Shaping the Church of the future

Students at the heart of Professional Development Day as diocesan educators meet

By Bill Brewer

There was a buzz in the air on Feb. 12 as educators from around the Diocese of Knoxville gathered on the campus of Knoxville Catholic High School for the annual Professional Development Day.

Yes, Bishop Mark Beckman was celebrating an all-schools Mass at All Saints Church and afterward was addressing the teachers and administrators. Yes, interim schools superintendent George Valadie was giving an always-entertaining address in the high-school auditorium. And yes, several teachers were being recognized for their service to education in the diocese over many years.

But the middle-aged guy in jeans, tennis shoes, and a T-shirt that read “Erducator Strong” (with the “o” in Strong shaped like a heart) captured the attention of most everyone in the auditorium.

Gerry Brooks, who wears the mantle of educator very comfortably, was the keynote speaker for the professional development day.

And while Mr. Brooks may be a relative unknown to much of the world, in U.S. education circles he is practically a cult hero whose popularity is growing exponentially through his short, school-based videos seen on Instagram, YouTube, and elsewhere on social media.

Encountering Jesus Himself

The day began with Mass and an inspirational homily given by Bishop Beckman.

In his remarks, the bishop related the story of Solomon, the king of Israel known for his wisdom, who built the first temple for God. The bishop noted how Solomon, in his later years, turned away from God, a nod to the trend of young people leaving the Catholic Church.

Bishop Beckman also talked about the diocese’s annual Priest Study Days in Gatlinburg, held in February, and the keynote speaker who addressed the young people who have left the Church over past decades. He cited the 2018 book Going, Going, Gone that reports on why young people fall away from the Church.

“For many decades, young people have been leaving the Church in droves. Once they’ve been formed as children, sometimes in our Catholic schools, and sometimes as young adults, they become disconnected from the living community of the faith,” the bishop said.

“The book Going, Going, Gone describes those trends. But something amazing has begun to happen. Young people over the last year or two for the first time in decades are now returning to organized religion, not just Christianity. It’s a global phenomenon,” Bishop Beckman revealed.

“Young adults in almost every country and all the major religions of the world and other Christian denominations are beginning to seek out living communities of faith again,” he said.

“The two most rapidly growing faith communities in the United States currently are the Orthodox and the Catholic Church. No. 1 is the Catholic Church,” the bishop said. “Why are young people looking for us now? Of course, the Holy Spirit is at work. There is no doubt about that.”

He noted that the current generation of young people has suffered through the COVID pandemic and sustained profound isolation and loneliness. But in a significant sign of hope, more young people are looking to believe in something greater than themselves.

“The real encounter that heals the human person is the encounter with Jesus Himself. Jesus is present in our world today just has He was present 2,000 years ago. And they are finding Jesus in living communities of people gathered as we are today—in the Church,” Bishop Beckman said.

“They are hungry to know truth. They are hungry for tradition. They don’t want simple apologetics anymore like a number of years ago. And they are seeking deeper, reflective knowledge of the faith. A depth of tradition and understanding. They are hungry for it,” the bishop added.

Bishop Beckman said the speaker at the Priest Study Days urged the priests of the Diocese of Knoxville to think about the Catholic Church in 2050 and what it will look like.

Bishop Beckman then opened the eyes of the diocesan educators attending Mass.

“One thing about the Church in 2025, and about our culture, is the people who will be shaping them are in front of you today in your classrooms. These young people will become the leaders of tomorrow. You are shaping the Church of the future, the world of the future,” he said.

The bishop, who is currently leading a series of talks on the Bible for young adults that is very successful, emphasized to the teachers and administrators that “who you are, the example of your lives” matters to students. “They are looking for living witnesses of authenticity and integrity.”

Bishop Beckman encouraged the educators to seek the Lord’s guidance in helping them be creative, passionate, and committed to Him and their vocation as they lead students, who are the future of the Church.

‘The Bell Schedule’

Following Mass, the educators gathered in the St. Gregory the Great Auditorium at KCHS and were addressed by Mr. Valadie.

“This is my 26th year in this diocese,” Mr. Valadie said as he received an ovation. “It’s been my experience that we are always tinkering with some aspect of this day. You would think we would have it figured out by now. But the truth is we are always trying as best we can to design it in such a way that makes the most sense and offers the most value.”

“When I say we try as best we can, that’s knowing that there are 350 different opinions of what makes the most sense and probably 350 different opinions about what offers the most value,” he added.

Mr. Valadie, who has spent his career in Catholic education, acknowledged changing the date of Professional Development Day to coincide with a school holiday in response to teacher suggestions from 2025.

“We moved the date to the start of this long weekend rather than the end. … I’m curious how many suggested it for the exact reason that I thought you did: Can we get this over so we can go ahead and enjoy the rest of the break?” Mr. Valadie said lightheartedly to another ovation.

Mr. Valadie thanked those in attendance for their service every day in teaching children at the diocese’s 10 schools across East Tennessee.

He also announced that this Professional Development Day will be his last as a faculty member, administrator, or interim superintendent, re-informing the educators that a new superintendent, Martha Mundine, will be joining the diocese in April.

Mr. Valadie led the group in an opening prayer, a supplication called “The Bell Schedule” that was appropriate for the occasion.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
The bell, so symbolic of the structure of schools, has rung again.
No matter what gentle tone we make the bell, it means move now or stay now,
Jarring us a bit by sending us off or settling us in.
It can mean regret or relief.
In my life, Lord, you have rung the bell for all sorts of things, even when I slept through it.
Thank you now for attuning me just a bit better to the changes—the time to dance, the time to weep, the time to kneel.
May we be mindful that there is an appointed time for everything.
Some of those times come with bells, some do not.
But all are an opportunity to grow closer to the person you want us to be.
Amen.

Mr. Valadie, who also is a motivational speaker for education audiences and frequently uses humorous themes, then offered $10 to anyone who could recite the 2025 Professional Development Day theme. After several incorrect guesses, he gave the answer: “It is not you who chose Me, but I who chose you to bear fruit that will remain,” which is an excerpt from the Gospel of John.

“This year, I took a quote from Facebook,” the former teacher and principal said to laughs. “Which is probably one of the reasons they’ve been looking for a new superintendent” (to even more laughs).

He then quizzed the group about what they give thanks for after a challenging day at school.

“Snow days come to mind. Fridays. Long weekends. The teacher next door who lets you go to the bathroom every so often. The every-once-in-a-while day when you realize ‘that kid’ didn’t come today” (to another round of laughter). “We give thanks for a working copy machine, a working coffee machine,” he said.

“You may give thanks for your teacher text group. That’s another name for drinking buddies. You just can’t name it that on your cell phone because it sits on your desk, and it might go off with a kid standing there. Drinking buddies doesn’t sound good,” he joked.

Then Mr. Valadie shared his experiences working with students who were from challenging backgrounds and struggled in school. He described how the faculty would rally around these students, determined that they were not going to “drown.”

The teachers would compare notes, trying to discern what worked in reaching these students and what didn’t.

“I would be bold-faced lying if I told you I gave thanks for them then. It took me a while—a lot of whiles, actually—to realize the gift they were and the gift I have been given. There is a quote we should all tape to our laptops: ‘Lord, thank you for the students who stretched my patience because they stretched my heart as well,’” he said, noting that some teachers have more patience than others, and some parents have more patience than others.

‘He just gets us’

Mr. Valadie and Bishop Beckman then presented service awards to several teachers and faculty members:

• Mandy Mroz of St. Jude School in Chattanooga for 25 years of service;
• Angela Weddington of St. Jude for 25 years of service;
• Teresa Hale of Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Chattanooga for 25 years of service;
• Connie McCutcheon of Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga for 30 years of service;
• Kari Ingle of Our Lady of Perpetual Help for 30 years of service;
• Kelly Rexrode of Sacred Heart Cathedral School in Knoxville for 35 years of service.

Knoxville Catholic High School president Dickie Sompayrac then took the stage to present Mr. Valadie with a special award.

“George Valadie, who has worked with diocesan schools for 26 years, is a product of our diocese. He graduated from Notre Dame High School. Notre Dame is also where he met his future wife, Nancy. Following high school, George attended the University of Notre Dame. Following graduation there, George felt the calling to come back home to Chattanooga, where he started teaching and coaching at Notre Dame High School,” Mr. Sompayrac said.

Mr. Sompayrac shared that Mr. Valadie was his freshman football and baseball coach at NDHS 40-plus years ago.

“George has spent the better part of the last 50 years working in Catholic education, serving in three dioceses and schools such as OLPH, Notre Dame, Vicksburg (Miss.) Catholic to St. Benedict at Auburndale in Memphis. In addition to being a teacher and a coach, George has been a development director, alumni coordinator, a principal, an assistant principal, a president, he’s been in charge of homecoming, he’s done student council. He’s been the one who opened school in the morning and closed it after the last person left. He was in charge of financial aid for many years at Notre Dame.

“If you ever talked with teachers or staff who worked at a school where George was the leader, they would tell you, ‘He just gets us.’ Of course he does. He’s done every job in the building,” Mr. Sompayrac said.

“George was one of those four or five teachers and coaches I had as a student who influenced me in my career,” Mr. Sompayrac added.

The KCHS president described how Mr. Valadie retired as president of NDHS in 2021, and then in 2024 the diocese was looking for a schools superintendent. Mr. Sompayrac and Andy Zengel, principal of St. Joseph School in Knoxville, recommended Mr. Valadie to Bishop Beckman.

“He came out of retirement to accept the position of interim superintendent,” Mr. Sompayrac explained. “On behalf of all of our teachers, our staff, the Chancery staff, our school leaders, George, I just want to say it has been an honor for you to be back in our diocese, and I have enjoyed just being able to call you on a regular basis to get your advice.”

Mr. Valadie received a lengthy standing ovation from the audience and was presented a special torch award for 50 years of service by Bishop Beckman.

“I am so grateful, George, for your willingness to receive that torch and for being the superintendent of schools for my first year-and-a-half as bishop. I will tell you that when I arrived, I knew that we needed this position, and when someone raised the name of George Valadie, I breathed a sigh of relief,” the bishop said. “I first met George almost 40 years ago at Notre Dame High School.”

Bishop Beckman related a story from his days in seminary when the rector of the seminary told the class of 30 seminarians that not all of them would attain a vocation to the priesthood.

“He said, ‘I know that not all of you will be ordained a priest. My goal in forming you here is that you will become a good, Christian gentleman.’ George, you are a good, Christian gentleman,” the bishop said, prompting another ovation. “He’s also an excellent speaker.”

Bishop Beckman described for the educators the process of selecting Ms. Mundine as the next superintendent and spoke about her.

“She is currently working in the superintendent’s office in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. She brings a wealth of experience in Catholic education to her role. She is going to be a great successor, and she will start in mid-April, so she and George will be able to work together for some time,” Bishop Beckman said.

“One of the things she said when asked why she was interested in joining the Diocese of Knoxville was ‘because of your superintendent, George Valadie, who reached out to my superintendent about this position, and my superintendent said to me, “You ought to consider this. You would be good for this.”’ That’s how word got handed down. Even George’s work in handing on that torch to the next superintendent has been incredibly significant,” the bishop added.

“George, I want to thank you. Half a century in Catholic education. You have made an incredible difference, and you are an inspiration for all of us,” Bishop Beckman concluded.

‘Erducator Strong’

Mr. Valadie then introduced Mr. Brooks. “I am privileged to introduce our keynote speaker. I haven’t been this excited for a professional development day since … never, actually,” he joked.

Mr. Valadie acknowledged that in recent months when he would tell teachers who the featured speaker was to be, their faces would “light up” and “they would say, ‘Are you kidding me!’”

Mr. Brooks has been an educator for 20 years, beginning as a third-grade teacher in Palm Bay, Fla. He earned a master’s degree in administration and has been an elementary-school principal for 12 years. He also is an author.

Mr. Brooks began using humorous, real-world educational videos to encourage his staff. He has become a national encourager for teachers through social media and speaking events and counts more than half a million followers on social media.

He is a voice for teachers, but his passion is leading others to be responsible for their own personal climate and culture in the workplace. His book, Go See the Principal, outlines strategies for taking on this responsibility.

Mr. Brooks and his wife, Kelly, have three adult children and live in Lexington, Ky. Mrs. Brooks grew up in Powell, Tenn., and attended Clinton High School.

“I am so excited to be here. I have two goals. My first goal is for you. Whether you are a preschool teacher or a football coach, whether you are in physics or English, no matter what you do: my first goal is for you as an individual and it is for you to walk out of here with something that’s going to help you not only get through the school year but to get through your days and your life,” he said.

“My second goal is more important. It’s for your team. It’s for the football coaches, it’s for the special-ed team, it’s for the specialist teachers, it’s for the kindergarten staff, whatever you consider your work family. It’s to give you something to talk about after today,” he added.

Mr. Brooks played a series of his unique videos that are not only funny but also offer a lesson every educator can relate to.

His videos and in-person comments drew constant laughs.

“If you have friends who are 20, 30, 40, 50 years old, they think what you’re going through today is exactly the same as what they went through 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago … your non-educator friends think that your life as a teacher, as a principal, as a coach is exactly the same as when they were growing up. Nothing can be further from the truth,” he said.

He pointed to COVID and the pandemic’s impact on schools as an example of how non-educators don’t understand education today.

“The reason my videos are so popular is they are true life,” he noted. “Ask yourself, have these things happened in my school? The answer is yes. All these things have happened in your schools as well as mine.”

Mr. Brooks encouraged each faculty member to find a fellow educator who is experiencing what they are experiencing and frequently consult with them.

“Nobody understands teaching physics and having the whole class fail better than a physics teacher. No one understands coaching cheerleading better than a cheerleading coach,” he said. “What the volleyball coach is going through and what the cheerleading coach is going through are not the same thing. The cheerleading coach needs another cheerleading coach. … They will help you get through the school year.”

He pointed out that it is extremely important to recognize that educators are role models and students are watching them and learning from them. And it is equally important for the educators to understand how they interact with people because their students are closely observing that, too.

“I understand that you are sitting in a roomful of people here who are not like you. Let me remind you of something that is more important: you are sitting in a roomful of people who are exactly like you. Let me remind you again why this is important. Your kids are watching you. Every day they watch you interact with people who are not like you. We have to teach them that we have the capacity to love and accept everybody,” he said.

Mr. Brooks captivated his audience for more than an hour, delving into subjects ranging from properly motivating teachers and students, building student and staff camaraderie, and the importance of communication to faculty bathroom etiquette. His presentation was constantly flavored with humor to the delight of everyone in attendance.

And at the end of his presentation, it was apparent to everyone—both fans and the newly initiated—what Mr. Brooks meant by “Erducator Strong!”