Organizational Identities and Urban Catholic/Charter School Reform: Legitimacy and Levels

• In Event: 75.045 - Leadership and Formation in Catholic Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the organizational consequences and identities of two “new” charter schools that opened in place of two recently closed Catholic schools. The authors examine changes in school structures as well as sensemaking narratives of teachers, school-level administrators, and archdiocesan officials for interpreting the legitimacy of the newly established charter schools. Narratives revealed that all participants experienced an increase in bureaucratization as a result of the charter school openings. Management and administration faced challenges negotiating public school regulations and accountability while teachers navigated abrupt changes in school culture, student-body differences, and the loss of Catholicism.

Authors

• Kari A Carr, Indiana University - Bloomington

• Samantha Paredes Scribner, Indiana University - Indianapolis