Alliance for Catholic Education News Blog

An Array of ACE Programs and People will Energize Summer at ND

Tue, 29 May 2012 11:44:41 -0400

The summer break at the University of Notre Dame will surge with energy as the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) begins its peak season. This internationally known initiative will welcome new classes to its formation programs for teachers and leaders and will host numerous campus programs and events for people passionate about sustaining, strengthening, and transforming Catholic schools.

ACE is best known for its Service through Teaching program, founded in 1993, to prepare young men and women from around the country to serve as teachers in under-resourced Catholic K-12 schools in more than two dozen dioceses. Nearly 90 newcomers in ACE's 19th class will arrive on Friday, June 1, to begin their formation in this two-year journey that culminates in an M.Ed. degree.

These competitively selected members of ACE 19 will join the ACE 18 teachers taking their second summer of courses, and all will spend eight weeks experiencing the pillars of ACE formation—excellence in professional service, community life, and spiritual growth. The two cohorts will live in residence halls and share retreats and daily Mass opportunities during their rigorous summer schedules. They will prepare to take up classroom duties this fall in numerous cities—from Brownsville, TX, to Washington, DC, from Los Angeles to Memphis to Tucson—serving children in Catholic schools while living in intentional ACE community houses near those schools.

Service through Teaching will be only one group of the growing ACE movement residing at Notre Dame during the summer. In addition, current educators preparing for careers as principals will arrive in June for their master's degree curriculum in the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program (RLP)—a 26-month formation journey that embodies all three ACE pillars and allows the teachers to return to their classrooms during the school year.

Other educators will come to campus in June and July to gain specific skills to make their Catholic schools more inclusive through ACE's English as a New Language (ENL) and Teaching Exceptional Children (TEC) certificate programs.

In all of the formation programs, key courses and relationship-building with instructors, mentors, and colleagues make for a dynamic summer, but the academic preparation and personal support from ACE faculty and staff extend throughout the year.

Every summer at Notre Dame is also the launching point for a number of initiatives and community-building opportunities established by ACE in response to emerging needs in Catholic education. ACE's summer conference schedule will convene educators and their supporters for a number of purposes, including professional development, skills and insights for advocacy, and strategic briefings for Catholic school superintendents, principals, and pastors. Registration is still open in some cases.

Among this summer's special events, ACE's collaborations responding to the severe educational challenges in post-earthquake Haiti have prompted a gathering of interested parties. Cosponsored by ACE and several organizations on and off campus, the meeting of researchers and benefactors will prepare next steps to aid Haitian schools and improve teacher training. (ACE's varied international activities also include education-related initiatives in Chile, Ireland, and Uganda.)

To help meet educational needs in the United States, one workshop will focus on the value of school choice policies for Catholic schools, along with insights for local advocacy of parental choice.

Symbolizing ACE's growing role as a generator of research in the field of Catholic education, the annual Remick Leadership Conference will leverage the "action research" projects required of all RLP degree candidates. They will share their solutions-oriented research with educators from the region around Notre Dame.

The 19-year-old Alliance will also host a conference for its own ACE Teaching Fellows—a select group of highly promising educators who have received benefactor support to pursue their aspirations as researchers and leaders with help from ACE mentors.

ACE's national movement in support of leadership in Catholic schools also gains strength through the bestowal of annual awards. The Notre Dame Award for Outstanding Contributions to Catholic Education will be awarded for distinguished lifetime service to children through Catholic schooling. The Michael Pressley Award for Excellence in Catholic Education will go to ACE graduates with a proven commitment to the highest standards in teaching and school leadership. The Michael Pressley Award for a Promising Scholar in the Education Field will go to an ACE graduate who has pursued service to Catholic education through cutting-edge academic research.

These awards will be presented during ACE Commencement exercises on July 14, during which the graduate-level formation programs will bestow degrees and a distinguished guest, University of Virginia President Teresa A. Sullivan, will deliver the keynote address.

Toward the end of July, ACE also conducts an annual "missioning," solemnly but joyfully sending forth its educators-in-formation to the schools where they will serve at-risk children during the regular school year. The Most Rev. Joseph McFadden, Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg, will preside at the Missioning Mass on July 27. Bishop McFadden chairs the Committee on Education of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Participants in the intensive experience called the "ACE Summer" will leave the Notre Dame campus having seen many ways in which ACE conveys its zeal and hope to sustain, strengthen, and transform Catholic schools. ACE, founded by Rev. Timothy Scully, C.S.C., and Rev. Sean McGraw, C.S.C., embodies the commitment to Catholic education demonstrated by the Congregation of Holy Cross. The call of Holy Cross founder Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C., for "making God known, loved, and served" is at the root of the energy surge that helps to renew both campus and visitors during the summer months.

Author

William Schmitt

In the Spotlight: Matt Kloser

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:10:50 -0400

As a teacher in ACE 9, Matt Kloser learned quickly that becoming a successful educator was about more than enthusiasm and hard work. Using ACE teaching methods in the high school science classroom, he says, "I recognized the professional nature of teaching and thus the complex practices that go into designing curriculum, interacting with students, facilitating discussion, and assessing what students understand."

Since graduating ACE, Matt has taken what he learned from the program and applied it both as a summer instructor for ACE and as a graduate student at Stanford University, where he earned a PhD in Science Education this spring (and where he received the 2011 Outstanding Paper Award from the National Association for Research in Science Teaching).

These endeavors have served to deepen his appreciation of ACE in transforming educational settings—from both inside and outside Catholic schools. Based on his experience as an ACE instructor, he says, ACE teachers are developing "into some of our schools' strongest teachers and leaders." And as a resident of the Bay Area, Matt attests to the value of what ACE Advocates are doing for Catholic schools there, such as raising funds for and awareness of a middle school in the heart of San Francisco's most under-resourced area. The school, he says, is an "oasis for students who would likely never make it through high school – their success stories are amazing." Both the school and the Advocates are benefiting from the partnership.

Matt Kloser and his new wife Lauren (ACE 14 and a high school English teacher) will return to Notre Dame this fall, where Lauren will join the faculty of St. Joseph High School and Matt will join the faculty of ACE and the Institute for Educational Initiatives. "My time will be balanced between teaching, establishing a research agenda in the teaching and learning of science, and developing a vision to improve STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education in the United States—in all schools, but specifically in Catholic schools." He goes on, "The University has so many resources available in the STEM areas and Notre Dame can be a major player in improving STEM education – that which is so vital to the success of our nation's financial and social welfare."

The ACE family is delighted to welcome the Klosers "home" and continue working together in the Spirit's movement to strengthen and sustain Catholic schools.

Science and Math Teaching: A Formula for National/Local Dialogue

Mon, 21 May 2012 19:33:37 -0400

Registration Open for ND Forum Event on "STEM" Disciplines

A day of discussions and workshops devoted to one of the most crucial issues in education—bringing world-class aptitude in science and math to the next generation of U.S. citizens—will cap the Notre Dame Forum series on "Reimagining School" on June 12.

Leading experts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education from around the country will join with local practitioners at a "Forum on K-20 STEM Education" to focus on recent developments in the teaching and learning of those fields. They will pay special attention to K-12 contexts while also considering the years (K-20) spanning graduate studies. Registration for this STEM event is under way.

"Improving the nature of science and math education in the United States is essential for the country to maintain its leadership in the global economy and for individuals to navigate an increasingly complex world," said Karen Morris, a member of the Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI) task force planning the all-day event.

"At a time when the United States lags behind in STEM education achievement and interest in STEM careers, improving the curriculum, instruction, and assessment around STEM disciplines is paramount."

Morris, who directs the IEI's program spreading Advanced Placement® science and math courses in Indiana high schools, has worked with IEI associate director Packy Lyden, in collaboration with Matt Kloser, an Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) graduate who holds a Ph.D. in science education and previously served on the ACE faculty of instruction.

"This forum will leverage the wisdom and practice of national experts and award-winning teachers of math and science to deeply investigate the future of science and math education," said Lyden.

The morning will consist of two panel discussions, followed by break-out discussions in the afternoon to focus on relevant issues and practical applications in STEM education. The event, starting with sign-in at Notre Dame's Jordan Hall of Science at 8:15 am, is free of charge. Educators from the surrounding region are invited to attend, and Professional Growth Points can be earned by attendees. The Notre Dame Forum website provides the required on-line registration and the list of featured panelists.

The speakers include:
• Jonathan Osborne, the Shiriam Family Professor of Science Education at Stanford University
• Angie Calabrese Barton, professor of science education at Michigan State University
• Hugh Ross, a high school teacher with degrees in both engineering and education who leads workshops for science teachers
• Michael Shaughnessy, president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
• Julie Booth, assistant professor of educational psychology at Temple University
• Suzanne Dolembo, teacher of math at Mishawaka High School who was recently a finalist for 2012 Indiana Teacher of the Year

Afternoon sessions for interaction between experts and local practitioners will include topics such as:
• "Closing the Achievement Gap in Science and Math Education"
• "The Role of Technology in Math and Science Classrooms"
• "From Zero to 60: A Flipped Workshop Presenting a Roadmap for becoming a Designer of Online STEM Learning Environments"
• "How to Develop Strategies for Improving Yourself as a Professional Science/Math Educator"

The 2011-2012 Notre Dame Forum, titled "Reimagining School," has engaged faculty, staff, students, and distinguished visitors in a series of events hosted by the University's Office of the President. The Forum Committee has been chaired by Rev. Timothy Scully, C.S.C., director of the IEI and co-founder of ACE, and by Nicole Stelle Garnett, professor of law and ACE coordinator of policy.

Author

William Schmitt

From the Field: Julianne Corroto

Fri, 18 May 2012 08:50:04 -0400

At a time when teachers are the whipping post for all that ails America's schools, Julianne Corroto (ACE 18) brings hope, embodying as she does the Holy Cross ideal to educate, expand, and enlighten minds and hearts.

"I lead my students from behind," writes the teacher in ACE STT cohort 18, "supporting, encouraging, sometimes shouting directions to those at the head of the pack." Covering 8th grade science, 10th grade religion, and high school chemistry, Julianne also seeks to lead by example. "I learned really quickly," she says, "that sophomores in my morality class are more likely to watch me than they are to actually listen!"

Ultimately, her aim is to help students find—and use—their gifts, and Julianne attests to the importance of doing this in the context of a Catholic school classroom. "We talk about faith, vocation, life-plans, God at work in our lives--on an almost daily basis," she says. "Hopefully I inspire [my students] to do more than just pass chemistry: to problem solve, to look and listen for God, to find life in service, to love our neighbors, and to ultimately be the people that God created them to be."

Julianne's students frequently ask her if she likes teaching at their small Mississippi school. Her answer is always the same: "I love it." She tells us, "The other day one asked me why I didn't go to medical school or become a researcher to find the cure for cancer. And another student chimed in, 'She's here to teach us how to find the cure for cancer!'"

Julianne Corroto, a teacher with hope to bring, is pictured above with her housemates, also ACE teachers in Biloxi. Learn more ACE Service through Teaching program here.

ACE Service to Catholic Schools Shines Light in Summer Conferences

Tue, 15 May 2012 08:48:10 -0400

The University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) will once again welcome hundreds of visitors to the campus this summer for a unique series of conferences, all advancing ACE’s mission to sustain, strengthen, and transform Catholic schools.

The conferences, some of which are currently accepting registrants, constitute a growing part of the busy summer to be enjoyed by ACE participants. Hundreds of those participants will receive skills and personal formation to earn master’s degrees as K-12 Catholic school teachers and leaders.

Various units of ACE, which have multiplied during 19 years in response to the needs of children in under-resourced Catholic schools, host conferences that address today’s urgent issues. These include galvanizing top-notch teachers and school leaders; encouraging parental choice policies and informed financial strategies for Catholic school sustainability; promoting athletic coaching that ministers to young people; and introducing parents and South Bend-area educators to the summertime wellspring of Notre Dame’s commitment to K-12 schooling.

These conferences are coming up in 2012:

ACE Teaching Fellows Annual Conference (June 5-10). Participants in the Melody Family ACE Teaching Fellowship program convene to assess and catalyze their growth as master teachers, educational leaders, and generators of problem-solving research. Several benefactor-supported fellowships support highly promising educators who wish to continue their careers in Catholic classrooms while pursuing advanced knowledge and skills. Fellows cultivate these leadership assets along with their mentors during the conference. Read more about the ACE Teaching Fellows Annual Conference.

Advocates for Parental Choice Symposium (June 15-20). This intensive formation experience gives participants a first-hand experience of people and places on the cutting edge in implementing school choice policies. Catholic school supporters will receive skills, insights, and working relationships to equip them as advocates in the parental choice movement. Major speakers and visits to Wisconsin and Florida will increase these future leaders’ understanding of the legal, social, constitutional, political, and moral dimensions of parental choice.

Hope in Action: Transforming Haiti Through Catholic Education (June 19-20). A select group of Church, education, philanthropic, and international developmental leaders will gather to probe how a stronger Catholic education system can transform Haiti's education sector and advance the nation's social and economic development. Forum hosts and partners will introduce innovative pathways for quality Catholic education in Haiti. Partners in this international leadership forum include Catholic Relief Services, the Congregation of Holy Cross, the Haitian Episcopal Commission for Catholic Education, as well as three units of the University—the Alliance for Catholic Education, the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, and the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. Learn more about ACE in Haiti.

Play Like a Champion Today Sports Leadership Conference (June 22-24). This annual conference, titled “Champion Character in Sports” for 2012, emphasizes developing the whole person through sports. Guest speakers offer professional development for coaches and athletic administrators at both the youth and high school levels. Hosted by ACE’s Play Like a Champion Today® experts in sports as ministry, the conference gathers representatives of parochial leagues around the country to network and share best practices. Register for the Play Like a Champion Today Sports Leadership Conference.

Superintendents Strategic Leadership Conference (June 24-27). ACE Consulting will host its annual Superintendents Strategic Leadership Conference, inviting educational leaders from dioceses across the country. This year's conference is titled "Together in Mission: Creating a Culture of Hope." Expert speakers and in-depth conversations will explore key issues faced by school leaders. Learn more about the Superintendents Strategic Leadership Conference.

Principals Academy (June 26-29). A four-day enrichment experience for Catholic school principal will focus on identifying and shaping a school’s culture to benefit leadership and learning. The values of a school, expressed actively and nurtured in a culture, provide a framework in which teachers can reduce students’ achievement gaps and leaders can promote continuous improvement in a school. This academy, hosted by ACE Consulting, will help principals develop action plans to improve and utilize their school culture. Register here for the Principals Academy.

Equitable Services Institute (July 8-12). Students in Catholic schools across the country are not getting federally funded services to which they’re entitled; the Equitable Services Institute assists diocesan superintendents, principals, and other educational leaders to solve this problem. Attendees will receive updated information about complex federal funding policies plus practical roadmaps for the process of consultations by which educators obtain equitable shares for their students from Title 1, Title 2, and Title 3 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Learn more about, and register for, the Equitable Services Institute.

School Pastors Institute (July 17-20). Pastors whose parishes include schools are invited to this annual institute to learn to manage and leverage better the distinctive relationship between a parish and its school. The Institute develops many skills and perspectives that a pastor will need in overseeing a parish school, its people, and its finances. It provides insights for valuable reflection on the value of Catholic schools to the children and parents of a parish and to the future of the Church as a whole.

ACE Parent Retreat (July 25-27). Parents whose sons or daughters have just finished their first year in ACE Service through Teaching often have many questions about these first-year teachers’ experiences. ACE Advocates hosts a special retreat for these parents at Notre Dame to get their questions answered and to see the broader context of the journey their ACE teachers are taking. The retreat also allows these parents of the ACE 18 cohort to hear presentations, worship together, and swap stories. Learn more about the ACE Parent Retreat.

Mary Ann Remick Leadership Conference (July 13). This conference, a capstone event for those earning their master’s degrees in educational administration through the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program (RLP), is a unique and informal venue for South Bend-area educators to discuss current research with ACE leaders and experts from across the country. The RLP participants present the action research they have conducted to help address key day-to-day issues facing Catholic schools, and local educational leaders attending free-of-charge may exchange useful ideas. Read about last year’s Remick Leadership Conference and read about the value of action research.

Author

William Schmitt

In the Spotlight: Laura Knaus

Thu, 10 May 2012 17:08:24 -0400

The Holy Spirit won't take "No" for an answer. Just ask Laura Knaus. Early in her career as a teacher in Chicago's inner-city, she felt the nudge toward administration. But she explored other opportunities in education first. Still, the call to administration beckoned, and eventually she became principal of Sacred Heart School in Lincoln, Nebraska—and landed in the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program (RLP) at ACE.

Hearing Laura speak about Catholic schools reveals why the Spirit must have led her to a position of leadership. "The Church speaks of Her schools in such a beautiful way—as places that foster the growth of minds and souls, that help students grow intellectually, socially and spiritually...[They are] 'at the heart of the Church.'"

And not only that, Laura says, but Catholic schools are at the heart of society has a whole. Thus, her commitment is "to fully participate in the movement to strengthen and restore our Catholic schools, especially those that serve under-served populations."

As principal, Laura brings that commitment to her Diocese, staff, parents, and students. (One example, as pictured above: She has instituted "Kingdom-Builder Awards." Each quarter, one student per grade is recognized for this honor.) She also brings what she's learned in RLP, such as professional development for her staff, and modified policies to move her school forward for the benefit of its children. And Laura is using her Action Research at Sacred Heart "to revamp our approach to parent involvement and to more effectively collaborate with parents, who are the primary educators of their children."

This leader in the Alliance for Catholic Education concludes, "I believe wholeheartedly in what ACE and ACE-modeled programs are accomplishing across our nation. Bringing awareness to [this work] is critical to the expansion and sustained success of the ACE mission." We are grateful for the central role Laura and others like her are playing to strengthen the heart of the Church--and the soul of our nation.

Education Journalist Scrutinizes "Myths" in CREO Seminar

Tue, 08 May 2012 08:31:25 -0400

John Merrow Tells ACE/IEI Audience Clearer View of Goals is Needed

Many of the judgments Americans commonly accept about our educational system are myths, according to an award-winning education journalist who addressed an Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI) audience on April 30.

Veteran reporter John Merrow, whose stories appear on the PBS NewsHour and a range of other media, critiqued a list of myths—and spotlighted numerous problems in schooling—during his lecture, which capped the 2011-2012 Center for Research on Educational Opportunity (CREO) Seminar series.

"I wish, after 37 years of reporting, I could be optimistic [about the future of education]," he said, but little real progress will be made unless strong leaders and the whole nation engage in a sweeping "conversation about what we want for our kids" and the best ways to achieve those goals.

On the subject of today's educational myths, Merrow rejected the notion that the biggest challenge in schooling is an "achievement gap" between rich and poor students as defined by test results.

Focusing a school's efforts on raising those test scores ignores the fact that the problem grows out of less-recognized phenomena in society, he said—an "opportunity gap" reflected in schools of differing quality, an "expectations gap" derived from asking little of students, a "leadership gap" fed by a lack of the courage to solve more systemic problems, and an "outcomes gap" that is measured and addressed statistically and simplistically.

Among other points he made:
• Charter schools are not a big part of the solution for America's education problems, although they could offer some answers—"I'm not so sure about profit-making charter schools."
• Over the past 40 years, the average teacher salary, adjusted for inflation, has risen less than 1% annually.
• "America's children are the most tested in the world.... Oftentimes, we're testing our kids because we're trying to keep track of the teachers." Americans spend too little of the education dollar to see if their expenditure of $12,000 a year per student has worked well, he said.
• Schools must realize their purpose is to prepare students for their careers and for life, not just college, Merrow said. He noted that Notre Dame ACE Academies speak of preparing students for college and heaven. "That's cool," he said. "It's not how I would phrase it, but it's a wonderful construct" because it reflects a deep, long-term purpose.

Merrow added that his audience shouldn't go away from the talk feeling too distressed. After his visit to Notre Dame, including meetings with University President-Emeritus Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C, and leaders of IEI units such as CREO and the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) who are working to change things, "I'm going to go back feeling a lot better."

CREO director Mark Berends, a distinguished sociologist of education at Notre Dame and a Fellow of the Institute for Educational initiatives (IEI), called Merrow "the premier influential, thorough, thoughtful education reporter in the United States."

Author

William Schmitt

In the Spotlight: Roseanne Villanueva

Thu, 03 May 2012 19:24:16 -0400

One never knows what brings Catholic school principals to their positions.

When Roseanne Villanueva moved to Tucson seven years ago, she says, "I didn't know about Catholic education. I didn't go to Catholic school. I didn't think I could afford it, and it wasn't something I really believed in."

So when she enrolled her two youngest (of four) sons in the preschool at St. John the Evangelist, she was initially happy just to have a place for them to go.

Within the first month, though, "I noticed a difference between the two older boys, who were in public school, and the two younger ones. The two little ones were talking about God in a way that I never had heard little kids talk, and I hadn't realized that could happen at that age. I liked the way they treated each other and the topics they brought up to talk about."

Naturally, Roseanne brought her older children to St. John the Evangelist as well. A teacher in a public school at the time, she asked the principal to keep her in mind for any future openings. That very spring, a position became available, and despite the pay cut on top of the expense of sending all four boys to Catholic school, her family decided to make the switch.

This teacher who once had never considered Catholic education was now teaching in a Catholic school--and loving it. She especially appreciated subbing in religion classes: "You learn about something when you teach religion in Catholic school," she says, "and I learned about my faith when I taught it. It's still one of my favorite things, to get to sub religion if a teacher is out."

Roseanne became principal of St John the Evangelist, a Notre Dame ACE Academy, in 2009. About it she says, "There's no school anywhere where the teachers are getting the kind of training our teachers are getting. The quality of education has gone up here. All the resources have made such a difference for the kids." Roseanne also points to the collaborative culture of the Academies, where the principals of the three schools can turn to each other and teachers who once worked in near isolation can share ideas, as a major factor in the success of St. John the Evangelist.

This is how the Holy Spirit works. Under Roseanne's leadership, the school where she first enrolled two of her children simply because it was a good place for them has gone from struggling to thriving. Under her leadership, the school about which she initially knew so little is now on a steep upward trajectory with enrollment increasing, school culture growing stronger and more defined, and student achievement scores up as much as two years in some classes. This is how the Holy Spirit works. Thanks be to God!

Research Award for Director of Notre Dame ACE Academies

Wed, 02 May 2012 08:46:30 -0400

Dr. Christian Dallavis Honored by AERA Catholic education Scholars

Christian Dallavis, director of the Notre Dame ACE Academies initiative, has been honored for best dissertation by the Catholic Education special interest group (SIG) of theAmerican Educational Research Association (AERA).

The SIG, which brings together scholars from around the world who conduct research in the field of Catholic education, bestowed the award on Dallavis as the group gathered at the AERA annual conference, held April 13-17, 2012, in Vancouver, Canada.

Dallavis's dissertation, titled "Extending theories of culturally responsive pedagogy: An ethnographic examination of Catholic schooling in an immigrant community in Chicago," explored the capacity for Catholic schools to be culturally responsive to their students as ethnicity in a community changed over time.

He studied a particular Chicago-area Catholic school during two time periods—its early days after its founding in 1903 to serve the local Polish immigrant community and its recent days serving a community that has become virtually all Hispanic.

His ethnographic and historical research showed that the key tenets of what scholars now call "culturally responsive pedagogy" were present in the school during its early days. "Polish culture, literature, language, and history were at the heart of the school, right alongside American history and literature, English, and religion," Dallavis commented in a recent interview. But contemporary teachers don't emphasize the home culture of their students in the classroom in the same ways today.

This shift is symptomatic of a broader trend in American classrooms in recent years, as the minority composition of student bodies has increased dramatically but the teaching force has not. Dallavis said his study "identifies missed opportunities" for teachers and principals in Catholic schools to enrich cultural connections with students, because a growing body of research suggests that culturally responsive teaching is an effective approach to improving minority student achievement. Dallavis contends that faith-based schools have a unique opportunity to be culturally responsive, because faith is a critical part of the home culture for families who choose Catholic schools.

"Many Catholic schools were extraordinarily culturally responsive to the immigrant communities from Europe that founded the schools a century ago. Today, Catholic schools ought to look to that legacy to prepare teachers and principals to be culturally responsive to today's children in similar ways," Dallavis said, summarizing the take-away points from the dissertation. The research was part of his graduate work at the University of Michigan, where he earned a joint Ph.D. in English and Education.

The study received the SIG's inaugural dissertation award; the SIG was authorized by the AERA only in 2010, an act affirming the validity of Catholic education as a field of scholarly research. The SIG is chaired by Shane Martin, professor and dean of the Loyola Marymount University School of Education.

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Author

William Schmitt

Chilean Presidential Candidate Discusses Education at ACE

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:16:41 -0400

It's not every day one gets to meet the man who may be Chile's next president. But given their vested interest in that beautiful country (see ChACE), folks in the Alliance for Catholic Education got to do just that.

With his wife Francisca, Claudio Orrego, a mayor of Santiago and presidential candidate for 2014, sat down with members of ACE faculty and staff to discuss the state of education in his country. Over lunch hosted by ACE co-founder and Director of the Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI) Fr. Tim Scully, Mayor Orrego outlined Chile's current economic and educational ups and the downs.

"[Chile] has grown and prospered," the Mayor said, "but not all have benefited equally."

In fact, though statistically the country ranks about average in terms of global economies, just 10% of the population holds the nation's wealth. 90 percent live on less—-in some cases, much less—-than $8,000/year. Mayor Orrego calls this the Tyranny of Averages.

Given the way education is structured, this tyranny has closed many school doors to Chile's poorest children, an injustice that has brought thousands of protesting students to the streets in the past year.

The message hasn't been lost on Mr. Orrego. Under his leadership as mayor of Peñalolén, Santiago, per pupil investment is on the rise, as are student test scores and the number of students enrolling in higher education, which has grown from just 8% in 2007 to a whopping 63% in 2011.

"Our goal," says the popular politician, "must be to ensure that more people can share in the benefits of living in Santiago." As he fights for social justice there, so he fights for it across the country. "Any positive change in any place...is also a positive change for Chile."