ACE Teachers Join Communities in Dallas, Indianapolis, Peoria, and San José

Fifteen Catholic schools in four cities are welcoming new teachers from Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) to their towns and their classrooms.

Leaders of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, the Diocese of Peoria, and the Diocese of San José have invited the ACE Teaching Fellows initiative to send new, talented, and faith-filled teachers to educate disadvantaged children in local K-12 schools. An existing community in Dallas will expand to include ten ACE Teachers.

The number of communities served by the ACE Teaching Fellows now stands at 33, the largest total since it was established in 1993 with the mission to sustain, strengthen, and transform Catholic schools. Every year, ACE sends forth approximately 190 college graduates to teach while they earn a Master of Education degree from the University of Notre Dame.

At the invitation of the Most Rev. Joseph W. Tobin, Archbishop of Indianapolis, a new community of four ACE Teachers will serve in three schools. They will teach at Saint Anthony Catholic School, Saint Philip Neri Catholic School, and Roncalli High School.

Two schools in the Peoria Diocese—St. Mark School and Peoria Notre Dame High School—will welcome the four members of the ACE community invited by the Most Rev. Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C.

The Most Rev. Patrick J. McGrath, Bishop of San José, has invited a four-member community to serve students at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School, St. John the Baptist Catholic School, and St. Lawrence Academy.

ACE Teachers in the Dallas Diocese will continue to serve in seven schools at the invitation of the Most Rev. Kevin J. Farrell. Those schools are: Bishop Dunne High School, Mary Immaculate Catholic School, Santa Clara of Assisi Catholic Academy, St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School, St. Luke Catholic School, St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School, and St. Pius X Catholic School.

“We’re deeply honored to be invited into these partnerships—and we couldn’t be more excited to begin supporting the great work under way to strengthen and revitalize Catholic schools in these dioceses,” said John Schoenig, ACE’s director of teacher formation and education policy.

“Our heartfelt thanks to Archbishop Tobin, Bishop Farrell, Bishop Jenky, Bishop McGrath, and all of the school and system leaders throughout the country who support our ACE Teachers. In so many ways, they provide an outstanding witness to hope, as they are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure than an outstanding Catholic education is accessible to as many children as possible,” Schoenig said.

Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education, co-founded by Rev. Timothy R. Scully, C.S.C., and Rev. Sean McGraw, C.S.C., serves Catholic schools through the recruitment and formation of outstanding educators and leaders, as well as an array of programs and services to address the challenges facing today’s schools.

Contact: Bill Schmitt, / 574.631.3893