April 3, 2019 - Cardinal O'Malley Appoints Thomas W. Carroll Superintendent of Catholic Schools

Braintree, MA – Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley has appointed Thomas W. Carroll as Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Boston. Mr. Carroll comes to the position with decades of experience in education, nonprofit management, fundraising, and Catholic advocacy. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Carroll served as the president of the Invest in Education Foundation, based in New York. His first day with the Catholic Schools Office (CSO) will be Monday, April 8, 2019. 

 

“We are pleased to welcome Tom Carroll to the Archdiocese of Boston as our next Superintendent of Catholic Schools,” said Cardinal Seán. “Tom brings a wide range of experience to this important role, including founding and running successful urban schools, and we look forward to supporting his efforts to strengthen Catholic education. For more than one hundred years, Catholic schools have been centers of academic excellence and faith formation for generations of students. We are blessed to be able to support this ministry which continues to give back so much to our Church and the wider society.”

In accepting the position, Mr. Carroll said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to share in the wonderful tradition that is Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Boston. I want to thank Cardinal Seán for providing the vision for our Catholic schools and for entrusting me the leadership of the Catholic Schools Office.  I will continue the focus on helping the children in our Catholic schools become strong scholars as well as good and virtuous people. We have a wealth of riches in the talents of our faculties and staffs across the Archdiocese, and at the same time a great need to continue to find the resources so critical to maintaining our long-standing record of accomplishment. With great pride, we will continue to reach out to families from all communities we serve about the unique opportunities a Catholic education provides."

Carroll also has been steeped in educational policy, founding and leading the Foundation for Education Reform & Accountability and the Invest in Education Foundation, both in New York.

He brings a mix of academic, public policy and development experience to the position having led a network of high-quality urban schools, renovating and constructing school facilities, advocating on behalf of Catholic schools, and raising millions in private donations for Catholic scholarships. 

Most recently Mr. Carroll has been leading a national coalition he founded, working closely with the Catholic Church, focused on the adoption of a federal tax credit to encourage donations to Catholic and other K-12 scholarship funds. If adopted, this plan could generate $5 billion in donations for Catholic and other schools, scholarship organizations and nonprofits focused on tutoring and career and technical education. The coalition includes all major faiths, independent schools, black and Hispanic community groups, business organizations and several dozen labor unions.

He earned a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Albany. A Catholic convert, he and his wife, Claudia (a pre-school teacher), have two children both of whom attended an all-boys Catholic school. They currently reside in Clifton Park, NY. 

Mr. Carroll succeeds Kathleen Power Mears who announced her decision to return home to Indianapolis at the conclusion of the current academic year following five years leading the Catholics School Office. Carroll added, “Kathy Mears has done a great job strengthening the academic rigor and Catholic identity of our schools.”

Cardinal Seán thanked the search committee led by John J. Regan, Esq. for their commitment to bringing forth a high degree of accomplished professionals. 

He also extended his gratitude to Superintendent Mears. “Kathy Mears has served with distinction and dedication over the past five years. We are grateful for her leadership and many contributions actively partnering with priests, school leaders, teachers, and community stakeholders to enhance Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Boston,” stated the Cardinal.