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Kari Anne Morris Carr was the Valedictorian of the Class of 1996. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Spanish from Northwestern University in 2000 after spending her junior year studying in Spain. In 2003, she earned her Master of Science in Education, also from Northwestern. Kari completed her PhD. at Indiana University in 2014 with a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. She partnered with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in her research of newly formed charter schools at two of their closed Catholic schools. Her dissertation title was “When Catholic Schools Close and Become Charter Schools: A case study of organizational narratives and legitimacy.”
Kari began her teaching career as part of the Inner-City Teaching Corps at Good Shepard Elementary School in Chicago’s Little Village where she was a Math and general classroom teacher. Corps members lived in the neighborhoods where they taught and earned $5.00 per day; their salaries went back to Chicago’s low-income Catholic schools for scholarships or direct aid. Since Kari speaks Spanish fluently, she incorporated Spanish and English into all the subjects she taught, including Math. After moving to Indianapolis, she taught Math and Logic at Oaks Academy. She was also the Assessment Administrator coordinating admissions assessments for Pre-K to 8th grade while consulting with faculty, other administrators and parents. She spent a year as the Curriculum Coordinator and co-designed the Kindergarten, First and Second grades Early Reading and Language Arts program and directed the development, revision and professional development of curriculum in Math, Language Arts, History, Science, Nature Study and Art and Music Appreciation. Kari was also the Director of Academic Development directing curriculum, professional development and data assessment strategy. She was a teaching assistant to Dr. Craig Willey at Indiana University and to Dr. Samantha Paredes Scriber at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). She was a Graduate Research Assistant and Project Lead at the Center for Urban and Multicultural Education at Indiana University.
In 2013 Kari became adjunct professor in the School of Education, Master’s Degree program at IUPUI. More recently she was the Curriculum Specialist and Instructional Coach at Saint Joan of Arc School until that position was eliminated due to budget cuts and COVID.
Kari has authored or coauthored journal articles, book chapters, manuscripts, and technical reports on education in general and Catholic and charter schools more specifically. She has made research presentations based on the nine papers she either wrote or co-wrote.
Kari received the Favorite Professor Award given by student-athletes at IUPUI three times, the Foster-Polite Graduate Student Award and was a National Graduate School, Research Seminar in Educational Administration and Policy nominee.
Kari is involved in many volunteer activities. She was a member of the Enrollment Committee for Notre Dame ACE Academies-Indianapolis, the Grant Proposal Committee for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Managing Editor to Dr. Samantha Paredes Scribner for a special issue of the Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, Saint Joan of Arc School volunteer consultant, Birthline Crisis Pregnancy Outreach helpline volunteer and volunteer artist at Sunrise Assisted Living.
After many years in Indianapolis, Kari and her family recently moved to Fort Wayne. She is an Adjunct Lecturer and University Supervisor for the Transition to Teaching Program at Purdue University in Fort Wayne. She also volunteers in the Fort Wayne Diocese as a member of the K-8 Curriculum Committee for Catholic Schools.
Kari’s parents, Judy and John Morris nominated her for the Hall of Fame. Judy wrote that Kari’s first teaching job at Good Shepard “pointed her to gain more knowledge in the area of adolescent learning” which was the focus of her Master’s Degree. She also emphasized that Kari’s faith has directed her life: here at Newman through Peer Ministry and at Northwestern through numerous service trips and teaching religion to CPS students. At their first parish, Saint Monica, Kari and her husband, Tony, started and then coordinated the babysitting ministry and were Catechists in the Sunday School Program.
Kari’s husband and four of their five children were part of her journey to her PhD. When she started, they were a family of three with daughter, Kellyn; school was postponed for two years with Kellyn and Paige. Things were moving along with classes and research and the arrival of Elliot. Kari remembers that day she went to her advisor’s office to tell her Drew was on the way. Fortunately, Dr. Scribner convinced Kari that her background was also part of the process and her personal life could be a part of the narrative that shaped and gave meaning to her research. Kari was studying the changeover from Catholic to Charter schools and many teachers who were mothers found themselves in the same spot as Kari; there was more to do and a lot less time to do it. Kari took her qualifying exams at 38 weeks pregnant and graduated when their children were 9, 7, 4, and 3. Kari’s friends think she works best under pressure of a deadline and Maryella missed all the excitement.
In 2024 Kari was named the Founding Head of School at The Chesterton Academy of Saint Scholastica in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Recently she was a faculty member for the Catholic Educator Formation and Credential (CEFC) program. This program provides a uniquely Catholic approach to teacher licensure. She co-led the inaugural co-hort from Oklahoma allowing teachers in both the state’s dioceses to earn CEFC credentials. Kari has taught workshops integrating the wisdom of Aristotle, Euclid, Saint Augustine, and Saint Benedict.
Kari, Anthony and their children are members and volunteers at Saint Vincent DePaul Parish.
