Endowment will help teachers

A new endowment at the Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma has the potential to do considerable good for teachers in the diocese’s Catholic schools.

Daniel and Nicole de Longe of Edmond created the Teacher Compensation Endowment to help schools recruit and retain excellent, mission-driven teachers.

Distributions from the endowment will be used to augment salaries and keep teacher compensation at a competitive rate.

Nicole de Longe is a former teacher who is now the principal at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School in Edmond.

The de Longes said their decision to create the endowment “is just one example of transforming God’s word into action.”

“Saint Peter writes, ‘As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace,’” Nicole said. “Second Timothy goes on to say, ‘And what you heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to teach others as well.’”

“It was clear our calling was to get back into the classroom, and this endowment will keep us involved for eternity,” Nicole said.

The larger the endowment grows through gifts from donors, the more good it will do for Catholic school teachers who often are compensated at a level below that of their public school counterparts.