Abstract
While the research on Catholic schools focuses on their distinctive character including the central role of faith communities within those schools, the challenges facing faith communities in urban Catholic schools have received relatively little attention. This essay argues that the integration of the principles of liberation theology, especially reflection on Gospel passages related to social justice, into the Accelerated Schools Project (ASP) may be a viable approach to restructuring in urban Catholic schools. The congruities and incongruities in the origins and purposes of liberation theology and the ASP are examined. Then a strategy is suggested for integrating liberation theology into the ASP, with the intent of building a deeper shared sense of community and commitment to social justice.
Highlights
Recommended CitationHe describes how critical pedagogy coupled with the emphasis on social justice transformed students and educators
While the research cm Catholic schools focuses on their distinctive character including the central role offaith communities within those schools, the challenges facing faith communities in urban Catholic .schools have received relatively little attention
This essay argues that the integration of the principles of liberation theology, especially reflection on Gospel passages related to social justice, into the Accelerated Schools Project (ASP) may be a viable approach to restructuring in urban Catholic schools
Summary
He describes how critical pedagogy coupled with the emphasis on social justice transformed students and educators He concludes these practices can be used to transform both public and Catholic schools, as*well as the alternative high school he studied. This represents an important challenge for educators, especially those in urban Catholic schools. Utilizing the ASP is suggested because it is a systematic approach to restructuring (Finnan, 1996; Hopfenberg, Levin, & Associates, 1993) that can be effective in transforming the urban public schools that serve poor families, especially if implemented in a way that supports community building within the schools and their neighborhoods (Miron, St. John, & Davidson, 1998; St. John, Griffith, & Allen-Haynes, 1997). The compatibility between the underlying philosophies of liberation theology and the ASP is explored; research evidence about the ASP in urban schools is explored; and steps are suggested to be taken by those interested in integrating liberation theology into the ASP as part of the new wave of experiments in urban Catholic schools
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