Educators for Justice Forum

The Catholic Church and the Educational Commitment to the Poor: A Discussion of Ecclesia in America 71

John Paul II Ecclesia in America 71:

"The influence of these educational centers should extend to all sectors of society, without distinction or exclusion. It is essential that every possible effort be made to ensure that Catholic schools, despite financial difficulties, continue to provide 'a Catholic education to the poor and the marginalized in society'. It will never be possible to free the needy from their poverty unless they are first freed from the impoverishment arising from the lack of adequate education."

Participants:

Elizabeth Monahan - Director, Center for Catholic School Excellence

Elizabeth C. Monahan received her undergraduate degree from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland and her graduate degree from The Johns Hopkins University.  She is a member of St. Francis Xavier Church in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where she served on the school board for 2 consecutive terms.  She has served as the Director of Graduate Studies in Education, Bicentennial Director and has taught at the Mount for 17 years.  Liz was named the first director of the Center for Catholic School Excellence in January 2009.

Daniel Curtin C '64, Executive Director (Dept. of Chief Administrators), NCEA

Daniel F. Curtin is a native Washingtonian and has served Catholic education as a teacher, counselor and administrator at the secondary, archdiocesan and national levels.  He is a member of Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Falls Church, Virginia

Since 1999, Mr. Curtin has been the Executive Director of the Chief Administrators of Catholic Education (CACE) of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA).

Dr. Caroline Eick, Faculty Advisor, Educators for Justice

Caroline Eick is assistant professor of education. She received her Ph.D. in Education Policy (specialization in history of education) from the University of Maryland, her Master of Arts degree in Philosophy of Education from Loyola College in Baltimore, MD, and her Bachelor of Education from McGill University in Montréal, Canada. Her research interests include: Youth involvement in social justice causes: Catholic and non-denominational school perspectives, 1970-Present; transcultural and intercultural approaches to teaching; and the use of “language of possibility” in teacher-student interactions in public and Catholic high schools. Dr. Eick is fluent in French, Croatian, and Spanish, and espouses a critical/transformative philosophy of education.

Dr. Alejandro Canadas, Assistant Professor of Economics

Dr. Alejandro Canadas, Assistant Professor of Economics. Dr. Canadas received his Ph.D. in Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics in 2008 from the Ohio State University. He earned his MBA in Finance from the University of Dayton in 2003. Dr. Canadas is from Argentina where he obtained a B.A. in Economics from the Catholic University (Buenos Aires, Argentina). His research interests are focused on Poverty, Inequality and Economic Growth and the application of Spatial Econometrics to Development Economics.

Msg. Stuart W. Swetland, Flynn Professor of Christian Ethics

Msgr. Stuart W. Swetland, S.T.D., was ordained a priest in 1991 for the Diocese of Peoria, IL. He received his undergraduate degree in Physics from the United States Naval Academy. Elected a Rhodes Scholar in 1981, he entered the Catholic Church while studying at Oxford. He has a B.A. and M.A. in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford; a M.Div. and M.A. from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary; and his S.T.L. and S.T.D. from the Pontifical Lateran University having studied at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, DC. He currently serves as The Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn Professor of Christian Ethics at Mount St. Mary’s.

Please join us. Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 7:00 PM in the Mount's Knott Auditorium.

Co-sponsors:  Callings, Center for Catholic School Excellence, Educators for Justice.

For more information please contact Cynthia Kokowski at (301) 447-7435 or  kokoski@msmary.edu .