Experiences of teachers in U.S. Catholic schools during the COVID-19 pandemic era

ABSTRACT

This article discusses how both Catholic schools and the teachers within them illustrated a commitment to living out tenets of the common good as a result of Catholic schools’ choices during the COVID-19 pandemic era. Teachers in Catholic schools became adaptive leaders as a result of Catholic schools’ choice to provide consistent in-person instruction throughout the COVID-19 pandemic era. Findings underscore the Catholic position that education must not be sold in the marketplace or viewed as a commodity. Exploring the experiences of teachers in Catholic schools illustrates how Catholic schools’ success during the COVID-19 pandemic era was supported by both faith and action. Catholic schools must learn from this era of unprecedented success, success that has spurred an increase in enrolment throughout Catholic schools in the U.S. This success can propel a future for Catholic schools, one in which highlights their commitment to community and to the holistic development of students.

KEYWORDS:

• Catholic schools
• teachers in catholic schools
• teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic
• adaptive leaders

Acknowledgments

The author expresses gratitude to all the teachers and administrators in U.S. Catholic schools who participated in interviews as part of this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. A Catholic ethos espouses the values of the Gospel and the example of Christ. This must be a daily experience that is lived within the school environment.

2. All names of people and places are pseudonyms.

3. Christians believe that the kingdom of God is built every time people live out their love for God in the way they treat others. Building the kingdom of God places Jesus at the centre of what one thinks, says, or does.

4. Mass is the central act of worship in the Roman Catholic church. It culminates in the celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist.

5. The Cristo Rey network of Catholic schools has existed in the United States for over 25 years. The schools’ mission is to provide a career focused, college preparatory education in the Catholic tradition for students with limited economic resources.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Heidi L. Hallman

Heidi L. Hallman is Professor and Chairperson in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at the University of Kansas. Her research interests center on studying how prospective teachers are prepared to teach in diverse school contexts. Dr. Hallman is author of the books Secondary English Teacher Education in the United States (Bloomsbury, 2018), Millennial Teachers: Learning to Teach in Uncertain Times (Routledge, 2017), and Community Fieldwork in Teacher Education: Theory and Practice (Routledge, 2015), along with several other edited collections. Her work has been published in English Education, Teacher Education Quarterly, Equity & Excellence in Education, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, English Journal, and Teaching Education, among others.