Steve Vaughan, pictured above, is the Diocese of Lansing’s new Associate Superintendent of Schools. That means he’s one of two deputies within the diocesan Office of Catholic Schools. Steve’s new role involves responsibility for the school curriculum and teacher development. So, what’s his vision? He’s been talking to FAITH’s Elaine Kutas, also pictured below.

“Catholic education seeks to bring the truth, which is Jesus, and then the truths of who we are as men and women, boys and girls, made in the image and likeness of God, what it means to be a man, what it means to be a woman, what we are called to do as followers of Christ,” says Steve.

Steve moved with his wife, Marisia, and their seven kids to the Diocese of Lansing with over 20 years of experience in education, spending the last six years as principal of Saint Therese school in Aurora, Colorado. While principal, he also served as the liaison for the Denver cohort of the Catholic Educator Formation and Credentialing Program, operated by the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education. This experience equipped him with knowledge about the Church’s plan for true Catholic education.

But his love for teaching began when he was just a young middle school student.

“I had a really great teacher in sixth grade,” Steve said. “He was the first male teacher I had, and he was funny and engaging; he made learning fun. That was the first time I thought teaching was something I could see myself doing, because he made the act of learning seem like it was something that you engaged with and participated in.”

The simple witness of one teacher sparked Steve’s vocation for teaching, which grew through his time volunteering with students when he was in high school. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Creighton University and later a master’s degree from Marquette University, Steve taught in public schools until the Lord called him to Saint Therese School in 2019.

“I didn’t know much about Catholic liberal education prior to taking the position as principal. I knew a little bit from interviews I listened to of Dale Ahlquist and the work he’s done with Chesterton schools,” Steve said. “Coming from a public school that was very far from the vision that Dale painted in the interview, I began thinking about what Catholic liberal education really was and the potential that it had.”

Steve and the pastor of Saint Therese then embarked on a ‘renewal’ of the school’s curriculum and Catholic identity.

“My pastor and I jumped in and began the renewal in the spring of 2020, and COVID was a blessing to us because in the time at home, we put our renewal in place,” Steve recalled. “In the fall of 2020, we brought in Latin, completely changed our literature curriculum, and worked with the archdiocese to change the history curriculum and bring it into line with the intellectual tradition of the Catholic Church. Through our study of science and math, we see that faith and reason go together. And then, interwoven with all of that, is our study of theology. Then at the center of that is the relationship that we hope our students would build with Jesus.”

As he begins his time with the Diocese of Lansing, Steve hopes that families will see the beauty in Catholic education and choose it for their children.

“To families, I would say that Catholic education is a great investment in, not just the academic future of your child but their spiritual development as well,” Steve said. “Catholic schools exist to partner with families. Parents are the primary educators, so in partnering with them, we hope to create scholars, disciples, and saints.”

Steve has big dreams for the renewal of Catholic School curriculum to be centered in Christ and invite students to pursue the truth of things with joy and wonder.

“If you receive an education that’s steeped in the Catholic liberal arts, then you’re receiving an education that sets you free, frees your mind, frees your soul to pursue all that is true, good and beautiful as you seek to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ,” Steve said. “A Catholic liberal education is one that is for freedom; freedom for Christ and freedom to live the plan that he has called you to live, but also an education that is very academically rigorous, and we seek to provide that for your children.”

* For more on Catholic schools in the Diocese of Lansing: https://dolcatholicschools.org/