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On July 1, six new associate superintendents joined the staff of the Office of Catholic Schools. Here are their profiles:
STEPHENIE AUBERT
Age: 60
Hometown: Wallace, La.
Church Parish: Our Lady of Grace, Reserve
Education: St. Catherine of Siena Elementary, Donaldsonville; Ascension Catholic High, Donaldsonville; bachelor’s degree in speech pathology from Nicholls State University; master’s degree in special education from Nicholls; also earned her “master’s plus 30” hours in supervision and administration from Nicholls and Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond.
Career Highlights: Principal of Our Lady of Grace Elementary from 2003-06 and 2010-12. Her earlier 27-year career in St. John the Baptist public schools included retiring as the system’s director of curriculum and instruction.
Areas of Focus in the Office of Catholic Schools: Early childhood education; liaison for the Louisiana Department of Education’s “Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence” program.
Goals: To use her experiences and interpersonal skills to support principals in the implementation of the scholarship program, which enables children who could not otherwise afford a Catholic education to attain one. Aubert’s long-range goal is to offer the opportunity of Catholic education to as many students and families as possible, and to make them feel welcomed into Catholic schools. In her other role, Aubert will support principals whose schools have an early childhood education program in the implementation of state guidelines.
Catholic School Memory: “I had a lay teacher who taught me at St. Catherine in fifth grade. Whenever I focus back on my Catholic education I always think of her. She was a very good teacher and excellent in getting her students involved and motivated. Even though she was a layperson, I always felt that she was a very good, kind, considerate and concerned person – and a very spiritual person.”
JANE BAKER
Age: 66
Hometown: New Orleans
Church Parish: St. Angela Merici
Education: St. Frances Cabrini Elementary; St. Joseph Academy; bachelor’s degrees in English, social studies and secondary education from Louisiana State University; master’s degree in administration and supervision from LSU; master’s degree in library science, Auburn University.
Career Highlights: Director of student teaching and interns at Our Lady of Holy Cross College for the last 14 years, previously serving for five years as an associate superintendent for the archdiocese under late Catholic Schools Superintendent Howard Jenkins. Baker has held teaching and administrative positions at St. Catherine of Siena Elementary, St. Joseph Academy in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Mercy Academy, the Academy of the Holy Angels and Archbishop Rummel High.
Areas of Focus in the Office of Catholic Schools: Government projects; special education.
Goals: To help principals get a better handle on the availability, regulations and limitations of the various grant programs operated by the state and ensure that these programs match the needs of local schools’ data-based curriculum decisions.
Catholic School Memory: “Not only were the academics excellent, but (school) was fun. You made friends that you kept your whole life.”
KEVIN CALKINS
Age: 38
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Church Parish: Pending, given a recent move to Metairie.
Education: Graduate of a Catholic elementary school in New York and a public high school in New Jersey; bachelor degrees in history and philosophy from Boston College; master of education degree in administration and supervision from Fordham University.
Career Highlights: Before coming to New Orleans, Calkins served for four years as founding principal of St. Dominic Savio Catholic High in Austin, Texas. Prior to that he was dean of academics at Jesuit-operated Verbum Dei High in Los Angeles, and a history and theology teacher and administrator at Xavier High in Middletown, Conn.
Areas of Focus in the Office of Catholic Schools: Central office liaison for high schools; Catholic identity in high schools; school facilities; liaison to the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) and the Catholic Schools Athletic League (CSAL).
Goals: To use his enthusiasm for Catholic education and experience as a high school teacher and administrator to help strengthen each high school’s unique Catholic identity; to build relationships with principals to ensure that their campuses are safe and aesthetically pleasing, all with an overarching goal of helping students to serve the church and society.
Catholic School Memory: “The discernment for your vocation in life is what I got most out of my time at Jesuit universities. They taught me that whatever you do, be purposeful in what you do with your life. Don’t just select a career; find something you love. That was so much a part of the education both at both at Boston College and Fordham. Helping you find that purpose in life, I think, is unique to Catholic education.”
DR. RAENELL HOUSTON
Age: 37
Hometown: Boothville
Church Parish: St. Joseph the Worker
Education: Elementary and high school graduate of Plaquemines Parish public schools; bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Louisiana State University; master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, LSU; doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of New Orleans.
Career Highlights: Assistant professor of education at Our Lady of Holy Cross College from 2000-12, for the last year dividing her time between OLHCC and Southeastern Louisiana University, where she was an instructor in the Department of Teaching and Learning.
Areas of Focus in the Office of Catholic Schools: Elementary curriculum; school and student assessment, including facilitating TerraNova testing and analyzing the data to inform instructional decisions; professional development for teachers and principals.
Goals: To assess each school’s needs by getting out into the field to meet teachers and principals, and to formulate plans for each. Long-term goals will be to carry out the findings of the strategic plan.
Catholic School Memory: “I’m a public school graduate, but my family has a very strong faith. There was no Catholic school in my church parish or in my area. My family was very involved in the church – we were there for the choir, the youth group, for catechism. Our family’s life revolved around the church.”
DR. REBECCA MALONEY
Age: 52
Hometown: New Orleans
Church Parish: Our Lady of the Lake
Education: Our Lady of Divine Providence Elementary; Archbishop Chapelle High; bachelor’s degree in science education from the University of New Orleans; master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from UNO; doctorate in curriculum and instruction, specializing in educational technology, from UNO.
Career Highlights: Maloney’s 20 years in Catholic education include teaching earth science and biology at Archbishop Chapelle, and eight years as an associate professor and chair of the Education Department at Our Lady of Holy Cross College. In 2011, she was appointed Notre Dame Seminary’s director of institutional effectiveness, responsible for overseeing accreditation and assessment. She will continue her work with the seminary while fulfilling her duties at the Office of Catholic Schools.
Areas of Focus in the Office of Catholic Schools: High school curriculum and instruction; technology; supporting schools as they undergo the accreditation process.
Goals: To assess each high school’s needs in the area of curriculum and help teachers and administrators devise a plan for professional development, to ensure they have the tools and training they need for best practices in the classroom; to cultivate relationships with teachers and principals, so they know they have a resource in the Office of Catholic Schools who can help them with all their questions about curriculum and instruction.
Catholic School Memory: “The Our Lady of Divine Providence Sisters were wonderful women, newly arrived from Italy. I just loved the nuns! They made such an impression on me in my grammar school years. They were wonderful – so loving and giving.”
JACK TRUXILLO
Age: 56
Hometown: Old Jefferson
Church Parish: St. Agnes
Education: St. Agnes Elementary; Jesuit High; bachelor’s degree in secondary education from the University of New Orleans; master’s degree in educational administration from Loyola University, New Orleans.
Career Highlights: Director of admissions at Jesuit High from 2005-12; principal of St. Agnes from 2000-05. Prior to his time at Catholic schools, Truxillo spent 22 years in Jefferson Parish public schools as a middle and high school administrator, and a special education and social studies teacher.
Areas of Focus in the Office of Catholic Schools: High school admissions; school finance and budgets.
Goals: To use his experience to facilitate the high school admissions process and to provide guidance in school budgetary matters so that all Catholic schools can remain viable in advancing the mission of Catholic education.
Catholic School Memory: “When all four of my kids were at St. Agnes school at the same time – in grades K-8. That was pretty cool.”
In addition, two veteran associate superintendents recently assumed redefined responsibilities in the Office of Catholic Schools:
Tags: Office of Catholic Schools, staff, Uncategorized