ED 572 - The Catholic Principal as Educational and Spiritual Leader

Interactivity: Discussion Board

Final Assessment: Final Project

Course Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to do the following:

• Spirituality of Leadership: Applying the Biblical model of servant-leadership, students will examine the issues of leadership style, vocation, and faith witness as they both reflect the identity and integrity of the individual Catholic school administrator, and serve to promote and articulate the mission and goals of Catholic education.Through self-assessment and reflective exercises, students will identify and evaluate their own spiritual leadership styles.
• Catholic Identity: Students will define and examine Catholic identity, and consider and apply practical and concrete means to effectively institutionalize this fundamental component of a Catholic school primarily in terms of catechesis, and secondarily, in terms of climate, culture, programs, and services. Students will identify and define the roles of liturgy, prayer, charism, history, and heritage; parental and student involvement; and mission articulation in fostering Catholic identity in the school community.
• Private School Law: Students will familiarize themselves with the law as it affects private/parochial education, be cognizant of the principles of law involved in landmark court decisions, and be able to understand and explain the court’s reasoning. In doing so, students, as practicing or prospective Catholic School administrators, will be able to apply the appropriate legal concepts to their own policy making and administrative practices.
• Finance, Development, Marketing, and Public Relations: Students will identify and examine fiscal and marketing issues and challenges as they relate specifically to Catholic schools. This includes cultivating and maintaining a healthy development program, public relations, student recruitment and retention, understanding the budgeting process, and strategic planning.
• Discernment and Assessment. For Practicing Catholic School Administrators: Using a process developed by the Diocese of Galveston-Houston for the N.C.E.A., practicing administrators will engage in a practical assessment of the viability of one’s own educational setting to identify weaknesses in areas that are vital to the Catholic school’s future, and then formulate a plan to improve those areas.
• For Prospective Catholic School Administrators: Using William Campbell’s Self-Directed Principal Formation Program, prospective administrators will engage in a comprehensive, self-paced discernment process to help identify one’s vocational ideal and assess one’s readiness for Catholic school administration.