Running Head: VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
The Four Cardinal Virtues in Catholic Educational Leadership A Research Project Submitted to the Faculty of the School of Education of Gonzaga University In Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Masters of Arts in Leadership and Administration By Michael J. van der Pauw VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Abstract There are four cardinal virtues from which all other virtues are derived: prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. This project analyzed these virtues as they pertain to a preferred leadership style among Catholic educational leaders within the Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdioceses (CISVA). Measured by the perceptions of teachers within the CISVA, this research used descriptive data to examine Catholic educational leadership and its relationship to the cardinal virtues. Participants were surveyed to better understand the virtues that they, as teachers, perceive as being necessary for Catholic educational leadership. The overall findings found in rank order, that teachers tend to prefer a Catholic education leader who has the virtue of justice, then prudence, temperance and finally fortitude. It is important to note that this research focused only on the strengths of Catholic educational leadership. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Dedication “Consider your origins: you were not made that you might live as brutes, but so as to follow virtue and knowledge.” – Dante Alighieri I would like to start by thanking Dr. Chuck Salina, my advisor. I owe a debt of gratitude for his dedication to my work. His insights, lessons, and attentiveness have been a notable contribute to my work. This paper is dedicated to my family. I would like to thank my mother for encouraging me to always preserver and live up to my potential. I also owe much thanks to my brother for always being a great colleague and a true friend. I would like to dedicate the theme of my work to my father. He is the best role model I could ask for as I head deeper into education and has been the inspiration for my work. To my son, Noah, thank you for teaching me how to balance my life and my work. Finally, I dedicate everything I have poured into my work to my wife Erin. She has stood by me each and every step of the way. She has provided me with the support, encouragement and understanding that has made my work what it is today. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Table of Contents I. Rationale and Statement of the Problem ........................................................... 6 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................ 6 Purpose Statement ....................................................................................... 9 Related Research Questions ........................................................................ 9 Definition of Terms ...................................................................................... 10 Background .................................................................................................. 11 Significance of the Study ............................................................................. 12 Research Design ........................................................................................... 15 Summary ....................................................................................................... 15 II. Literature Review ................................................................................................ 17 Catholic Educational Leadership ............................................................... 17 Effective School Leadership ............................................................ 18 Catholic Schools and Educational Leadership ............................. 20 Distinguishing Between Values, Ethics, and Virtues. .............................. 24 Values ................................................................................................ 25 Ethics. .................................................................................................. 27 Virtues ................................................................................................ 28 The Four Cardinal Virtues ........................................................................... 31 Prudence ............................................................................................. 33 Justice .................................................................................................. 34 Fortitude ............................................................................................. 36 Temperance ........................................................................................ 38 Summary ............... ........................................................................................ 40 III. Methodology ........................................................................................................ 42 Setting ............................................................................................................ 42 Funding .............................................................................................. 43 Culture ............................................................................................... 44 Participants ................................................................................................... 45 Research Design ........................................................................................... 46 Instrumentation ............................................................................................ 47 Data Collection ............................................................................................. 48 Data Analysis ................................................................................................ 50 Risks and Benefits………… ..... …………………………………………… 50 Limitations………………………………………………………………. .... 51 Summary ....................................................................................................... 52 VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
IV. Results ................................................................................................................. Demographics ............................................................................................... Survey Results ............................................................................................... Justice ….............................................................................................. Temperance... ..................................................................................... Prudence........ ..................................................................................... Fortitude........ ..................................................................................... Summary ........................................................................................................ V. Discussion and Conclusions .............................................................................. Discussions .................................................................................................... Justice .................................................................................................. Prudence ............................................................................................. Fortitude ............................................................................................. Temperance ........................................................................................ Limitations .................................................................................................... Implications and Recommendations ......................................................... Considerations for Catholic Educators .......................................... Implications and Recommendations for Catholic Educational Leaders................................................................................................ PEC/REC and Superintendent Recommendations ...................... Implications for Students ................................................................. Conclusion .................................................................................................... References ................................................................................................................. Appendices Appendix A Request for Permission ........................................................ Appendix B Participation Introductory Letter/Informed Consent ...... Appendix C Demographic Information .................................................. Appendix D Survey Data Form ................................................................ Appendix E IRB Certificate and Qualification ........................................ Appendix F Application for IRB Review ................................................. Appendix G Case Study ............................................................................. Appendix H Most Preferred Virtue Statements ..................................... 5
53 53 54 55 61 65 68 69 71 71 73 74 75 76 77 78 78 83 85 87 90 93 101 104 106 107 112 113 122 124 VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Chapter One Rationale and Statement of the Problem This action research explored whether leaders working within a religious orthodoxy require exemplary virtues more so than those within a secular work environment. In particular, the research investigated if Catholic teachers working within the Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdioceses (CISVA) have a preferred virtue vital for leadership. Religious environments, such as a Catholic education setting, call on their leaders to provide education and direction within a particular moral milieu. If leaders lack positive virtues (or, in fact, possess faulty virtues, known as vices), the endeavors of the religious environment and community may be compromised. If such leaders find fault with their virtuous leadership practice, are they able to develop virtues to make their leadership more effective? Or, are virtues and vices rooted in history and personality, and therefore unchangeable without significant psychological treatment? This action research analyzed whether having well‐developed virtues, independent of those required in a secular work environment, are deemed particularly valuable for religious education leaders working in a religious orthodoxy. Statement of Problem Within recent years, religious leaders, teachers, and advocates have been highlighted in the media regarding their falls from grace. Sexual abuse charges, VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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fraud, corporal punishment, Internet misconduct, pornography possession, and other transgressions have been heavily documented by the news media. When this occurred, a common thread of questions often emerged: How could someone with such high moral standards commit such an act? Many individuals subscribe to the logic that if those who are expected to be pillars of justice, integrity, truth, and faith are capable of committing these crimes, then in whom can we trust? How can we have faith in our religious leaders? These questions are valid and thought provoking. However, there tends to be different standards used when similar issues occur in the secular work environment. When bankers on Wall Street or heads of corporations cheat the system and the public, when powerful celebrities go to jail, when sport stars fall from grace, and when political leaders turn corrupt, there is an initial outrage that tends to soften over time. In cases such as these, the public often responds initially with outrage, anger, and sadness. However, as time passes and incarceration sentences end, a new tone emerges. As evidenced by their ratings, pay scales, ticket sales, and stable fan bases, these individuals are often reformed in the eyes of the public, and cheered on to return to what they do best. In contrast to these celebrated leaders are the clergy, teachers, caretakers, and others in a role of moral, ethical, and virtuous leadership. There does seem, in fact, to be two separate standards: one for those who publicly subscribe to a VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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moral code, and another for everyone else. These individuals are often held accountable to the fullest extent. Regardless of the particular legal outcomes, they tend not to be returned to their original status after their time is served for their crimes, even if they have not been proven guilty of the charges. In many cases, the news media and/or the general public insinuates that no punishment is ever enough and that such transgressions will never be forgiven. However, these dramatic ethical and moral transgressions are not the only crises afflicting the Catholic Church and Catholic education. All educational environments today (public, private, and religious) are under immense pressure from financial strain, changes in technology, and increasing competition for resources. Ideally, all decisions made by Catholic leaders would incorporate the virtues that are central to our faith. If this is true, what are Catholic schools doing to ensure that leaders working in their schools possess the virtue(s) necessary to lead the school according to that moral standard? What virtue(s) would best suit this leadership style? It would seem that few within the Catholic education system have given specific thought to the particular virtues that are needed in our leaders to both maintain a high level of morality and to better manage the moral dilemmas that are inevitable within an educational organization. Marzano (2005) pointed out that there has been relatively little constructive research done on leadership, and much less regarding virtuous VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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leadership. There appears to be minimal examination specifically of virtuous leadership within a religious ideology from the perspective of employees within that setting. Much of the research on leadership uses words such as ‘values’, ‘morals’, and ‘ethics’, often interchangeably, yet avoids using the word ‘virtue’, likely due to its religious affiliations. Poor definition of terms leads to confusing and possibly misleading research. Even combinations of the words can be problematic. As Fullan (2008) stated, “If moral values sound too religious or too left wing, existential values will do” (p.130). Research is needed to better clarify and understand the role of virtuous leadership within Catholicism, and particularly Catholic education, as a step toward strengthening this community and its leaders. Purpose Statement The purpose of this action research was to analyze the perceptions of teachers within the CISVA with regard to the virtues of prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude, as these virtues pertain to a preferred leadership style. Related Research Questions 1. Do teachers working within the CISVA prefer a specific virtue(s) in relation to other virtues? 2. Are multiple virtues seen as interconnected and interdependent? VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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The goal of this research was to discover which virtue (or virtues) was deemed most important for quality leadership by CISVA teachers. Definition of Terms Aristotle, Augustine, and Aquinas agreed that there are core moral virtues that govern our character (Pieper, 1975). Those core moral virtues are called cardinal (i.e. ‘hinged upon’) virtues. The cardinal virtues are prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. All other virtues can be classified under one of the four cardinal virtues. For the sake of space and clarity, the following table illustrates which qualities are associated with their respective cardinal virtue (Aquinas, 1920; Aristotle, 1958; Brocata, De Simone, & De Simone, 1995; Darwall, 2003; Pieper, 1975; Sergiovanni, 1992; Woodward, 1994). PRUDENCE 
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Wisdom Intellect Judgment Confidence Diligence Responsibility Investigation Right choices Practicality JUSTICE
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Rightfulness Care Liberality Affability Regulated dealings
Equality/fairness Charity Compassion Honesty Kept promises Truthfulness FORTITUDE
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Courage Steadfastness Bravery Patience Honour Perseverance Strength of mind Faithfulness Reverence TEMPERENCE 
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Humility Restraint Sobriety Chastity Modesty Meekness Regulated emotions Moderation Forgiveness Self‐discipline Obedience Table 1 The Four Cardinal Virtues. This table provides a summary of the various traits associated with the four cardinal virtues. According to Aquinas (1920), prudence is carefully considered reason, justice speaks to the provision of one’s rights, temperance is the curbing of the VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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potential for excessiveness of passions or impulses, and fortitude is the strengthening of the mind. These virtues are to be defined further in Chapter II. Background Schools often suffer silently at the hands of weak leaders who knowingly or unknowingly create or propagate a work environment that lacks production and results. Such an environment may include teachers leaving the school for “greener pastures”, a decrease in teacher engagement in extracurricular activities, low staff morale, low student enrolment, division among staff, and a generally poor work environment. School communities must better understand the complexities of leadership to maintain quality education and instructors. What makes leaders successful? What makes leaders fail? In particular, as stated above, Catholic educators must fully understand the ways in which demands for their virtuous leadership may differ from those in a secular environment. Kouzes and Posner (2007) conducted research in the secular business world, and determined that honesty was the quality deemed most valued in employers by their employees. They found this to be true across countries, cultures, ethnicities, organizational functions and hierarchies, gender, educational, and age groups. However, they failed to examine religious organizations. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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There may be a general consensus within the Catholic education community regarding positive traits that are desirable in leaders. However, there is very little research to support how the cardinal virtues in particular are embodied within Catholic education leaders, or to what degree these virtues are valued by the teachers within the environment. For example, in a Catholic school, would honesty (as subsumed in the virtue of justice) outweigh other qualities, as it did in the Kouzes and Posner investigation, or might other virtues be deemed more important? In an environment where one is responsible for the emotional, physical, spiritual, and intellectual wellbeing of young people, there is an expectation to “practice what you preach”. If this is so, perhaps trust is less important than fortitude, or prudence, etc. This project sought to examine how the uniqueness of a Catholic education setting, as one permeated by morals and virtues, may demand particular virtuous traits from its leaders. Significance of Study There is a wealth of books and articles that explore the issue of strong leadership. For example, Kouzes and Posner (2007) wrote about the leadership challenge and gave five behaviors for effective leadership: model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart. Bolman and Deal (2008) discussed reframing organizations for more effective leadership. If you were to do a Google search of “effective leadership” VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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you would find about 67,600,000 hits for that topic and yet with all the resources, articles, books, websites, seminars, and workshops available for leaders, there are several cases of leaders who use these resources and are still ineffective. Perhaps quality leadership cannot be fully taught or learned from a book. If this is the case, and if intrinsic virtues play a part in shaping strong leaders, then perhaps administrators should be screened for these qualities when determining job placement. For example, if it is determined that justice is the primary virtue needed for effective leadership, schools should then be looking for concrete evidence that the potential administrator has a strong foundation in honesty, righteousness, and fairness. While a manual is useful to figure out how to determine budgets and implement policies, it seems that a distinct set of attributes are needed to handle the practical complexities of religious educational leadership. How does a leader navigate personal and professional relationships, respond to a demand by staff for equity, make choices regarding promotions, handle personal or sensitive information, maintain honesty and trust, and serve the needs of the entire school and faith community, even with conflicting interests at stake? Time must be taken to examine the underlying qualities that are needed to address these and many more important issues. This action research ultimately aims to make leaders stronger and more focused in their area of leadership. Unfortunately, most learning programs VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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attempt (and often struggle) to help individuals become who they are not (Rath, 2007). When performance is lacking, those in authority tend to invest attention and resources attempting to improve limitations, instead of focusing on those areas wherein an individual has the most potential for greatness. It is important for leaders to focus on their strengths, rather than their weaknesses, and in fact, research has shown how a strengths‐based approach improves confidence, direction, hope, and kindness towards others (Rath, 2007). In 2006, Homer‐Dixon claimed “we’re reluctant or unable to talk about moral and existential values – and these values remain largely unexplored” (p.129, cited in Fullan, 2008). Fullan elaborated that integrity and the ability to offer support to those with whom one works are necessary to the success of an organization. As stated above, there is minimal research conducted specifically on the investigation of virtuous leadership within a religious ideology from the perspective of employees within that setting. This research examines what is expected of leaders as virtuous and ethical Catholic educational leaders, and will give them direction and insight into individual and systemic strengths and weaknesses. This project, the identification of those most critical virtues within Catholic educational leadership, represents an important first step in identifying and supporting strong qualities in our leaders and thus strengthening and improving the Catholic education system. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Research Design This project analyzed the four cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance) as they pertained to a preferred leadership style among Catholic educational leaders within the CISVA. In order to attain the most relevant data, this research was conducted with teachers and seeks their perceptions on virtuous leadership. Teachers within the CISVA were surveyed using a forced response, frequency distribution analysis. They were given a series of paired statements related to educational leadership, each reflecting one of the four cardinal virtues, and were required to select the statement with which they most agree. This allowed for an analysis of the perceptions of teachers to better understand if one or more virtue is deemed necessary for effective Catholic educational leadership. This research focuses only on the strengths of Catholic educational leadership, and does not examine the presence of vices. Summary The four cardinal virtues from which all other virtues are derived (prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance) were the cornerstones for this action research. This research analyzed these virtues as they pertain to a preferred leadership style among Catholic educational leaders within the Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdioceses (CISVA). VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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This research is needed to better understand the role of virtuous leadership within Catholicism, and particularly Catholic education, as a step toward strengthening this community and its leaders. It will seek to understand the extraordinary demands placed on administrators who work in religious environments and what qualities determine a successful leader within a Catholic school environment. I am particularly interested in our own CISVA, as it operates in a way unique to other Catholic school systems. This action research seeks to better understand the unique virtuous qualities necessary for successful leadership within this system. In order to do this, one must first have an understanding of effective leadership and virtues (in particular, the four cardinal virtues), and how they both relate to Catholic educational leadership. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Chapter Two Review of Literature The purpose of this action research was to analyze the perceptions of teachers within the Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdioceses (CISVA) regarding the virtues of prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude, as these virtues pertain to a preferred leadership style. The intent of this literature review is to provide a sound understanding of Catholic educational leadership. This chapter discusses what Catholic educational leadership is, how it is used, and in what ways it builds upon traditional secular leadership styles. The literature will then examine the difference between values, ethics, and virtues, as these words are often used interchangeably and provide challenges to defining the terms relevant to this discussion. The final section of the literature review will be a discussion of the four cardinal virtues and how they affect Catholic educational leadership. Catholic Educational Leadership Catholic educational leadership is a term that speaks to those individuals who take on leadership roles within a Catholic school setting. These leadership roles may include, but are not limited to, principals, vice‐principals, department heads, staff facilitators, staff representatives, committee heads or chairs, campus ministers, and other positions that require staff members to take an active role in leading fellow staff members. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Effective school leadership. Before one can look specifically at education leadership within the Catholic school system, the more general area of effective school leadership must be well understood. Marzano, Walters, and McNulty (2005) demonstrated that there has been very little research on school leadership. They found only sixty‐
nine articles and studies on leadership and student academic achievements. Several authors have developed their own hypotheses on the subject of effective school leadership. Research suggests that principals of high‐achieving schools are capable and caring communicators in the interpersonal sphere, as well as in the public and task‐oriented domains (Cotton, 2003). Whitaker, Whitaker, and Lumpa (2000) added to this claim by stating that effective principals are consistently able to identify the informal teacher leaders in their schools, suggesting that a strong leader is one who is capable of identifying and presumably empowering other leaders. Kouzes and Posner (2007) believe that there are four major qualities of a leader. According to their theory, effective leaders must be honest, forward‐
looking, inspiring, and competent. They state that “no matter what the setting, everyone wants to be fully confident in their leaders and to be fully confident, they have to believe that their leaders are individuals of strong character and solid integrity” (Kouzes & Posner, p.32). On the other hand, DuFour believe that VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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the concept of leadership can become confounded with those of position and power, and that rather “leadership is the process of persuasion and example by which an individual attempts to influence a group to take action that is in accord with the leader’s purpose or the shared purpose of all” (1991, p.15). Sergiovanni (1999) believed that leadership is a commitment to exemplary practice, i.e. staying current with new developments, maintaining up‐to‐date practices, experimenting with new approaches, and so on. He suggested that these experiences teach what is of value to the leader and the school. Authentic leaders are rooted in sound ideas, values, and commitments; exhibit unique style and substance; and, can be trusted to advance their organization in a moral and conscientious manner (Sergiovanni, 1999). Early in his career, Sergiovanni stated there are three functions necessary for the competent public school principal: “the technical or sound management function; the human or interpersonal function; and, the educational or instructional function” (Sergiovanni, 1984, p.8). Helm (1998) cited that Sergiovanni later added a fourth function: “the fostering of the cultural and symbolic aspects of the school” (p.8). Other theorists have described similar views of leadership. Fullan (2001) believed that leaders must possess energy, enthusiasm, and hopefulness, and that such leaders “‘cause’ greater moral purpose in themselves, bury themselves in change, naturally build relationships and knowledge, and seek coherence to VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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consolidate moral purpose” (p.20). Barth (1990) defined leadership simply when he stated that leadership is the realization of one’s beliefs and vision. These theorists may have developed a sufficient understanding of the general qualities necessary for leadership. However, some of the values of the secular model of leadership may not work within a Catholic school setting. Catholic Schools and Educational Leadership. Catholic educational leadership is a narrow field of study that contains valuable resources for teachers practicing within a religious orthodoxy. The major aim of Roman Catholic schools is to induct the young into the Roman Catholic Church and to a life with Christ (Eisner, 2002). As stated in Vatican II, the mission and purpose of Catholic schools is: To create for the school community an atmosphere enlivened by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity; to help the [student] in such a way that the development of personality will be matched by the growth of the new creation which the [person] became by baptism; and to relate all human culture to the news of salvation, so that the light of faith will illumine the knowledge which students gradually gain of the world, of life and of [humanity]. (Abbott, 1966, no.8) VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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This aim differs significantly from the goals of a non‐religiously oriented school. Therefore, the qualities of a Catholic educational leader may be quite different from those of a secular leader. Mulligan (2005) believed that much of the corporate model is “antithetical to the gospel paradigm of service and empowerment” (p.188). Mulligan claims that the corporate model believes “efficiency is more important than people; performance and results are valued more than service and lifelong conversion and mystery; career comes before vocation; and power and control are exercised instead of delegation and collegiality” (Mulligan, 2005, p.188). If Mulligan is right, and many would argue for and against his claims, then what are the qualities and attributes of successful Catholic educational leaders? The theorists Jacobs, Sheehan, Helm, and Mulligan expressed various insights into what makes an effective Catholic educational leader. Jacobs (2002) believed that in order to bring the morals and the purpose of Catholic schooling to fruition, “Catholic school need principals who can lead teachers, students, staff, parents, pastors, and other stakeholders to embrace and to be animated by the Catholic vision of life” (p.vii). Sheenan (1998) provided more instruction and suggested that, because Catholic schools are an integral part of the Church’s mission, it is essential for the principal to understand how the school relates to the parish, diocese, and/or VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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religious congregation that sponsor it. Therefore, administrators are called to be the activators of the school’s apostolic mission. There is a need for administrators within a Catholic school to give “high priority to the religious classes and with the help of prayer, the Sacraments, and the Eucharistic liturgies, … show that growth in faith is central to the purpose of the school” (McDermott, 1997, p.50). Similar to Sergiovanni, Helm (1998) believed that successful Catholic school principals must be transformational leaders who stand for cultural and symbolic strengths. The result of such leadership is the unifying of students, teachers, and administration to believe in the work of the school (Helm, 1998, p.7). In this light, Catholic school principals have a primary responsibility to foster healthy interactions that support the community (Alewine & Ciriello, 1998.) Mulligan perhaps offered the most thorough and direct proposal for successful Catholic education leadership. He believed that leadership relates to the common good, and the common good in Catholic education, he stated, is the daily struggle to actualize the vision of the Catholic Church within a faith community (Mulligan, 2005). Mulligan (2005) developed lists of qualities and traits of Catholic educational leaders. Among his discussions, he mentioned: VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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…humility, openness, compassion, trust in others, a deep sense of service, dedication, a willingness to accept responsibility from the Catholic community, a deep commitment to evangelization and life‐long faith development, the ability to bring people together, sensitivity to the needs and homes of the families of students, commitment to ensuring understanding and cooperation between Church and school, and an openness to collaboration with clergy. (p.187) Mulligan (2005) goes on to state that the Catholic educational leaders have many unique qualities. According to Mulligan, a Catholic educational leader can articulate his or her spirituality, is active in social justice issues, knows the challenges and culture of Catholic education, believes in the vision of Catholic education, focuses on students’ needs, has a love for children, is flexible and open‐minded, is able to lead by words and actions, is a mentor to other staff, and understands the importance of sacrifice needed to implement and maintain the vision of Catholic education (p.217). Based on Mulligan’s claims, leadership in Catholic education is not a typical career. It is a unique vocation whose challenges can be “frighteningly challenging” (p.187). If one dares to do so, the attributes of a strong Catholic leader can be defined by the actions and words of Jesus Christ, arguably the ultimate teacher VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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and leader. Biblical teachings claim that Christ believed in servant leadership, as evidenced by His washing the feet of others, the parable of the Good Shepherd leaving ninety‐nine sheep go to save one, Christ’s devotion to prayer, His association with the poor and the outcast, and finally, His death on the cross (Mulligan, 2005). Regardless of the literature reviewed, when researchers speak of effective Catholic leadership, they address important values, ethics, and virtues of leaders. However, prior to identifying the particular traits necessary for success, greater clarification is needed to distinguish between values, ethics, and virtues. Distinguishing Between Values, Ethics, and Virtues Many individuals tend to confuse or blend the notions of values, ethics, and virtues. With the emerging philosophy of “virtue ethics” and the attention given to “family values”, there is a great deal of confusion distinguishing these terms. It is important to note that virtues are not more important than ethics or values, and each has its role within effective leadership. The most important feature that distinguishes virtues from values, ethics, and morals is universal acceptance (Darwall, 2003). Not all ethics are universally agreed upon. For example, one might believe that it is ethically responsible to abort fetuses that would be born with severe birth defects or to unfit mothers, while another might believe that this is ethically wrong. Similarly, not all values VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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are unanimously accepted. One might value private education over public education. However, virtues are traits that are unarguably valuable and acceptable in order to develop strong a character (Darwall, 2003). Each term, however, is interconnected with one another. It is important to remember that without ethics, virtues can easily become vices. The following sections will describe these terms in greater detail. Values. Values are the beliefs of a person or social group in which they have an emotional investment (either in favour of or against something) (Pieper, 1975). Strong values are a vital part of our society. Within our schools, values drive what is important. Inherent in values is a hierarchical system, with some more or less important than others (Sergiovanni, 1999). This is important when choices must be made in which one value clashes with another. For example, one might value donating food to the poor, but would likely value first providing for one’s own family more. According to DuFour (1991), values are the behaviors and attitudes that are necessary to move a school toward a particular target, mission, and/or vision. He stressed the importance of explicitly stated values and standards that are shared among the school community to create an effective organization (DuFour). As the leader of the organization, it is the role of the principal to VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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disseminate (and, to some degree, determine) these values. What is valued as a leader should be empowering and motivating (Kouzes & Posner, 2007). As Kouzes and Posner state, “As you serve the values of freedom, justice, equality, caring, and dignity, you can constantly renew the foundations of democracy” (p.346). Values are also important for self‐growth and improvement, determine one’s moral purpose, and allow one to achieve that moral purpose and make significant contributions to the lives of others (Fullan, 2008). Having a clear set of values is important to be an effective leader and for the ultimate success of schools. Rather than claiming virtues as values, educational leaders would be better served by better understanding how values can enhance virtues. This would allow educational leaders to uphold what they value through their virtuous words and actions. The dark side of values creeps into society when something is valued that is immoral, unethical, or taboo. For instance, Covey (1990) gives the example of Hitler as a value‐driven individual, whereby one of his governing values was a unified Germany. Of course, his methods in establishing his values were completely unethical (Covey, 1990). Ethics are thus needed to govern our values. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Ethics. Ethics are guides for all decisions and elements of private and public life. If values decide which virtues are important to follow and uphold, then ethics are the rules that guide virtues. Without ethics to guide virtues, a virtue becomes a vice (Covey, 1990). Ethics will change depending on what virtues are valued in society. For example, if the virtue of justice is no longer valued, then crime, violence, and deceit will dominate societies, as there will be no concern for the proper moderation between self‐interest and the rights and needs of others. Ethical behaviour requires one to be sensitive and responsive to others within the circumstances and the context (Starratt, 1999). What does this look like in schools? Starratt (1999) stated that some argue against incorporating ethical issues in schools at all, suggesting that ethics belong in homes and churches. He described a concern that introducing ethics in schools would result in conflict and controversy among widely divergent ethical viewpoints. In the minds of those detractors, ethical principles are based on values, not facts. They believe that ethics reflect cultural traditions, religious socialization, and personal preference, not rigorous scientific proof. Staratt (1999) argues against this by stating that: Schools are already teaching ethics and [it is] impossible to run an ethically neutral school. A school community encouraging an ethic VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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of justice will see to it that specific ethical learning activities are structured within curricular and extra‐curricular programs. (p.51) According to this argument, schools do in fact practice virtuous ethics. The school is not a place to decide whether something is ethically right or wrong; that is moral ethics. The school is not a place to decide if certain ethics are more suited for one culture/tradition over another; that is value ethics. Instead, ethics can be used in schools to help guide students to ensure that their practices are universally right and good. For example, a school committed to an ethic of caring will attend to the unmet needs of members of the community (Starratt, 1999). Likewise, a school committed to an ethic of honesty among its school community will disclose a clear set of values and standards, which will in turn develop a trusting school community (Kouzes & Posner, 2007). Virtues. Virtues encompass those individual and societal values, morals, and ethics that enable an individual to act according to right reason (Pieper, 1975). Virtue is essential for peak leadership performance, and is demonstrated by repeated, specific, and strong‐willed character‐building behaviour (Brocato & De Simone, 1995). Woodward (1994) discussed in Newsweek Magazine the difference between a virtue and a value. According to Woodward, something that is valued indicates a preference and is morally neutral, thus leading to arguments VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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over whose values are more important. “To choose vanilla over chocolate is not the same as deciding how to raise children, though both express values” (para.4). On the other hand, Woodward claimed that a virtue is a “quality of character by which individuals habitually recognize and do the right thing” (para.4). Brocato and De Simone (1995) supported Woodward’s claims, “You can’t lose [virtue], like virginity, and don’t confuse it with ‘values’, which vary. Throughout a long, rich history, it’s meant doing the right thing” (p.28). Sergiovanni spoke at length about how virtues should be embedded in schools. He claimed that the job of the school is to transform its students by not only providing them with knowledge and skills, but also by building character and instilling virtue (Sergiovanni, 1999). In order to achieve this, the school itself must be a community that values professional virtues among its staff. Professional virtue is an idea more congruent with schools that are understood as communities, rather than with those considered formal organizations. According to Sergiovanni (1999), virtue in teaching is to embody excellence and caring, to pursue the righteous values of society, and to maintain concern for one’s own teaching and the art of education in general. In order for a school to teach virtue, it needs teachers who aim to live a virtuous life. Catholic education leaders strive to enact virtue “at the right times, with reference to the right objects, towards the right people, with the right VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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motive, and in the right way” (Jacobs, 2002, p.27). These are clearly very high standards, and again, seem to require more of Catholic education leaders than those in non‐religious institutions. As with values, there is a dark side of virtues. Virtues can become vices, and they can be used for the pursuit of unethical and immoral ends. The pressure to appear powerful, successful, and fashionable causes some educational leaders to become manipulative (Covey, 1990). If their character is flawed or their competency is questionable, educational leaders cannot be successful over time. However, if educational leaders “learn to manage things and lead people, they will have the best bottom line because they will unleash the energy and talent of people” (Covey, 1991, p.246). Although this next example may seem extreme, Hitler provides a clear and strong look at how destructive vices are for leadership. During his campaigns of World War II, Hitler may have been prudent and courageous in his endeavors to unify Germany. However, he had no concern for justice, humility, or emotional self‐control, thus turning his virtues into his vices. The essence of strong leadership is adhering to the all the cardinal virtues, not just the ones that justify the means to one’s end. The Four Cardinal Virtues VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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There is little research specifically on virtuous leadership. Researchers tend to focus on rules of ethics, school values, and moral decision‐making, thus causing an overlap between ethics, morality, values, and virtues. Sergiovanni has dedicated much of his research on moral leadership. He believed that the school must transform the student by building their character and instilling virtue (Sergiovanni, 1999). This begs the question: What virtues must we instill? To answer this, the works of Thomas Aquinas must be explored. Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican Monk born in the thirteenth century, and carefully studied the works of Aristotle. Based on these studies, Aquinas concluded that there were four cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance (Regan, 2005). The cardinal virtues are those upon which all other virtues are hinged (Pieper, 1975). According to Darwall (2003), “Cardinal virtues obtain that name because they are dispositions universally necessary to promote public good, and denote affections toward rational agents; otherwise there would appear no virtue in them” (p.58). Any virtue that causes good as a result of carefully considered reason is called prudence; any virtue that leads to the provision of one’s rights is called justice; every virtue that curbs the potential for excessiveness of passions or impulses is called temperance; and every virtue that strengthens the mind is called fortitude (Aquinas, 1920). It is in this way the other virtues are contained VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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within the four cardinal virtues. Many researchers in the field of educational leadership make reference to the cardinal virtues in some respect. Sergiovanni used words like “shared more fairly” (Sergiovanni, 1999, p.91) instead of using the word justice. Instead of talking about fortitude, Barth states that schools are “helping students to feel self confident, instrumental, and worthy” (1990, p. 171). In some cases, researchers refer to the cardinal virtues as “values” or “ethics”. For instance, Kohlberg claims that justice is a value stating that “the most fundamental values of a society are termed moral, and the major moral values in our society are the values of justice” (Kohlberg, 1970, p. 67). There are researchers, like Kohlberg, who do not agree with Thomas Aquinas and claim that there are no cardinal virtues. Kohlberg (1970) referenced Plato, instead of Aristotle, when speaking about virtues, and believed that virtues can be broken down into two spheres: intellectual and moral. He further concurred with Plato that there are not many virtues, but only one ultimate virtue: justice (Kohlberg, 1970). In doing so, Kohlberg has claimed that justice is a both virtue and a value. The next four sections will look at each individual cardinal virtue. Each cardinal virtue will be defined and analyzed in its historical and modern context. The order that they are in is not indicative of their importance, strength, or VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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weakness. However, prudence is spoken of first due to scholars’ claims that it is the first among cardinal virtues. Prudence. Prudence is the characteristic of exercising sound judgment in practical matters (Pieper, 1975). Prudence is first among the cardinal virtues and guides the others by setting rule and measure, and applying moral principles to particular cases (Pieper). One could replace the word prudence with wisdom. Prudence is the wisdom of understanding, which empowers a leader to know how to make the right decisions (Brocato & De Simone, 1995). Thus, prudence acts in all virtues, and allows them to reach their respective potential. Although prudence should be applied in any judgments, the more difficult tasks (and those which truly distinguish a person as prudent) are those in which various goods have to be weighed against each other. The right to exercise authority requires that Catholic educational leaders offer their minds, wills, and experience. In his studies of high‐achieving schools, Cotton (2003) observed that “the administrator holds herself or himself accountable for the success of the whole school” (p.13). Jacobs (2002) added to Cotton’s observations, by claiming that leaders be “imbued with the ‘ethic of service’, an ethic given tangible expression as the virtue of prudence informs the decision making process so that every member of the community will mature, VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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accept responsibility to exercise authority and engage in self‐governance” (p.34). Catholic educational leaders teaching within a religious orthodoxy need prudence to prevent a culture that becomes so entrenched in its beliefs that it restricts members’ freedom (Jacobs, 2002). Merely considering the good does not make a decision prudent. Prudence comes from real understanding and proper evaluation of concrete situations and acts (Pieper, 1975). As with all virtues, if used for self‐interest and gain, it becomes a vice. Prudence would thus cease to be virtuous and would take on the characteristics of cunning (Pieper, 1975). If Pieper is right and prudence guides the other virtues by setting rule and measure, then without prudence, it would be very difficult for one to be virtuous (Pieper, 1975). This is very true for the virtue of Justice. Justice. Justice is the proper moderation between self‐interest and the rights and needs of others (Pieper, 1975). It empowers a leader to give others their due at all times (Brocato & De Simone, 1995). Therefore, in order for there to be justice, there first must be rights. Justice is thus concerned with the rights of all of humanity and the moderation between selfishness and selflessness (Pieper, 1975). Justice suggests equality insofar as each receives what one is entitled to, VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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but may be unequal as different people may have different rights (Pieper, 1975). (Though many rights are universal, some rights may be negotiated. For example, a child may agree with his parent that his completion of chores earns him the right to stay up late.) Essentially a moral virtue, justice regulates mankind’s relationships. Under the umbrella of justice, we find piety, gratitude, liberality, kindness, caring, honesty, truthfulness, and friendliness. Kidder (1995) argued that the highest form of compassion, a product of justice, resides in affirming another’s right to exist. According to Jacobs (2002), one of the main functions of authority is to enact the virtue of justice through concrete decisions. If school leaders do not treat their teachers well and fairly, they will soon be without followers (Fullan, 2001). “Authority is vigilant to apply the ethic of care in concrete decisions, for example, as individual and group self‐interests threaten to trample upon the common good” (Jacobs, 2002, p.14). Byproducts of justice are respect and responsibility, and all these traits are concerned with the wellbeing of the whole community. For example, the virtue of respect counsels us not to engage in racial stereotyping, while the virtue of responsibility counsels us to build community with all people (Starratt, 1999). “We can nonetheless agree upon very basic values which schools should teach… respect and responsibility” (Starratt, 1999, p.6). Students who are capable of VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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enacting the demands of justice and balancing them with respect, gentleness, sympathy, and compassion, “offer great hope that the civic community and its members can be perfected” (Jacobs, 2002, p.15). This care for the community‐at‐large is justice in action, and requires far more than merely bringing a current technical knowledge to one’s practice. “Doing only this results in students being treated as clients or cases. Caring means doing everything possible to serve the learning, developmental, and social needs of students as persons” (Sergiovanni, 1999, p.52). Justice turns into a vice if the virtue is given extreme attention to the point where one becomes solely dependent on feelings of sympathy and benevolence to motivate ones just actions (Hume, 1739). Instead, prudence, temperance, and fortitude should help moderate and motivate ones just actions. Fortitude. Fortitude (encompassing courage, bravery, will, and intrepidity) is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation, even when reason dictates otherwise (Pieper, 1975). It is the virtue by which one meets and sustains difficulties, even death itself, and yet is not deterred from the pursuit of good. Physical fortitude is courage in the face of physical pain, hardship, death, or threat of death; while, moral fortitude is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal, or discouragement (Darwall, 2003). VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Fortitude also has its vices, as an excess of courage leads to rashness and over confidence (Jacobs, 2002). As Pieper (1975) stated, “The virtue of fortitude has nothing to do with a purely vital, blind, exuberant, daredevil spirit” (p.124). A virtuous individual perseveres through challenges with patience, generously gives of himself to do what is right, and does all of this with honor and humility (Darwall, 2003). Fortitude empowers a leader to be strong in the face of opposition, and yet requires gentleness (Brocato & De Simone, 1995). According to Aquinas, “patience is a necessary component of fortitude” and “only he who is just and prudent can also be brave” as cited in Pieper (1975, p.129). Based on Aristotle’s writings, one could imagine that he would counsel Catholic educational leaders that, if they are to exercise authority, they will need courage, tempered with justice and prudence. Educational leaders “should act with courage if only for the reason that the good of their school depends upon the principal standing for something” (Sergiovanni, 1995, pp.307‐321). Catholic educational leaders need fortitude to unearth unquestioned beliefs and assumptions that constrict the free exchange of alternative viewpoints (Jacobs, 2002). Fortitude provides the power that enables Catholic educational leaders to exercise authority and to model the virtues community members must possess in order to be self‐governing people (Jacobs, 2002). VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Fortitude is also needed for Catholic educational leaders to relinquish decision‐making authority to teachers. Barth stated (1990), “Teachers will not become leaders in the school community if, when the going gets tough and the angry phone calls come from the central office, the principal violates the trust and reasserts authority over the issue” (p.135). In other words, once decisions are made, the school leader must have the courage to stick with the decision‐making process and help it finish. Barth further added (1990), “When I speak to superintendents, they convey this message: ‘I’d give anything to have these principals figure out what they stand for, and then stand there with conviction and with courage’” (p.156). This speaks volumes to the need of leaders in any school setting to possess the virtue of fortitude. According to Cotton’s (2003) findings, leaders in high‐achieving schools succeeded because they demonstrated persistence through numerous setbacks, and never stopped trying to improve their school communities. To do this takes not only fortitude, but also the virtue of temperance. Temperance. Temperance, or restraint, is generally defined by control over excess, and thus includes abstinence, chastity, modesty, humility, and self‐regulation (Pieper, 1975). Each of these involves restraining some impulse, such as sexual desire, vanity, or anger. The idea of inner‐order represents a more modern definition of VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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temperance. This virtue empowers a leader to exhibit harmony of the body, mind, and spirit (Brocato & De Simone, 1995). When temperance is taken to the extreme, it can represent a fear of any exuberance (Pieper, 1975) and here temperance leads to the vice of indifference. Temperance implies that an individual should look to him/herself and his/her condition. Temperance is the act of having ones vision and will focused on oneself. “There are two modes of this turning towards the self: a selfless and a selfish one. Only the former makes for self‐preservation; the latter is destructive” (Pieper, 1975, p.148). Aquinas stated that the second meaning of temperance is “serenity of the spirit” as cited in Pieper (1975, p.147). This serenity allows Catholic educational leaders to use humility, and humility and self‐control are the main attributes of the virtue of temperance. According to Jacobs, humility must be one of the main components of Catholic educational leadership and authority. He states that since “every human being is fallible and stands in need of understanding, correction, and forgiveness, authority seeks correction when it errs” (Jacobs, 2002, p.18). Therefore, one of the keys to effective Catholic educational leadership is the leader’s ability to put aside personal feelings and self‐interests when attending to conflicts (Hind, 1989). VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Summary In order to “create for the school community an atmosphere enlivened by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity” (Abbot, 1966, no.8), as stated in Vatican II, there should be qualities in Catholic educational leadership that reflect the teachings and mission of the Catholic Church. From Aristotle, to St. Augustine, to St. Thomas Aquinas, there have been many studies of the cardinal virtues. Research on effective school leadership examines ethics, morals, values, and virtues of leaders and schools. However, this research is often unclear as to how particular traits are classified and how they should guide our practice. For example, justice has been discussed as an ethical decision, a moral imperative, a strong value, and a virtuous character trait. This can be confusing and misleading for school leaders who are trying to find the best practice for their leadership endeavors. As evidenced by the information in this review, more research is needed to clarify the role of the four cardinal virtues within Catholic education leadership. It is necessary to examine teaching professionals perceptions regarding the qualities of a strong Catholic educational leader, in order to allow school leaders to direct their attention and focus on developing those virtues both within themselves and their schools. This investigation is an acknowledgement of strengths and attributes of Catholic school leadership and VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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does not, at this time, concern itself with evaluating or diagnosing the effectiveness of leadership. Targeting the strengths of leadership allows for positive growth, self‐reflection, and renewal. Chapter three discusses setting for this study and the methodologies used to administer and collect the research. Chapter three will also describe the research design, the data analysis, risks and benefits, and the limitations of this investigation of virtuous leadership. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Chapter Three Methodology The purpose of this action research was to analyze the perceptions of teachers within the Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdioceses (CISVA) around the virtues of prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude as they pertain to a preferred leadership style. The literature review provided a deeper understanding of how cardinal virtues are needed for Catholic educational leadership. Catholic educational leaders have larger demands placed on their character because they work in an environment that seeks an atmosphere “enlivened by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity” (Abbott, 1966, no.8). Catholic educational leaders who work in the CISVA are not only faced with the challenges of upholding the values of their faith, but the managerial difficulties of running a school that is only partially funded by the government and partially funded by below standard tuition amounts. The following sections describe the setting for this study, and outline the steps that have been taken to complete this investigation of virtuous leadership. Setting In 1863, the boys’ school of St. Mary’s was the first school established in the CISVA (Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdiocese, 2010). The Oblate order was instrumental in launching Catholic schools in British Columbia. Today, there are a total of seventy‐five Catholic schools in this VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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province, and of those, forty‐five of them are part of the CISVA (CISVA, 2010). Those forty‐five schools (thirty‐nine elementary and six high school) house 15,000 students and 900 teachers (CISVA, 2010). Funding. Catholic schools are unique in that operating funds come from three sources: government, tuition, and parish (including fundraising) (CISVA, 2010). The province covers a per‐pupil grant equal to 50% of the per‐pupil grant given to public schools in the same district (CISVA, 2010). The schools receive no funding from the province for capital costs. In order to help cover the costs of the school, each school charges tuition. For an elementary school student, the tuition ranges from $206 to $235 per month for the first student (CISVA, 2010). At the secondary level, the tuition is $260 to $285 per month for the first student (CISVA, 2010). Each school sets its own fees for additional children. The CISVA has recommended to the PECs (Parent Education Committees) and the RECs (Regional Education Committees) that the additional children fee should be close to 80% of the first student tuition (CISVA, 2010). Those parents that cannot afford to send their children to school within the CISVA can apply to their parish for a grant. This grant ranges in value and is dependent on the need of the family and the family’s participation within the parish. These tuition amounts are very low compared to other independent VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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schools in British Columbia. Most independent schools in this province charge tuition amounts that double or even triple the amounts of CISVA schools. Because of the low tuition, many school have to make up for lost revenue through fundraising campaigns. CISVA schools rely on fundraising and donations to help cover operational costs for the school year. This results in large funding disparities between schools within the CISVA, as socioeconomic demographics play a role in the amounts received in fundraising and donations. Schools located in more affluent communities tend to have an easier time fundraising. Annual funds raised from donations and fundraising range from under $50,000 to over $300,000 per year (CISVA, 2010). Some schools have reported that they have received one‐time donations in the millions of dollars (CISVA, 2010). A byproduct of this reliance on the community for economic support is the delineation of schools into “haves” and “have‐nots” within the CISVA. Culture. While each school within the CISVA creates it own unique culture, most of the CISVA schools do share some similar cultural traits. First, all CISVA schools have a uniform policy. This policy clearly identifies the students as being a part of a non‐public school. Second, most schools have a participation policy, encouraging parents to serve volunteer hours within the school, with a monetary VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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levy assessed to families who choose not to participate. Third, all CISVA schools teach the British Columbia curriculum as set out by the Ministry of Education in a Christ‐centered setting. Each school handles their own registrations, which are based on several factors, including families’ involvement in the parish and their attendance at Mass. CISVA schools create a culture that is centered in Christ. This means that the schools teach in a Christ‐centered setting, develop students who are active in social justice issues, and work with the students to achieve one sole purpose: to reach the destiny of students’ service to God (D. Lauson, personal communication, January 31, 2011). Among the responsibilities of the clergy is the duty to assist the teacher to be the best he or she can within the spiritual formation as a Catholic teacher. This is an important cultural aspect of the CISVA. Participants This research included participants teaching within the CISVA. In order to take part in the survey (Appendix B), the participants must hold a teaching certificate, be employed either part‐time or full‐time by the CISVA, and be willing to participate. Due to time constraints an invitation was sent to all CISVA elementary and high schools asking for their participation in the survey, with the exception on Archbishop Carney Secondary School. The exclusion of VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Archbishop Carney Secondary School was done in order to protect the integrity of the action research. This school was not contacted because a family member of the researcher works as a teacher at that school. Further exclusions applied to Little Flower Academy, Vancouver College, and St. Thomas More. Although these schools are in the Metro Vancouver area, they are not part of the CISVA and therefore could not be used for this study. Of the schools that were contacted, six elementary schools and two high schools agreed to participate in the research. The elementary schools were Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Catherine’s, St. Patrick’s (Maple Ridge), Our Lady of the Assumption, St. Pius X, and Star of the Sea. The high schools that participated were St. Thomas Aquinas and Holy Cross. Research Design The investigation used a formal survey questionnaire to measure the perceptions of teachers’ thoughts on strong Catholic school leadership. This survey used a forced response format, consisting of thirty paired statements that directly compared each of the four virtues to one another, and permitted a qualitative study of data. The statements used in the survey were derived from the CISVA Principal Professional Growth (2010). This document uses six performance standards or “domains” to evaluate principal effectiveness, including Leading in the Spirit of VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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the Catholic School, Educational Leadership, Management, School Climate, Interpersonal Relationships, and Personal and Professional Growth. Each domain consists of a number of statements, ranging from “Distinguished” to “Unsatisfactory”, and principals are assessed by selecting the statement that best matches their leadership style (2010). As this project intended to focus on effective leadership, only those “Distinguished” statements were selected. They were then coded, using the data in Table 1, to identify the virtue most closely tied to the strength‐based statement. Some minor changes were made to maintain consistency and relevance, and some statements were reworded and used multiple times to ensure accurate comparisons between all traits. A sample of this survey appears in Appendix D. Instrumentation The survey provided teachers with thirty pairs of positive statements about leadership, and asked participants to indicate a preference for one of the two statements. Using the four cardinal virtues as a guide for the survey, each statement was a reflection of the characteristics of a cardinal virtue: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. Each cardinal virtue was aligned against every other cardinal virtue a total of five times in order to cross‐reference each virtue. Within some of the statement pairings, there was a repetition of questions with a slight variation in the phasing. This was done to ensure that there was VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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consistency in the comparisons and a thorough understanding of each statement’s stance leadership. The following is an example of a forced response statement pairing that compares characteristics of the virtue fortitude to characteristics of the virtue of justice. Participants are forced to choose between the statement “Leaders that are courageously committed to the faith formation of the staff and students” and the statement “A leader who ensures that the issues brought forth by the PEC/REC are dealt with justly” (Appendix D). Data Collection The principals of the CISVA schools were contacted in mid‐January 2011 to discuss the project and secure permission. With their consent, principals were supplied with information packets via the CISVA courier. Each packet contained an introductory letter, the surveys, and a return envelope. The introductory letter described the study, defined eligibility for participating, explained the procedure, outlined the risks and benefits of participating, and assured the confidentiality of the information (Appendix B). All qualifying teachers within the schools were offered the research during a time deemed by the principal to be best suited for the participants. Consent was implied when participants completed and returned the surveys. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Minimal deception was used in the survey. The participants were told that this was a survey to discover attributes of a Catholic educational leader, but the investigation into the particular cardinal virtues was withheld. This was done so that participants would not consciously skew the results in favour of one virtue over another. There was no way to identify participants by appearance, name, or data on the surveys. Participants were asked not to identify themselves on the documents (if someone had included his or her name, the survey would be considered void and not used in the study). Participants were also instructed to complete the surveys without the assistance of friends or co‐workers. Participants were permitted to complete the survey during a time of their convenience or the convenience of the principal. Participants were instructed to place completed protocols into a large brown envelop and that envelope was sealed and placed into the CISVA school mailing system. Completed surveys were placed in a large central envelope once the data was entered. The surveys were distributed to principals in late February and the last of the surveys were completed and mailed by the end of May. All surveys were completed and returned before the deadline of Friday, May 27th, 2011. Access to the raw data was limited only to the researcher. The data from the surveys were entered into a password‐protected folder on a computer hard‐
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drive located in the researcher’s home. Paper documents were kept in a locked file cabinet. The researcher controlled access to all data. Coded data may be shared with the chair of the thesis committee, if indicated. Data will be retained for five years following completion of the study, then all paper will be shredded and burned, and computer files will be deleted. Data Analysis Each cardinal virtue in the survey was coded (A = Prudence, B = Fortitude, C = Temperance, and D = Justice). At the conclusion of the survey, the total number of A’s, B’s, C’s and D’s were calculated to determine which virtue(s) is/are perceived as being more desired than others. Each virtue has the opportunity to receive fifteen “points” on any one protocol. These “points” were reported in percentages, using descriptive statistical data, and provided an informative and easily understood summary of the main findings. I identified trends among preferences, rather than seeking to conclusively report statistical superiority of one response over another. Risks and Benefits The risks to the participants, including potential for stress and discomfort, were minimal to null, and related only to the time commitment and stress associated with filling out the survey. There were no physical risks. The VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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introductory letter informed participants of the risks before data were collected and no follow‐up was planned. While there were no direct benefits to the individual participants, they may have benefitted from the opportunity to consider their own attitudes regarding leadership in their workplace. The results of this study may help educators within the Catholic school system better understand the relationship between the cardinal virtues and strong leadership, ultimately benefitting the members of the system itself. These benefits outweighed the potential minimal risks of this study. As I do not have an official Catholic leadership position, the topic of this research was beyond my scope of practice. As such, this action research required examination by the Internal Review Board (IRB) of Gonzaga University. Following analysis by the Board, approval was granted by Deborah Booth, Chair of the Institutional Review Board, on January 6th, 2011 (Appendix B). Limitations There are a number of factors that pose limitations to the overall findings of this study. Although research involving the distribution of surveys has many advantages, Morgan (1988) informs us that all research methods have limitations. When using surveys as a methodological tool, the researcher has less control over the data produced than he or she would have in one‐to‐one interviewing or observation. Although instructional information regarding the VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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surveys was provided as clearly as possible, participants may have interpreted directions or individual statements differently than intended. Furthermore, as with other forms of self‐report data, participants may have answered in a biased manner, perhaps in the way they presumed the examiner wished. Summary The initial step in this action research project was a literature review of the cardinal virtues and the attributes of educational leaders in Catholic and public schools. The next step was to conduct surveys based on that literature. The force response surveys used the four cardinal virtues to assess trends in teachers’ preferences of virtuous character traits for leadership. Teachers at four elementary schools and two high schools in the CISVA were given surveys to measure these preferences. Participation in the study was on a voluntary basis, carried minimal risks for participants, and potentially benefits the CISVA communities’ understanding of effective leadership. Chapter 4 will present the data collected over the course of this research. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Chapter Four Results Research was conducted at elementary and secondary schools within the Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdiocese (CISVA) to determine teacher perceptions of the virtues leaders need in order to most effectively work within a religious orthodoxy environment. A survey was administered in order to assess which of the four cardinal virtues (prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice), if any, are needed to best lead within the CISVA. This chapter discusses results gathered from the surveys given to the elementary and secondary teachers. Demographics One hundred and four participants completed and returned the surveys. The sample of participants consisted of forty‐eight elementary school teachers and fifty‐six secondary school teachers. Sixty‐two were women, while forty‐two were men. The sampling represented approximately 12% of the teachers working within the CISVA. The average age of the teachers surveyed was 40.5 years of age, with an average of 13.1 years of teaching experience. Nearly half of the teachers had between 1‐10 years of experience, while approximately one quarter had 11‐20 year of experience, and the remaining quarter had 21 or more years of experience (see Figure 1 for a detailed breakdown of teaching experience). Twenty‐seven of VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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the teachers had attained master’s degrees, while 77 had bachelor’s degrees. Fifty‐nine of the participants had been employed as full‐time teachers within the CISVA throughout their careers, while 45 had worked part‐time for at least part of their careers. 16-20 yrs
9%
n/a
12%
21+ yrs
23%
11-15 yrs
13%
6-10 yrs
22%
1-5 yrs
21%
Figure 1. Teaching experience among participants. This figure illustrates the number of years participants have taught within the CISVA. Survey Results Results show that the virtue of justice is the most often preferred trait by participants among Catholic educational leaders, as will be described thoroughly below. This preference for justice was evident regardless of the other traits that were compared. However, it is important to note how participants responded to individual statement pairings and the preferences indicated for virtues among VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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the forced response comparisons. The following sections will describe these results in detail. 100%
90%
87%
80%
70%
60%
53%
50%
40%
33%
33%
Temperance
Fortitude
30%
20%
10%
0%
Justice
Prudence
Figure 2. Percentage of responses that favored each virtue, when used in one‐to‐
one comparisons. Justice. Justice, out of all four virtues, was most often the preferred trait chosen by participants, regardless of the comparable trait. In thirteen of the fifteen statement pairings in which justice was compared to another trait, respondents indicated a preference for justice. As described in the previous chapters, the trait of justice consists of the qualities of fairness, honesty, charity, and compassion, and was illustrated in the survey by such references as the fair handling of VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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conflict, the development of honest and trusting relationships, and the equitable distribution of resources. When compared to the virtue of temperance, participants showed a preference for justice in 57% of all statement pairings. Figure 3 illustrates the percentage of respondents that preferred justice to temperance when these two virtues were compared. Table 2 provides a brief synopsis of these paired statements and indicates the percentage of respondents who indicated a preference for each trait. Temperance
43%
Justice,
57%
Figure 3. Comparison of preference of justice to temperance. This figure illustrates the percentage of responses in which participants preferred justice to temperance in a Catholic educational leader. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
# 6 12 18 24 30 Justice Principles of fairness and due process Collaboration in planning and decision‐making Uses budget fairly and adequately Trusting relationship between members of community Importance of social justice 70% 62% 24% 68% Temperance Programs to foster school spirit and culture Celebration of success of school community Humbly steps back and allow autonomy Professional relationships with staff 60% Moderation and emotional control 57
30% 38% 76% 32% 40% Table 2. Comparison of preference of justice to temperance. This table provides abridged versions of the statements comparing the virtues of justice and temperance, and the percentage of preferred responses. As stated above, in only two of the fifteen statement pairings in which justice was compared to another trait did respondents indicate a preference for that other trait. One such pairing was with temperance (Question #18). When the justice statement indicating “A leader who uses the school budget fairly and adequately” was compared to the temperance statement stating “Leaders who humbly step back and allow teachers to have autonomy over their classes”, only 24% of the participants preferred justice to temperance. When justice was compared to fortitude, participants indicated a preference for justice in 65% of responses. Figure 4 illustrates the percentage of respondents that preferred justice to fortitude when these two virtues were compared. Table 3 summarizes these paired statements and indicates the percentage of respondents who indicated a preference for each trait. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Fortitude
35%
Justice
65%
Figure 4. Comparison of preference of justice to fortitude. This figure illustrates the percentage of responses in which participants preferred justice to fortitude in a Catholic educational leader. # 5 11 17 23 29 Justice Positive relationships among staff Safe and positive learning environment Issues from PEC/REC dealt with justly Perceived as supportive and approachable Utilize staff to problem solve issues that affect community Fortitude 76% Model for personal faith formation 70% Steadfast in empowering staff 50% Courageously committed to faith formation 77% Inspires and leads innovations in community 52% Persevere to provide variety of extra curricular activities Table 3. Comparison of preference of justice to fortitude. This table provides abridged versions of the statements comparing the virtues of justice and fortitude, and the percentage of preferred responses. Two salient findings emerged within this comparison. First, this comparison yielded the only 50/50 split of responses (Question #17). The statement “A leader who makes sure that the issues brought forth by the 24% 30% 50% 23% 48% VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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PEC/REC are dealt with justly” (indicating justice) was preferred equally to the statement “Leaders that are courageously committed to the faith formation of the staff and students” (indicating fortitude). Second, in Question #5, the justice statement that indicated “an administration that fosters positive relationships among staff” was compared with the statement on fortitude that endorsed “leaders that are respected in the community as a model for personal faith formation”. It could have been hypothesized that the statement on fortitude would be chosen more frequently among this population, as Catholic identity is arguably a vital element in the success of Catholic schools (Archbishop M. Miller, personal communication, March 25, 2011). However, 79% of the participants valued justice over fortitude in this statement paring. When justice was compared with prudence, respondents indicated their most striking preference for justice, with 74% of responses signifying this virtue. Figure 5 illustrates the percentage of respondents that preferred justice to prudence when these two virtues were compared. Table 4 provides a synopsis of these paired statements and indicates the percentage of respondents who indicated a preference for each trait. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Prudence
26%
Justice
74%
Figure 5. Comparison of preference of justice to prudence. This figure illustrates the percentage of responses in which participants preferred justice to prudence in a Catholic educational leader. # 3 Justice Decisions in best interest of school 9 Best interest of teachers when dealing with conflict Trustworthy and sincere relationship with staff Fairness and due process in matters of student discipline Fosters trusting relationships, honest in dealings, genuine commitment to staff 15 21 27 Prudence 43% Consult staff and community to improve instruction 78% Variety of resources and monitoring 90% Practical judgment and due diligence toward health concerns 82% Practical judgment when addressing cleanliness, health, and maintenance 78% Prudently seeks and acquires staff that reflect goals of school 57% 22% 10% 18% 22% Table 4. Comparison of preference of justice to prudence. This table provides abridged versions of the statements comparing the virtues of justice and prudence, and the percentage of preferred responses. For instance, in Question #15, 90% of participants preferred “A leader who has a trustworthy and sincere relationship with all staff members” (indicating VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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justice) over the “Leaders who show practical judgment and due diligence towards health concerns” (indicating prudence). Additionally, in Question #21, 82% of participants preferred “A leader who practices the principals of fairness and due process in matters of student discipline and conduct” (which relates to justice) over “A leadership style that uses practical judgment when addressing issues of cleanliness, health, and maintenance of the school and its community”, (which relates to prudence). Despite this generally strong preference for justice over prudence, this comparison also yielded the second of only two statement pairings in which justice was not the preferred virtue. In Question #3, only 43% of respondents preferred the justice statement that endorsed “Leaders who make decisions that are in the best interest of the school” to the prudence statement that indicated “Leaders who consult the staff and community to improve instruction”. Temperance. When temperance was used in the statement pairings, the virtue spoke to emotional self‐control; moderation; being supportive, humble, respectful, and consistent; and, fostering school spirit and culture. As stated above, temperance was not the preferred virtue when compared with justice (see Figure 3 and Table 2). When compared to fortitude and prudence, temperance was neither strongly preferred nor rejected. However, individual statement pairings yielded VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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interesting results and are discussed below. First, when compared to fortitude, participants indicated a preference for temperance in 49% of responses. Figure 6 illustrates the percentage of respondents that preferred temperance to fortitude when these two virtues were compared. Table 5 provides a brief summary of these paired statements and indicates the percentage of respondents who indicated a preference for each trait. Temperance
49%
Fortitude
51%
Figure 6. Comparison of preference of temperance to fortitude. This figure illustrates the percentage of responses in which participants preferred temperance to fortitude in a Catholic educational leader. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
# 2 10 16 22 28 Temperance Clear expectations for staff and students Consistently supportive and respectful Self‐control dealing with sensitive issues and conflicts Complete self‐control and emotional intelligence Shows humility and modesty 53% 74% 41% 32% 43% Fortitude Fosters environment that empowers and supports members Actions reflect values that lead to student improvement Perseverance in creating sense of belonging Strength of mind when communicating priorities Strength to enforce policies and protocols 63
47% 26% 59% 68% 57% Table 5. Comparison of preference of temperance to fortitude. This table provides abridged versions of the statements comparing the virtues of temperance and fortitude, and the percentage of preferred responses. Two statement comparisons yielded particularly interesting results. First, in Question #10, 74% of respondents preferred temperance when it related to “consistent support and respect towards staff”, in comparison to fortitude when it indicated leaders’ “actions that reflect values of the school”. In contrast, in Question #22, only 32% of respondents preferred temperance typified by “complete self‐control and emotional intelligence”, in comparison to fortitude that consisted of “strength of mind when communicating priorities”. When temperance was compared to prudence, again, little preference between virtues emerged, with 51% of participants indicating a preference for temperance. Figure 7 illustrates the percentage of respondents that preferred temperance to prudence when these two virtues were compared. Table 6 provides a comparison of these paired statements and indicates the percentage of respondents who indicated a preference for each trait. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Prudence
49%
64
Temperance
51%
Figure 7. Comparison of preference of temperance to prudence. This figure illustrates the percentage of responses in which participants preferred temperance to prudence in a Catholic educational leader. # 1 Temperance Emotional self‐control 8 20 Creates tone that reflects sense of pride Moderately and properly celebrates successes of staff and students Regulates school celebrations 26 Humility, restraint, moderation 14 Prudence 38% Diligent in spending funds to support goals of school 81% Diligent in implementing balanced budget 56% Prudently seeks out new materials and technology 47% Diligent in keeping up‐to‐date with research trends 35% Intelligence, confidence, professional conduct 62% 19% 44% 53% 65% Table 6. Comparison of preference of temperance to prudence. This table provides abridged versions of the statements comparing the virtues of temperance and prudence, and the percentage of preferred responses. In an examination of individual statement pairings, this comparison yielded the virtue of temperance’s most notable preference. In Question #8, 81% of respondents indicated a preference for leaders who “create a tone that reflects a VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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shared sense of pride”, suggesting temperance, over those who demonstrate “diligence in implementing a balanced budget”, indicating prudence. However, in Question #1, when comparing the temperance quality of emotional self‐control with the prudence of using funds to support school goals, only 38% of respondents preferred the virtue of temperance. Likewise, in Question #26, only 35% of respondents endorsed the temperance qualities of humility, restraint, and moderation, over the prudence qualities of intelligence, confidence, and professional conduct. When comparing temperance to all other virtues, an interesting general trend emerged. Five questions used the word(s) “emotion”, “emotional”, “emotional intelligence” and/or “emotional self control” to indicate temperance. When these words were used in a statement pairing, temperance was consistently chosen less frequently. Prudence. Prudence, as described previously, encompasses the qualities of intelligence, sound judgment, diligence, and practicality. Within the context of this survey, this virtue was most often exemplified in the areas of appropriate use of school resources and solid problem‐solving skills. As stated above, when compared to justice, prudence was preferred by only 26% of participants (see Figure 5 and Table 4). When prudence was compared to temperance, there was VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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not a clearly preferred virtue, with prudence being preferred by in 49% of responses (see Figure 7 and Table 6). When prudence was compared to fortitude, however, participants indicated a preference for prudence in 62% of responses. Figure 8 illustrates the percentage of respondents that preferred prudence to fortitude when these two virtues were compared. Table 7 provides a brief synopsis of these paired statements and indicates the percentage of respondents who indicated a preference for each trait. Fortitude
38%
Prudence
62%
Figure 8. Comparison of preference of prudence to fortitude. This figure illustrates the percentage of responses in which participants preferred prudence to fortitude in a Catholic educational leader. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
# 4 7 13 19 25 Prudence Routinely accesses and shares research with staff Identifies and solves problems before they become critical Recognizes and supports potential leaders Employs research, resources, and staff when making decisions Consistently makes right choice in times of conflict 67
Fortitude 43% Articulates and promotes vision in community 62% Creates shared purpose and direction 38% 73% Perseveres in implementing outreach 27% 76% Recognizes and promotes participation in extracurricular activities 56% Courageously defends school 24% 57% 44% Table 7. Comparison of preference of prudence to fortitude. This table provides abridged versions of the statements comparing the virtues of prudence and fortitude, and the percentage of preferred responses. Of all the statement pairings that included the virtue of prudence, only two statements were selected by more than 70% of participants, and both of these statements compared prudence compared to fortitude. In Question #13, when “an administration that recognizes potential leadership candidates and supports their development” (indicating prudence) was compared to “leaders who persevere in defining and implementing an outreach program within the school” (indicating fortitude), 73% of participants preferred the statement on prudence. In Question #19, 76% of participants preferred the statement regarding prudence over fortitude, in which “leaders who use research, resources, communities, and their staff when making key decisions that affect the school community” was preferred to “a leader that recognizes the importance for students to participate in extra curricular activities and provides a healthy balance with the school’s academic endeavors”, respectively. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Fortitude. Finally, fortitude includes the traits of courage, perseverance, patience, and strength of mind, and these words were frequently used within the survey to illustrate this virtue. The comparisons of fortitude to the three other virtues are described above. In summary, fortitude was preferred to justice in only 35% of responses (see Figure 4 and Table 3), to prudence in only 38% of responses (see Figure 8 and Table 7), and only marginally preferred to temperance by 51% of respondents (see Figure 6 and Table 5). In five statement pairings, fortitude was identified as the preferred virtue in only (approximately) one quarter of responses (Question #s 5, 10, 13, 19, and 23). These five statements all related to developing the individual and/or the community, and included phrases such as, “leads challenging and new innovations in the larger CISVA community”, and “respected in the community as a model for personal faith formation”. In only four statement pairings did participants indicate a preference for fortitude over another virtue (Question #s 4, 16, 22, and 28). As described above, three of these pairings compared fortitude to temperance, and only one statement garnered more than 60% of responses (Question #22). However, each of these four preferred statements related to specific occurrences and policies within the school itself, including phrases such as “articulate the evidence of the VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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school’s mission and vision” and “enforce policies, protocols, standards and general conduct”. Summary In summary, essential information on the preferred qualities in virtuous leadership was collected, analyzed and represented from a sample of 104 teachers who voluntarily completed and returned surveys. Participants indicated a consistent preference for the virtue of justice, as compared to temperance, fortitude, and prudence. When compared to one another, temperance and fortitude, as well as temperance and prudence, both yielded similar results, without a strongly preferred virtue. However, respondents showed a preference for prudence over fortitude. It seemed that respondents tended not to prefer the virtue of temperance when it was characterized with the word “emotion” or other derivative. Lastly, while fortitude was generally not a preferred trait, respondents seemed to differentiate this quality when applied directly within the school community. Fortitude appeared to be more valued when used regarding school policies and dynamics, and less so when applied to an individual or the community at large. The final chapter discusses these results, hypothesizes about the dynamics that may have led to noted trends, offers suggestions for further study, and makes recommendations for the application of these results. These VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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recommendations will be offered to PEC/REC committees, Archbishop Michael Miller, and the Superintendent’s office for further consideration. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Chapter Five Discussion and Conclusions The focus of this action research was to analyze the perceptions of teachers within the CISVA regarding the virtues of prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude, as these virtues pertain to a preferred leadership style. The intent of this chapter is to use the results from the survey to guide the following discussion. This information serves as the basis for recommendations to the PEC/REC (Parent Education Committee/ Regional Education Committee), as well as the Superintendent’s office of the CISVA and the Board of Directors of the CISVA, for future considerations in the principal hiring process. Discussion The survey results provided valuable information regarding teachers’ perceptions on virtues and a preferred leadership style within the CISVA. The analysis of the results focused on each of the four cardinal virtues and how they compared to one another in the statement pairings. This action research sought to understand the perspective of teachers, as they represent an insightful group intimately aware of the dimensions of strong and weak leadership. However, one must be reminded that teachers expressed only those virtues that they preferred within a leader, not necessarily those that were most effective overall. Thus, this study does not directly measure the roles of virtues among successful versus unsuccessful leaders. This choice was made VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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intentionally, as it was the intent of this project to maintain a strength‐based perspective. It remains for future research to analyze the direct relationship between virtues and successful leadership. However, it is arguable that most teachers will naturally prefer a leader who is effective and that teacher satisfaction (as compared to dissatisfaction) is more likely to be associated with a positive educational environment. Therefore, teachers’ preferences likely have a strong relationship with the concept of effective leadership. The goal of this research was to discover which virtue (or virtues) was deemed most important for quality leadership by CISVA teachers. The research also sought to determine whether teachers working within the CISVA prefer a specific virtue(s) in relation to other virtues. If the results of this survey can be considered approximations of the views of all teachers within the CISVA, then it can be stated that, in general, CISVA teachers value a Catholic educational leader whose strongest virtuous trait is that of justice. This answers the research question as to whether all four virtues are seen as interconnected and interdependent. Clearly by the results of the survey, justice stands as a virtue that is deemed more valuable than the other three. If this is so, then decision‐makers in the hiring and appointing process of Catholic educational leaders should use these results to inform hiring protocols and ensure that individuals with a strong virtue of justice are selected. As stated VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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above, further research would then be needed to assess whether schools that have Catholic educational leaders with a strong virtue of justice are positively related to improvements in school moral, productivity, and learning. Justice. Justice embodies the characteristics of truth, honesty, fairness, equality, compassion, and charity (Pieper, 1975). Teachers most often preferred the virtue of justice among Catholic educational leaders. The findings indicated that participants foremost want to be treated fairly within an honest and trusting relationship with their Catholic educational leaders. With the exception of one statement pairing, the virtue of justice was valued over the virtue of prudence. Aquinas stated that prudence is first among the cardinal virtues and guides the others by setting rules and principles (Pieper, 1975). However, participants did not identify prudence as the primary quality they wanted in an educational leader. Perhaps the virtue of prudence is most often demonstrated in situations that are “behind the scenes” or otherwise tedious, thus not arising the same enthusiasm in respondents. I further believe that prudence may be viewed similarly to the concept of common sense. Participants may believe that educational leaders should necessarily possess wisdom and intelligence, work hard, be responsible, and make good choices. One might assume that this is the reason they were selected VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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for the position. They may believe that, once in the position, it is vital that justice be served. According to Kouzes and Posner (2007) being honest, forward‐looking, inspiring, and competent are the major qualities of a leader. These qualities allow individuals to be confident because “their leaders are individuals of strong character and solid integrity” (2007, p.32). In their research, they found that honesty was the quality people wanted most in a leader. As justice embodies honesty, among a number of other related traits, my research supports their findings. Prudence. When participants compared prudence to the other virtues, prudence was not generally a preferred trait. It would seem that, while prudence may be a very valuable virtue, it is not considered at the forefront of a strong Catholic educational leader. If a virtue is defined as habitually doing the right thing (Woodward, 1994) and prudence includes the concept of positive habits, then prudence is necessary to be virtuous. In order for one to act justly, one must first be prudent. In order for one to stand with fortitude, one must use prudence to continue the fight. In order for one to be temperate, one must be prudent to ensure emotions are consistently controlled. It may be considered a “given” by participants, and thus not afforded the same value. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Fortitude. When compared in statement pairings with other virtues, participants rarely preferred the statement regarding fortitude. When compared to justice, fortitude was never the preferred virtue. This clearly indicates that teachers prefer a leadership style rooted in justice, in contrast to one based on courage and perseverance. Interestingly, a clear pattern emerged when participants examined the value of fortitude. When this trait involved work within the community at large, participants tended to prefer other virtues. When fortitude spoke to issues that affected school experiences, fortitude was more likely to be the preferred virtue. Thus, the statements on fortitude showed that participants preferred a leader to use courage and perseverance when matters affected them. This pattern can also been seen in some of the justice statements as well. Results suggested that when issues involved the participants, they wanted justice to be done, even if it meant that the Catholic educational leader had to take a stand to make this happen. When statements on fortitude looked at the community, participants did not prefer Catholic educational leaders to use courage and perseverance to attend to the issues. For example, participants preferred a leadership style that recognizes and develops individuals’ potential for leadership to one that promotes outreach activities (see Table 7). This suggests VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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that teachers prefer a leadership style that places high priority on the individual members of the school community itself. Temperance. There is a dark side of virtues is when a virtue is taken to the extreme, usually at the expense of other virtues and used for the pursuit of unethical and immoral ends. The pressure to appear powerful, successful, and fashionable causes some leaders to become manipulative (Covey, 1990). Temperance calls for Catholic educational leader to show restraint and resist the temptation of power. Catholic educational leaders must use self‐discipline to keep their motives in check, and be obedient to the mission and vision of the school. Without temperance, the other virtues can easily turn into vices that would cause Catholic educational leaders to venture away from the true mission of Catholic schools. After collecting and analyzing the data, it appears that the need for temperance is not isolated to one element of educational leadership. Instead, the virtue of temperance is central to a servant leader, defined as one who puts the needs and concerns of others ahead of one’s own personal concerns and needs. Temperance, when used properly, allows the leader to listen, understand, reflect, and respond in away that is calm and measured. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Limitations There are a number of factors that pose limitations to the overall findings of this study. Although research involving the distribution of surveys has many advantages, Morgan (1988) stated that all research methods have limitations. As discussed in Chapter 3, participants may have had less clarity on particular statements while reading the surveys on their own, than they would have had during a structured interview‐style of research. This could have lead to more subjectivity of responses. The statement pairings had limitations within themselves. Some statements used loaded words such as “autonomy”, “empowerment”, and “trust”. It might have been a disadvantage to have such strongly worded statements paired against statements that might have less meaning to a teacher, such as those about budgets, cleanliness of schools, or data analysis. Another limitation might be participants’ own agenda and bias. For example, a teacher who is passionate about sports might have consistently preferred statements that related to the role of extracurricular activities, regardless of the virtue being demonstrated. Similarly, a teacher who feels that there is poor management of the school budget in his or her environment might have placed increase emphasis on this issue. Rather than looking at what would VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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make the best Catholic educational leader, individuals may have responded according to the needs they see at this time in their school. A final limitation to this research is that the topic of virtuous Catholic educational leadership has garnered very little attention and prior research. Limited resources, few prior investigations, and a general dearth of knowledge in the area of virtuous Catholic educational leadership have made it difficult to find primary sources that endorse this as an effective style of leadership. However, this limitation is also exciting, as this research may now lend itself to new discoveries in the field of leadership and can inspire new studies and practices. Implications and Recommendations Considerations for Catholic Educators. Not all educational instructors possess strong virtues, and if these virtues have not been cultivated as a young child, it may be impossible to learn them at a seasoned age. Yet Rath (2007) states that educational institutions routinely claim that we can change our weaknesses and failures into strengths and successes. There is a tendency, especially when working with young people, to focus on deficits, weaknesses, and inefficiencies. In every culture that Rath (2007) studied, the overwhelming majority of people think that one’s poorest areas of study deserves the most time and attention. Rath (2007) claims that teachers ignore VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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areas of excellence and focus on improving weakness, instead of investing more time in those areas where a student has the most potential for greatness. The reality is that a person who, for example, has always struggled with mathematics is unlikely to be a great statistician. And the person without much natural empathy will never be able to comfort an agitated individual in the warm and sincere way that could one with this innate skill (Rath, 2007). According to the claims made by Aristotle (1920), Kohlberg (1970), and Rath (2007), those who do not possess strong virtues are unlikely to become virtuous people and risk compromising their leadership abilities. Based on these claims, it is imperative that, in order to be an effective educational leader, strong intrinsic cardinal virtues are necessary for success. Based on previous research and the data collected from this study, it is clear that Catholic educational leadership is not a typical form of leadership. As stated earlier in Chapter 2, Mulligan (2005) claimed that the corporate model believes efficiency, performance, career ambitions, and power and control are valued more than the employees, their service and lifelong conversion, vocations, being able to delegate and collegiality. After completing this research, the question asked in Chapter 2 (“What are the qualities and attributes of successful Catholic educational leaders?”) can perhaps be more accurately answered. The research indicated that a strong VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Catholic educational leader puts the best interest of the staff and students first, upholds the Catholic identity of the school, and fosters healthy, trustworthy relationships with his or her staff and students. These are the beginnings of a strong definition of a virtuous Catholic educational leader. With more research, an even more cohesive definition can be established. Among the research and definitions pertaining to leadership examined for this project, nowhere has strong leadership been equated to effective managerial skills. Although it is important to understand policy, protocols, budgets, etc., a strong leader is not defined by his or her ability to manage. Understanding this gives further support to the research conducted here that a strong leader, a leader that will best lead the school, is one who is able to lead by their actions, virtues, morals, and ethics, rather than by the managerial skills they possess. The action research also indicated that Catholic educational leadership does in fact utilize all the virtues. Even though justice was the preferred virtue of the participants, the other virtues were favoured in more than one statement pairing. I believe that the other virtues act as supports to instill justice in the school. Prudence is needed to guide justice through rules and protocols, fortitude is utilized when Catholic educational leaders need to defend and uphold justice, and temperance is needed to allow calm and rational thought to occur when issues of justice feel personal and emotional. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Though they are clearly relevant to our daily practices, cardinal virtues need modern translation in order to better understand how they can be implemented in our homes, educational institutions, and society (Woodward, 1994). Prudence, for example, should no longer be referred to as cautious calculation, as it was in Aristotle’s time. Instead, prudence should be thought of as practical wisdom, used to recognize and make the right choice in specific situations. Justice, as the Greeks thought of it, related mainly to keeping promises. Today, justice is more accurately conceptualized as the upholding of people’s rights and freedoms. The Ancient Greeks saw fortitude as courage, mainly in combat. Today, fortitude is better thought of as a pursuit of the right path, despite great risks. Temperance, in generations past, involved primarily moderation in drink and sexual desires. Today, rather, it can be defined as self‐
discipline and the control of all the human experiences (including sensual pleasures, anger, frustration, and excitement) (1994). A person of good character, therefore, is someone who achieves an appropriate balance of these virtues in his life through repeated good acts. Covey (1990) stated: Mahatma Gandhi said that seven things will destroy us. All of them have to do with social and political conditions. Wealth without work, pleasure without consequence, knowledge without character, commerce without VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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morality (ethics), science without humanity, religion without sacrifice, and politics without principal. (pp. 87‐93) There is a growing concern that Gandhi’s warning is manifesting in many aspects of Western society. In order to strengthen the Catholic school system, develop virtuous students, and create dedicated leaders in Catholic schools, more direction is needed in the area of virtues. There is more scrutiny and demand on leaders in the Catholic system to be exemplary in living a virtuous and ethical lifestyle. This demand is likely a heavy burden for most and can be overwhelming. However, if we allow our teachers and administrators to be unprepared for the undertaking that lies before them, the entire Catholic educational system could fail. Catholic educational leaders need to identify the cardinal virtues within themselves, and trust their abilities and the abilities of their staff. Trust is the key to professional autonomy. “Trust cannot be earned on the basis of competence alone. Virtue is the other dimension that, together with competence, defines professionalism” (Sergiovanni, 1999, p.52). If Catholic schools aspire to be imitators of Christ and to have students who will live according to the teachings of God, virtuous leadership is needed. These high standards require more of Catholic education leaders than those in non‐religious institutions. As Catholic educational leaders must keep in VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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mind, working in Catholic schools is not just a job, but a vocation and a calling, and should be treated as such (Mulligan, 2005, p. 187). In additional to academic instruction, Catholic educational leaders are called to enact the philosophies of teaching the whole person, faith lived in Christian community, and a commitment to justice and compassion (Philosophy of Education for Catholic Schools in the Province of British Columbia: A Policy Statement by the Catholic Bishops of British Columbia, CISVA, 2005). By conducting this research I feel better prepared to make suggestions in order to help improve current Catholic educational leadership and to improve the acquisition of new Catholic educational leadership into the CISVA. What follows are recommendations that are based on the data I collected and analyzed. These recommendations attempt to take into consideration the need for virtuous Catholic educators in the CISVA. Implications and Recommendations for Catholic Educational Leaders. In the 2010/2011 school year, it was announced that nuns will be returning to teach within the CISVA. In 2011, some schools within the CISVA hired these nuns that immigrated to British Columbia from the United States. This prompted teachers question, “Why hire nuns? Especially those not from our province, when there is no shortage of lay people who are approved to work within the CISVA system?” To answer teachers’ questions and concerns, one VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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needs to investigate what makes a strong Catholic educational leader. My research explored whether leaders working within a religious orthodoxy require exemplary virtues, more so than those within a secular work environment. Based on teachers’ perceptions and educational scholars (both Catholic and non‐
Catholic), one could argue that the best Catholic educational leaders are in fact clergy who have been instructed in education. An educationally trained clergy member embodies the Catholic identity that is needed in CISVA schools. But what kind of leadership should the clergy aspire to within the CISVA? Should they be limited only to roles of campus ministers and Christian education department heads? Sheenan (1998) stated that because Catholic schools are an integral part of the Church’s mission, it is essential for the principal to understand how the school relates to the parish, diocese, and/or religious congregation that sponsor it. Who better to understand this than the clergy? There is a need for administrators within a Catholic school to give “high priority to the religious classes and with the help of prayer, the Sacraments, and the Eucharistic liturgies, [show] that growth in faith is central to the purpose of the school” (McDermott, 1997, p. 50). If a layperson is considered for the role of principal, but does not possess the virtuous leadership needed for a Catholic school setting, then the recommendation is to seek qualified clergy members to fulfill that role. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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It is recommended that there is professional development directed towards Catholic educational leaders that attends to virtuous leadership. This professional development should take into consideration the statements from the survey (Appendix D) that participants chose the most. The top ten statements were all preferred to their cohort by almost three‐quarters of respondents (see Appendix H). It is clear that participants want fairness and support, and want to develop positive and trusting relationships with their educational leader. The recommendation is that the superintendent’s focus on professional development in this area and finds ways to cultivate these attributes in current and potential educational leaders. PEC/REC and Superintendent Recommendations. Based on the data that was collected and analyzed, it is recommended that members of the PEC/REC create job postings to attract potential candidates who model the mission and vision of the school. Standard job postings that only list tangible qualifications (such as holding a masters degree, having five or more years of teaching experience, being in good standing with the college of teachers, etc.) do not fully address the requirements needed to lead a Catholic school. It is recommended that job postings state the mission and vision of the school, and address the issue of being a virtuous Catholic educational leader. As evidenced VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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by this research, teachers primarily want a leader who is able to prudently establish a culture that is rooted in the virtue of justice. It is also recommended that the PEC/REC, in union with the superintendents’ office, develop questions and case studies that will investigate the virtuous nature of the candidates who are applying for a leadership position in their school. The case studies need to be real and relevant, and mirror the vision and mission of the school. An example of one possible case study can be found in Appendix G. Instead of questions about protocols, policies, and budgets, real life situations that challenge the virtuous character of the educational leader need to be given to the candidates. The PEC/REC should work closely with the superintendent’s office to ensure the questions are relevant and challenging. Rath (2007) discovered that in many cultures, the overwhelming majority of people think that one’s poorest areas of study deserve the most time and attention. He claimed that teachers ignore areas of excellence and focus on improving weakness, instead of investing more time in those areas where a one has the most potential for greatness. Candidates for leadership positions with the Catholic educational system should be challenged to consider the ways in which they can foster and enhance their strengths, and compensate for (rather than invest in) their weaknesses. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Recommendations have been made to address considerations at the PEC/REC level, but I also believe considerations must be examined at the superintendents’ office as well. This level is an important asset to the growth and development of the Catholic educational leadership within the CISVA. Conversations need to occur among the superintendents’ office, the PEC/REC, and current principals in order to effectively evaluate the systems that are in place to create best practices around the hiring processes used to employ Catholic educational leaders within the CISVA. It is recommended that the superintendents’ office contact current principals working within the CISVA in order to engage in meetings, conduct surveys, and seek opportunities for one‐on‐one conversations, for the purpose of gaining information on the many aspects of Catholic educational leadership. The superintendents’ office should investigate typical and atypical issues that CISVA principals face throughout the year. In doing so, a collection of material can be used to better assess individuals seeking employment as Catholic educational leaders within the CISVA. Implications for Students. It is important that Catholic Educational leaders embody strong virtues. It is just as important for students to be taught virtues at a young age. Sergiovanni believes virtues should be embedded in schools. He claimed that the job of the VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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school is to transform its students not only by providing them with knowledge and skills, but also by building character and instilling virtue (Sergiovanni, 1999). Everyone who represents the school and works directly with the students must embody profession virtues and value those virtues within themselves and those that provide the Catholic educational leadership for the school. In order for a school to teach virtue, all teachers must aim to live a virtuous life. Sergiovanni dedicated much of his research to moral leadership. He believed that teachers must transform the student by building their character and instilling virtue (Sergiovanni, 1999). Kohlberg agreed with Sergiovanni and claimed that, in order to build character in students, “adults around them should be living examples of these virtues” (Kohlberg, 1970, p.59). Aristotle elaborated on how one developed these virtues. Aristotle reasoned that unlike science and other intellectual pursuits, virtue is acquired only through practice, and not by reading or studying. Kohlberg added to Aristotle’s reasoning by claiming that, “We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts” (p.59). Children, Aristotle observed, learn virtue by following rules of good behavior, hearing stories of virtuous people, and imitating virtuous models. Aristotle suggested that children raised within a corrupt society (or by parents without strong virtues) were unlikely to grow to become virtuous adults (Aristotle, 1948). Jean VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Bethke Elshtain (Woodward, 1994), professor of political science at Vanderbilt University, stated “You canʹt have strong virtues without strong institutions and you canʹt have strong institutions without moral authorityʹʹ (para. 8). It is recommended that teachers endorse the beliefs of Aristotle and Kohlberg in order to better serve the students. Catholic educational leaders who possess strong cardinal virtues need to guide the staff and students in order to develop virtuous students and achieve the purpose of Catholic schools. Leadership, if it is to be effective, has to have an: …explicit “making‐a‐difference” sense of purpose, use strategies that mobilize many people to tackle through problems, be held accountable by measured and debatable indicators of success and be ultimately assed by the extent to which it awakens people’s intrinsic commitment, which is none other than the mobilizing of everyone’s sense of moral purpose. (Fullan, 2001, p.20) It is recommended that Catholic educational leaders must unite a moral purpose with classroom instruction and student achievement (Fullan, 2008). In order to see students fulfill the mission and vision of the CISVA, all teachers are encouraged to be prudent and just in their actions, and to use fortitude and temperance when deciding how and when to act. If it is true that leadership requires practicing habits of diligence, doing right, and ingenuity (Fullan, 2008), VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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then clearly Catholic educational leaders and more broadly, Catholic school employees, need to be virtuous individuals. Conclusion The primary purpose for conducting this research was to analyze the perceptions of teachers within the CISVA with regard to the virtues of prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude, as these virtues pertain to a preferred leadership style. Biblical teachings claim that Christ believed in servant leadership, as evidenced by His washing the feet of others, the parable of the Good Shepherd leaving ninety‐nine sheep to save one, Christ’s devotion to prayer, His association with the poor and the outcast, and finally, His death on the cross (Mulligan, 2005). The Gospel writer Saint Matthew portrays Jesus in the image of a teacher. This image of the teaching Christ leading his people shows that Christ Himself was a virtuous Catholic educational leader. With this understanding in mind, everyone working in a Catholic school should strive to be more Christ‐like, and thus to be a virtuous Catholic educator. As stated in Vatican II, the mission and purpose of Catholic schools is “to relate all human culture to the news of salvation, so that the light of faith will illumine the knowledge which students gradually gain of the world, of life and of [humanity]” (Abbott, 1966, p. 8). This VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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can only be achieved if teachers and leaders themselves are virtuous and striving to faithfully lead students and each other. Research conducted through this study has revealed many interesting aspects related to virtuous Catholic educational leadership. While it allowed the examination of how each virtue can be used in Catholic educational leadership, it also demonstrated that teachers consider justice to be the most valuable virtue among Catholic educational leaders. This research provided the support needed to make recommendations that may help to strengthen the leadership within the CISVA. The results of this action research may benefit Catholic school teachers and leaders, including administrators, board members, and superintendents. Catholic schools can use this information to better understand their leadership style and make adjustments as needed. The findings may also encourage individual professional development by leading members of the Catholic education community to attend to the virtuous traits of a Catholic school leader. This action research suggests that a leadership style rooted in justice, and supported by the virtues of prudence, temperance and fortitude is the foundation for successful leadership within the CISVA. Jean Bethke Elshtain (Woodward, 1994), professor of political science at Vanderbilt University, stated “You canʹt have strong virtues without strong institutions and you canʹt have VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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strong institutions without moral authorityʹʹ (para. 8). It is widely agreed that everyone involved in education, from the parents to the board of directors, wants what is best for the children in their schools. I believe this research provided tangible evidence that allowed me to construct meaning around what it means to be a Catholic educational leader and how that leader can best serve in CISVA schools. As Aristotle once said, “the essence of excellence is virtue” (Kidder, 1995, p.70). VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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References Abbott, W.M. (1966). Declaration on Christian education. New York, NY: The Guild Press. Aquinas, T. (1920). The summa theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas (2nd and revised ed.). (Fathers of the English Dominican Province, Trans.). In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York, NY: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved from: http://www.newadvent.org/summa/2061.htm). Alewine, K. & Ciriello, M. (1998). Area of responsibility ‐ Personnel management. In M. Ciriello (Ed.), Formation and development for Catholic school leaders: Volume III The principal as managerial leader (11 – 113). Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, Inc. Aristotle. (1958). The pocket Aristotle: The Nicomachean ethics. (W. D. Ross, Trans.) J.D. Kaplan (Ed.). New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. Barth, R. (1990). Improving schools from within. San Francisco, CA: Jossey‐Bass Inc. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Barth, R. (2001). Learning by heart. San Francisco, CA: Jossey‐Bass Inc. Bolman, L. & Deal, T. (2008) Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership, San Francisco, CA: Jossey‐Bass Brocato, R.C., De Simone, J., & De Simone M. (1995). Empowering the leader within: Four essential virtues, Baltimore, MD: Virtus Press Publications. Catholic Independent Schools of the Archdiocese of Vancouver (2010). General information. Retrieved from http://www.cisva.bc.ca/general/index.htm. Cleveland, P.A. (2002). State education and the decline in morality. Retrieved from http://www.leaderu.com/offices/cleveland/docs/education.html. Craig, Susanne; Enrich, David; Sidel, Robin (2010). “Banks Brace for Bonus Fury”. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 13, 2010. Cotton, K. (2003). Principal and student achievement: What the research says. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Covey, S.R. (1991). Principle‐centered leadership. New York, NY: Fireside. Darwall, S. (2003). Virtue ethics. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, Ltd. De Vries, R. & Kohlberg, L. (1987). Constructivist early education: Overview and comparison with other programs. Washington, DC: National Association for Education of Young Children. DuFour, R.P. (1991). The principal as staff developer. Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service. Eisner, E.W. (2002). The educational imagination: On the design and evaluation of school programs (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Ltd. Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey‐Bass Inc. 95
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Fullan, M. (2008). The six secrets of change. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Fullan, M. (2008). What’s worth fighting for in the principalship (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Harper, Christine (2009). “Goldman Sachs’s Top Managers to Get All‐ Stock Bonuses”. Bloomberg. Retrieved December 10, 2009. Helm, C.M. (1998). A leadership perspective for Catholic schools. In M. Ciriello (Ed.), Formation and development for Catholic school leaders: Volume I The principal as educational leader (3 – 11). Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, Inc. Hind, J.F. (1998). The heart and soul of effective management: A Christian approach to managing and motivating people. Wheaton, IL: Scripture Publications Press, Inc. Hodge, C. (1993). Systematic theology. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Hume, David (1739). A Treatise of Human Nature. Edited by L. Selby‐Bigge, 2nd revised edition by P.H. Nidditch, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1975 Jacobs, R.M. (2002). Authority and decision making in Catholic schools. Washington, DC: National Catholic Educational Association Kidder, R.M. (1995). How good people make tough choices. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishing Inc. Kouzes, J. & Posner, B. (2007). The leadership challenge (4th ed). San Francisco, CA: Jossey‐Bass Inc. McDermott, E.J. (1997). Distinctive qualities of the Catholic school. Washington, DC: National Catholic Education Association. Morgan, D. (1988). Focus groups as qualitative research. London, England: Sage Publications. 97
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Mulligan, J.T. (2005). Catholic education: Ensuring a future. Ottawa, Canada: Novalis, Saint Paul University. Muccigrosso, R. (1998). Nurturing faith: The principal’s trust. In M. Ciriello (Ed.), Formation and development for Catholic school leaders: Volume II The principal as spiritual leader (3 – 7). Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, Inc. Pieper, J. (1975). The four cardinal virtues (3rd ed.). Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press. Rath, T. (2007). Strengths finder 2.0., New York, NY: Gallup Press. Sergiovanni, T. (1984). Leadership and excellence in schooling. Educational Leadership, 41(5), 4 – 13. Sergiovanni, T. (1992). Moral leadership: Getting to the heart of school improvement. San Francisco, CA: Jossey‐Bass Publishers. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Sergiovanni, T.J. (1999). Rethinking leadership. Arlington Heights, IL: Skylight Training and Publishing Inc. Sergiovanni, T.J. (2006). The principalship: A reflective practice perspective (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc. Sheehan, L. (1998). The Catholic school principal’s role: Church governance and structure. In M. Ciriello (Ed.), Formation and development for Catholic school leaders: Volume III The principal as managerial leader (121 – 126). Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, Inc. Starratt, R.J. (1999). Building an ethical school: A practical response to the moral crisis in schools. Philadelphia, PA: The Falmer Press. Strike, K.A., Haller, E.J., & Soltis, J.F. (1998). The ethics of school administration. New York, NY: Teacher College Press. Whitaker, T., Whitaker, B., & Lumpa, D. (2000). Motivating and inspiring teachers. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Woodward, K. L. (1994). What is virtue? Newsweek Magazine. Retrieved from www.newsweek.com/1994/06/12/what‐is‐virtue.html. 100
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Appendix A Requests for Permission I _____________________________________ (name), __________________________ (title) of ____________________________ (school), give permission for Michael van der Pauw to survey the staff at my school in order to obtain data related to his study investigating teacher perceptions on virtuous leadership. I understand that the personal identity will not be collected or disclosed in the reporting of the data collected. ________________________________ ______________________________ signature date VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Appendix B Participant Introductory Letter/Informed Consent Dear Colleagues, As a part of my graduate work at Gonzaga University, I am examining virtuous leadership within the Catholic school system. Because we work within a religious orthodoxy, there are arguably more demands on us to be exemplary leaders of Catholic values and virtues. My research will investigate which virtues are perceived to be most valued by teachers within the CISVA. As part of my research, I am asking you to participate in a short survey that will examine the beliefs teachers have about leadership. Your participation in the survey is completely confidential. No identifying information about you is required for the survey. To protect your anonymity, please do not put your name the survey. The surveys should take less than 15 minutes to complete. Please complete the surveys without the assistance of friends or co‐workers, and return it to me in a sealed envelope within a week of completing the survey. Tabulation of the results will occur in May. This is a “forced response” survey. For each question, you will be given two statements referring to leadership practices, and asked to choose which statement you prefer in a leader within the CISVA. You must choose only one statement and all 30 items must be completed. Each statement is lettered either A, B, C, or D. Please answer quickly, using your gut response. You do not need to spend significant time thinking about your answer. When you are finished, please tabulate the number of times you responded to each letter at the end of the survey. The risks of participating in this study are minimal. There may be a minor inconvenience associated with the time required to complete the survey. Additionally, there may be a slight possibility of mild discomfort as you reflect on your beliefs and teaching practice. However, such feelings should be transient and the psychological risks of completing the survey are minimal to non‐existent. The benefits of participating in the study are an increased insight into your own beliefs gained from the self‐examination required to complete the survey and contributing to the knowledge about what is needed for virtuous leadership. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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The findings of this research may inform the superintendent’s office, principals, and teachers who are or wish to be leaders within the CISVA. These finding could be used as suggestions for appropriate professional development related to leadership within a religious orthodoxy. You can refuse to take part in this study, or stop participation at any time. Incomplete surveys will be dismissed from the study. Although our school division has agreed to distribute the packet of materials to you, it is not involved in the study and will not have access to your information. You and/or your participation will not be identified in any way. All data will be reported as an aggregate of responses, and not individually. If you have any questions or concerns arise, please feel free to e‐mail me at [email protected] or my advisor, Chuck Salina, PhD, M.A., B.A. at (509) 313‐3643. Your contribution is very important. I hope you will participate. Sincerely, Michael van der Pauw I ______________________________ agree to participate in the survey conducted by Michael van der Pauw on __________________ (date). I have read the participatory letter and understand the involvement required in this survey. _______________________________ ____________________ Signed Date (Do not attach this sheet to the survey. Please submit separately.) VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Appendix C Personal Data Form Demographic Information 1. Gender: F___ M___ 2. Age: ____ 3. Number of years experience in teaching: Full‐time ____ Within the CISVA _____ 4. Type of teaching degree (choose highest degree achieved): Diploma ____ Bachelors ____ Doctorate ____ Other ____ Masters ____ 106
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Appendix D Survey Data Form The following survey is designed as a “forced choice” response to better understand the qualities you prefer in an educational leader. For each survey question, you are given two statements. Each statement is identified by letter A, B, C, or D. You must decide which of the two statements you believe to be more important in an ideal educational leader. Please circle the letter of the statement that you chose as your preferred quality for each numbered statement. Please do not put your name or school on this survey. I prefer… 1) A An administrator who is diligent in making sure funds are spent appropriately to support the goals and vision of the school OR C 2) B A leader who shows emotional self‐control A leadership style that fosters a faith environment that empowers and supports all members of the school community OR C 3) D Leaders who have clear expectations for staff and students and consistently delivers those expectations Leaders who make decisions that are in the best interest of the school OR A 4) A Leaders who consult the staff and community to improve instruction Leaders who routinely access data and research and share it with the staff in order to improve student achievement OR B 5) B Leaders who are able to articulate the evidence of the school’s mission/vision and promote it in the school, parish and larger community A leader who is respected in the community as a model for personal faith formation OR D An administration that fosters positive relationships among staff VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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6) C Leaders who are able to consistently promotes programs to foster school spirit and culture OR D 7) A A leadership style that models the principles of fairness and due process in all matters A leader who is able to consistently identify and solve problems before they become critical OR B 8) A A leadership style that creates a shared purpose and direction for the school that promotes core Christian values An administration that is very diligent in implementing a balanced budget(s) for the school OR C A leadership style that creates a tone that reflects a strong sense of pride of the school community 9) A An administrator that provides a variety of resources and monitoring of instruction OR D 10) B Leaders who have the teachers’ best interests in mind when dealing with conflicts between teachers and the students and/or parents A leader whose daily actions reflect the beliefs, values, and commitments that lead to student improvement OR C 11) B A leadership style that is consistently supportive, caring, and respectful A leader who is steadfast in empowering the staff to engage in continuous improvement OR D 12) C A leaders who creates a safe and positive learning environment for the staff and students A leadership style that encourages the staff to continually celebrate the success of the school community OR VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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A leader who prioritizes collaboration in the planning and decision‐making processes of the school An administration that recognizes potential leadership candidates and supports their development OR B 14) A Leaders who perseveres in defining and implementing an outreach program within the school Leaders who prudently seeks out new materials, equipment and technology OR C 15) A An administration that moderately and properly celebrates the success and achievements of staff and student success Leaders who show practical judgment and due diligence towards health concerns OR D 16) B A leader who has a trustworthy and sincere relationship with all staff members Leaders who show perseverance in creating a sense of belonging within the staff and the school community OR C 17) B A leadership style that demonstrates self‐control and a regulation of emotions when dealing with sensitive issues and conflicts Leaders that are courageously committed to the faith formation of the staff and students OR D 18) C A leader who ensures that the issues brought forth by the PEC/REC are dealt with justly Leaders who humbly step back and allow teachers to have autonomy over their classes OR D A leader who uses the school budget fairly and adequately VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
19) A 110
Leaders who use research, resources, communities, and their staff when making key decisions that affect the school community OR B A leader that recognizes the importance of students’ participation in extra curricular activities, and provides a healthy balance with the schools academic endeavors 20) A A leader who is diligent in keeping up to‐date with current research trends and innovations OR C 21) A A leader who is able to regulate the celebrations of the success and achievements of extra curricular activities A leadership style that uses practical judgment when addressing issues of cleanliness, health, and maintenance of the school and its community OR D A leader who practices the principles of fairness and due process in matters of student discipline and conduct 22) B A leader that demonstrates strength of mind by clearly communicating learning as the highest priority OR C 23) B A leader that possesses complete self control and emotional intelligence A leader who inspires and leads new and challenging innovations in the larger CISVA community OR D A leader that is perceived in the community as being supportive, caring, and approachable 24) C Leaders that keeps their relationships with staff appropriate and professional OR D A leader who fosters a healthy and trusting relationship between the PEC/REC, the pastor, the staff, and the students VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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A leader who consistently makes decisive and appropriate choices during times of conflict, crisis, or high anxiety OR B A leader who is willing to defend the integrity of the school, its staff, and its Catholicity 26) A A leader who demonstrates intelligence, confidence, and professional conduct when dealing with conflicts and sensitive issues OR C A leader who possesses qualities of humility, restraint, moderation and emotional intelligence 27) A A leadership style that carefully seeks and acquires staff that reflects the overall goals and values of the school OR D A leadership style that fosters trusting relationships, is honest in all dealings, and shows genuine commitment to the staff and students 28) B A leader who has the strength to enforce policies, protocols, standards, and general conduct when breaches occur OR C 29) B Leaders who shows humility and modesty in their own successes and endeavors Leaders who strive to enrich student learning by making available a variety of extra curricular activities to the students OR D A leader who is willing to utilize the staff to problem‐solve issues that affect the school community 30) C A leader that is able to show restraint, moderation, and emotional control in all their actions OR D A leader who understands the importance of social justice and promotes staff and student involvement in social justice activities VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Appendix E IRB Certificate and Qualification My research project fulfils the criteria stated below. However, my research project requires an additional instrument in the form of a forced choice survey. Because the administration of this instrument is outside of my normal duties as a classroom teacher, a full IRB review is being sought. 1) The research is directly related to the educational program that I am undergoing at Gonzaga University 2) The participants are CISVA teachers and administrators 3) The methodology falls within the standard of practice 4) All information will be kept confidential. While the study is taking place data will be kept in a locked computer program and/or locked filing cabinet. At the conclusion of the study the data will be destroyed by shredding. 5) A letter informing participants will be made available. Participation will be voluntary and can be discontinued at anytime at the request of the participants. 6) I will adhere to district protocol when conducting my research. 7) I have completed the IRB tutorial and the certificate is below. Blank
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Appendix F Application for IRB Review Principal Investigator/Title/Department Address: Michael van der Pauw Student, Gonzaga University #102 12464 191B St. Pitt Meadows, BC V3Y 2P6 Email address: [email protected] Responsible Project Investigator/Department Address (qualified faculty or staff supervisor if PI is a student): Dr. Charles Salina Email address: [email protected] Title of Project: An Examination of the Four Cardinal Virtues in Catholic Education Leadership Project anticipated starting date: January 15th, 2011 Anticipated termination date: November 30th, 2011 New project: X Change in protocol for previously approved Renewal: __ project: __ Funding: X Non‐funded __ Internal funded __ External funded: Funding Status: __ Proposal in preparation __ Pending agency decision __ Funded Funding Agency (if applicable): Grant or contract number: Request for expedited review: X Request for full IRB review: Abstract There are four cardinal virtues to which all other virtues are hinged: prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. This project will analyze these virtues as they pertain to a preferred leadership style among principals within the Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdioceses (CISVA). Measured by the perceptions of teachers within the CISVA, this research uses qualitative data to examine Catholic educational leadership and its relationship to the cardinal virtues. Participants will be surveyed to better understand the virtues that they, as teachers, perceive as being necessary for Catholic educational leadership. This research focuses only on the strengths of Catholic educational leadership. The information provided above is accurate and the project will be conducted in accordance with applicable Federal, State and University regulations. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Signature, Principal Investigator ___________________________________________________ Date _____________ Recommendations and Action: Date Approve/Disapprove Faculty Sponsor (for student): ___________________ ______________________ ______________________ ___________________ ______________________ ___________________ ______________________ Department Chair: ______________________ Institutional Review Board: _______________________ Subject to the following conditions: Period of approval: __________________________________ I.
Research Protocol In order to “create for the school community an atmosphere enlivened by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity” (Abbot, 1966), as stated in Vatican II, there should be qualities in Catholic school leadership that reflect the teachings and mission of the Catholic Church. From Aristotle, to St. Augustine, to St. Thomas Aquinas, there have been studies on the cardinal virtues, i.e. the virtues that guide every moral aspect of our lives. Research on effective school leadership examines ethics, morals, values, and virtues of leaders and schools. However, it is often how particular traits are classified and how they should guide our practice. For example, justice has been discussed as an ethical decision, a moral imperative, a strong value, and a virtuous character trait. This can be confusing and misleading for school leaders who are trying to find the best practice for their leadership endeavors. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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It is necessary to examine teaching professionals perceptions regarding the qualities of a strong Catholic school leader, in order to allow school leaders to direct their attention and focus on developing those virtues both within themselves and their schools school. This investigation is an acknowledgement of strengths and attributes of Catholic school leadership and does not, at this time, concern itself with evaluating or diagnosing the effectiveness of leadership. Targeting the strengths of leadership allows for positive growth, self‐reflection, and renewal. The investigation will use a formal survey questionnaire to measure the perceptions of teachers’ thoughts on strong Catholic school leadership. The survey will be a forced response survey. In each question, teachers will be asked to choose only one of the two positive statements about leadership. Using the four cardinal virtues as a guide for the survey, each statement is a reflection of the characteristics of a cardinal virtue: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. Each cardinal virtue will be aligned against every other cardinal virtue a total of five times in order to cross reference each virtue. There will also be a repetition of questions with a slight variation in the phasing. This will ensure that there is a consistency in the responses and a thorough understanding of each statement’s stance leadership. The findings of this survey will be used to inform Catholic educational leaders of the preferred leadership virtues, as perceived by teachers within the Catholic school system. The results of this action research will benefit Catholic school teachers and Catholic school leaders, including administrators, board members, and superintendents. If the responses favour one or more virtues over others, Catholic schools can use that information to better understand their leadership style and make adjustments as needed. The findings may also encourage individual professional development by leading members of the Catholic education community to attend to the virtuous traits of a Catholic school leader. The following research questions will guide this study: 1. What are the qualities and attributes of Catholic educational leaders? 2. How do we distinguish between ethics, values, morals, and virtues? 3. Do leaders working within a religious orthodoxy need exemplary virtues more so than any other secular work environment? VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Materials will be hand delivered to participants at their work places by the researcher or mailed to the appropriate identified contact person at the participating facility. With approval of management, packets containing an introductory letter, the survey, and a return envelope will be given to each employee. The introductory letter will describe the study, the estimated time (about 10 minutes) needed to complete the survey, and any risks and benefits associated with participation. It will explain that participation is voluntary and will specify that by completing the survey, the participant is indicating that he or she has read and understood the information and has agreed to take part in the study. Participants will be asked to refrain from identifying themselves on the surveys, and will be instructed to complete the surveys without the assistance of friends or co‐workers. Participants will be able to complete the survey during one of their weekly meetings or, if desired, at their convenience in a location of their choice. Participants will be instructed to place completed protocols in the CISVA school mailing system. Completed surveys will then be placed in a large central envelope by the researcher. Each cardinal virtue in the survey will be coded (A = Prudence, B = Fortitude, C = Temperance, and D = Justice). At the conclusion of the survey, the total number of A’s, B’s, C’s and D’s will be calculated to determine which virtue(s) is/are perceived as being more desired than others. Each virtue has the opportunity to receive 15 points on any one protocol. Therefore, an “average” score is between 6 and 9 for any particular virtue. A “low” score is between 0 and 5, and a “high” score is between 10 and 15. It is possible to have more than one virtue rank as a high score. II.
Human Subjects A. Number of subjects, including individuals who serve as ʺcontrols: ʺ Approximate number and ages of Number Age Range
participants: Normal 100 18 and older Vulnerable Control Total 100 VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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B. Source(s) and type(s) of subjects: Participants Participants will be teachers practicing within the CISVA. C. Criteria for selection/exclusion of subjects: Criteria for participation and inclusion in the study are: 1) currently employed by the CISVA, and 2) willing to participate. D. How subjects will be approached and by whom: With approval of facility management, principals will be supplied with packets containing an introductory letter, the surveys, and a return envelope at a principals meeting in January. The researcher or the principal will distribute these packets during one of their weekly meetings. The principal may ask the researcher to come to the school to personally handout the surveys and answer any questions. E. Location where procedures are to be carried out: Participants may complete the surveys in a location of their choice. The researcher will complete the analysis of data and prepare the report at his home. Voluntary Participation A. Describe the method for ensuring that subjects understand that their participation is voluntary and that they do not feel coerced. The surveys will be accompanied by a letter describing the study, defining eligibility for participating, explaining the procedure, outlining the risks and benefits of participating, and assuring the confidentiality of the information. Consent will be implied if participants complete and return the surveys. B. Will subjects receive an inducement, e.g. payment, services without charge, extra course credit? Specify details. What is the rationale for offering the inducement? No inducements will be offered. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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C. If subjects are children and they are capable of assent, describe provisions for soliciting their assent as well as the provisions of soliciting permission of their parent(s) or authorized representative. If there is an assent form or standard briefing statement for children, provide a copy as an attachment (Attachment C). No children will participate. D. Attach a copy of the consent form to be signed by the subject and/or any explanations of the research to be given orally to the subject (Attachment D). If no consent form is to be used, explain the procedures to be used to ensure that participation is voluntary. The introductory letter/informed consent document is attached. See Appendix C. E. If any deception (withholding of complete information) is required for the validity of this activity, explain why this is necessary, and describe a debriefing plan and/or attach a debriefing statement. The participants will be told that this is a survey to discover attributes of a Catholic educational leader, but the investigation into the particular cardinal virtues will be withheld. This is done so that participants will not skew the results in order for one virtue to be more prevalent than the next. Confidentiality and Anonymity A. Will participation be anonymous, that is, the investigator will have no way to identify subjects by appearance, name or data? There will be no way to identify participants by appearance, name, or data on the surveys. The surveys will be coded with a unique number. Participants will be asked not to identify themselves on the documents. B. If data are collected which could be associated with individual subjects, describe the methods to be used to ensure the confidentiality VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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of data obtained. (Confidentiality for data is required unless subjects give express written permission that their data may be identified.). Data will be returned in self‐addressed stamped envelope to the researcher with no personal identifiers. If someone includes his or her name, it will be erased or obliterated with black ink before the data is entered. IV.
C. Who specifically will have access to some or all of the data? What provisions are there for control over access to documents and data? Access to the raw data will be limited to the researcher. The data from the surveys will be entered into a password protected folder on a computer hard‐drive located in the researcher’s home. Paper documents will be kept in a locked file cabinet. The researcher will control access to all data. Coded data may be shared with the chair of the thesis committee if indicated. D. How long will data be held? How will they be ultimately disposed of? Data will be retained for five years following completion of the study, then all paper will be shredded and burned, and computer files will be deleted. Risks/Benefits A. Will subjects in the proposed research be placed at more than minimal risk, as defined by federal policy? No. B. Nature and amount of risk (including side effects), substantial stress, discomfort, or invasion of privacy: The nature of the risk is related to the time commitment and stress related to filling out the survey. The risks to the participants, including potential for stress and discomfort are minimal to null. There are no physical risks. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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C. What steps are being taken to reduce the level of risk, including any follow‐up planned as part of the risk mitigation procedures? The introductory letter will inform participants of the risks before data are collected. No follow‐up is planned. D. Plan for handling adverse effects: Not applicable. E. Arrangement for financial responsibility for adverse effects: Not applicable. F. Describe the benefits to the subject and/or society of the proposed research. Why do the benefits outweigh any risks that may be involved? While there are no direct benefits to the individual participants, they may benefit from the opportunity to consider their own attitudes regarding leadership in their workplace. The results of this study may help educators within the Catholic school system better understand the relationship between the cardinal virtues and strong leadership, ultimately benefitting the members of the system itself. These benefits outweigh the potential minimal risks of this study. Checklist to be completed by investigator
Yes
X
A. Will any group, agency, or organization other than G.U. be involved? If yes, please specify. Teachers of the CISVA B. Will materials with potential radiation risk be used, e.g., x‐rays, radio‐ ‐‐ isotopes? If yes, please indicate: 1. Status of annual review by Radiation Safety Officer (RSO). If approved, attach one copy of approval (Attachment F). 2. Title of application submitted to Radiation Safety Committee (RSC). C. Will any other hazardous materials come in contact with research subjects? ‐‐ If yes, indicate nature of hazard and steps taken to mitigate risk to subjects. D. Will an investigational new drug (IND) be used? ‐‐ If yes, give name, proposed dosage, how administered, status with FDA, and IND number. Enclose one copy (Attachment G) of: (1) available toxicity data; (2) reports of animal studies; (3) description of human studies done in other countries; No
X
X
X
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F.
G.
H.
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(4) a concise review of the literature prepared by the investigator. Will other drugs be used (including over the counter drugs)? ‐‐ If yes, give names, dosages, how administered, and side effects. Will medical, academic or other records be used? Will audio‐visual or tape recordings, or photographs be made? Should this activity be covered by adverse effects insurance? ‐‐ If yes, explain why X
X
X
X
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Appendix G Case Study Tom is a principal of St. John Elementary School. The school desperately needs new resources for their students. At the same time the school is also trying to raise money to rebuild part of the school that is seismically unsound. A parent from the school approaches Tom and asks to have a meeting with him to discuss a sizable donation he would like to make to the school. During the meeting, the parent announces to Tom that he will donate $50,000 to the school and wants to make annual donations for the same amount every year for as long as his child is in the school. Tom is very grateful and mentions how much this will benefit the school, especially special needs students. At that point the parent speaks up and says that St. John’s Elementary School would be better off if “those special needs students are out of our school and put into a school of their own.” The parent adds that he does not approve of more money being spent on special needs students. According to the parent, they get funding from the government and that should be sufficient for their needs. He wants to see only a minimal amount of money from his donation go to special needs programs. How should Tom respond to the parent’s comments? VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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This case study is an example of how a potentially positive situation for a school could challenge a principal’s virtues. All four of the cardinal virtues are required to deal with the parent’s comments, maintain a relationship with the parent and still obtain the donation, while preserving the Catholic identity of the school. VIRTUES FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
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Appendix H TheMostPreferredVirtueStatements
Percent 74% 76% 76% 76% 77% 78% 78% 81% 82% 90% Virtue Statement
Temperance A leadership style that is consistently supportive, caring and respectful Temperance Leaders who humbly step back and allow teachers to have autonomy over their classes Prudence Leaders who use research, resources, communities, and their staff when making key decisions that affect the school community Justice An administration that fosters positive relationships among staff Justice A leader that is perceived in the community as being supportive, caring and approachable Justice Leaders who have the teacher’s best interest in mind when dealing with conflicts between the teacher and the students and/or parents Justice A Leadership style that fosters trusting relationships, is honest in all dealings and shows genuine commitment to he staff and students Temperance A leadership style that creates a tone that reflects a strong sense of pride of the school community Justice A leader who practices the principles of fairness and due process in matters of student discipline and conduct Justice A leader who has a trustworthy and sincere relationship with all staff members