The NCPD Committee on Catholic Schools emerged from the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) Board meeting held in November 2023. Understanding the unique challenges faced by American Catholic schools, the committee aims to facilitate the creation of strategies and resources to support these institutions in offering vital assistance to students with disabilities. The committee underscores the significance of providing such support not only for educational reasons but also as a fundamental aspect of Catholic identity, emphasizing the belief that each learner is unique and irreplaceable.
Michael J. Boyle, Ph.D., Chair
Michael J. Boyle, Ph.D. is the Director-Partnerships and Content at Inclusion Solutions, LLC. Dr. Boyle has worked in education in a variety of settings and roles. Most recently, he served as the superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Joliet-Illinois. Before this position, Dr. Boyle served as the director of the Andrew M. Greeley Center for Catholic Education at Loyola University Chicago. As a school psychologist at both the high school and elementary levels, he worked with students across a broad range of areas of exceptionality. He has also served as a special education administrator in several public school districts and as principal of a Catholic elementary school. Dr. Boyle completed his term as the Board Chair of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability and now serves as the inaugural Chair of the NCPD Committee on Catholic Schools. He also serves on the board of directors of Loyola Press. Additionally, he served on the governing board of the Journal of Catholic Education.
Christina S. Arellano
Christina S. Arellano was born in New Delhi, India, and is a product of Catholic Education herself. She has served in the role of principal with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for the past 10 years, prior to which she served in the role of junior high math teacher for an additional five years. Christina holds a Master of Arts degree in Catholic School Administration from Loyola Marymount University, a master’s degree in business administration from Maastricht School of Management, The Netherlands, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Delhi. Prior to her service with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, she was a project manager for an International Business Development in South Asia and a personnel consultant for the Embassy of the United States in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Christina currently serves as assistant superintendent for Elementary Schools at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, serving Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara regions. She also holds the role of commissioner for the Western Catholic Educational Association that undertakes accreditation duties alongside WSCUC for the Los Angeles Catholic schools. Christina has a lifelong commitment to Catholic education and is dedicated to faith-based learning and child safety; she considers it a privilege to be included in the journey of all the children who have been entrusted to her care.
Diane Elliott
Diane Elliott is an assistant superintendent in the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia. She received her bachelor’s degree in special education and habilitative sciences from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, her master’s degree in vocational special education from Virginia Tech, and administrative certification from Virginia Commonwealth University. Diane taught special education in public schools in West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia for 17 years. While working for Spotsylvania County Public Schools in Virginia, Diane was the transition coordinator and a special education coordinator. She became the special services coordinator for the Diocese of Arlington in 2001. In that role Diane implemented coordinated procedures which have assisted the Catholic schools in accepting and educating students with disabilities. Diane became assistant superintendent, keeping the duties of helping the schools include students with disabilities, in 2017. Her favorite Bible verse: “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
Patricia Huizar
Patricia Huizar is a Catholic School educator with more than 20 years. She serves as the Director of Student Services for the Diocese of Joliet. She is responsible for overseeing and advocating for learners who are emergent bilinguals and for students who have identified learning needs. She also leads the development of innovative programs to support these students and leads professional learning strategies for principals and teachers. Being bilingual, Paty expands the ability of the Catholic Schools Office to support more families. She is currently a doctoral candidate at Loyola University Chicago.
Paty’s love for God, education and serving others is inspiring. She is a passionate advocate for students and believes that Catholic education offers a complete spectrum of opportunities for the whole education of a person.
Maggie Hubbard
Maggie Hubbard is a seasoned educator with more than 30 years of experience as an elementary and middle school classroom teacher, assistant principal, and director of special education in the Catholic Schools Office of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. She served on the faculty of Notre Dame Maryland University and as assistant director for special education in the Academy of Catholic Educators, providing professional development and mentoring to Catholic school teachers in Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Maggie is also a veteran professional developer and conference presenter at the national, regional, and local levels. She speaks on a variety of subjects including inclusion, differentiation, student engagement, curriculum accessibility, supportive classroom climates, and children with special learning needs.
Colleen McCoy-Cejka, Board Liaison
Colleen McCoy-Cejka, M.A. is the owner of Inclusion Solutions, LLC and Ed-21 Solutions, companies dedicated to creating student-centered learning environments where all students can be successful. Colleen is the mother of a child with autism. Her work is built upon her experiences as a parent, teacher, elementary and high school principal, assistant superintendent, and curriculum director for the Diocese of Phoenix, and several nonprofit volunteer roles. Colleen co-founded The Matthew 19:14 Project with Dr. Lisa Fischer in Phoenix in 2014, is a founding member of the Arizona Inclusion Network (2021) and is an executive board committee member for the National Catholic Partnership on Disability.
Colleen previously served as Director of Professional Learning at the National Catholic Educational Association. She can be heard on the Loyola Press Podcast The Catholic Teachers’ Lounge three days per week.