Dissertation in Practice
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COLLABORATION OF A RELIGIOUS ORDER AND A PUBLIC SCHOOL CHARTERING AUTHORITY ___________________________________ By JOSEPH D. HOLLOWELL ___________________________________ A DISSERTATION IN PRACTICE Submitted to the faculty of the Graduate School of Creighton University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership _________________________________ Omaha, NE (April 18, 2016) Copyright 2016, Joseph D. Hollowell This document is copyrighted material. Under copyright law, no part of this document may be reproduced without the expressed permission of the author. iii Abstract In 2005, after a six-year period of discussion and discernment, the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools collaborated with the Chicago Public Schools to establish two charter schools known as the Catalyst Schools. Collaboration of religious organizations and local charter granting authorities for the establishment of charter schools is a new phenomenon. Recent research finds the Catalyst Schools succeeding at this collaboration because of the “faith-inspired” nature of the schools founded by two members of the Lasallian Christian Brothers. This qualitative case study investigated the collaboration and discernment among leaders of CPS and the Christian Brothers that allowed this successful partnership to be established. The aim of the study was to develop a series of evidence-based recommendations that can be used by similar organizations as a guide for establishing similar faith-inspired charter schools. Collection of data was accomplished through interviewing leaders, gathering documents, participating in shadowing experiences, and multiple observations. The pivotal moment of the discernment was provided by the former Superior General of the Christian Brothers who documented the world-wide commitment of the order to work with a variety of governmental agencies to educate poor children. Subsequently, the Christian Brothers developed a faculty formation regimen unique among charter schools that inspires the work of the Catalyst Schools to be carried on in a way that is consistent with the charisms of the order. The study concludes with the evidence-based recommendations and a reflection on the principles of leadership relevant to executing the recommended steps. Keywords: Leadership, charter schools, urban Catholic schools, Catalyst Schools iv Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my wife and children who fill my life with love, meaning, and joy – and to Jesus Christ – the second person of the Holy Trinity whose life, death, and resurrection inspired St. Ignatius of Loyola and gave rise to the establishment of the Society of Jesus and Creighton University. v Acknowledgements I want to extend my thanks to the following saints who are known for their scholarship and to whom I prayed for intercession at the beginning of each session of writing for this dissertation - St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Ignatius of Loyola. I am certain their intercession carried me through many times of uncertainty and ambiguity as progress was slowly made. I am also grateful to my advisor Dr. Barbara Brock and the past ILD program chair Dr. Isabelle Cherney for their prudent and exceptional guidance. It was such a pleasure to get to know both of them. Additionally, I am grateful for the insights and focused efforts of my Committee Chair, Dr. Leah Georges. She is an inspirational professional and I am blessed to have had her guiding me through this process. Two other members of my committee - Dr. Tim Cook and Fr. Thomas Simonds, S.J. have ably assisted Dr. Georges. Thank you all for being my Dream Team! I also want to acknowledge my supervisors at my day job who have both helped and encouraged me over the past four years. I am so blessed to work with both of you – Annette “Mickey” Lentz, the Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, and Gina Kuntz Fleming, the Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Thank you both for your support and for your patience as I gave attention to this program of studies. My extraordinary colleagues at Roncalli High School are to be commended for picking up the slack when multiple demands and responsibilities occasionally required us to “bring the lefty out of the bullpen” in order to complete the essential tasks that keep our school in the position of being one of the finest in the country. Special thanks go to vi Vice-President of Institutional Advancement Terese Carson, Vice-President for Finance and Facilities Dave Gervasio, Vice President for Mission and Ministry Bob Tully, Principal Chuck Weisenbach, and my extraordinary Executive Assistant Lora Mascari. It gave me great peace of mind to know that during the occasional periods of focus on this program, Roncalli was in the capable hands of such a wonderful team of leaders. I am so blessed to work with each of you. Thank you all for your patience. Additionally, I am blessed to have worked with Kim Striby who provided proofreading and editing services in the final stages of writing this dissertation. Her suggestions were always spot on and were offered in a way that allowed me to maintain my self-confidence as a writer. I am grateful to have learned from you! Finally, I am so grateful to our children and my beautiful wife for their ongoing support. Our family is a great blessing to all of us but especially to me. It was good to be a college kid again but now I am ready to get back to being a full time Dad and a full time husband. AMDG! vii Table of Contents Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments................................................................................................................v Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. vii List of Tables .................................................................................................................... xii List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xiii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................1 Introduction and Background ..............................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem .....................................................................................................4 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................6 Research Questions ..............................................................................................................6 Aim of the Study ..................................................................................................................7 Methodology Overview .......................................................................................................7 Definition of Relevant Terms ..............................................................................................8 Delimitations and Limitations ............................................................................................10 Leader’s Role and Responsibility in Relation to the Problem ...........................................10 Significance of the Study ...................................................................................................12 Summary ............................................................................................................................16 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................17 Introduction ........................................................................................................................17 Roots of the Educational Reform Movement ....................................................................17 viii Competition In Education – New Options Emerge……………………………………...20 Vouchers and Charters Begin to Appear ...........................................................................20 Vouchers – The Courts Begin to Speak .............................................................................21 Rapid Expansion of the Charters School Option ...............................................................22 Charter School Research ....................................................................................................23 Analysis of Both Innovations Continues ...........................................................................26 Legal Questions Slowly Resolved .....................................................................................27 International School Choice ...............................................................................................31 Sweden………………………………………………………………………...…34 India……………………………………………………………………….…......35 New Zealand……………………………………………………………………..35 Australia……………………………………………………………………….…38 The Rise of Religious Charter Schools in the United States .............................................40 Conversion of Inner City Catholic Schools to Charter Schools ........................................42 Catholic Schools – The