By Elena Perri • Posted June 11, 2025

For those who work in Catholic education, the primary focus is ensuring students learn about their Catholic faith and have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed academically and become productive members of society.

While educators often don’t receive the recognition they deserve, there are times when a person’s dedication and leadership are acknowledged.

Dr. Andrew McLaughlin, archdiocesan Secretary for Elementary Education, recently received two awards for his leadership of the elementary education division of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Schools.

McLaughlin was surprised to be honored with the Visioning Award during the inaugural Rising Together Alliance Gala held earlier this spring.

“I was in the dark,” he said. “I didn’t know anything about it.”

A second surprise for McLaughlin was learning the award will be called the Dr. Andrew McLaughlin Visioning Award in the future.

“I was even more amazed at that,” he added.

McLaughlin noted that awards at the gala were given to leaders in the field who have been instrumental in the growth of inclusive education in archdiocesan high schools and parish and regional elementary schools.

The school of the year award went to Holy Trinity Parish School in Morrisville. The Teacher of the Year honorees were Rose Corcoran, Pre-K 4A homeroom teacher at SS. Colman-John Neumann Parish School in Bryn Mawr, and Diane Amlin, math department chair at Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish School in West Grove received the Learning Support Program Award.

The Rising Together Alliance, formed in 2020, is a subdivision of the Foundation for Catholic Education and a chartered member of the Executive Board of Elementary Education for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

“We’re just really getting rolling here,” McLaughlin said. “I see us moving forward in leaps and bounds.”

The mission of the alliance is to provide children with special needs with the opportunity to experience an inclusive Catholic education with same-aged peers in their local parochial schools.

The inclusive education program is named after Augustinian Father Bill Atkinson who became a paraplegic following a tobogganing accident while he was a seminarian. Despite being physically disabled, Father Bill taught at Msgr. Bonner High School in Drexel Hill for 30 years.

“We asked permission from Father Atkinson’s family and the Augustinians if could we use his name because he symbolizes inclusion,” McLaughlin said.

The gala was a success with 260 people in attendance, and the event raised more than $20,000.

McLaughlin explained that the purpose of the gala was twofold: raise funds and increase awareness of the Rising Together Alliance.

“It was much better than I had hoped it would be,” he said. “We were able to bring a lot of people who had no idea we were doing this. It was such a hopeful, energizing event.”

Funding for inclusive education is available through the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program which allows businesses and individuals to receive tax credits for contributing to a scholarship organization, an educational improvement organization, and/or a pre-kindergarten scholarship organization.

“We can use our tax credit money that people donate to help pay for their tuition which is higher because they’re getting support services,” he said.

McLaughlin explained that there are currently nine special-needs students in K-8 schools and two high school students at Archbishop Carroll. Next year, he said five more special-needs students will be attending pre-kindergarten classes in Catholic schools.

Introducing inclusive education in Catholic schools began with implementing Universal Design for Learning which allows for a flexible learning environment to meet the needs of diverse learners.

The next phase is developing a multi-tier support system.

McLaughlin explained that within that system all students in a school are assessed to identify those who may need additional support. The goal, he said, is to provide students with support immediately and not wait for them to fail.

He added that more advanced students can be taught an enriched curriculum so they can continue moving forward.

“This whole movement is just good pedagogies (approach to teaching),” McLaughlin said. “It’s not about teaching children who have disabilities but teaching everybody and doing it better.”

During the annual National Catholic Educational  Association’s conference in Orlando, Florida in April, McLaughlin was selected as one of the recipients of the Learn. Lead. Proclaim. Award.

Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Margaret Rose Adams, the archdiocesan Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools in Bucks and Philadelphia Counties, nominated him for the award.

“It was affirming of everything that we have accomplished,” McLaughlin said. “I have a really great team, so I give them credit for everything we’ve been able to accomplish.”

His wife and one of his daughters were able to attend the awards dinner which made the experience more special for him.

McLaughlin also enjoyed the opportunity to interact with other educational leaders.

“I belong to a couple of superintendent groups, and they made a special effort to come over and talk to me,” he said. “It was nice to be recognized like that both formally and informally.”