Every week we sit down and speak to Catholic leaders, parents, and students about the importance of special education in Catholic schools and their role in helping achieve that vision.
This week I am joined by Dr. Michael Boyle, Superintendent for the Diocese of Joliet. Michael talks about his family and all the roles that led him to become superintendent. Finally, he talks about the schools in his diocese and his vision for them. For more information on Michael, please email him at mboyle@dioceseofjoliet.org.
This week I am joined by Heidi Witte, former Catholic school teacher and host of Children’s Liturgy which airs on CatholicTV and YouTube. She is also an ACE at Notre Dame alum. Heidi talks about her time as a schoolteacher and what led her and her husband to develop the Children’s Liturgy of the Word on CatholicTV. If you would like more information on Heidi, please email her at kidsliturgy2020@gmail.com.
This week I am joined by John Meehan, instructional coach at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, VA, author, Spartan, Tough Mudder, and most importantly wrestling fan. John talks about his experience as an instructional coach, teacher of people, and his books. John is a game-changer with his work with all populations. If you would like more information on John, please email him at jmeehan@bishopoconnell.org.
This week, I am joined by Bishop Michael Burbidge, Bishop for the Diocese of Arlington. His excellency talks about what led him to become a priest and bishop in the Catholic church along with the various stops along the way. Bishop Burbidge then shares the uniqueness of persons with disabilities and their place in the body of Christ.
This week I am joined by Beth Foraker, director for the National Catholic Board on Full Inclusion. Beth discusses the growth of inclusion in Catholic schools and who are some on the ones making exceptional leaps in advancing Catholic inclusive programs.
This week I am joined by Patrick Foraker, as student with Down Syndrome at George Mason University. Patrick talks about how he has made the transition from high school to the university and all the supports he has in place at the university to help him succeed. He speaks about the power of inclusion and what it should like in schools.
This week I am joined by Raymond Tetschner, student at Bishop McNamara High School in Maryland. Raymond talks about his family and the inclusion program at Bishop McNamara. He also discusses how the teachers are helping him succeed and the friends he has made as a result of being included in the school.
This week I am joined by I am joined by Doreen Engel, Adjunct Faculty Member & Professional Development Consultant, Greeley Center for Catholic Ed. Author of “Be Open!” Doreen talks about her work with the Greely Center and especially about her book, Be Open: A Guide to Prayerful Reflection on Inclusion in Catholic Schools. For more information about Doreen, please email her at dengel@luc.edu.
This week I am joined by Dr. Tim Uhl, superintendent of Montana Catholic Schools. Tim talks about what led him to be superintendent and the school system he services. He also discussed inclusive programs, leaders, and podcasting. For more information about Tim, please email him at uhltimothy@gmail.com.
This week I am joined by Fr. Augustine Wetta, Benedictine monk and teacher. Fr. Augustine discusses what led him to the monastery as well as what St. Benedict would think of Catholic special education. For more information about Fr. Augustine, please email him at fraugustine@priory.org.
This week I am joined by Dr. Diane Floyd, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Diane talks about her special education background and what led her to be superintendent. She also discusses the great work her Archdiocese is doing in special education. For more information about Diane, please email her at DFloyd@archokc.org.
This week I am joined by Lisa Montez Stockstad, wife and mother of three children with special needs living in Chandler, Arizona. Lisa talks about her wonderful family and how she learned early on how to advocate for them. She also shares what led her to place her child in Holy Family Catholic school and how he has exceled in that school. For more information about Lisa, please email her at montezstockstad@gmail.com.
This week I am joined by Jeanne and Blair Loftis, founders of Oregon of Inclusive Catholic Education (ICE). Jeanne and Blair take us through their journey as parents of a child with special needs to what led to the creation of their foundation. They also talk about the purpose and success stories of their foundation. For more information about Oregon ICE, please visit http://www.oregonice.org.
On the first show for Season 3, I am joined by Mrs. Anne Dillon, Director of Special Education for the Archdiocese of Washington. Anne talks about all the experiences that led her to her current position as director. She talks about how she supports her teachers and students on daily basis and offers advice to dioceses interested in creating inclusive program. For more information about Anne, please email her at DillonA@adw.org.
This week I am joined by John Petruzzelli, principal of Kolbe Academy in Bethlehem PA. John talks about his previous roles that led him to be the principal of Kolbe Academy, He also discusses the uniqueness and purpose of Kolbe Academy and how they hope to impact the lives of children of all ability levels. For more information about John or the Kolbe Academy, please email him at principal@kolbe-academy.com.
This week I am joined by Mike Deely, Headmaster at Pope John Paul II High School in Nashville, TN. Mike talks about his background and what led him to become the headmaster at Pope John Paull II High School. He also discusses the school and the Hand in Hand Program and how it has changed the culture of the school. For more information about Mike, please email him at mike.deely@jp2hs.org.
This week I am joined by Michelle Tetschner, author of Fully Included-Stories to Inspire Inclusion. Michelle talks about her role as a wife, mother, and author. She also discusses what led her to write the book, FULLY INCLUDED: Stories to Inspire Inclusion and the impact Catholic inclusive education is having for her son, Raymond. For more information about the book, please visit amazon.com or email Michelle, at mtetschner@aol.com.
This week I am joined by Dr. Marco Clark, president of Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, MD. Marco talks about his background and what led him to Catholic schools and Bishop McNamara. He also shares his role as president at Bishop McNamara as well as the inclusive programs at the school which have transformed the school population. For more information about Marco, please email him at marco.clark@bmhs.org. For more information about Bishop McNamara, please visit https://www.bmhs.org.
This week I am joined by Anne Battes, publisher for RCL Benziger. Anne shares her background in Catholic education and what led her to RCLB. Anne also discusses the vision that RCLB has not only for Catholic education but for inclusive Catholic special education. For more information about Anne or any products that RCLB offers Catholic schools, please visit https://rclbenziger.com/.
This week I am joined by I am joined by Andrea Chavez-Kopp, Assistant Director for Educational and Formation Programs for the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). Andrea talks about her role at NCEA and digital discipleship. She details all the great things happening at the NCEA conference as well as the inclusive communities track.
This week I am joined by Kevin Donohue, Principal of St. Joseph Hawthorne School in Los Angeles School. Kevin talks about his background and what led him to St. Joseph Hawthorne. He details his blog and the inclusive programs at the school and how they are meeting the needs of these students. For more information about St. Joseph Hawthorne, please visit https://www.saintjoe.online/alumni. For more information about Kevin, please follow him on Twitter at @kmdra06 .
This week I am joined by Mr. Paul Maestranzi, Principal of St. Pius V school in Lynn, MA. Paul discusses the rich history of the school and the history of the city. He shares his background as well as the 8-credit certificate with Boston College’s Lynch School of Education on serving exceptional learners in Catholic Schools. He also discussed how he was able to lead his staff through this process and how they are helping meet the needs of their diverse learners. For more information about Paul, please email him at paul@stpiusvschool.org.
This week I am joined by Kristin Melley, Director, Professional Development at the Roche Center for Catholic Education at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College. Kristin talks about her background and what led her to Boston College. She details the eight-credit program offered by the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. For more information about Kristin, please email her at kristin.melley@bc.edu
This week I am joined by Ms. Abbie Greer, Director of Student Support at Bishop McNamara HS, in Forestville, Maryland. Abbie talks about the four programs at her school and how they striving to meet the needs of these students. She also discusses how these programs have influenced the Catholic identity of the school. For more information about Abbie, please email her at Abigail.Greer@bmhs.org.
This week I am joined by Dr. Megan Burton, Director of Special Education for Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego, California. Megan discusses in detail the three-tiered special education program for the 200 plus diverse learners and how they have added to the identity of the school. For more information about Megan, please email her at MBurton@cathedralcatholic.org.
This week I am joined by Mr. Sean Jorgensen, President of St. Mary Catholic Central High School in Monroe, Michigan. Sean talks about his role as President at the school and what led him to that position. Sean also discusses the St. Andre Bissett program at this school and how the inclusion of those students has increased the joy in the other students at the school. For more information about Sean, please email him at sjorgensen@smccmonroe.com
This week I am joined by Mr. Frank Mackritis, Principal of St. Patrick Interparish School in Gainesville, FL. Frank talks about his role as principal and how he came to that position at the school. He also discussed how the Morningstar program for students with disabilities has transformed his school into an inclusive enviornment. For more information about Frank, please email him at fmackritis@stpatrickschoolgnv.org.
This week I am joined by Mrs. Elizabeth Dombrowski, Executive Director of CLC network also known as the Christian Learning Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Elizabeth talks about how CLC developed and all the different component that make up the program. Additionally, she talks about their mission for helping to service students with special needs. For more information about Elizabeth, please email him at edombrowski@clcnetwork.org
This week I am joined by Mr. John Garrow,principal of Central Catholic High School in Portland, Oregon.John talks about his background and his role at the school including how he is meeting the needs of students with intellectual disabilities at his school using the coffee cart. For more information about John, please email him at jgarrow@centralcatholichigh.org.
This week I am joined by Dr. Michelle Lia, Dr. Michelle Lia, Assistant Director Professional Development, Andrew M. Greeley Center for Catholic Education at Loyola University in Chicago.Michelle talks about her work at the Greely Center and all the programs they offer. She also discusses strategies on how teachers can improve the reading skills of their students in comprehension and the other Big 5.For more information about the Greeley Center or Michelle, please email her at mlia@luc.edu.
This week I am joined by Mr. Andy Kremer, Associate Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana. Andy talks about his journey from football coach to Associate Superintendent. He also talks about his vision for special education and the programs currently available in his diocese for exceptional learners. For more information on Andy, please email him at akremer@dol-in.org.
This week, I am joined by Dr. Tara Rolle, Associate Superintendent, Diocese of San Jose and the Executive Director, Drexel School System. Tara details her role as the assistant superintendent and the important conversations she is having with the parents to make the diocese more inclusive towards all learners. For more information about Tara, please email here at trolle@dsj.org.
This week, I am joined Mrs. Lynn Hire, Executive Director for the FIRE Foundation Kansas City MO. Lynn discusses the foundation and her role with the foundation. Additionally, she talks about the upcoming Inclusion in Action Conference including the speakers, and sessions for this conference. Finally she discussed how anyone interested can register for the conference. For more information about Lynn, please email here at hire@diocesekcsj.org. For more information about the Inclusion in Action Conference 2019, please visit http://firefoundation.org/inclusioninactionconference/ or call (816-756-1858), Ext 253
This week I am joined by Ms. Mary Pat Donoghue, Executive Director of the Secretariat of Catholic Education for USCCB. Mary Pat talks about how she got her start in Catholic school education and what led her to her current role at the USCCB. She speaks about her vision for Catholic special education and encourages Catholic school to #BeTheTree. For more information about the Mary Pat’s office, please visit http://www.usccb.org/news/2018/18-135.cfm. For more information about Mary Pat, you can email her at MDonoghue@usccb.org.
This week I am joined by Dr. Victoria Graf, Professor of Education at Loyola Marymount University. Vicky details her time at Loyola Marymount at the university and her work with inclusion throughout the years. She also speaks about her work in Universal Design for Learning and then inclusion of students with disabilities at the higher education level. For more information about Vicky, you can email her at Victoria.graf@lmu.edu.
This week I am joined by Mrs. Denise Brickler, middle school math and science teacher at Christ the King Catholic School classroom for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Denise talks about how she was led to become a middle school teacher and about the students she instructs. She also shares practical strategies for working with all learners and not just exceptional learners. For more information about Denise, you can email her at denisebrickler@gmail.com
This week I am joined by Mrs. Rebecca Hammel, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Nashville and Mrs. Kay Dodd Co- Chair of the Hand in Hand Board. Both ladies speak about the importance on inclusion in their diocese and the steps necessary to fully include students from an administrative and parent eye. For more information about Rebecca, please email her at rebecca.hammel@dioceseofnashville.com
This week I am joined by Dr. Barbara Edmondson – Chief Leadership and Program Officer for the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). Barbara talks about her diverse roles and how she was able to meet the needs of exceptional learners at each level. She also talks about what NCEA is doing to meet the needs of Catholic schools working with diverse learners. For more information about NCEA, please visit https://www.ncea.org. For more information about Barbara, you can email her at bedmondson@ncea.org.
This week I am joined by Mrs. Beth Foraker, founder and director of the National Catholic Board on Full Inclusion. Beth and I sit down and talk about how thankful we are for inclusion in Catholic schools and mention the different organizations, schools, and people that are taking the charge of inclusion in Catholic schools. We encourage you to listen and write down all the resources that are available for a Catholic school or diocese to begin the conversation for inclusion. For more information on the National Catholic Board on Full Inclusion, please visit http://fullinclusionforcatholicschools.org. For more information on Beth, please email her at catholicfullinclusion@gmail.com.
This week I am joined by Dr. Janna Bopp – Retired Director of Special Services, Sacred Heart Cathedral School in Knoxville, Tennessee. Janna talks about her time at Sacred Heart Cathedral School as well her role. She talks about lessons learned with parents, students, and services and offers advice moving forward. For more information about Janna please email her at jbopp2018@gmail.com.
This week I am joined by three great people associated with EMBRACE (Enriching Many By Reaching All in Catholic Education). Maggie Mosher, Executive Director—Jane Rall, Director of Operations, and Jim Kernell—President, Chairman of the Board. They talk about the mission and vision of EMBRACE in Kansas City as well as all of the services they provide. Additionally, they talk about the success stories and obstacles they have had in EMBRACE as well as the fruits of their labors. For more information about EMBRACE, please visit https://www.embraceks.org.
This week I am joined by Dr. Gail Donahue, Director, Academy of Catholic Educators (ACES) at Notre Dame of Maryland. Gail talks about her experiences as director for ACEs and the wonderful work they are doing to include students with special needs in the classroom. Gail also mentions the possible roadblocks that may occur when trying to include students with special needs in the classroom and in schools while offering practical advice to schools that would like to include exceptional learners. For more information about ACES, please visit www.ndm.edu/ACES. For more information about Gail, please email her at gdonahue@ndm.edu.
This week I am joined by Dr. Maggie Hubbard, former Director of Special Education for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC and currently a coach with Academy of Catholic Educators (ACES) at Notre Dame of Maryland. Maggie talks about her experiences not only as a former special education director but as a first-grade teacher. She speaks about reading and the processes necessary for developing reading habits and also explains some sound strategies for reading success in the classroom. For more information about Maggie, please email her at maggie.w.hubbard@gmail.com.
This week I am joined by Sedonna Prater, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee. Sedonna talks about her background and her role in the Diocese of Knoxville. She also talks about English Language Learners and what the difference is between them and an exceptional learner. For more information about the Diocese of Knoxville schools, please visit, https://dioknox.org. For more information about Sedonna, please email her at sprater@dioknox.org.
This week I am joined by Dr. Janette Boazman, Associate Professor, for the Department of Education at the University of Dallas. Janette talks about her roles at the University of Dalls as wells as the courses she teaches. She details some models for giftedness as well as a discussion on what rigor should look like for students who are gifted. For more information about the University of Dallas. please visit https://udallas.edu/constantin/academics/programs/education/index.php. For more information about Janette, please email her at jboazman@udallas.edu.
This week I am joined by Sr. Edward Quinn, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Schools. Sister Edward talks about her background and her very large family. She shares what here role looks like at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and speaks about her vision for including exceptional learner in Philadelphia through accommodations, assessment, and instruction. For more information about the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please visit http://www.aopcatholicschools.org. For more information about Sr. Edward Quinn, please email her at sr.equinn@archphila.org.
This week, I am joined by Mrs. Doreen Engel, Adjunct Faculty Member & Professional Development Consultant for the Greeley Center for Catholic Education out of out of the University of Loyola Chicago. Doreen talks about her new role at the Greeley Center. She discusses Catholic social justice and how teachers can incorporate Catholic social teaching in their classrooms to maximize including all learners. For more information about the Greeley Center, please visit https://www.luc.edu/gcce/index.shtml. For more information about Doreen, please follow her on Twitter @engelworks or email her at engelworks@mail.com.
This week I am joined by Dr. Julie Cantillon, Associate Director for the Office of Schools for the Diocese of San Diego. Julie talks about her role as Associate Director and what those duties look like as well as talking about the exceptional learners in her diocese. She talks about the learning supports available to teachers in her diocese for working with exceptional learners and pays tribute to those in the field of Catholic special education who are leading the charge and providing supports for her teachers. For more information about the Diocese of San Diego, please visit https://www.sdcatholic.org/schools/elementary.aspx. For more information about Julie, please email her at jcantillon@sdcatholic.org.
This week I am joined by Mrs. Barb Gillman, a 3rd grade teacher at St. Margaret Mary School in Omaha, Nebraska. Barb shares with the audience her love for books especially children’s literature. For this podcast, she summarizes the following books that are fantastic to start the conversation about exceptional learners in the classroom: Wonder by R.J. Palacio, A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold, Dearest Children: A Message Inspired by Father Flanagan by Eli Hernandez, Stanley Will Probably Be Fine by Sally J. Pla, and Caleb and Kit by Beth Vrabel. For more information, about Barb, please follow her on Twitter @BarbInNebraska or email her at barb.gilman@gmail.com.
This week I am joined by Mrs. Kathleen McNutt, Principal of St. Louis School in Alexandria, Virginia. Kathleen talks about her school and how they are welcoming students with exceptional needs. She details the different supports available to diverse learners as well as advice for principals considering starting a program for exceptional learners. For more information about St. Louis school, please visit https://www.stlouisschool.org. For more information about Kathleen, please email her at kmcnutt@stlouisschool.org.
This week I am joined by Mrs. Jill Annable, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, & Technology Integration for the Diocese of Grand Rapids in Michigan. Jill talks about her role as assistant superintendent and what led her to that position for Grand Rapids. She details the success of the Student Support Services Network in her diocese and how it provides support for students with exceptional needs. Finally, she offers advice to other leaders who are considering welcoming student with special needs. For more information about Jill, please email her at jillannable@dogrschools.org. For more information about the Diocese of Grand Rapids Schools, please visit https://catholicschools4u.org.
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