On the ethic of care and service

Recently, I was asked to serve on a Dissertation Defense Committee at the Rossier School of Education at USC. A “Dissertation Defense Committee” is the final step before a graduate student is awarded a doctorate in her chosen field of study. Different universities have different requirements for the membership of a Dissertation Defense Committee. At USC’s Rossier School of Education, the Committee is composed of faculty directly involved with the graduate student’s research and a representative of the field of inquiry which is the focus of the dissertation. I was honored to be asked to serve on this particular committee because the focus of research was the “effective leadership practices of Catholic high school principals.” While it’s been a long time since I have had the opportunity to serve as a principal of a Catholic high school, I have been privileged to spend the last 12 years working along side one of the most caring and dedicated Catholic high school principals I have ever known. So, the opportunity to step back into the halls of the “academy” and to revisit the time-honored (and sweat-producing) journey from graduate student to doctoral candidate not only caused me to reflect on my own experience of this challenging reminder of my passage through this gateway (it involved a red-eye flight from California and spilled coffee on my pants moments before the Dissertation Defense Committee began its deliberations); but it also reminded me of the importance of studying schools, teachers, students and their parents with respect to how education brings “value-added” to the 12-year journey we call pre-collegiate education.

At schools like La Salle, it is all too easy to assign “value-added” (particularly given the outstanding college-prep options which exist here in the San Gabriel Valley) to the penultimate outcome of a student’s four-year journey to the college of his choice. I claim that this trajectory is “easy” (though most parents would argue that it is anything but) because that journey is only 50% of the goal which justifies La Salle’s existence. The other 50% is precisely linked to the focus of the dissertation that I was asked to evaluate - specifically how the leadership of Catholic High School principals impacts student achievement. A substantial portion of Chapter 2 of the dissertation (there are 5 chapters in the entire study) was devoted to the question: “how do the leadership strategies of successful Catholic high school principals impact teacher behavior and student learning?” Earlier I referenced the “penultimate” outcome of Catholic, college-prep high schools. College destination for schools like La Salle is the “penultimate” outcome because I have said in this space and elsewhere that the Mission of La Salle is to produce good students (college-prep) and good people (values-orientation).

Reading this dissertation reminded me of how critical the second aspect of a La Salle education is to the reason for our existence. Given the robust options for college-prep schools here in the San Gabriel Valley, it is understandable when families choose other highly-valued schools over La Salle. However, when that decision is made through the lens of moral, ethical and religious values, we expect parents to consider La Salle because of its substantial emphasis on the education of the whole person: academically, athletically, artistically and - most importantly - spiritually.

This reflection has been triggered by a wonderful component of the dissertation I have been asked to evaluate. The study makes the claim (with which I agree) that successful Catholic high school principals embrace the concept of “servant leadership” in their day-to-day behavior. In other words, the authority of Catholic high school principals is rooted in the “ethic of care and the ethic of service” which typifies their day-to-day practice.

As we transition from the leadership of one outstanding - and well known - “servant leader” (Pat Bonacci, AFSC) to another, less well-known, but well-regarded “servant leader” (Brother Chris Brady, FSC), I take comfort in this theory-based comment in the dissertation I have been asked to review:

“Having situational awareness entails being able to predict what might occur and being aware of issues that may not have arisen but could possibly create strife.”

We are all well-aware of Pat Bonacci’s outstanding ability to pay attention to “issues that may not have arisen but could possibly create strife. “ Having had the privilege of working with Brother Christopher for the better part of the last six weeks, I am reasonably confident that he will bring his particular skills to the world of La Salle which were described in the dissertation I have been asked to review.

On August 22nd, formally welcome the families of the Class of 2016. I am confident that they will be as comfortable with the leadership of Brother Christopher as the last fifteen years of graduates have been with Pat Bonacci. AFSC.

Happy New Year!