A letter from the Diocese of La Crosse superintendent
During my time as an education student at St. Mary’s University in Minnesota, I learned that each student has a unique learning style and therefore requires a different approach to teaching. A year or two later, while teaching at a Catholic high school in Illinois, I was instructed not to tailor my teaching to each individual student but rather to “differentiate.” This marked my first encounter with what I refer to as “eduspeak.” Educators, including teachers, principals and especially superintendents, often like to use terminology that may only be understood by other educators.
In education, specific terms are used. When a teacher or principal discusses “pedagogy,” they are explaining the way, or the manner, in which he or she teaches.
Educators can be the worst offenders when it comes to acronyms. For instance, have you heard of ACE? It stands for the Alliance for Catholic Education at the University of Notre Dame. Another example is an IEP, which means Individualized Education Plan. I find it quite humorous that the students at the Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA) named their school newspaper “The Acronym.”
So it is understandable for parents to feel frustrated with us educators when they struggle to comprehend the acronymic language we use. Perhaps, to increase our mutual understanding, we can ask for the intercessions of St. Jerome, the patron saint of translators, who translated the Bible from Hebrew to Latin.
Or, maybe, we need to reflect on how the greatest teacher, Jesus, taught. His storytelling, love for all people and deep compassion are truly inspirational. Jesus is the Master Teacher who cares for His students, including us. Through His love and words, we grow into better human beings, preparing to be with Him in heaven one day. Isn’t this the aspiration of all teachers—to help their students become better people whose souls will unite with the Lord in heaven? This goal is also shared by parents. The love of Jesus is what binds us together and gives us a common language. The Word can resolve any misunderstanding, no matter how many new bits of “eduspeak” we educators create.
I wish all students in our Catholic schools a joyful Catholic schools Week. May the Holy Spirit guide you in all you do.
Thank you to all of our Catholic Schools’ teachers, counselors, support staff and administrators for bringing the message of forgiveness and love from our Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit. Bishop Battersby and I sincerely appreciate your work as you evangelize the next generation of Catholics and Christians in the Diocese of La Crosse. We know you sacrifice a great deal to educate the children in the Catholic Faith.
In the end, the heart of Catholic education is not found in the jargon of “eduspeak” but in the enduring truth of Jesus Christ. May we, as Catholic educators and parents, continue to speak the language of faith, hope and love, uniting in our shared mission to form disciples who carry Christ’s light into the world.
By Thomas Reichenbacher, Superintendent for Catholic schools in the Diocese of La Crosse
Published in the January/February 2025 issue of Catholic Life Magazine