Creating an EdD Structure, Program, and Process Fulfilling the Needs of Doctoral Candidates and the Communities They Will Serve: Applying Lessons Learned from the Redesign of a Principal Preparation Program

Transformative Leadership: Conceptual Lens Informing The Redesign Process

Carolyn Shields (2010) writes: “transformative leadership begins with questions of justice and democracy, critiques inequitable practices, and addresses both individual and public good (p. 558). As that the mission of Loyola’s School of Education is Professionalism in the Service of Social Justice, it was incumbent upon the faculty to redesign the coursework and internship experiences within the doctoral program to intentionally focus on the authentic lives of principals in schools who must advocate for their children, teachers and communities on a daily basis. Christa Boske (2012) reminds us that “Leading for social justice is a highly emotional endeavor requiring courage, integrity, imaginative possibilities and self-awareness” (p. 183). While not necessarily a war per se, the current lives of educational leaders are currently under fire. In today’s environment of accountability with ever-shrinking resources, and where education is seen as a commodity and not a necessary right for children to become productive members of a democratic society, it is critical for the aspiring educational leader to morally discern what is at stake in the school-house and to advocate for change at the public house (Gross & Shapiro, 2014). Therefore, principals must become “policy mediators” who can question, investigate, and articulate on behalf of and with their communities (Rorrer & Skrla, 2005, p. 54). Loyola University Chicago is a Jesuit institution based on an Ignation foundation of social justice consisting of the: