On Saturday, February 22, the inaugural cohort of Catholic educators in the state of Oklahoma graduated from the Catholic Educator Formation and Credential Program. Photo credit: Chris Porter/Sooner Catholic.
After 18 months of intensive in-person workshops, weekly online classes, homework assignments, and teacher observations, 25 Catholic educators in the state of Oklahoma have just graduated from a groundbreaking formation and credentialing program for Catholic educators facilitated by the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education.
Oklahoma is the first state in the country to offer the Catholic Educator Formation and Credential (CEFC) Program to all of its Catholic educators, in both the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. Taught from a distinctly Catholic perspective, the CEFC is the only teaching credential program that exists to offer a uniquely Catholic formation for educators.
“By providing the CEFC program to their teachers, Oklahoma is leading the way within the Church in forming Catholic school teachers,” said Dr. Ryan Messmore, Director of the Credential Program. “It has been a real joy to partner with them, and it is refreshing to see the leadership — from the Archbishop to the superintendents to the school principals — make this sort of intentional investment in renewing Catholic liberal education. You could sense the gratitude as well as the hope these teachers represent during the graduation ceremony.”
Formation for a Truly Catholic Education
A truly Catholic education puts Jesus Christ, the Logos, at its center. This has profound impacts on what and how Catholic educators teach in their classrooms. Because the goal of Catholic education is different from the goal of secular education, the way its teachers are prepared for the classroom should also look different.
“Even though I had many years of teaching experience and taught at a classical school, I knew that this was an opportunity to grow in my knowledge and competency as a Catholic, classical educator and took immediate advantage of the opportunity,” said Mrs. Becky White, CEFC graduate and Learning Specialist at Holy Family Classical School in Tulsa, OK. “This program has deepened my understanding of different classical techniques along with a deeper understanding of proper Christian anthropology.”
Mrs. Becky White graduated with distinction from the CEFC program. She was selected to give an address on behalf of the graduates at the graduation ceremony. Photo credit: Chris Porter/Sooner Catholic.
The Catholic Educator Formation and Credential Program prepares educators to infuse a deeply Catholic philosophy and practice of education into their teaching, forming them not only in the best practices of education and teaching skills but in timeless ways of educating humans made in the image and likeness of God. It shapes educators both intellectually and spiritually to teach in the light of Christ, helping Catholic schools raise up the next generation of future saints. Catholic educators have responded to a vocation to teach the young; they deserve to be formed in their own rich heritage in order to help renew the culture in Christ.
“Since I was a teenager, I have felt a call to evangelize the youth. Teaching in a Catholic school allows me to incorporate my faith and love of Jesus in my lessons and in my classroom,” said Mrs. Katie Krug, a CEFC graduate who teaches Geometry and Pre-Algebra at Mount St. Mary Catholic High School in Oklahoma City. “After teaching for 13 years, which included the year of COVID-19 and the closing of the school where I was teaching, I needed to be renewed in my mission of teaching, which I believe was a calling from God. I wanted to refocus on the true purpose of Catholic education, which encompasses teaching to the whole person, mind, soul, and body. I also felt that in going through this training, I could become a more effective teacher for my students.”
Mrs. Katie Krug at the CEFC graduation ceremony. Photo credit: Chris Porter/Sooner Catholic.
This formation program seeks to recover the Catholic intellectual tradition that unites faith and reason — a tradition that has shaped our world for the better over the last two thousand years. It identifies joy and wonder, not only academic rigor, as important hallmarks of strong teaching. Students should be formed not only to know and understand, but also to love and delight in their Creator and to understand their place in His world.
“The lessons challenged me to think outside of the box. One time I used the Socratic method to discuss and solve a two-column proof for congruent triangles. This program taught me ways to engage the students by having them ask questions and discover the Logos,” said Krug.
An Alternative to Secular, State Teacher Licensure
In addition to the deep formation that educators in the CEFC program receive, upon successful graduation from the program, these educators also received a teaching credential that is designed to be portable and recognized by dioceses across the nation in lieu of state licensure. Catholic schools and superintendents often require state teaching licenses, even though most are not required by law to do so.
The Catholic Educator Credential is an enormous benefit for Catholic educators who anticipate moving at any point in their careers, as transferring a state-issued teaching license to a new state is complicated and typically requires additional coursework, testing, and fees.
A Catholic teaching license that is portable and recognized by dioceses across the nation gets well-formed teachers into Catholic classrooms quickly, a place where they are desperately needed. More importantly, the CEFC program brings the formation of Catholic teachers back under the guidance of the Church instead of secular institutions.
To date, the CEFC program has served 299 Catholic educators in 59 dioceses across 26 different states. As the program continues to grow, several institutions of higher learning have recognized the quality of the program and now offer graduate-level credits to those who successfully complete the program. CEFC graduates are eligible to receive up to 12 credits toward graduate degrees from Catholic universities, including the Augustine Institute, Belmont Abbey College, Catholic International University, Franciscan University of Steubenville, St. Paul Seminary, and the University of St. Thomas (MN).
Lasting Impacts in Oklahoma
In addition to a fresh perspective and more tools to stow away in their proverbial teaching toolboxes, for the graduates of this cohort, one of the greatest takeaways of the program has been their experience of camaraderie with other Catholic educators in their state.
“I would say that the most positive experience of the program has been meeting and collaborating with a truly unique and special cohort of fellow educators,” said White. “This is a group of naturally talented educators who truly understand the telos of why we were gifted with the charism of teaching. They understand the calling of forming the intellect and soul of each of our students, therefore, creating Christian disciples and future saints.”
The Blessed Stanley Rother cohort at their intensive Master of Number workshop and Academic Retreat for Teachers held in June 2024.
“I encourage anyone who wants to be renewed in their teaching to take this course,” said Krug. “Two of my co-teachers are participating in the new Oklahoma cohort. I would love to discuss ideas with them and to encourage each other to use what we have learned.”
These educators graduated from the program at a special ceremony on Saturday, February 22, which was presided over by Archbishop Coakley of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Applications are now open for the next cohort of Oklahoma teachers. Catholic school teachers in the state can apply for the 2025-2026 cohort by visiting www.cfook.org/cefc.
Those interested in learning more about offering this program for Catholic educators in their diocese can contact the Director of the Credential Program, Dr. Ryan Messmore.
Catholic educators outside of Oklahoma can also receive this formation through the CEFC’s National Cohort, which is available to any K-12 Catholic educator in the United States. Applications are currently being accepted for the 2025-2026 National Cohort, which will begin in July 2025.