Contex Map Final-Mercyhs Davis Edad610 f16

CONTEXT MAP: MERCY HIGH SCHOOL.
RED BLUFF, CALIFORNIA 1
Context Map:
Mercy High School, Red Bluff, California
John Thornton Davis
California State University San Marcos,
EDAD 610 (02), Leading School Communities in a Pluralistic Society, Fall (1) 2016
Instructor: Dr. M Vargas

CONTEXT MAP: MERCY HIGH SCHOOL. RED BLUFF, CALIFORNIA 2
GENERAL BACKGROUND:
Mercy High School is a college preparatory Catholic High School serving students in Grades 9-12. Mercy High
School is currently located at 233 Riverside Way in the Northern Central/Sacramento Valley community of Red Bluff,
CA. The school is part of the Sacramento Catholic Dioceses Catholic Schools Department headed by Superintendent
Lincoln Snider under the authority if Bishop Jaime Soto and Auxiliary Bishop Myron Cotta. Mercy High School is part
of the North Valley Cluster that incorporates Mercy High School and its four K-8 feeder Schools; Sacred Heart School
in Red Bluff, St Josephs in Redding, Lady of Lourdes in Oroville, and Notre Dame in Chico. The North State Cluster and
all other Catholic schools from north of Sacramento to the Oregon border are under the guidance of Associate Director
Paul Weber who is also the current Principal of Mercy High School until a new Principal is transitioned into place. The
Administrative team at Mercy High School includes Paul Weber, John Davis (Lead Teacher/Behavioral and Academic
Administrator), Anne Coelho (Administrative Secretary) Andy Otto (Religious Coordinator), Donnah Lindemen (Staff
Development Coordinator) and Candi Keller (Athletic Director).
The school currently serves 120 students, mostly from Red Bluff and nearby cities/communities/towns such as
Corning, Chico, Oroville, Willows, Redding, Anderson, Los Molinos, Paradise, Gerber, and Shasta (Butte, Tehama, and
Shasta Counties). In addition to students from these communities, between 15-20% of Mercys student body is comprised
of international students from countries including but not limited to China, Spain, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Brazil,
Mexico, Thailand, India, and Pakistan. The majority (about 55%) of students that matriculate to Mercy High School
come from four K-8 Catholic Schools included in the North Valley Cluster. However, Mercy receives students from
many public schools in the North Valley as well as from the few independent/religious private schools in Redding and
Chico as well.
Mercy High School was founded in 1882 By the Sisters of Mercy Order as a K-12 Catholic boarding school and
was originally called our Lady of Mercy Academy. In 1959 the elementary school separated from Mercy High School
and became Sacred Heart Parish School. At that time Mercy High School moved (a few blocks) into its current building
located next to the Sacramento River in downtown Red Bluff (Mercy-high.org). The physical footprint of the school
occupies 3 blocks of real estate between the Red Bluff River Park along the Sacramento River and South Main Street.
The school has 2 hallways (L shape), 2 offices, 16 classrooms, 4 auxiliary rooms, a library, gymnasium and locker
rooms, staff lounge, student snack bar, a chapel room, and a basement storage facility. In addition, the local Sacred Heart
Parish allows use of a acre city lot located 2 blocks from the school for soccer practice and PE. As well, Mercy utilizes
a football/soccer field, baseball/softball field, track, and Parish Hall (multipurpose facility) that are shared with and
located at Sacred Heart School roughly 3 miles away.
The City of Red Bluff is in a central location along the I-5 Freeway and Sacramento River in the North
Sacramento Valley. The cities of Chico (40 miles to the South in Butte County) and (Redding 30 miles to the North in
Shasta County) are its two largest neighbors and are the economic hubs of the area. Red Bluff, is the County Seat and
largest town in Tehama county. It boasts a population of 14,500 residents in city limits and supports a community of
another 20,000 people in the outlying areas, villages, communities. Like many other small Victorian and/or Gold Rush
towns in the Northern Sacramento Valley, Red Bluff is very rural with an economy based off agriculture (farms, cattle
ranches, and orchards), and some fishing/hunting based tourism. However, logging, mills, and gold/silver mining were
crucial in the settlement (1843, by Lassen and Bidwell, 1846 by Ide), founding (1849), incorporation (1879) and
development of the city (Redbluffchamber.com). Many of the original settler families still occupy land in the area and
control much of the agricultural industry. The current Average Annual Household Income of Red Bluff is around
$32,000. 62% of the population currently identify as white, 25% identify as Hispanic, and mixed race, American Indian,
African Americans, and Asians roughly make up the remaining 5%. (city-data.com)
DESCRIPTION OF SCHOOL COMMUNITY:

Cultural and Political Influence:
In the early days, like many other Catholic Schools, Mercy was administered and instructed entirely by members
of the Religious communities (nuns, and brothers), but this began to change in the mid to late 1960s and currently no
Religious are employed at the school. However, the local Parish Priest Father Sherwin Colaste along with various sisters
who previously worked at or with the school are still strong presences at the school volunteering, offering religious/moral
support, and sometimes directly educating students in Religion classes in collaboration with the class instructors.
Currently only about %55 of the students at the school are practicing Catholics, however all students must take courses in
Catholicism all 4 years of their attendance and are required to attend and participate in monthly Masses and other religious
celebrations. Students who are not Catholic are given exception to some practices at these events based on their
individual faiths and/or beliefs.
Student Demographics:
Per the Catholic values of the Sisters of Mercy Religious Order who founded the school, Mercy High School
welcomes all students regardless of faith, race, culture, ethnicity, and/or socio-economic status. Mercy High School
currently has 121 students enrolled at the school in grades 9-12. 17% of the current student population are international
exchange students from China, Korea, Japan, Brazil, Spain, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Pakistan. The student gender
ratio is fairly even and fluctuates from year to year. The current student body is comprised of 48% female and 52% male.
The majority of students at Mercy High School identify at White making up 54% of the population. Latino/Hispanic
make up the next largest group with 25% of the population. Those identifying as Asian make up another 10% of the
population and the remaining 11% of the population identifying as African American, Mixed Race, Indian, Pacific
Islander, and/or other.
Socioeconomic Trends:
As Mercy High School does not provide meals for our students and being a private Catholic school does not
Participate in Free or Reduced Lunch programs, the socio economic trends of the school must be viewed in context with
the ability of students/families to pay the current tuition. Mercy High Schools annual tuition rate is $8,400 per year with
a $1,150 reimbursement for families that provide 50 service hours per year. The cost of educating each student at Mercy
High School is about $10,000, with the $1,600 tuition deficit offset by donations, fundraisers, and direct funding from the
Sacramento Diocese and local Sacred Heart Catholic Parish. Currently 33% of the student population pays full tuition of
$8400 per school year with the $1,150 discount for parent participation hours of 50 hours a year. 18% of the student
population pays no tuition while the remaining 49% of the population pays varying levels of tuition based upon need and
parent income. Parents of students not paying full tuition are required to complete 50 service hours for the school. The
costs of educating these students as well as the cost ($10,000) to tuition ($8,400) deficit of $1,600 is offset by donations
and fundraising, and direct funding by the Diocese and Parish. In addition, in accordance to the Catholic values the
school is founded on, it is not uncommon for teachers, staff, community/church members, and the school itself to provide
(unofficially and often out of pocket) basic necessities such as books, school supplies, clothing, food, and hygiene
products for students (and occasionally family members) in need.
Community Average Education Attainment:

Per the Mission Statement of Mercy High School, preparing students to pursue higher education is a primary goal
of the school. Mercy High School has been consistent in achieving this goal with the overwhelming majority of graduates
in the past 5+ years matriculating to college. In fact, 100% of the 2016 senior class received their high school diploma
and 98% of the graduating class is currently enrolled in community and 4 year universities across California and the
united states. This stands in contrast to the percentage of adults 25 years and older living in Tehama County. Per the
2014 US Census, (http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=CF), only 82% of
adults (18+) in Tehama County being high school graduates and 30.3% of Adults 25 years and over living in Tehama
County were high school graduates. Only 9.5% of those 25 Years or older living in Tehama County held a bachelors
degree, and only 4.6% held a graduate or professional degree. However, as the local economy of Tehama County
continues to decline (many industries such as mills, and refineries have closed and or left the area in the past two
decades), it should be noted that many students move shortly after education to pursue education or better economic
opportunities. As the primary industry in Tehama County remains agriculture and professional opportunities become
even scarcer, not many of these former students return, and the majority of those who do move into the county tend to be
migrant and agricultural workers with lower levels of formal education. It should also be noted that some of the students
from Mercy High School come from communities outside of Tehama where the school is located. Community Average
Education Attainment stats for those counties as well as Tehama are included in the charts below.
Source: http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml
Tehama County, California

Subject Total Male Female
Estimate Margin of Error Estimate Margin of Error Estimate Margin of Error
Population 18 to 24 years 5,190 +/-94 2,680 +/-58 2,510 +/-69
Less than high school graduate 11.4% +/-3.8 18.3% +/-5.6 4.1% +/-2.8
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 42.4% +/-7.1 45.8% +/-9.6 38.8% +/-8.0
Some college or associate's degree 44.8% +/-7.0 35.7% +/-9.5 54.6% +/-8.2
Bachelor's degree or higher 1.3% +/-1.0 0.3% +/-0.4 2.5% +/-2.1
Population 25 years and over 42,515 +/-96 20,829 +/-125 21,686 +/-117
Less than 9th grade 6.6% +/-0.9 7.5% +/-1.4 5.7% +/-0.9
9th to 12th grade, no diploma 11.3% +/-1.1 12.5% +/-1.7 10.1% +/-1.3
Some college, no degree 29.8% +/-1.7 26.7% +/-2.4 32.8% +/-2.2
Associate's degree 7.9% +/-0.9 6.7% +/-1.1 9.1% +/-1.4
Bachelor's degree 9.5% +/-1.0 9.3% +/-1.6 9.7% +/-1.3
Graduate or professional degree 4.6% +/-0.7 4.4% +/-0.9 4.8% +/-1.0
Percent high school graduate or higher 82.1% +/-1.5 79.9% +/-2.1 84.3% +/-1.6
Percent bachelor's degree or higher 14.1% +/-1.3 13.7% +/-1.9 14.5% +/-1.5
Shasta County, California

Total Male Female
Butte County, California

Subject Total Male Female
Technology and Social Trends:
Mercy High Schools commitment to college preparatory education includes educating students with current
technology and trends. In addition to the Computer Lab classroom that contains (15) Dell Desktop PCs and (4) Apple
Desktop systems, each classroom is also outfitted with a (teachers) Dell Desktop PC, a 32g (teachers) Apple iPad, an
Elmo Digital Document Camera system, a mounted digital projector, and an Apple TV System
In 2012 Mercy High School entered into a partnership with Apple Technologies, creating a one-to-one student-
to-iPad ratio. This partnership enables Mercy students to purchase an iPad at a reduced education price through a rent
to own plan. Under this system, students pay a yearly rental fee for their device and by the end of their senior year they
will own the device outright. While all students are required to have and utilize their iPads for school, they do have the
option to use their own personal iPad. However, all student iPads must be registered with the school, set to the
restrictions the school has set, and all iPad use is monitored by administration to ensure that school policies are being
followed. The Principal and Administrative Secretary have TV monitors that can randomly display the screens of all
iPads connected at the school.
Due to the fact that every student at the school has a 90% of student text books are digital and are purchased by
the student on line and/or through Apples iBooks. This helps the school cut costs and waste, as students purchase the
digital books, and the school no longer is burdened with large sets of class texts that are often outdated before they are
paid off. Students are also not as burdened by the large amount of material traveling back and forth from school. As well,
the digital text books offer embedded curriculum enhancements such as, editing tools (notes and highlighters), quizzes,
manipulatives, maps, videos and other media that enhance the learning process.
The use of Apple TV in the classroom allows for students and teachers to project content from PCs and their
iPads through airplay and the classroom projector. This is particularly useful as the majority f teachers at Mercy High
School have switched over to purely digital forms of classwork and communication through Google platforms (Google
docs, Google Classroom, Gmail), and other sites such as Turnitin.com. These digital aids are in line with student interests
and assist the students in preparing for the rapidly digitalize workplaces and educational institutions of the future.
EDUCATION PROFILE:
Mercy High Schools Mission Statement
Mercy high school, a Catholic diocesan, college preparatory school is committed to the development of the whole person,
empowering our graduates to affect positive change in the world.
Mercy High Schools Vision
To form students in the Catholic tradition through the pursuit of academic excellence, spiritual growth, personal integrity,
and service to others.
Academics:
Mercy High School is a WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) accredited high school. 100% of classes
offered at Mercy High School are classified as college preparatory courses. Administration and the Counseling
Department align the courses that students take along the A-G requirements for the University of California system. The
Department of the school include English/Language Arts, Fine Arts, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Physical Education,
Science and Agriculture, Service Courses, Social Sciences, and Theology. AP (Advanced Placement) courses are offered
within the English/Language Arts, Math, Science, Fine Arts, and Social Science departments.
Faculty and Staff:
There are currently (12) full time and (2) part time teachers employed at Mercy High School in the 2015-2016
School year. In addition to holding Teaching Credentials, (1) teacher holds a Medical Doctorate degree with 30 years of
clinical practice, (2) teachers and the Principal hold Masters degrees, (2) teachers are currently engaged in Masters
degree programs, and the remaining teachers all have bachelors degrees and additional training/experience in their fields.
Many teachers teach across multiple curriculums and hold multiple positions/responsibilities within the school, including
administrative roles, advisory roles, and coaching roles. In addition to faculty, the school administration includes the
Principal, the Administrative Assistant, the Councilor, the Administrative Secretary/Financial Officer, as well as the
Athletic director. The school also employs a full time Facilities Manager, part time Janitor, and a Bus Driver.
Faculty and staff meet multiple times a month for in house training, and to discuss policy and direction within the
school. As well, the faculty regularly attend monthly cluster and diocese (district) wide trainings to ensure that all
standards are met and faculty have the most up to date tools, procedures, continuing education, and opportunities for
improvement available. Although a private Catholic School, Mercy abides by most federal and California State
standards, directives, and initiatives to stay current. As such, faculty are trained and required by administration to
demonstrate competence and use within the classroom of said directives and initiatives such as the implementation
Common Core.
Student Performance:
100% of last years senior class achieved the requirements for graduation. 98% of last years graduating class of
(33) students matriculated to college this year. 85% of those who went directly to college went to either public or private
four year universities while the remaining 15% enrolled in community colleges. Last years graduating class collectively
received 1.6 million dollars in scholarships towards college. These rates are partially due to Mercys no failure policy.
The schools private school status and small student population allows for administration and faculty to monitor student
progress with weekly, bi-quarterly, quarterly, and semester progress (CINCH) reports. Students who are missing
assignments and assessments are required to attend an afterschool Mandatory Study Hall to complete all assignments
and/or bring grades up to school standards. Students who demonstrate low course assessment scores are monitored,
counseled, and tutored by faculty until they are demonstrating their abilities and knowledge to an acceptable level. These
procedures keep students progress high and holds them to high standards. With administrative support, the faculty
consistently critiques their methods of instruction and policy to ensure that students are continually challenged. This
results in a stronger student work ethic, higher GPAs, high graduation and matriculation rates, higher standardized
assessment scores, as well as high pass rates on AP exams (over 60% of students who attempted the AP exams passed
with a 3 or above).
Student Values, Faith, and Participation:
As a Catholic School, Mercy puts significant effort into developing students who demonstrate high ethical, civic,
moral and integrity. Students are required to take Theology course all four year of attendance at Mercy. These course
include, Bible Study, Catholic History and Values, World Religions, and Christian Ethics. These classes are designed to
contribute to the overall ethical development of all students including non-Catholic students which make up roughly 45%
of the student population. In addition to taking theology courses, students are required to complete 80 hours of Christian
and Community Service between grades 9 and 12. The belief is that by serving their communities and/or faith, students
are growing in faith, confidence, and learning community building skills.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT:
The small size and status of Mercy High School as a non-profit private Catholic School almost require parent engagement
for it to exist. Parent engagement within the school manifests itself in many ways including service hours (required),
volunteer work, coaching and tutoring, faith formation, fundraising, club advisors, parent guild and schoolboard. As
described in the Student Demographics section of the Education Profile, Mercys tuition is often offset by parent service
hours and fundraising. These hours can include chaperoning events and trips, organizing and facilitating events, assisting
teachers and the administration/front office, assisting with setup and cleanup of school and athletics events, assisting in
maintenance and school projects, providing transport for school events and athletics. Even though these hours are
required of parents, and are seen as essential to community building, exceptions are made when needed to accommodate
parents.
Additionally, there are CSAC and Parent Guild meetings held monthly with parent committee meetings held
monthly as well. These are parent run meetings and are attended by representatives of the faculty and administration as
well. These meetings generally serve more than just club/fundraising/event planning, they also provide for parent input
on school policy and direction as well as an opportunity to provide any pertinent information. In an effort to boost
attendance, each of these meetings also include some type of training for parents to better assist them in helping their
students. Examples of this might include tutorials in how the schools grade system can be accessed by parents, the use of
google classrooms, study techniques, and training on iPad use (Mercy has one-to-one students to iPad use at the school
through a partnership with Apple), etc.
The administration and faculty of Mercy actively try to create culture and environment of the school that is inclusive and
based on the idea of building a community. As mentioned before the size of the school lends itself to this model. As
such, it is almost a necessity to involve parents in most facets of the school.
ADEQUACY OF FACILITIES TO MEET STUDENT NEEDS:
Due to the Mercy High Schools non-profit private school status, there is no federal, municipal, or county funding
available for maintaining the facilities. As stated before, the cost of educating every student at the school is not made up
by tuition, but is instead covered by donations, fundraising, and direct funding by the Diocese of Sacramento. As such,
spending on facilities is limited. The facilities, while old and well worn, are kept clean by a dedicated facilities manager
and a part time janitor, as well as by Faculty and staff when needed. The Facilities Manager also ensures that the building
is structurally stable and renovations are made as needed. Much of the schools facilities budget is dedicated to ensuring
that the school is ADA compliant and provides and learning environment that is accessible to all students, staff, and
faculty. Building inspections are made quarterly by a team of administration and members of Rd Bluff Fire Department.
FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEW:
Parents for the Focus Group were chosen because their voices might not be represented as much within the school
for various reasons. Among the parents were Mr. Rosales who works for the Tehama County Water District, Dr. Ali a
Medical Doctor from Chico, Mrs. Arellano a stay at home mother, Mr. Rodriguez the older brother/guardian of a student
who is a manger of a telecommunication company, Ms. Bell a single mother and Dental Hygienist, and Sgt. Sheppard a
Staff Sergeant in the US Army stationed in Sacramento, CA (2 hours away). Each of the parents was chosen for
various reasons, but with the consideration that they are not regular fixtures at the school as some parents are and thus
their voices and opinions may not be recognized as much as other parents. See the attached reference chart for additional
information.
As Mercy High School is a relatively small school, and has such a tight knit student and parent community, it is
hard to consider that certain parents may not have their voices and/or opinions/ideas heard by the school. However, for
this focus group the above parents were sought out because they are often not heard from. However, in this discussion
most of the parents alluded to the fact that they were still involved in the school in various ways, but that it was often a
time conflict or some other issue in their life/situation that prevented them from participating. For example, Dr. Ali and
Sgt. Sheppard both have careers that require a considerable amount of time and require a considerable distance to travel to
get to the school. In fact, Sgt. Sheppard is only home (Red Bluff) on weekends and occasionally allowed leave for special
events. Ms. Bell on the other hand as a working single mother has little free time, Mr. Rosales and his wife spend a great
deal of time volunteering at Sacred Heart School (local Catholic TK-8), and Mr. Rodriguez is the relatively young older
brother of a student who has recently taken over as a guardian for his youngest brother but works long hours. Time seems
to be the main reason for limited involvement in the school by most of these parents.
When asked directly whether they felt invited to participate all but one parent indicated that they felt invited to
participate at the school. Mr. Rodriguez was the only one who felt that he was not invited to participate, but stated that he
felt it was because the school knew he didnt have time and it was because his mother was still in communication with the
school. Mr. Sheppard shared that he felt there was good communication, but it was mostly about meetings and grades.
The answer that Dr. Ali gave was simply that he didnt know because his son was still only a freshman. When this
question was followed up by asking if they felt that their opinion counted at the school the answers were similar, in that
Dr. Ali was unsure because his son had just started at the school, and Mr. Rodriguez was unsure because of his situation
as a students older brother and indicated that the school still contacted his mother about most things. It should be noted
that Mr. Rodriguez is the eldest of 7 siblings who attended the school. After his father passed away he assumed the
Patriarch role and handles most family issues along with his mother, but due to her age, she is not involved much
anymore.
When asked if they believed that the school included them in decisions, again the answer tended to be in the
affirmative, but for different reasons. Dr. Ali again indicated that he did not know. Ms. Bell believed that there was too
much power given to parents especially with regards to sports. Mr. Rosales and Sgt. Sheppard both believed that the
school did a good job on including parents in decision making citing administration as the reason. Mrs. Arellano also
answered in the affirmative but stipulated that it was not really the case with school work and discipline.
It is interesting to see how parents who might be regarded by faculty and staff at our school as not involved and
not heard, still feel somewhat involved as steakholders in the school and their childs education. It gives pause for
consideration of how and who faculty and staff interact with most at the school. If these parents are regarded as not heard,
yet feel that they are still part of the school community, then the school should be attempting to initiate more contact with
them if for any reason than to get a difference in opinion and broaden the point of view of all stakeholders.
Below is a graph containing the responses to the Focus Group Interview Questions:
Parent Group: Mr. J. Rosales, Dr. Y. Ali, Mrs. A. Arellano, Mr. R Rodriguez, Ms. K. Bell, MS Sgt. R. Sheppard
NAME:
Rosales Ali Arellano Rodriguez Belle Sheppard
Occupation Work for MD, None/Stay at District Manager of Dental hygienist at Staff Sergeant, US Army
Water district private home mom telecommunication Peters DDS
practice company
Ethnicity Hispanic Pakistani/ Mixed Race. Hispanic White White
Indian White/Hispanic
Children 2 older boys 1 boy a 1 girl a Junior 1 brother a Senior at 1 girl a Sophomore at 1 girl a senior at Mercy High
(Mercy grads) freshman at at Mercy High Mercy High School Mercy High School, 1 School
in 3rd year of MHS, 1 girl School, 1 girl a girls in Elementary 1 Boy a Sophomore by at
college at in Freshman at Sacred Heart School Mercy High School
CSU Chico. elementary Mercy High
1 boy a Junior at Chico School
at Mercy Christian
High, 1 girl a School (K-
7th grader at 6)
Sacred Heart
School
Describe I coach and I do not I volunteer in We (7 siblings) all went to I do my parent hours I am stationed in Sacramento
how and if help out at have a lot the office every Mercy so I know all the and go to Aubreys so I only come home on the
you are Sacred Heart of time to now and again teachers. My mom still games. I dont go to a weekends. My wife takes
involved in when they come to the and provide helps out at Mercy but she lot of social functions care of most of the school
school need school rides to the is older now and Noe is and work a lot. stuff and volunteers all the
activities something or because I girls sports the youngest so I take care time. My wife goes to Parent
chaperones. I live in teams and of him. I just help Noe club.
have been to Chico and games. I also out to make sure he is
Parent Guild run a help with Yard doing what he is supposed
practice. I Sale to school.
try to come (fundraiser)
to support and the musical
My son and if they need
meet with me. I dont
teachers like to organize
though
Do you feel Yes I dont Yes, parents Not really. Yes Yes, good communication,
that you know. are part of the but most of the time it is
are invited Muhammed culture Q: Why because of meetings and
to is only a grades
participate freshman
in/at the Because they know I dont
school? have time and Mrs. C.
(Admin. secretary) usually
just calls my mom about
things.
Do you I dont know I dont Yes, but not on Maybe. Im not sure. Yes, if I volunteer it. Yes, the school has always
believe that know we everything, like Mr. Webber listens. worked with us to get Teddy
your just started dress code on track.
opinion is here
taken into
account?
Do you feel I dont know. Again I do Yes, and no. Yeah I think the parents Maybe. Maybe Yes, when it comes to the
included in I think Mr. not know Fundraising, usually have a lot of say, parents have too kids the principal and the
decisions at Weber does a sports, that at least they used to. much power at the teachers always talk to us
the school? good job. stuff yes, but school. Especially before you make decisions.
not on school with sports.
work or
discipline
ETHNOGRAPHIC INTERVIEW:
The gentleman, Mike Lyon, that was interviewed for this aspect of the Context Map is a 42-year veteran teacher
at Mercy High School. Mr. Lyon started teaching at Mercy in 1974 as Physical Education and Typing teacher. In that
first year Mr. Lyon was also the Athletic Director and coach of the new football team and the established and successful
girls basketball team. In his time at Mercy High School Mr. Lyon has also been an English teacher, a Dean of Students,
a Vice Principal, and a Social Science teacher. Social Science has been Mr. Lyons focus since the mid 1970s, but this
school year he has semi-retired (by choice) and has gone back to teaching Physical Education part time (first half of the
day). Mr. Lyon is highly regarded as an educator by Administration, teachers, staff, students, parents, and just about
anyone involved with Mercy High School. He is well known and well regarded in the Sacred Heart Parish/Church
community and within the community of Red Bluff.
Mr. Lyon states that when he first began teaching at Mercy High School in the 1970s, that sisters (nuns) from the
Sisters of Mercy Order that founded Mercy High School in 1882 were still a dominant presence at the school. In fact,
Mr. Lyon states that when he began, the Administration and over half the faculty were sisters of the order. This continued
up until the late 1980s. As the Sisters of Mercy became less involved in the school, the Catholic base that had made up
the majority of students up until the 1980s shrank considerably in Lyons opinion.
The size of the student body in general has also shrunk in the past couple decades as well according to Lyon. At
the same time the school has also become increasing diverse since he started working in the 1970s. Lyon sites the
inclusion of football and boys basketball teams as reason for more boys attending the school which began as K-8 girls
Catholic boarding school. Ethnically, according to Lyon, the school has always had a white majority, but that majority
began to shrink when the school began to provide bus and van transport from the larger cities of Chico and Redding into
the smaller agricultural based town of Red Bluff where the school is located. Mr. Lyon stated that a lot more Latinos
joined the population when this started. The inclusion within the last 5-8 years of an international student program that
brings in students from countries such as China, Brazil, and India among others also contributed to the diversity of the
school.
When asked about the issue of parent involvement in the school, Lyon explains that some parents remain involved
in the school and others dont and this is how it has been since he began. He cites parent over involvement in sports as his
reason why he stopped coaching and resigned from his position as Athletic director. Additionally, Lyons lamented the
fact that while there seems to be more parent involvement at the school, there is less involvement in Catholic Faith
formation and attendance in school Masses.
Below is a transcript based on the recording made of the interview:

Q: How long have you been involved/worked at the school:
A: 42 years I started in 74
Q: What positions have you held here at the school:
A: I started teaching PE and typing in the 70s. Then I started teaching History which I did until last year when I retired to part time and you took over my classes. I
was also Athletic Director for a long time and was vice principal and Dean of students, but I quit those positions because the principal at the time and I always disagreed
so I decided not to waste anyones time and go back into teaching.
Q: What kind of cultural changes have you seen?
A You mean ethnically or just in general?
Q Both
A: There are a lot less Catholic students now after the nuns left, and within the last 8 th years we have taken a lot more international students. Mostly from China and
Asia. Besides that, Caucasian kids and Mexican American kids have always made up the majority. We got a lot more Mexican and Latino kids from Redding and
Chico when we started sending school busses.
Q: Has there always been the same female to male ratio?
A: Yes, there have always been more girls here, but once football was put in place in the 70s we got more boys willing to attend.
Q: What do you think about Annie playing on the team this year?
A: Shes fast, she wont get hurt like that Arron kid (new exchange student who is on the team but has never played football before).
Q: You were here when the Sisters (nuns, Sisters of Mercy order who founded the school) were still running the school?
A: Yes the staff was about half and half in the 70s but by the 80s it was just Sister Gloria and Danielle as principals and Sister Maureen teaching English, and Sister
Cathleen teaching Science. You know Sister Gloria she was here the other day.
Q: So how was the school run under the Religious?
A: When I started the Principals always had us vote on major policies and ideas. Later after Sister Gloria left, they hired an outsider who we liked but didnt make us
vote on policy.
Q: Any other major changes to the school?
A: They put in the second hallway back in the 80s which helped a lot.
Q: What about the population?
A: Like I said we had the addition of the International students about 5-8 years ago, but they are usually only about %15 of the population.
Q: What about parents?
A: Parents are the same now as back when I started. Some are involved and some arent. Parents are one of the reason I stopped being Athletic Director. We had too
many parents that wanted to tell me what to do. They participate a lot more now though because of the mandatory parent hours, but thats around school. We dont get
as many attending Mass anymore.
PERSONAL MISSION AND VISION STATEMENTS
MISSION:
Mercy High School, is a Catholic college preparatory school committed to providing the highest standards of academic,
ethical, and civic based education. Graduates will be provided with the means, ability, foresight, ethics, and world view to
succeed and make a positive impact on a rapidly globalizing world.
VISION:
To assist all students in becoming driven, positive, ethical, analytic, and lifelong learners who seek to enrich their
community and world with their individual talents and strengths.

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CONTEXT MAP: MERCY HIGH SCHOOL.

RED BLUFF, CALIFORNIA 1

Mercy High School, Red Bluff, California

John Thornton Davis

California State University San Marcos,

Instructor: Dr. M Vargas

Development Coordinator) and Candi Keller (Athletic Director).

located at Sacred Heart School roughly 3 miles away.

DESCRIPTION OF SCHOOL COMMUNITY:

individual faiths and/or beliefs.

Islander, and/or other.

products for students (and occasionally family members) in need.

Community Average Education Attainment:

2014 US Census, (http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=CF), only 82% of

Tehama County, California

Shasta County, California

Butte County, California

Technology and Social Trends:

iPads connected at the school.

Mercy High Schools Mission Statement

empowering our graduates to affect positive change in the world.

Mercy High Schools Vision

and service to others.

Faculty and Staff:

Student Values, Faith, and Participation:

are growing in faith, confidence, and learning community building skills.

through a partnership with Apple), etc.

such, it is almost a necessity to involve parents in most facets of the school.

ADEQUACY OF FACILITIES TO MEET STUDENT NEEDS:

FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEW:

community and within the community of Red Bluff.

formation and attendance in school Masses.

Below is a transcript based on the recording made of the interview:

Q: What positions have you held here at the school:

Q: What kind of cultural changes have you seen?

A You mean ethnically or just in general?

Q: Has there always been the same female to male ratio?

Q: So how was the school run under the Religious?

Q: Any other major changes to the school?

Q: What about parents?

PERSONAL MISSION AND VISION STATEMENTS

succeed and make a positive impact on a rapidly globalizing world.

community and world with their individual talents and strengths.

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