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We always live at the time we live and not at some other time, and only by extracting at each present time the full meaning of each present experience are we prepared for doing the same thing in the future. This is the only preparation which in the long run amounts to anything. (Dewey, 1916/1966, p.30). 

From an early age, Kevin Kimberly remembers his Paw-Paw telling him to “pass it on.” For many years, Kevin did not understand the depth of this simple phrase, but it has since become his animating ethos. Kevin serves as the principal of Memphis Catholic Middle and High School in Memphis, Tennessee, and is a graduate of the 18th cohort of ACE Teaching Fellows. His dedication to educating children reveals a deep internalization of his grandfather’s message and is a living testimony to the value of solid educational foundations. That “pass it on” mantra is what drives the lessons and virtues near and dear to the education a student receives at Memphis Catholic.

Emily Puetz likes to say, “We can do school better.” In our evolving world, we have many more ways to think about learning, and what it takes to equip this generation with the skills, dispositions and mindsets necessary to solve complex challenges as they build more compassionate and loving communities. From her role as a fourth-grade teacher in Savannah, Georgia, in ACE Teaching Fellows 2, to her position as the chief academic officer of Minneapolis Public Schools, Emily has striven to make schools a place where students learn academic concepts and thrive as human beings. 

Last Monday, the Notre Dame ACE Academies learned that President Donald Trump, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, and Florida Governor Rick Scott would be visiting St. Andrew Catholic School in the Diocese of Orlando on Friday.

Teachers have the unique opportunity to be the architects of their classrooms. Great teachers create a community of learning that encourages a growth mindset, engages curious minds, and reminds students of their dignity both in and out of the classroom. In this kind of environment, teachers foster relationships that allow each student to take ownership of their learning. Creating this sort of classroom is not an easy task and takes a dedicated, intentional teacher.