Rachael B Lawrence | University of Massachusetts Amherst (original) (raw)
Papers by Rachael B Lawrence
American Journal of Evaluation, Mar 1, 2022
The Christian Citizen, 2023
Judging by Jesus' action after being baptized by his cousin John, wilderness is important. "Jesus... more Judging by Jesus' action after being baptized by his cousin John, wilderness is important. "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness," as Luke 4:1 (NIV) recounts. To Jesus, was the wilderness someplace where he could grow his spiritual understanding, wrestling with the big questions about God and the meaning of life, as he coped with the adversary's temptations?
The Christian Citizen, 2023
What would you do if you if the Holy Spirit talked to you? What if God or the angels shook you aw... more What would you do if you if the Holy Spirit talked to you? What if God or the angels shook you awake at 2:00 in the morning with the urgent message, "humanity only has 60 years left if you don't get your act together about climate change"? Would you tell people?
The Christian Citizen, 2022
A reflection on the early arrival of advent signs in contemporary US society.
The American Journal of Evaluation, 2022
In 2006 the Portland (Maine) Public Schools (PPS) and the Portland Education Association (PEA) ne... more In 2006 the Portland (Maine) Public Schools (PPS) and the Portland Education Association (PEA) negotiated an alternative teacher salary system that took effect in the 2007-2008 school year. The Professional Learning-Based Salary System (PLBSS) awards teachers and other union staff credit (Salary Contact Hours or SCH) toward salary increases for various forms of professional learning, including college courses, continuing education units, district workshops, and individual self-directed professional learning or service activities. Teaching experience still is a factor in salary increases under the PLBSS but to a lesser extent than in a traditional salary schedule. This alternative salary schedule has received national attention and interest as an intriguing "middle ground," offering the potential to support teacher development and professionalism without going so far as to tie teacher salaries directly to student test results. This study focuses on what the PLBSS has done for teachers as professionals in key areas of potential impact: salary and staffing, professional learning, teacher practice, student learning, and staff satisfaction. Suggestions for improvement are also included. Portland Public Schools. Maine's largest school system serves 7,000 students in10 elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools. While Portland is a relatively small city, it faces typical urban challenges. Over 50% of Portland students are low-income, and 25% are English language learners. Key Elements of PLBSS. The program includes the following: • New salary schedule-5 lanes, 10 steps each, as opposed to the previous 4 lanes, 30 steps each. Staff move up steps based on experience, but once at the top of a lane, they must complete a required amount of professional learning to move to the next lane.
The Christian Citizen, 2022
Healthy clergy boundaries are important. Do clergy bear sole responsibility in maintaining health... more Healthy clergy boundaries are important. Do clergy bear sole responsibility in maintaining health boundaries?
New Directions for Institutional Research
Evaluation
Developmental evaluation supports grant-funded initiatives seeking innovation and change. Program... more Developmental evaluation supports grant-funded initiatives seeking innovation and change. Programs born from aspirational grant language and plans often need guidance as they work toward creating workable models for social innovation. This article describes the challenge of designing and implementing complex programs and presents a case that illustrates how a program moves from proposal to practice. The Massachusetts Charter Public School Association Capacity Building Network is a complex intervention, funded by the US federal government, aimed at raising school capacity to serve students with disabilities and English language learners. Developmental evaluation served to bridge the gaps between an aspirational proposal, an ambitious and ambiguous program plan, and emerging practices to serve this population of students. Jointly reviewing our experience in this developmental evaluation, the evaluation team and a program director share important thematic lessons learned about the deve...
Leading Holistically, 2018
The Christian Citizen, 2021
This essay is about an interesting interaction between a piece of technology (clock designed for ... more This essay is about an interesting interaction between a piece of technology (clock designed for dementia patients) and a spiritual journey around my father's decline.
The Christian Citizen, 2021
Church, we have an elephant in the room. Everyone knows it's there. Nobody really wants to talk a... more Church, we have an elephant in the room. Everyone knows it's there. Nobody really wants to talk about it. And, that elephant may be a bigger source of our collective woes than we realize. This elephant is clergy compensation. And, the elephant needs to be named and examined, especially at the local level in congregations. This elephant is leading the charge towards an increasing number of part-time pastoral positions. Understanding the elephant is critical for the survival and thriving of churches in contemporary America. In this article, I hope to shed light on the elephant using data from recent surveys on part-time ministry compensation in New York and New England.
The Christian Citizen, 2021
This article uses Rallis' article on principal leadership to identify similar pressures in Pastor... more This article uses Rallis' article on principal leadership to identify similar pressures in Pastoral Leadership, some of which have been exacerbated by the Pandemic.
The Christian Citizen, 2021
Except for a few short years in K-12 education, my career has always danced between positions in ... more Except for a few short years in K-12 education, my career has always danced between positions in higher education and the church. And, I have observed some similarities in how the two types of organizations function, especially when under economic pressure. The parent-child relationship of the academy to the church remains visible, despite the tradition of separating church and state in the United States (education is an activity often entrusted to the states). Perhaps the most visible indicators of the historic relationship between the two organization types are the manner of formal dress and ceremonies. Higher education was born in Europe out of the need to educate clergy, doctors, and lawyers (see Stone, 1964). As the two institutions diverged over the past 300 years in the Americas (Geiger, 2016), both have had to respond to changing economic realities and shifts in public demands for their services (Zuzman, 2005; Wuthnow, 1997). And, the response to economic pressures in the institutions I have served and loved has been similar: shifting to part-time labor for the delivery of their core services. In higher education, a term has been coined to describe this state: adjunctification (see Jenkins, 2014). What higher education calls adjunct faculty, the church calls bi-vocational ministry. Part-time faculty and part-time ministry positions have many commonalities. In general, they are generally highly-educated people. Terminal degree attainment is a traditional entry point or barrier for both fields (the MDiv was historically a terminal degree). Adjuncts often teach as many courses, if not more, than tenure-track faculty, but receive a stipend that is a fraction of the tenure-track salary. Often, adjuncts hold second or third jobs in order to make ends meet. They tend to stay with these poorly paying, non-benefited higher education positions because of their love of teaching and the field. Part-time ministers face largely the same challenges-they preach out of a sense of call to serve God and church and have passion for the people and the work.
The Christian Citizen, 2020
The Christian Citizen, 2020
The Christian Citizen, 2020
The Christian Citizen, 2020
American Journal of Evaluation, Mar 1, 2022
The Christian Citizen, 2023
Judging by Jesus' action after being baptized by his cousin John, wilderness is important. "Jesus... more Judging by Jesus' action after being baptized by his cousin John, wilderness is important. "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness," as Luke 4:1 (NIV) recounts. To Jesus, was the wilderness someplace where he could grow his spiritual understanding, wrestling with the big questions about God and the meaning of life, as he coped with the adversary's temptations?
The Christian Citizen, 2023
What would you do if you if the Holy Spirit talked to you? What if God or the angels shook you aw... more What would you do if you if the Holy Spirit talked to you? What if God or the angels shook you awake at 2:00 in the morning with the urgent message, "humanity only has 60 years left if you don't get your act together about climate change"? Would you tell people?
The Christian Citizen, 2022
A reflection on the early arrival of advent signs in contemporary US society.
The American Journal of Evaluation, 2022
In 2006 the Portland (Maine) Public Schools (PPS) and the Portland Education Association (PEA) ne... more In 2006 the Portland (Maine) Public Schools (PPS) and the Portland Education Association (PEA) negotiated an alternative teacher salary system that took effect in the 2007-2008 school year. The Professional Learning-Based Salary System (PLBSS) awards teachers and other union staff credit (Salary Contact Hours or SCH) toward salary increases for various forms of professional learning, including college courses, continuing education units, district workshops, and individual self-directed professional learning or service activities. Teaching experience still is a factor in salary increases under the PLBSS but to a lesser extent than in a traditional salary schedule. This alternative salary schedule has received national attention and interest as an intriguing "middle ground," offering the potential to support teacher development and professionalism without going so far as to tie teacher salaries directly to student test results. This study focuses on what the PLBSS has done for teachers as professionals in key areas of potential impact: salary and staffing, professional learning, teacher practice, student learning, and staff satisfaction. Suggestions for improvement are also included. Portland Public Schools. Maine's largest school system serves 7,000 students in10 elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools. While Portland is a relatively small city, it faces typical urban challenges. Over 50% of Portland students are low-income, and 25% are English language learners. Key Elements of PLBSS. The program includes the following: • New salary schedule-5 lanes, 10 steps each, as opposed to the previous 4 lanes, 30 steps each. Staff move up steps based on experience, but once at the top of a lane, they must complete a required amount of professional learning to move to the next lane.
The Christian Citizen, 2022
Healthy clergy boundaries are important. Do clergy bear sole responsibility in maintaining health... more Healthy clergy boundaries are important. Do clergy bear sole responsibility in maintaining health boundaries?
New Directions for Institutional Research
Evaluation
Developmental evaluation supports grant-funded initiatives seeking innovation and change. Program... more Developmental evaluation supports grant-funded initiatives seeking innovation and change. Programs born from aspirational grant language and plans often need guidance as they work toward creating workable models for social innovation. This article describes the challenge of designing and implementing complex programs and presents a case that illustrates how a program moves from proposal to practice. The Massachusetts Charter Public School Association Capacity Building Network is a complex intervention, funded by the US federal government, aimed at raising school capacity to serve students with disabilities and English language learners. Developmental evaluation served to bridge the gaps between an aspirational proposal, an ambitious and ambiguous program plan, and emerging practices to serve this population of students. Jointly reviewing our experience in this developmental evaluation, the evaluation team and a program director share important thematic lessons learned about the deve...
Leading Holistically, 2018
The Christian Citizen, 2021
This essay is about an interesting interaction between a piece of technology (clock designed for ... more This essay is about an interesting interaction between a piece of technology (clock designed for dementia patients) and a spiritual journey around my father's decline.
The Christian Citizen, 2021
Church, we have an elephant in the room. Everyone knows it's there. Nobody really wants to talk a... more Church, we have an elephant in the room. Everyone knows it's there. Nobody really wants to talk about it. And, that elephant may be a bigger source of our collective woes than we realize. This elephant is clergy compensation. And, the elephant needs to be named and examined, especially at the local level in congregations. This elephant is leading the charge towards an increasing number of part-time pastoral positions. Understanding the elephant is critical for the survival and thriving of churches in contemporary America. In this article, I hope to shed light on the elephant using data from recent surveys on part-time ministry compensation in New York and New England.
The Christian Citizen, 2021
This article uses Rallis' article on principal leadership to identify similar pressures in Pastor... more This article uses Rallis' article on principal leadership to identify similar pressures in Pastoral Leadership, some of which have been exacerbated by the Pandemic.
The Christian Citizen, 2021
Except for a few short years in K-12 education, my career has always danced between positions in ... more Except for a few short years in K-12 education, my career has always danced between positions in higher education and the church. And, I have observed some similarities in how the two types of organizations function, especially when under economic pressure. The parent-child relationship of the academy to the church remains visible, despite the tradition of separating church and state in the United States (education is an activity often entrusted to the states). Perhaps the most visible indicators of the historic relationship between the two organization types are the manner of formal dress and ceremonies. Higher education was born in Europe out of the need to educate clergy, doctors, and lawyers (see Stone, 1964). As the two institutions diverged over the past 300 years in the Americas (Geiger, 2016), both have had to respond to changing economic realities and shifts in public demands for their services (Zuzman, 2005; Wuthnow, 1997). And, the response to economic pressures in the institutions I have served and loved has been similar: shifting to part-time labor for the delivery of their core services. In higher education, a term has been coined to describe this state: adjunctification (see Jenkins, 2014). What higher education calls adjunct faculty, the church calls bi-vocational ministry. Part-time faculty and part-time ministry positions have many commonalities. In general, they are generally highly-educated people. Terminal degree attainment is a traditional entry point or barrier for both fields (the MDiv was historically a terminal degree). Adjuncts often teach as many courses, if not more, than tenure-track faculty, but receive a stipend that is a fraction of the tenure-track salary. Often, adjuncts hold second or third jobs in order to make ends meet. They tend to stay with these poorly paying, non-benefited higher education positions because of their love of teaching and the field. Part-time ministers face largely the same challenges-they preach out of a sense of call to serve God and church and have passion for the people and the work.
The Christian Citizen, 2020
The Christian Citizen, 2020
The Christian Citizen, 2020
The Christian Citizen, 2020
Professional development, when embedded in and relevant to teachers’ work, tied to district prior... more Professional development, when embedded in and relevant to teachers’ work, tied to district priorities, supported by district leadership, and contractually supported, can facilitate school turnaround. Maine’s Portland Public Schools leveraged a School Improvement Grant (SIG) that supported a school-wide learning initiative with the union-district negotiated Professional Learning Based Salary System (PLBSS), which rewards professional learning connected to instruction. Guided by the program’s theory of action, we analyzed student achievement scores and conducted a rapid ethnography in one elementary school that showed anomalous improvements in student scores. Collaborative action among district, school, and union leadership integrated PLBSS with the SIG intervention to stimulate measurable and observable turnaround in school culture and student learning, altering the trajectory of a failing school.
