Disappointed that her disabled son never had the opportunity to attend a Catholic school, Francesca Pellegrino has made it her life’s work to expand that opportunity for her family.
Pellegrino is the founder and president of The Catholic Coalition for Special Education, a non-profit organization that helps create and expand special education instruction and programs in Catholic schools in Washington, DC and Maryland.
In a message posted on the group’s website, Pellegrino wrote: It is this dream that drives us at CCSE, the dream of providing Catholic educational opportunities. ”
In his message, Pellegrino wrote, “All children are welcomed into the family of God at baptism, and Jesus teaches us to welcome all little children. Some Catholic children cannot attend parochial school due to limited resources.”
She went through it with her son Alex, who was born with intellectual disability and mild cerebral palsy.
“It was very frustrating. It certainly put me on a crisis of faith…I didn’t find the support I was hoping for in church. did,” she said.
Describing how the Catholic Coalition for Special Education began, Pellegrino said: I started talking to other parents. I noticed that there are many people who want their children with disabilities to receive a Catholic education. ”
Since CCSE was founded in 2004 by a group of parents including Pellegrino, CCSE has supported special education programs in 32 Catholic schools in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
The Catholic Union for Special Education believes in me! This program supports the implementation of special education instruction and programs in K-12 Catholic schools in Maryland and Washington, DC, and provides grants to hire special education teachers and paraeducators. These grants are used by Catholic schools to purchase specialized classroom equipment and supplies, as well as professional development of teachers and administrators.
Pellegrino said the organization’s grants would go to “everything Catholic schools need to successfully teach students with disabilities.”
CCSE will host its Fall 2022 Family Festival and Grant Awards Ceremony on Sunday, October 2 from 3-6pm in Silver Spring, Maryland. The event includes school success stories, activities for all ages, and a barbecue dinner. (For more information, see the organization’s website at www.ccse-maryland.org.)
Three grants awarded by CCSE this year include a grant for St. John’s School in Hollywood, Maryland to hire one-on-one teaching aides for pre-kindergarten students with Down syndrome. (See pages 16-17 of the related article.)
Pellegrino praised schools like St. John’s for opening their doors to students with disabilities. “When a student has a classmate with a disability, the student with the disability learns to be similar to them and learns to be different…it completely changes their lives. , have an amazing way of shaping the lives of everyone they touch and meet in a positive way,” she said.
The group also provides technical assistance for special education services in Catholic schools and provides tuition grants for Catholic school teachers and other professionals to pursue advanced degrees in special education. In addition, CCSE’s Family Advocacy and Support Outreach helps you navigate available services for families of children with disabilities.
Margaret Kenny White, Special Education Manager for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, praised the Catholic Coalition for Special Education.
An archdiocese official said, “We are thrilled that our school will open its doors to additional students with special learning needs. It is not only how we practice the Catholic Faith, but also how our communities are better strengthened and enriched. acts within Catholic social education and recognizes the dignity and beauty of every individual created in God’s image.
Kenny White said her office is “for principals, teachers, and the school community to provide the best possible service and support to currently enrolled students, as well as to include more students in need of professional education.” It is a resource that will help you expand your ability to strive to be our school.
Pellegrino noted that his son Alex, now 31, has been working at St. Peter’s School on Capitol Hill for the past few years. “He’s a teaching assistant there and he likes it…I always wanted him to go to a Catholic school, but it wasn’t supposed to. and went to Catholic school!”
A longtime member of the Most Blessed Sacrament Shrine said she was inspired by her son’s life. “Alex strengthened my faith and brought me closer to God,” she said.
To contact The Catholic Coalition for Special Education, Inc., please call 301-933-8844 or email [email protected] .
To contact Margaret Kenny White, Special Education Manager for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, call (301) 853-4458 or send an email. [email protected]
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