In recent years, Catholic classical schools have increasingly recognized that the call to educate is inseparable from the Church’s commitment to the inherent dignity of every human person. Rooted in a vision of the human person as made in the image and likeness of God, these schools are uniquely positioned to embrace inclusion of students with disabilities—not as exceptions but as integral members of the learning community.
Within the classical model, with its emphasis on wonder, virtue, and the formation of the whole person, there is a growing awareness that authentic inclusive education must be accessible to all learners. Welcoming students with diverse needs challenges educators to deepen their understanding of both pedagogy and charity, ensuring that the pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty is shared by every student, regardless of ability.
I had the pleasure of meeting Kevin Somok, principal of St. Jerome Academy in Hyattsville, Maryland. Known for its pioneering work in Catholic classical education, St. Jerome has also become a model for fully including students with disabilities in the life of the school community.
Somok’s leadership, rooted in both personal experience and a deeply Catholic understanding of the human person, reflects a growing movement among Catholic schools to unite classical formation with authentic inclusion.
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Dr. Melissa Mitchell: How long have you been at St. Jerome Academy, and what brought you there?
Kevin Somok: I’m beginning my second year as principal, but it feels like coming home. My wife and I have been parishioners here for thirteen years. We moved into the neighborhood when we got married, and all five of our children attend St. Jerome. Our oldest is twelve; our youngest just started kindergarten. So when I became principal, I wasn’t just joining a school; I was returning to a family.
St. Jerome is known for its Catholic classical education. How did your focus on inclusion develop alongside that?
It really began with my own family. Before I became principal, my daughter was the first student with Down syndrome enrolled at St. Jerome Academy. So this has been personal from the start.
We already had a resource department with certified special educators, and we received grants from the Catholic Coalition for Special Education to strengthen that work. My predecessor, Danny Flynn, often spoke publicly about inclusion and Catholic identity, so it’s been part of our culture for years.
What’s changing now is how we’re learning to articulate inclusion in a distinctly Catholic and classical way.
Classical Catholic education, when understood rightly, already contains the deepest foundations for inclusion.
You recently hosted Dr. Amy Richards from Eastern University. How did you first learn about her work?
Through Word on Fire, actually. One of our teachers shared an article by Mark Bradford: “Disability and Inclusion in Catholic Education.” Mark wrote about Dr. Richards, an affiliate professor and chair of philosophy at Eastern University. She is also a faculty fellow of the Templeton Honors College’s Master of Arts in Teaching program, where she teaches a course titled Difference and Human Dignity in the Great Tradition. Dr. Richards’s book Disability and Classical Education is exactly what we’re trying to do. What caught my attention was how Dr. Richards gives a theological language to inclusion.
In classical education, special education language can feel foreign or overly clinical. Dr. Richards bridges that gap. She shows that inclusion isn’t about lowering expectations; rather, it’s about living out a Catholic vision of the human person. Classical Catholic education, when understood rightly, already contains the deepest foundations for inclusion.
What did Dr. Richards’s workshop look like at St. Jerome?
It was an excellent mix of theory and practice. She began with reflection by asking teachers to journal about their hopes and fears around inclusion. Then she unpacked her major ideas, like telic attention and doxological classrooms, grounding everything in Christian anthropology.
From there, she turned practical. Teachers conducted an “audit” of their classrooms looking at physical spaces, routines, and relationships to see whether they truly reflected our mission. It was powerful. By the end, many said they felt both challenged and inspired.
How have your teachers received this approach?
They’ve been eager. Last year, we read a chapter from Dr. Richards’s book each month as a faculty seminar. Teachers participated in discussions and the language has become part of our shared vocabulary.
What struck me most was that several teachers who are also parents came back for Dr. Richards’s evening talk after the workshop. Even though some content overlapped, they wanted to hear more. That tells me this isn’t just professional, it’s personal and spiritual.
What distinguishes the Catholic approach to inclusion from the secular model?
It begins with anthropology. Catholic education starts with the truth that every person is made in the image of God. Inclusion, then, isn’t about compliance or accommodation; it’s about fidelity to our mission.
One of our school’s principles says, “Everything a school does teaches something.” If a school systematically excludes those who are different, it’s teaching something false about who matters. At St. Jerome’s, inclusion is not a strategy; it’s an expression of the Gospel.
How has that vision taken shape in your own community?
A wonderful example is my daughter, who’s in kindergarten. Her teacher, an alumna of St. Jerome, has created a classroom of genuine friendship. Marjorie is invited to every birthday party—every one. As a parent, that’s what you want: Your child is truly seen and loved.
She also participates in parish programs like St. Joseph’s House, which serves children with disabilities. There, she’s built friendships that carry over into school life. It’s a beautiful continuity of family, parish, and school all working together.
When Catholic schools embrace inclusion, we show the world a different way, a way that is not only more humane but more holy.
Have parents embraced this work?
Absolutely. Many families see it as part of their own vocation. When siblings with and without disabilities attend the same school, it strengthens family life.
Not every school can serve every child, but the more we can say, “We’re here for all your children,” the more faithfully we witness to Christ. Around here, you’ll see older students walking their younger siblings into school. It’s a small image of the larger communion we’re trying to build.
I understand your event was supported by a parent group. Tell us about that.
Yes, the St. Margaret of Castello Parent Group sponsored Dr. Richards’s visit. They’re a community of parents committed to supporting families with children who have disabilities. Their partnership has been incredible, helping with hospitality, prayer, and ongoing conversations. It’s a model of what can happen when parents and schools work together toward a shared mission.
What gives you hope for the future of Catholic education?
We’re seeing a rediscovery of the Church’s wisdom. The classical renewal has reminded us that faith and reason are united and inclusion naturally flows from that truth.
When we ground education in Christ and view each child as a gift, schools become places of communion rather than competition. Inclusion isn’t a trend; it’s a return to who we are. When Catholic schools embrace inclusion, we show the world a different way, a way that is not only more humane but more holy.
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St. Jerome Academy’s story demonstrates what Catholic education can become when inclusion is rooted not in ideology but in theology. As Kevin Somok noted, “If a school systematically excludes those who are different, it’s teaching something false about who matters.”
Through the witness of leaders like Somok and the scholarship of educators like Dr. Amy Richards, the renewal of Catholic education continues to grow into a more complete reflection of the body of Christ.