The most successful graduate program for the training and formation of Catholic school administrators is without doubt the Institute for Catholic Educational Leadership (ICEL) at the University of San Francisco. This article describes the history and current structure of the ICEL program and provides a replicable model for other Catholic colleges and universities with the institutional commitment to offer graduate degree programs for Catholic school leaders.
O nce every decade there appears a book that spontaneously captures the imagination and affection of teachers and administrators. References to it appear everywhere. Quotes from the book perk up faculty newsletters; and speakers paraphrase it in their talks and repeatedly recommend a thorough reading of it. Principals give the volume as Christmas or end-of-year gifts. Recently we have witnessed this fascinating phenomenon with the publication of Thomas H. Groome's Educating for Life: A Spiritual Vision for Every Teacher and Parent (Thomas More, 1998). Marcella Fox reviewed the book in the March 1999 issue of the Journal, referring to it as "an essential text for Catholic educators" (p. 369). It is fitting that the Journal's Book Reviews section acknowledge the impact of the Groome text by discussing some complementary ideas with its indefatigable author and by leaming more about him as a Catholic school educator. I asked a number of Groome's greatest fans, among them Dr. Gini Shimabukuro, Dr. Marcella Fox, and Sr. Jeanne Hagelskamp, S.R, what they would like to ask Tom if they were sitting across from him, sipping tea for a couple of relaxed hours. Many of their questions are embedded in this interview, which came after a very long and hard day for Tom. Thomas H. Groome began his academic career in his native Ireland. He earned a master's degree at Fordham University and a doctorate in religion and education at Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University Teachers College. He is professor of theology and religious education at Boston College. A prolific writer, Groome has had more than 60 articles published in scholarly collections and journals. His books include Christian Religious Education: Sharing Our Story and Vision (1980), Sharing Faith: A
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.