Familiaris Podcast for Catholic School Leaders

Jaime Madison Vasquez, PhD
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Education
  • Updated Weekly

Mission-first professional formation to help Catholic school leaders forge extraordinary relationships with families familiaris.substack.com

  1. The Heart of the Family: A Resource for the Domestic Church

    3d ago

    The Heart of the Family: A Resource for the Domestic Church

    Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about consulting, workshops, and speaking engagements ______ Benito Medrano Calderón, Director of the Holy Family Initiative at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, joins Jaime to unpack a free, scripture-rooted family formation program built through years of multi-diocese pilots and to show Catholic school leaders exactly how to bring it to their parent communities. Whether your school serves primarily Hispanic families or not, the Heart of the Family series offers a ready-made pathway for helping parents embrace their role as the first educators of their children. What We Cover * The demographic reality Catholic school leaders can’t ignore: nearly half of all US Catholics are Hispanic, and the vast majority are second- or third-generation Americans born and raised in the US * What years of parish pilot programs revealed about how families actually grow in faith — and what keeps them coming back * How the Heart of the Family video series is structured: seven sessions, scripture-rooted, free in both English and Spanish * Why effective parent formation must begin with hope before it can move toward formation and how the program eases families in gradually * Three concrete models Catholic schools can use to implement the Heart of the Family with their own parent communities Resources: * Access the Heart of the Family Series * Contact Benito for more information Chapters * 00:00: Introducing Benito Medrano Calderón and the Holy Family Initiative * 07:26: The McGrath Institute — bridging Catholic intellectual and pastoral life * 09:25: The demographic reality: Hispanic Catholics and disaffiliation * 13:52: Extended family networks and faith transmission * 18:45: Abuelita theology and community-rooted catechesis * 20:19: Starting with encounter: evangelization before formation * 28:26: The Heart of the Family series: structure and sessions * 33:12: Scripture as the foundation of the program * 35:00: The pilot format: meals, music, reflection, and take-home resources * 42:41: Fruits from the field: parishes that took it further * 46:34: Three models for Catholic schools * 55:43: Why hope is the key to reaching parents 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. 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. Get full access to Familiaris at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 2m
  2. Four Personas for School-Family Communication

    Jun 11

    Four Personas for School-Family Communication

    What if becoming a more effective communicator with parents starts with recognizing the different roles educators must navigate throughout the relationship? In this episode, Dr. Jaime Madison Vasquez shares four educator personas that represent the mindsets and practices that shape family partnerships in Catholic schools. The personas of The Public Servant, the Coach, the Toast, and the Doctor each offer a lens for teachers and leaders to reflect on and strengthen communication with parents. We'll explore the key traits that define each persona, the situations where each is most helpful, and how school leaders can use them to audit communication practices, support faculty growth, and think more intentionally about the overall experience families have with their school. What We Cover: * The foundational beliefs about parent-school relationships that ground the four educator personas * How the Public Servant persona keeps mission central while upholding transparency and professional responsibility * How the Coach persona delivers actionable goals and feedback while motivating students and families toward growth * How the Toast persona honors each student’s unique value and builds relational foundations through intentional celebration * How to audit your communication across key circumstances, personal tendencies, and team composition to strengthen your school’s overall family experience Overview of the Four Personas: Public Servant * Focus on the mission * Transparency & professional responsibility The Coach * Actionable goals; Actionable feedback * Motivate the team effort The toast * Honor the student’s value * Celebrate the moment The doctor * First listen, then explain, then recommend * Make the technical understandable Chapters: * 00:00: Introduction to the Four Educator Personas * 04:21: The Public Servant * 08:56: The Coach * 16:13: The Toast * 23:07: The Doctor * 29:34: Applying the Personas Throughout the Year * 34:15: Conferences and Mission-Critical Problem Solving * 36:41: Personal Tendencies and Team Audit * 40:39: Recap Resources: * Episode 5: 7 Principles for Making School-Family Relationships Work * 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 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. 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. Get full access to Familiaris at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe

    43 min
  3. A History of American Homeschooling with Dixie Dillon Lane

    Jun 4

    A History of American Homeschooling with Dixie Dillon Lane

    What can the history of homeschool teach us about the future of Catholic schooling? Historian and educator Dr. Dixie Dillon Lane joins Dr. Jaime Madison Vasquez to discuss her new book, Skipping School: A History of American Homeschooling and How It Went Mainstream. Drawing on extensive research and interviews, Dixie traces homeschooling’s journey from a small and often hidden movement in the mid-twentieth century to a significant and growing part of the American educational landscape. The discussion includes the changing relationship between families and schools, why parental influence has become such an important educational question, and lessons for Catholic school leaders. Guests Dixie Dillon-Lane, Historian of Education, Author of Skipping School: A History of American Homeschooling and How It Went Mainstream, Editor, Hearth and Field What We Cover * How Sputnik and the Cold War triggered federal intervention in local education and why that history illuminates the parental instincts driving educational choice today * The distinction between parental control, influence, and authority and what it means practically for school-family relationships in Catholic schools * How homeschooling evolved from a legally risky fringe practice into a minority norm now larger than Catholic schooling, and what that says about American beliefs * What the data actually shows about homeschooling and child safety and how Catholic school leaders can model clear-eyed, fair engagement with contested education statistics * Post-COVID shifts in how families weigh institutional affiliation against core values and the invitation that creates for schools anchored in a strong Catholic mission Chapters * 00:00: Introduction and Dixie’s background * 09:31: Sputnik and the Cold War’s impact on American education * 11:56: Early homeschoolers and the anti-institution movement * 17:14: Parental authority vs. control vs. influence * 25:03: Where homeschooling and Catholic schooling overlap * 31:54: Subsidiarity, local control, and education * 36:49: Homeschooling and child safety: data vs. narrative * 41:14: What public school performance numbers reveal * 44:01: Post-COVID shifts in values and institutional affiliation * 49:00: Lessons for Catholic school leaders in this moment * 53:15: The ultimate purpose of education Resources: * Skipping School: A History of American Homeschooling and How It Went Mainstream by Dixie Dillon Lane (Amazon, Bookshop, Eerdmans Publishing) * The Hollow Substack Newsletter * The Bad Moms Homeschool Substack Newsletter * Hearth & Field: A Journal, An Invitation, A Quest for Real Life Follow Dixie on LinkedIn 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. 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. Get full access to Familiaris at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 2m
  4. Speech and Debate as Whole Person Formation

    May 28

    Speech and Debate as Whole Person Formation

    Speech and debate do far more than prepare students for competition; they shape how young people think, listen, argue, and engage as citizens. Dr. Jaime Madison Vasquez sits down with Ethan Tong, Jonathan Peele, and Anne McClure to explore how Catholic schools and families can enter this space and use it as a vehicle for whole-person formation and parent partnership. Guests: * Ethan Tong, League Administrator, High School Moot Court Association * Jonathan Peele, Director of Speech and Debate, Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation * Anne McClure, Board Member, High School Moot Court Association What We Cover: * The different formats of speech and debate—platform speeches, limited prep, interpretive events, policy debate, and moot court—and how each develops distinct but complementary skills * How the speech and debate landscape is structured across major leagues (NSDA, NCFL, NCFCA, STOA, Coolidge Foundation, HSMCA) and what distinguishes each for Catholic and classical schools * Practical guidance for schools getting started, from choosing a league and matching events to student strengths, to honestly assessing the time commitment for coaches * Why parents are essential to the speech and debate ecosystem—as judges, coaches, conversation partners, and the first audience for a student’s prepared arguments * How moot court and debate bring formation home through the dinner table debates, late-night arguments, and multigenerational conversations that enrich family culture Chapters: * 00:00: Welcome and guest introductions * 01:27: Ethan’s path into speech and debate and founding HSMCA * 03:43: Jonathan’s journey and the Coolidge Foundation * 05:28: Anne’s story as a debate parent and board member * 08:29: Mapping the speech and debate landscape * 13:59: Coolidge debate: civility, substance, and accessibility * 19:50: Getting started: advice for schools and coaches * 26:17: Time commitment and scaling expectations * 33:04: Moot court vs. debate: different skills, shared formation * 43:03: The role of parents as judges and conversation partners * 56:26: Speech and debate as whole-family formation * 58:42: Where to find HSMCA and Coolidge online Resources: High School Moot Court Association Coolidge Speech and Debate National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) NCFCA Christian Speech & Debate League National Catholic Forensic League STOA Christian Homeschool Speech and Debate 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. 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. Get full access to Familiaris at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 4m
  5. The Case Study Method for Parent Formation with Leticia Rodriguez of IFFD

    May 21

    The Case Study Method for Parent Formation with Leticia Rodriguez of IFFD

    What does it look like to help parents grow in skill and in love for family life itself? Leticia Rodriguez, Director of Family Enrichment for the International Federation for Family Development (IFFD), joins Dr. Jaime Madison Vasquez to share how the Family Enrichment case study method (currently used in 68 countries) equips couples to communicate better, grow in friendship, and become more united as spouses and parents. Guest Leticia Rodriguez, Director of Family Enrichment, International Federation for Family Development (IFFD) What We Cover: * How the Family Enrichment case study method helps couples move from facts to problems to solutions in their family life * Why the husband-wife relationship is the most important factor in raising healthy children * The four-step structure of IFFD’s family enrichment courses: individual study, spouse discussion, small group, and general session * How schools and family enrichment programs can partner to support parents at every stage of a child’s development * Best practices for moderating a group discussion and the common mistake that shuts down conversation Chapters: * 00:00: Introduction * 02:04: Leticia Rodriguez and the Origins of IFFD * 06:42: Discovering the Beauty of Family Life * 11:36: How the Case Study Method Works * 19:13: Why Starting with Facts Transforms Communication * 26:20: The Four Steps: From Individual Study to General Session * 33:54: Parenting Across Every Stage of Development * 38:57: Why the Marriage Relationship Comes First * 45:37: How Schools Partner with Family Enrichment Programs * 47:13: The PAUSE Platform for Families * 51:14: Q&A: Common Moderator Mistakes and How to Avoid Them Q&A: * What are the key ingredients for writing a case study that sparks real discussion? * What are best practices for helping couples commit to a full series of family enrichment sessions? Resources: International Federation for Family Development Family Enrichment USA Learn about family enrichment courses in the United States. IFFD - Pause Digital resources to foster study and conversation between couples and among friends. 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. 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. Get full access to Familiaris at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 4m
  6. Quo vadis, humanitas? Vocation, Identity, and the Gift of Freedom (Part 2)

    May 14

    Quo vadis, humanitas? Vocation, Identity, and the Gift of Freedom (Part 2)

    In this follow-up conversation, Dr. Jaime Madison Vasquez and guest co-host Anne McClure move into practical and hopeful insights for families in the recent Vatican document, Quo vadis, humanitas? Together they unpack how memory, rootedness, and a culture of vocation can shape Catholic education, and what it truly means to educate in genuine freedom rather than fear. Guest: Anne McClure – Mother of five, education consultant. Follow Anne on LinkedIn What We Cover * Why memory understood as more than data retrieval is essential to forming a sense of vocation in children and adolescents * How rootedness in a specific home, community, and tradition equips students to navigate the confusion and risk of identity formation * The difference between educating for maturity versus filling students with skills, tasks, and measurable outcomes * What a Catholic vision of human freedom looks like in practice—and how the temptations to control, comply, or take the path of least resistance undermine it * How school leaders can build cultures of trust, humility, and accompaniment that form both students and the adults who serve them Chapters * 00:00: Introduction and Recap of Part I * 01:22: Memory, History, and the Roots of Vocation * 09:41: Rootedness, Place, and the Risk of Nomadism * 13:42: Educating for Maturity, Not Just Skills * 18:22: Identity Formation, Story, and the Adolescent Journey * 22:05: A Catholic Understanding of Human Freedom * 28:38: The Rich Young Man and the Temptation to Control * 33:17: Coaches, Mentors, and Extracurricular Formation * 42:18: Humility, Trust, and Building a School Culture * 49:00: Key Quotes and Final Reflections Resources: Quo Vadis Humanitas 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. 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. Get full access to Familiaris at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe

    54 min
  7. Quo vadis, humanitas? Why Catholic Schools Need a Vision of the Human Person (Part 1)

    May 7

    Quo vadis, humanitas? Why Catholic Schools Need a Vision of the Human Person (Part 1)

    In this episode, Dr. Jaime Madison Vasquez and guest co-host Anne McClure explore the Vatican’s recent document Quo Vadis Humanitas, examining what Christian anthropology means for Catholic educators and parents partnering in the formation of children. They discuss the tension between being and doing, the reality of human vulnerability, and how vocation grounds us in relationship with God and one another. Guest: Anne McClure – Mother of five, education consultant. Follow Anne on LinkedIn What We Cover: * The foundation of being versus doing in education and why Christian anthropology must ground our practices * How transhumanism and posthumanism challenge Catholic understandings of the human person * The role of tension, vulnerability, and interdependence in human formation * Vocation as call and gift rather than self-directed project * Practical ways to bring these ideas into school communities and homeschool settings Chapters: * 00:00: Introduction & Guest Background * 02:00: Why Christian Anthropology Matters * 04:30: From “Doing” to “Being” * 07:40: Transhumanism & Cultural Pressures * 11:10: Technology, Identity, and Anxiety * 16:00: Rethinking Human Development * 20:50: Achievement Culture & “Power Parenting” * 32:40: Life as Vocation * 38:00: Family, Gift, and Formation Resources: * Quo Vadis, Humanitas * Summaries of Quo Vadis, Humanitas (Vatican News, The Pillar) * Gaudium et Spes * International Theological Commission * Episode 12 with Mark Bradford - Created in His Image: A Catholic Vision for Students with Disabilities * Dependent Rational Animals: Why Human Beings Need the Virtues by Alasdair MacIntyre (Amazon, Bookshop, Thriftbooks) * Newman Forum for High School Students 2026 Summer Institute: There and Back Again: The Adventures of Heroes, Saints, and Pilgrims 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. Get full access to Familiaris at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 2m
  8. Created in His Image: A Catholic Vision for Students with Disabilities

    Apr 30

    Created in His Image: A Catholic Vision for Students with Disabilities

    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. Get full access to Familiaris at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 3m
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