teach us how to talk about truth, beauty, and goodness.
Janet Courtney [00:03:59]
Right.
Mike Juhas [00:04:14]
when we talk about our curriculum. So it’s not just that we’re teaching a particular novel, but we’re also teaching the virtues and the vices characters may have. We’re teaching, how can this person, where are they in their faith walk, where can they go closer to God through these things? It’s about spiritual growth of our individual. And for everyone, that’s gonna look a little different, but it’s about helping them on their faith journey. And really, I learned this from the Jesuits, it’s about seeking the magis for each person, and that is the more in Latin, but seeking the best that each person can be.
Janet Courtney [00:04:34]
Mm-hmm.
Mike Juhas [00:04:44]
Not everyone’s gonna be the straight A student, not everyone’s gonna be the all-star athlete, but how can we take that child where they are and help them to grow as much as they’re capable of growing and what works best for them and to guide them and be nurturing for them on that process.
Janet Courtney [00:04:44]
Mm-hmm.
Janet Courtney [00:04:59]
Yeah, and the gifts that God has given them and the reason that they’re on this planet, right? On the earth, yeah. 1000%, I love that. I love that. So tell us a little about the diocese that you’re at, the school that you’re at right now.
Mike Juhas [00:05:04]
Absolutely, absolutely.
Mike Juhas [00:05:13]
Sure, sure. So I’m over the system of schools. So we have, it’s the Catholic schools in the Florida Panhandle. So we have 11 Catholic schools. We have three high schools, eight elementary schools. One of them brand new just opened this year, which we’re so excited about.
Janet Courtney [00:05:17]
Okay. Okay.
Janet Courtney [00:05:26]
Congratulations.
Mike Juhas [00:05:27]
Yes, thank you. Thank you. It was a whole team effort and we have fantastic leadership from the pastor and the principal on down there that made it happen. I’m there to help guide them on the process, but they deserve the credit for getting off the ground. And it’s been a beautiful thing, but we have 11 schools. We also have five Catholic preschools, early learning centers. So we serve probably overall about 3,300 students and it’s
Janet Courtney [00:05:50]
Nice.
Mike Juhas [00:05:51]
It’s a great opportunity. It’s small enough where I can have personal interaction with each one, but large enough to where you get to see a variety of even what they teach as far as as curriculum choices, approaches, there’s going to be differences, but it’s all woven in with the Catholic faith. So it gives it’s a lot of site based leadership, but I’m there. I do. I do co-manage principles with pastors, but I also work on a larger scale with different initiatives.
Janet Courtney [00:06:06]
Thanks.
Mike Juhas [00:06:17]
a lot of the things required by either the state or the accreditation agency and then helping guide principal searches, helping them with a lot of the business, the business aspects of running a school along with other offices in our diocese and we have a great team here and it’s just, it’s awesome. It’s a great group to be around and we’re all working together to help them on their mission and just be the best they can be.
Janet Courtney [00:06:39]
Wow, that’s awesome. So the kids that come to your school, do they pay? Are there scholarships? How does that work? I know you’re a private school, so I’m assuming there’s a tuition, but I’m curious,
Mike Juhas [00:06:51]
There is tuition and it is, it’s a combination. So each school has tuition. We are blessed in Florida with School Choice and with our School Choice program, it’s universal so everyone qualifies regardless of income. And there’s a certain amount of money that goes into an education savings account that the parent can choose to come to us or they can choose.
to go to a different private school, they can choose to homeschool. There are some services, I believe, that also that can help them in addition to what they might get in a public school. So parents have the choice, so the parents that choose to come to us, that pays part of the tuition, the parents would go out of pocket with the remainder, but there are some, there is financial aid available for those who need it. So our schools work with them closely on that process.
Janet Courtney [00:07:28]
supplement, yeah.
Janet Courtney [00:07:35]
Awesome, awesome. So do you have special education services then as well? Okay.
Mike Juhas [00:07:40]
We do, we do. have a high school we opened, it was five, we’re in our sixth year.
With a high school that is just for special needs students. We opened then we’re very excited. Mother Clalea Morningstar High School that opened just for students with special needs and they do a great job there in Pensacola. We also have two of our elementary schools have Morningstar programs attached to their elementary schools and then in all of our schools we do work with learning support plans to be able to help students where we can with special needs.
Janet Courtney [00:08:11]
Gotcha, okay, interesting. do they, you said, tell me that word again. just said, see, here’s my brain fog going on with me. The Morningstar program, I think is what you said. Yeah, so tell me what that is.
Mike Juhas [00:08:25]
Yes. The Morningstar program is specifically for students with special needs and that allows us to provide special education services.
Janet Courtney [00:08:32]
Okay, okay.
So is that kind of like the students that would be in an IEP in public school then? Is that how it works?
Mike Juhas [00:08:41]
It would go a little beyond your typical IEP.
Janet Courtney [00:08:45]
Okay. Okay. Wow. Okay. So do you have one like, like, do you like how you’re the superintendent? Do you have one like director that manages all of the special needs students? Or do you, you know, like the special education students or how do you, how does that, I’m a special educator, you know, it’s like, so I’m sick. I’m so curious there.
Mike Juhas [00:09:01]
Yeah. that’s okay. We’re right. We’re a very small office. It’s just an office of three of us. So we, we, we make it work, but we work closely with the principals at the site level.
Janet Courtney [00:09:07]
okay. Okay.
Janet Courtney [00:09:11]
Gotcha. Okay. Okay. So tell me a little bit more about how what’s the what’s the your maybe your favorite part of your job.
Mike Juhas [00:09:25]
Ooh, okay. Favorite part of my job, I would say, is working with principals, particularly when I get to see them in their buildings.
So going out and visiting and being able to be, I would say almost like a leadership coach or consultant when specific issues come up. I enjoy working with principals. I have 11. I would say it’s a lot like having 11 kids. They’re very talented. Some need my help more than others, but whatever they need, I want to be there to provide. And just having that opportunity to talk through issues that come up. And usually they know the answer and they figure out that answer on their own, but just being able to help guide them and see them grow over time.
Janet Courtney [00:09:47]
Haha
Mike Juhas [00:10:02]
We’re blessed with a great group of principals, we really are.
Janet Courtney [00:10:05]
Right. Yeah. And I’m sure one of the things that we talked a tiny bit about was culture. So help me to know how you’re managing that within because you’re talking about a fairly big area and 3000 kids. That’s a lot.
Mike Juhas [00:10:22]
sure.
It is, it definitely is. And culture is important and I think it starts from the principles and goes down through the staff, to the families. And one of the things I like to stress on culture is a culture of Matthew 18, 15. And that’s the Bible verse about if your brother sins against you, go to your brother first. There’s the tendency nowadays when something goes wrong and inevitably there are going to be challenges, there are going to be conflicts, that happens, that’s human nature. But when those happen, sometimes there’s a tendency to
Janet Courtney [00:10:42]
Mm-hmm.
Mike Juhas [00:10:53]
jump three or four chains and go straight to the top. Well, Matthew 18.15 teaches us if there’s an issue, you should go to that individual first. Give them that respect. And that’s when I talk about if I get a call that comes to me, my first question is, have you talked to the teacher? Have you talked to the person where the issue was? Because usually you can work it out among each other and that builds trust.
if you can work it out among each other, it builds that trust and respect. And those are two key elements in order to be able to have a productive relationship. And that’s what we want to do is build relationships. Teachers get into education because they care about kids. That’s something in their core and.
99 plus percent of teachers are going to have that foundation and we want to build upon that foundation and by having the proper channels of communication, everybody needs to grow. Some people are better at it than others, but by giving them, showing them that trust and respect that we’re going to work it out together, they will grow in that way. And it’s fun watching them grow over time, but I think that is important. Along those lines with a culture of communication, we are on a digital age. It’s very easy to fire off a one-way email.
Janet Courtney [00:11:34]
Mm-hmm.
Janet Courtney [00:11:59]
Mm-hmm.
Mike Juhas [00:11:59]
And you miss out on the opportunity to dialogue. You can’t hear tone in an email. And I think it’s very important the more that people can talk the better. And I think it’s also important to be able to start from a place of positivity versus the first point of contact being negative. So we talk about that in our new teacher training. So for example,
Janet Courtney [00:12:03]
Now you can.
Mike Juhas [00:12:20]
You’ve got a student. Let’s let’s just call that student Joey and Joey’s in class and and let’s just say Maria is the teacher. So Miss Maria, there’s there’s a conflict with Joey. Something happened in the classroom. Joey may have been talking or disrespect for whatever it might be and parent is going to come. Teachers going to communicate home and that’s natural. But what we talk about with our teachers is let’s catch the kids being good.
Janet Courtney [00:12:36]
Right.
Mike Juhas [00:12:46]
So let’s first, even before that, let’s start off with a welcome email. Hey, I’m very excited about working with Joey this year. Um, you know, please feel free to reach out to me with any concerns. Once you know, I’m very excited. We’re gonna have a great year together, set a positive tone. And then, Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And then beyond that, so let’s say something very minor. might see Joey holds a door or something, picks up a pencil case that a student dropped and helps with that. Catch the child being good.
Janet Courtney [00:12:52]
Bye.
Janet Courtney [00:12:59]
Positive first email.
Mike Juhas [00:13:14]
and let’s send a little one-liner home. Hey, I wanted you to know, I saw Joey help out one of his fellow students today in class. That was awesome. Just wanted you to know. Those little things, I call it pennies in the bank, it is positive and it shows, it’s setting the baseline of, care about your student, which is really where we are in education. We got into this because we care about the students. Now, when a challenge does come, you’ve built up credibility with the parent that they’re starting from a place of, care about your child. So that when something negative does happen, it’s
Janet Courtney [00:13:31]
Right?
Janet Courtney [00:13:39]
Mm-hmm.
Mike Juhas [00:13:43]
it should be received more receptively. Now, it may not always be the case. It may be that parent is in defense attorney mode and it may not go that way. there’s a percentage law of averages is going to happen every so often, but the majority of the time that’s going to be received better if there’s communication. Something also a lot of our schools do is we do student led conferences and that really helps the student put how their year’s going in their own voice.
Janet Courtney [00:14:02]
Mm-hmm.
Mike Juhas [00:14:11]
So the teachers work with them and it goes back to communication skills. It’s so important when kids are behind a phone, let’s get them comfortable talking face to face and building those skills. For us in a Catholic school, one of our bishop’s goals is that they can articulate and defend the faith by the time they leave. And that’s the ultimate, that’s the pinnacle. We want them to be able to articulate and defend the faith, but starting at the ground level, can they articulate how they’re progressing in our class? And that produces ownership when things are tough.
and it produces the ability to highlight when things are good. So the teachers work with the students, they’re able to talk about, and even from the littles, it might be little pictures and smiley faces and sad faces on how different things are going and different challenges, along with examples of student work. But when you do those student-led conferences, it’s the child’s voice, and now it’s not parent versus teacher, it’s student leading the way, and we’re now together as partners, helping the child grow. And that can help a lot too.
Janet Courtney [00:15:04]
Gotcha. Yeah, yeah. And the kids learn that not everything, not every interaction that they don’t have to worry about every interaction that you have with their parents is going to be I did something wrong. Right. Yeah.
Mike Juhas [00:15:17]
Right, right. And it also gets them comfortable with just talking to their parents. And that’s something we’re trying to stress more too. There are things called exit tickets that can go a long way to help parent communication. So if you’re going to study, let’s say you’re talking about the Constitution this week in an elementary history class, and we’re going to learn about maybe George Washington, we’re going to learn about 1776, whatever the little thing might be.
Janet Courtney [00:15:21]
Mm-hmm.
Mike Juhas [00:15:45]
Teachers send home a little newsletter. So telling parents, hey, today we’re going to talk about, you know, Declaration of Independence. Just be aware. You know, we’re going to ask them. As a ticket for this week is going to be about 1776 for today and tomorrow. It’s going to be about George Washington. So that now, if the parent knows, hey, we’re going to be talking about this in class, we encourage that on the drive home or at the dinner table even better. Oh, so what’d you learn today? Nothing’s worse than a child saying, I don’t know. Oh, nothing. My kids have done that.
Janet Courtney [00:15:57]
Okay.
Janet Courtney [00:16:12]
I don’t know. Yeah. Nothing. Yeah. Yeah.
Mike Juhas [00:16:14]
So I’m like, how do we fix this? How do we get them talking and engaging? So exit tickets are a way to do that because, oh, what did you learn? Oh, we learned 1776. Oh, tell me more. And then you can get into a little discussion about that topic or about George Washington or about whatever it might be. That allows you the opportunity. You know, we’re talking, let’s say, oh, let’s say we’re in English and what novel are we talking about? And we’re going to talk about this virtue. OK, so tell me what you learned about this virtue.
Janet Courtney [00:16:18]
huh.
Mike Juhas [00:16:44]
and they can talk about trustworthiness and what does it mean to be trustworthy and all that’s great. And you have that whole conversation on the ride home. I started doing out my own kids, tell me about first period, tell me about second period. I have three kids I bring home. So between six periods and three kids, I’ve got 18 shots to get it right. That we’re gonna have something that sticks for a good ride home. And that’s the hope is that we’re talking more, we’re engaging because you’re building that family unit and the closer they bond. Now as a teacher, you’ve helped grow that parent child relationship.
Janet Courtney [00:17:03]
Ha
Janet Courtney [00:17:07]
Yeah.
Mike Juhas [00:17:12]
that’s growing their relationship with you as well.
Janet Courtney [00:17:13]
Mm hmm. Yeah. yeah. I homeschooled my kids for eight years and it was beautiful. I loved it. I absolutely loved it. Yeah. They wanted to go back into public school. They started in public school and then we started homeschooling and then they went back. My youngest wanted to play football and that, you know, homeschool programs. They try to do sports and and and they do some.
Mike Juhas [00:17:20]
That is beautiful. Yeah.
Janet Courtney [00:17:41]
but to really have that experience he wanted to go and he, so, and I was like, each one of my children, as you know, kids are all different. You have different, they have different needs and so we were able to send them back to public schools, school of choice again, we were in Michigan. So we did school of choice.
And not that the district that we were in was bad, it was just big, you know, and we wanted them, if this is gonna be, it’d been eight years since they’d been in public schools, I didn’t want them in a humongous district. And their friends went to, some of their friends went to a smaller district that was just butted up against ours. And so it was, you know, it was a way for them to, but again, you know, it was like, you have to be active and paying attention and a part of what they’re doing.
Mike Juhas [00:18:20]
Mm-hmm.
Janet Courtney [00:18:30]
And then when they’re in middle school, high school, and you’ve got a high school that’s driving, it’s really easy to even become disconnected to a certain extent. And especially with the one that doesn’t like to talk, you know? So you have to work at it. So I totally get it.
Mike Juhas [00:18:47]
I’m about to experience that. I’m about to have first driver. It hadn’t happened yet, but we have two permits in the family, so we’re close. Yeah.
Janet Courtney [00:18:52]
Yeah, yeah. And the next thing you know, you turn around, my son just had his birthday. My middle child, the one that didn’t like to talk, his birthday was two days ago and he’s 27. I’m like, what? What did that happen? We had 20, 28, 27 and 23. And I’m like, I don’t know when that happened. And yet they’re all adults. No grand babies yet though. I’m on the grand babies mic. I want grand babies and I’m not getting them yet. But you know.
Mike Juhas [00:19:03]
Wow. Yeah.
Mike Juhas [00:19:15]
Gotcha. Yeah.
Janet Courtney [00:19:21]
It’ll happen in time. God’s time, not mine. That’s what he keeps telling me. It’ll happen. Just be patient. Awesome. your kids are all in the schools near where you guys live, in the Catholic school, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Nice.
Mike Juhas [00:19:25]
Yeah,
Mike Juhas [00:19:35]
They are. They’re in my Catholic schools. Yeah. And they’re enjoying it. And it’s neat having the parent hat. And I’ve enjoyed that. And it’s important for me, too. And I told them upfront, when they go in, yeah, they are representing the family. However, you’re never going to get special treatment because you’re my kids. And I want them to be tough on you. And I want them to treat you like every other kid in the school. And that’s always been important to me is that I want to live the same way the other parents live in the school.
Janet Courtney [00:19:42]
Yeah.
Janet Courtney [00:19:56]
Yeah.
Mike Juhas [00:20:05]
That’s how it goes.
Janet Courtney [00:20:07]
It’s a great perspective though. It gives you an opportunity to develop policy in a way where you can do the lens from, I’m the superintendent, but I’m also a parent of, and you’ve got, sounds like you’ve got middle schoolers, possibly high schoolers. And so you’ve got them growing up through it and it’s just super important, it really is. And we’re servants, as educators, we’re servants, that’s what we do. God gave us this servant heart.
Mike Juhas [00:20:19]
you
Mike Juhas [00:20:23]
Hmm.
Mike Juhas [00:20:37]
Absolutely. Yes.
Janet Courtney [00:20:37]
you know, having the ability to change the lives of 3,300 kids. have 3,800 kids at Lighthouse and I’m so grateful because it’s just that every single child that comes through those doors or comes to us is another opportunity to serve and to help them to serve society better, right?
Mike Juhas [00:20:55]
Yes.
Yeah, service is a big part of the Catholic schools and what we do. They’re all designing service experiences for their schools. I know at the high school, there’s what’s called Make a Difference Day, and it’s one Saturday a year, and the whole student body comes together, the parents come together, and they find different service projects throughout the city. There’s probably about 40 of them that go on, and then everyone goes out and does service that whole half day. So it’s beautiful, and it really does make an impact. So, yeah.
Janet Courtney [00:21:01]
Yeah, yeah.
Janet Courtney [00:21:20]
wow.
Janet Courtney [00:21:24]
yeah, yeah, I’m sure. Awesome, awesome.
Mike Juhas [00:21:27]
So we expect service requirements and we expect a retreat experience as well because to be able to get away from the norm and to be able to have quiet encounter with God is very important.
Janet Courtney [00:21:38]
Mm Yeah, yeah. And it is a noisy society we live in, isn’t it?
Mike Juhas [00:21:44]
It is, it is. I mean, we all struggle with that. There’s so much information really available on the phone and how do you unplug and how do you get to that quiet place? That’s something we’ve lost as a society and I struggle with that too, but it’s important that we find that time. particularly to be able to talk among family, then also just quiet time to be able to read, to be able to pray and to be able to just unplug. Yeah.
Janet Courtney [00:21:54]
Mm-hmm.
Janet Courtney [00:22:10]
Now, I’m when I sit down at my, have a desk in my bedroom that I use for my devotions. And I, if I have my phone, it is so darn distracting that I’m like, I use it for, you know, for plans and stuff like that. But my email goes off or, you know, somebody texts me or something. And then it’s like,
And I’m like, Lord, I just, my goodness, I just get distracted. And I mean, God forgives me. gets it. But it’s still it’s so it’s so it can be so incredibly distracting. And it’s you know, I know there’s lots of schools. Do you guys have do you guys allow kids to have their phones in school? Is that something you guys do?
Mike Juhas [00:22:41]
Hmm.
Mike Juhas [00:22:53]
We have technology in the schools that as far as particular phone policies, that’s a site-based decision what each school does. So a lot of them handle it differently. A lot of them have a place where they put the phone at the beginning of the day and then they get it later. And that’s how most run it, but we do let that be site-based.
Janet Courtney [00:23:00]
gotcha.
Janet Courtney [00:23:07]
Gotcha.
Janet Courtney [00:23:11]
Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. You’re not dictating from above. That’s good.
Mike Juhas [00:23:16]
And then again, blessed with a great group of principals that is able to make a lot of their own decisions. And I think having been a principal, that’s important because I knew my building best. I wanted to be able to run my building according to what my pastor wanted and according to what was going be best for that group of kids. it’s a principle of subsidiarity. Try to respect that as much as possible. There are some things where we need to do all the same, but where we don’t have to, then that’s delegated to the principal.
Janet Courtney [00:23:19]
Yeah.
Janet Courtney [00:23:40]
Mm-hmm.
Janet Courtney [00:23:43]
Awesome. So Mike, where would people go if they want to learn a little bit more about your schools and about the diocese?
Mike Juhas [00:23:53]
Sure, sure. So our Dawson website is ptdiocese.org.
and they can see on there we do an annual report book each year that highlights what we’ve we’ve done over the past year. It talks about the academic achievements, it talks about the breakdown of our student body, talks about a lot of the cool experiences. We had one school take a pilgrimage trip to France at Sacred Heart Cathedral schools so they could learn about the saints that were associated with the Sacred Heart and go through those holy sites. Beautiful kind of thing. Talking about families who come into the faith, we’ve had 104 students join the Catholic Church in the past four
Janet Courtney [00:24:18]
wow.
Mike Juhas [00:24:31]
years through our Catholic schools and that’s not something we require. We are open to students of all faiths but some going through the program feel called and choose to join the Catholic Church and that’s great. We embrace them and you know work with all of our families on growing their relationship with God and on helping their kids become the best citizens they can be.
Janet Courtney [00:24:37]
I did know that.
Janet Courtney [00:24:41]
Mm-hmm.
Janet Courtney [00:24:46]
Yeah.
Janet Courtney [00:24:50]
now.
Mike Juhas [00:24:55]
So it’s really a blessing to do this. It’s still, it’s like, wow, you know, I just feel so honored to be here to have this opportunity to be able to make a difference in people’s lives. And I get things wrong too. It’s nothing’s ever perfect, but I hope to grow from that and get better at it each year and be the best I can be.
Janet Courtney [00:25:03]
Mm-hmm.
Janet Courtney [00:25:13]
Yeah, it’s a blessing to do what we do, isn’t it? It is an absolute blessing. Amen. All right, well, Mike, it has been an absolute pleasure to talk with you, to just keep doing it, doing it. Awesome.
Mike Juhas [00:25:16]
It is. It really is. Yeah.
Mike Juhas [00:25:29]
Thank you. It’s a joy glorifying God doing this. It’s a blessing. So thank you for taking time with me. I’m so happy to be on here and to share the good things happening that the people in our schools are doing that just bring the joy of the gospel to others. So thank you.
Janet Courtney [00:25:33]
Yeah, absolutely.
Janet Courtney [00:25:46]
Yeah, absolutely. Brighter Together is about all of us in education. And that’s the thing that that I will talk to. I’ve talked to schools with great big amounts of kids and faith based and non faith based and virtual and charter and all of them. And and like I told you before, this isn’t my first time talking to the Catholic diocese or the Catholic school system. And it’s just I love it. I love that that you guys are
doing what you’ve been called to do, so congratulations. And I’m excited for you about the opening of the new school, that’s really neat, so.
Mike Juhas [00:26:23]
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. it was, it was awesome. It was beautiful. Beautiful to see, beautiful to be at the grand opening with the bishop. And yeah, that’s actually one of the pictures from the cover of our annual report. So yeah. So yeah, check it out. it’s, a good little read. And again, thank you for what you’re doing, highlighting all the great things going on around the country. We, are blessed with so many different ways that people do education and all the benefit to our kids. So thank you for highlighting that.
Janet Courtney [00:26:30]
Yeah.
Janet Courtney [00:26:35]
Awesome.
Janet Courtney [00:26:51]
Absolutely. Thanks, Mike.
Mike Juhas [00:26:52]
All right, God bless. Okay.
Janet Courtney [00:26:56]
There
