Experiences of Women in Executive Catholic Educational Leadership in the United States
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LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations 2020 Phenomenal Women: Experiences of Women in Executive Catholic Educational Leadership in the United States Fatima Ann Samson Nicdao Loyola Marymount University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd Part of the Educational Leadership Commons Recommended Citation Nicdao, Fatima Ann Samson, "Phenomenal Women: Experiences of Women in Executive Catholic Educational Leadership in the United States" (2020). LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations. 948. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/948 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY Phenomenal Women: Experiences of Women in Executive Catholic Educational Leadership in the United States by Fatima Ann Samson Nicdao A dissertation presented to the Faculty of the School of Education, Loyola Marymount University, in partial satisfaction of the requirement for the degree Doctor of Education 2020 Phenomenal Women: Experiences of Women in Catholic Educational Leadership in the United States Copyright © 2020 By Fatima Ann Samson Nicdao Loyola Marymount University School of Education Los Angeles, CA 90045 Loyola Marymount University School of Education Los Angeles, CA 90045 This dissertation written by Fatima Nicdao, under the direction of the Dissertation Committee, is approved and accepted by all committee members, in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. ________________________________ Date Dissertation Committee ________________________________ Elizabeth Reilly, Ed.D., Committee Member ________________________________ Lauren Casella, Ed.D., Committee Member ________________________________ Franca Dell’Olio, Ed.D., Committee Member ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To the people who have formed me: It all started with a dream in third grade to be a doctor. I was nurtured by my teachers—strong women—who reassured me I can do absolutely anything I put my mind to. This is for the Sisters of the Love of God (Religiosas del Amor de Dios [RAD]) at St. Martha’s Catholic Church, who inspired me as a child and fed me carrot cake as I waited in the convent for my ride home. Those small gestures went a long way. This is for the women teachers at Bishop Amat High School who inspired me to work hard and love learning. You never let me give up. You instilled a dream in me. To the people who guided me along the way: I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my dissertation chair, Dr. Reilly. To my dissertation committee members, Dr. Dell’Olio and Dr. Casella who provided inspiration, insight, and important critical feedback. Thank you for the additional guidance; Dr. Bickett, Dr. Huchting, Dr. Stephenson, Dr. Baltodano, Dr. Darder, Dr. Parham, and Michaela Cooper. Much love to Cohort 14; I could not have asked for a better group to grow with these last three years. You inspire me to be better. To my family: Annette and the Lopez family, the Nicdaos, and the Samsons. And my friends, who are my chosen family: Andie, Mandie, Orange, Rachael, Belinda, Justine, Erin, Adrienne, Karen, Alfred, and Tony. You are my day ones. To the women who made this research possible: I am grateful for the amazing women who participated in this study. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your stories of struggles and success. And lastly, thank you to all the women leaders in Catholic education. You spend more time with other people’s children than your own. You build up leaders in your schools. You create spaces for your students to find their power . you are truly phenomenal. iii iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. iii LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ x ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ........................................................................ 1 Background of the Problem ...................................................................................................... 1 Parishes: A Home Away From Home ................................................................................ 1 Call for Catholic Schools .................................................................................................... 2 The Impact of Religious Sisters in American Catholic Education ..................................... 3 Sisters Establishing the Teaching Workforce ..................................................................... 4 Financing a Workforce ....................................................................................................... 5 First Women in Catholic Education Leadership ................................................................. 6 Vatican II and the Cultural Revolution ............................................................................... 7 Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................................... 9 Women and Leadership in the Catholic Church ................................................................. 9 The Catholic Superintendent ............................................................................................. 12 The Role of the Administrator .......................................................................................... 12 Slow Road to Progress ...................................................................................................... 12 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................... 13 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................................ 14 Essential Research Question ................................................................................................... 15 Research Design ...................................................................................................................... 16 Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................................... 16 Methodology Overview: Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations ................................ 17 Definitions of Terms ............................................................................................................... 18 Positionality ............................................................................................................................ 19 Connection to Leadership and Social Justice .......................................................................... 20 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................... 21 Women in Leadership: Secular and Catholic Contexts .......................................................... 22 History of Women in Leadership ...................................................................................... 22 Contexts of Women in Leadership ................................................................................... 23 Catholic Superintendency ................................................................................................. 28 Organizational Context ..................................................................................................... 30 Women in Leadership in the Last 60 Years ............................................................................ 31 Challenges of Women in Leadership ...................................................................................... 32 Discrimination, Gender, and Cultural Barriers ................................................................. 33 Limiting Beliefs ................................................................................................................ 37 v Work-Life Balance ............................................................................................................ 38 Compensation ................................................................................................................... 39 Glass Ceiling and Talent Pipeline ..................................................................................... 39 New Managerialism Policies and Practices ............................................................................ 40 People-Centered and Paper-Centered ............................................................................... 41 Organizational Management and Human Capital ............................................................. 42 Leadership Styles .................................................................................................................... 42 Comparisons of Men and Women Leaders ....................................................................... 43 Five Leadership Styles .....................................................................................................