Billiken Teacher Corps Puts Faith in Future Catholic School Teachers

Billiken Teacher Corps Puts Faith in Future Catholic School Teachers

An innovative Saint Louis University graduate program has shaped scores of dedicated Catholic school educators over the last decade.

To have faith in the future of Catholic education in St. Louis, look to the Billiken Teacher Corps at Saint Louis University.

The Billiken Teacher Corps is a two-year master's program that prepares the next generation of Catholic school educators through rigorous academics, on-the-job experience and spiritual engagement. In the decade since the program started, it has graduated 55 teachers steeped in Catholic pedagogy, with 14 more currently in the program.

"The Billiken Teacher Corps is one of the innovative ways the School of Education pursues our noble Jesuit mission," said Gary Ritter, Ph.D., dean of SLU's School of Education. "We are committed to preparing educators who will make a difference in Catholic schools and strengthen the Catholic communities in St. Louis and around the country."

Amie Koenen, Ed.D. (Grad Ed '04, '09) has spent more than two decades in Catholic education. She came to know the BTC as a principal at a school that employed a Billiken Teacher and has been an instructor in the program for the last five years.

"For students to have this experience, they become better members of the Catholic teaching community," Koenen said. "They already care so much about their students. The Billiken Teacher Corps creates a safe space where they're intentional about growing in their practice and in their faith. I wish all our Catholic school teachers could have that."

The program offers two pathways for current and aspiring Catholic school educators to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching and certification.

An Immersive Opportunity for Aspiring Teachers

The Cura Community is the BTC "cornerstone," according to program director Angela Moret, Ed.D. (Grad Ed '23). The name nods to the program's approach, balancing the Jesuit principles of cura personalis (care for the whole person) and cura apostolica (care for the work).

This is an immersive option, inviting recent college graduates to live together in community while taking graduate-level classes at SLU's School of Education and teaching full-time in Catholic or Jesuit schools around St. Louis.

The two years are intense - but the Billiken Teachers are intensely supported.

They receive full tuition remission from SLU, as well as a monthly stipend and low-cost housing. They collaborate with University supervisors and mentors at their schools for real-time feedback and help with instructional strategies and classroom management. And of course, they have each other.

"We bounce ideas off each other all the time. It's a sounding board," BTC second-year Michael Radakovich said. "Last year it was me asking for advice. This year, I'm getting asked for advice and stepping into more of a mentor role."

Moret said, "The Cura Community is smaller by design, so that they can build intentional relationships and have a lot of hands-on support."

Julie (Gates) Diemer, Ed.D. (Grad Ed '18, '23) was part of the second cohort of the Billiken Teacher Corps.
"The way that those two years changed me and who I am as a teacher is a testament to the program and the mentors and supervisors," Diemer said. "A first-year teacher is a first-year teacher, but a first-year teacher with lots of support is much better off."

The eight young adults currently in the BTC Cura Community live together in a former rectory in south St. Louis city, sharing space, meals and chores - not to mention teaching tips and stories about their students.

"That was the best part of living with so many teachers. We would debrief: What worked for you? This really worked for me," Diemer said. "We'd share the good, the bad, the ugly. And they're still some of my best friends to this day. That community is so valuable."

Bonding time is also built into the program. The Cura Community meets weekly for Sunday dinner and spiritual activities, and once a semester they go on retreat.

"I loved the retreats," BTC alumna Hayleigh Robinson said. "It was great to have time away to come together as a cohort."

Robinson (Grad Ed '24) teaches science and social studies at St. Louis Catholic Academy, her placement when she was in the BTC. Without a doubt, she has decided on her career path.

"It's Catholic school or bust for me," she said. "I can't imagine teaching anywhere else."

Diemer also taught at St. Louis Catholic Academy as a Billiken Teacher and then for six years afterward. Seeking new professional challenges, she moved to Immacolata School in Richmond Heights, Missouri, where she is now in her second year.

"I've now been at two pretty different schools, but I definitely see the similarities because they're Catholic schools," she said. "I love the community it brings."

This year, the Billiken Teachers have also experienced Catholic education on an international level. The newly established Global Companions program connected the BTC with teachers at St. Martin de Porres parish school in Belize. The BTC meets virtually with the St. Martin educators biweekly and spent a weekend in Belize City to share experiences in person. Saint Louis University is a longtime partner of Belize 2020, a nonprofit focused on improving the quality of life in Belize by supporting Jesuit ministries there.

Seeking More - and a More Flexible Option

For those who are already teachers in Catholic secondary, middle or elementary schools - or who are seeking that kind of position - the Billiken Teacher Corps offers another option: MAT Magis.

Inspired by the Latin word for "more," the idea is that MAT Magis participants can do more for their students by strengthening their own knowledge and growing spiritually while they earn a Master of Arts in Teaching.

Like the Cura Community, the MAT Magis program takes two years, offers the same kinds of mentoring and support, and results in a master's degree with alternative certification.

Unlike the Cura Community, MAT Magis is not a residential program. It's more flexible, in that students can begin coursework in the summer, fall or spring semesters. It's also open to half-time teachers and elementary aides with bachelor's degrees who want additional credentials. MAT Magis students receive discounted tuition (approximately a third off) throughout the program.

These students take classes with Cura students, and there are other opportunities for community building and networking.

"Having the perspectives of the MAT Magis people who had already taught made me feel like it was okay that I hadn't done BTC straight from undergrad," said Radakovich, who worked in marketing for two years before joining the Cura Community. "Seeing all these people from different walks of life come together in the classroom was great."

The Herrmann Center

The Billiken Teacher Corps is part of Saint Louis University's Herrmann Center for Innovative Catholic Education. The center designs and delivers academic and professional development for Catholic school educators and leaders, advancing the research on Catholic educational institutions and engaging in active work on the critical issues facing Catholic schools.

In addition to the BTC's Master of Arts in Teaching, the Herrmann Center offers several certificate programs as well as a master's degree and doctorate in Catholic Educational Leadership.