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Give Them a Firm Handshake, Look Them in the Eye, Try to Make a Connection”: Critical Graduate Perspectives on School Advancement Practices of De Marillac Academy

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Give Them a Firm Handshake, Look Them in the Eye, Try to Make a Connection”: Critical Graduate Perspectives on School Advancement Practices of De Marillac Academy The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Doctoral Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects Spring 5-29-2020 “GIVE THEM A FIRM HANDSHAKE, LOOK THEM IN THE EYE, TRY TO MAKE A CONNECTION”: CRITICAL GRADUATE PERSPECTIVES ON SCHOOL ADVANCEMENT PRACTICES OF DE MARILLAC ACADEMY Alicia M. Tapia University of San Francisco, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.usfca.edu/diss Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Nonprofit Administration and Management Commons, and the Urban Education Commons Recommended Citation Tapia, Alicia M., "“GIVE THEM A FIRM HANDSHAKE, LOOK THEM IN THE EYE, TRY TO MAKE A CONNECTION”: CRITICAL GRADUATE PERSPECTIVES ON SCHOOL ADVANCEMENT PRACTICES OF DE MARILLAC ACADEMY" (2020). Doctoral Dissertations. 524. https://repository.usfca.edu/diss/524 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects at USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The University of San Francisco “GIVE THEM A FIRM HANDSHAKE, LOOK THEM IN THE EYE, TRY TO MAKE A CONNECTION”: CRITICAL GRADUATE PERSPECTIVES ON SCHOOL ADVANCEMENT PRACTICES OF DE MARILLAC ACADEMY A Dissertation Proposal Presented to The Faculty of the School of Education Catholic Educational Leadership Department In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education By Alicia M. Tapia San Francisco May 2020 ii THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO Dissertation Abstract “Give Them a Firm Handshake. Look Them in the Eye, Try to Make a Connection”: Critical Graduate Perspectives on School Advancement Practices of De Marillac Academy This dissertation engages graduates of De Marillac Academy, a NativityMiguel school in San Francisco, in critical inquiry regarding school advancement practices. Graduates were asked how they participated in school advancement practices face-to-face with guests and donors, through media, on-campus and off-campus at their Annual Scholarship Benefit. Graduates engaged in photo and video elicitation interviews, in which photos and videos were used to spark commentary regarding their thoughts and experiences in advancement settings. As Catholic school educators, we are called to investigate the effects of a student’s formal and hidden curriculum in all aspects of their educational experience. This study found what the experiences of students and graduates were when they engaged in advancement activities, it investigated the ways that students and graduates code-switch and adapt their behavior based in advancement settings, and that these activities complicate their impressions of race, class, power and privilege. Educators, school leaders, advancement personnel, media producers, and donors should consistently listen to graduate experiences, build relationships, include culturally responsive teaching in their formal curriculum and accompany students and graduates as they navigate race, class, power, and privilege in advancement environments and their educational experience. iii This dissertation, written under the direction of the candidate’s dissertation committee and approved by the members of the committee, has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty of the School of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. The content and research methodologies presented in this work represent the work of the candidate alone. Alicia Tapia May 12, 2020 Candidate Date Dissertation Committee Dr. Ursula Aldana May 12, 2020 Chairperson Date Dr. Emma Fuentes May 12, 2020 Date Dr. Eileen Emerson-Boles May 12, 2020 Date iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation is dedicated to my ancestors, all of them. My parents, my grandparents, my great grandparents, and beyond. Their sweat and hard work, their insistence on storytelling, on family, on keeping their eyes on the prize and living their lives with grace and love. To my Nana, who has always been a source of strength and humble power and articulation and intelligence. To my Papa, his love, his humor. To Grandpa Selso “Jess” Tapia, for his eloquently scripted letters to me en español and to Elvia, her resilience, her spirit. The journey up to this stake in the road would not be possible without my mom and dad, John and Jacqueline. My biggest fans, I am YOUR biggest fans to the very end. I would have never been able to do this, your applause, and your “love you to pieces” texts. I feel the support of your whole hearts and know I love you both with all of mine. A special shoutout and mahalo to my ohana in Hawaii and here on the west coast. I am thankful for my lifelong friends who supported me along my journey, for all the support and check ins from near or far: Nikos, Caroline, Max, Claudia, Stephen, Nikki, Nick, Tricia, and Perry. I am especially thankful for those who helped me through the days when the journey got particularly arduous: Andrew, Ashley, Tessa, Lucie, and Carly. I never thought as a kid that the people I worked with would come to be my family away from home. I have the utmost respect and tons of love for my Lasallian- Vincentian family of De Marillac Academy and Sacred Heart Cathedral. I am especially grateful to the dream teams, for those of you who work hard to push the limits, lead, lose sleep and ask critical questions that encourage growth however difficult. For the leaders who have challenged and supported me. To those who work tirelessly and often without v acknowledgment for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in our schools, I respect you all so much. To Brother Joseph Fabiano, Br. Joe Kirk, Sr. Kathleen Powers, Sr. Frances Meyer, for your humble leadership of the mission. It’s an honor to show up every day alongside you to be in service of our students. Thank you to my USF family for your scholarly camaraderie and some of the most brilliant, intense, and eye-opening happy hour conversations. I knew I’d be pushed to new limits, but I could have never imagined how surrounded and challenged I’d be amongst such incredibly intellectual minds that live theory in practice. Thank you to Dr. Doreen Jones for her guiding spirit of love and kokua to the end, you are so special. Thank you to Dr. Ursula Aldana for inspiring me in every class, with every meeting, zoom call, and for the level of critique and articulation you bring to every conversation. I want to be like you when I grow up! To Dr. Emma Fuentes, for your truly caring spirit that you pour into every student’s research, and mine, and your care that creativity be brought into the research process and product. To Dr. Eileen Emerson- Boles, for your humble leadership since the very beginning of my journey here in San Francisco, your inspiring interactions and care for our students and their learning, your ever-meticulous eye, and the time and conversation you’ve lended me. To the students and graduates of SHC and DMA, you’re the reasons I show up to work every day. Thank you for your gifts, intellect, and effort. You are my teachers. Lastly, I am thankful to God, mahalo ke Akua, Father Sun, Mother Earth, guiding spirit, cleansing blue oceans, life-giving air, North, South, East, West, above and below. I am thankful for this life and its often-difficult lessons; I am thankful for the love that surrounds me. Thank you. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. ii SIGNATURE PAGE .................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................... iv CHAPTER I: THE RESEARCH PROBLEM……………………………………...…. 1 Introduction……………………………………………………………….……. 1 Statement of the Problem………………………………………………………. 5 Background and Need for the Study……………………...……………………... 10 Purpose of the Study………………….…….………….……….......................... 13 Conceptual Frameworks………………………………………………………… 14 Cultural Code-Switching and Cultural Straddlers…………………….……. 15 Hidden Curriculum…………………………………………………….……. 16 Medium is the Message……………………………………………….….…. 18 Research Questions……………………………………………………….……... 20 Delimitations………….………………………………………………………… 20 Significance of the Study………….……………………………………….….... 20 Definition of Terms………….…………………………………………….……. 22 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………............... 25 NativityMiguel Schools……………………………………………………….... 26 Urban Catholic Schools in America………….……………………………... 26 The NativityMiguel Coalition………….………………………………….... 29 Characteristics of the NativityMiguel Schools…….……………………….. 33 Financial Cost of a NativityMiguel Education…….………………………. 37 vii Critical Race Theory in Education.……………………...……………….... 42 School Advancement Optics…….………………….…………………………… 49 Beneficiary Experience in Person………………………………………........ 51 Beneficiary Experience in Advancement Media………………………….... 55 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………… 64 Restatement of the Purpose of the Study…………………….…………………. 64 Research Design……………………………........................................................ 64 Setting…………………………………………………………………………… 68 The Lasallian Tradition and the Institute of Christian
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