Florida Catholic | Bishops’ longtime education voice moves on

Bishops’ longtime education voice moves on

KAREN OSBORNE | FLORIDA CATHOLIC STAFF

Published: 08.27.08

ORLANDO | On that day in January 1998, Larry Keough told himself he had two choices.

“I can allow the environment and the moment to overwhelm me, or I can rise to the occasion,” he said. Keough had just been hired as associate director of education for the Florida Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the state’s bishops. And he was only one of two proponents of school choice at what he called a “raucous” forum on school vouchers.

Not to mention that, at the time, he dreaded the thought of public speaking.

“I was a little intimidated … but I was moved to walk up to the podium, pick up the microphone and convey our message on parental rights and school–choice options,” he said. “Once I did, I felt that I could address that audience, that I could advocate. I do believe that the Lord provides us with what we need to do the work and, as I reflect on my time here, I believe that God gave me the strength and the energy and the good health to do this work.”

Keough is leaving his position this week to take a new job in educational policy at the Ohio Catholic Conference. A reception was held for him Aug. 28 at the Catholic Conference offices in Tallahassee.

A former journalist and political speechwriter, Keough had never been an educator when he started his work in educational policy, but had an on–the–job education: At the time, the state was embroiled in a debate about whether a voucher system should be implemented for students attending failing schools.

“I am most proud of being a faithful follower in that I have tried to be a prophetic voice for the least of our brothers and sisters, including the downtrodden and those with disabilities,” Keough said.

He explained his goal was to advocate for church teaching “without sacrificing personal relationships”; to keep matters professional, not personal; and to lobby for policy and law changes based on how they would affect all children attending Florida schools.

“We worked very closely on transportation issues, charter schools, on the voucher issue,” said Dr. Wayne Blanton, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association. “There were times when we could agree, and sometimes we agreed to disagree, but it was always at the highest and most professional level. We hate to lose him here in Florida.”

Throughout his tenure, Keough spoke before lawmakers and the media, advocating for vouchers and other methods of school choice; worked to equalize funding and opportunities for students needing special–education services; and spoke out for Catholic school accreditation, bus transportation for private school students, school accountability, the adoption of universal voluntary prekindergarten programs, and rules that scheduled the timely evaluation of students who might need special–education services so they would not have to wait up to a year to receive them.

He was also appointed to the committee responsible for the rewrite of the Florida school code in 2001–02, and recently represented nonpublic schools in the state of Florida in the revision of statues relating to K–12 education.

He was very involved in bringing the Opportunity Scholarship Program to Florida. One of the first school–choice programs in the state, it gave students attending failing public schools the option to choose a higher–performing public school or a participating private school. Although the private–school option of the Opportunity Scholarship Program was later named unconstitutional, students in underperforming public schools may still transfer into other public schools.

“The fact that there are parental choice programs (in Florida) is, to my mind, largely due to the work of Larry Keough,” said Brother Richard DeMaria, secretary for Christian formation of the Archdiocese of Miami. “He was fearless in that. Even if he knew there was somebody who was opposed to our stand, he would still try to meet with them and talk with them. I think he’s done a wonderful job, and his heart was always convinced that this was a vocation to children and the church,” he said.

Keough said some of the issues he worked on are “still in process,” and will be taken up by his successor at the Catholic conference.

“In the public–policy arena, there need to be organizations that are willing to identify issues on behalf of those who don’t have the financial wherewithal or the influence to articulate on behalf of themselves,” he said.

Sister Joan Dawson, superintendent of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Palm Beach, called Keough “a tremendous friend to all of us in Catholic education. Larry represented the needs and the wishes of those in the Catholic school community, and he did it with great sensitivity and great pride, and we’re all going to miss him terribly. He had a ready ear and an understanding heart, and he was always there when you needed support.”

In Ohio, Keough will continue to work to further educational policies that benefit all students, as well as Catholic schools, he said.

“The position will allow me to expand my horizons professionally by allowing me to be involved in budgetary policy,” he explained. “The Catholic schools in Ohio receive millions in state funding, and one of my primary responsibilities will be to help protect those dollars. Change can be good. It allows us to expand our horizons and in doing so, prepare for something else that would not be within our reach if we had not been open to change.”

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