Chaminade students have grown used to seeing their teachers in class, their principals at lunch, and their president at Mass. Behind these familiar faces, however, lies a hierarchy that, to my knowledge, scarcely any of my peers have managed to fully grasp. In pursuit of clarity, I sought to figure out who truly calls the shots within our school.

My means of doing this were rather simple: I began at the bottom of the totem pole—with an educator—and posed two straightforward questions: “What authority do you possess?” and “Who ranks above you?” I would then pose these very questions to the individual they identified as their superior, continuing up this chain until I reached the top.

Of course, I first interviewed Mr. Christopher Shaver. Though he possesses great influence within MLC and the House System, I made sure to clarify that I was solely asking my questions in the context of his role as a teacher. He explained to me that he had “authority in my classroom to teach my curriculum and to manage my classroom within the rules of the school.” Beyond that, things started to complicate. He pointed me towards three associate principals—in matters of curriculum, Ms. Dunlap was his superior; in matters of student formation and rules, Mr. Burdge; in matters concerning the mission of the school, Mr. Vlahutin.

Of the names Mr. Shaver mentioned, my first stop was Mr. Eric Burdge. He explained to me that while most assume his job is “just discipline,” it also involves transforming the student body into “the men we want them to be.” Still, he stated that the policies he has a hand in are not made on his own, but rather in coordination with the other principals. When I inquired regarding chain of command, he informed me that the individual who signs off on these policies is none other than Mr. Philip Rone—the principal of the school.

Though I initially intended to interview every associate principal, I ultimately decided not to for two reasons. First, Mr. Burdge made it clear to me that they all work under the same individual who approves their decisions. Thus, all of their answers to my main question would likely be similar. The second (and slightly more embarrassing) reason is that building up the courage to approach Mr. Burdge was difficult enough. The authority figures in our school possess a certain intimidating aura that is difficult to pierce. So, I ultimately decided to move directly on to Mr. Rone.

I approached him one lunch and asked him, as I had everyone before, what power had been bestowed upon him. From him I received what I can only describe as the most comprehensive answer yet.

“I’m responsible for all the students and faculty at the school,” he began, “and to make sure that they are loved and cared for and provided for in all their educational needs—and their faith life. It’s a big responsibility.”

At this point, I was beginning to realize that leadership at Chaminade is not as much about control as it is about stewardship. Still, I was trying to figure out structure, so I asked my second question.

In response, Mr. Rone stated that Dr. Todd Guidry is his boss. “But the thing about the Marianist philosophy,” he went on, “is we have this term called Discipleship of Equals, where we all work in collaboration and come to a consensus about decisions.”

This was a bit unexpected—whereas I had imagined a ladder, Mr. Rone described something closer to a circle. “Dr. Guidry and I have worked together for years,” he added. “At one time, I was his boss. Now, I give him information to help him make decisions, and he does the same for me.”

What was particularly striking was the seeming lack of bureaucracy. Every individual I spoke to described a system less defined by command than by cooperation and mutual respect. Yet even within this spirit of equality, Mr. Rone made one thing clear regarding Dr. Guidry—“Ultimately, he is the decision maker in major decisions.” So, naturally, he was my next interviewee.

Dr. Guidry stated that he is “responsible for protecting and ensuring that the mission of the school is lived out—that we remain steadfast in our Catholic and Marianist identity.” He went on to explain his involvement in “securing and monitoring the school’s resources, supporting the finance office, helping with fundraising and relationship building, and setting the long-term strategic vision of the school.”

He did not come off as a tyrant or anything of the sort—although he is an administrator, he also seemed to be the school’s chief ambassador and guardian of its identity.

When asked who, if anyone, stands above him, he explained that the Marianists and Board of Trustees hold “full and complete oversight of major decisions.” However, he noted that “the president and the administrative team are responsible for about 95% of the decisions made at Chaminade.”

So, technically, he reports to the Board of Trustees, but he is their only employee, and they work with the Marianists. The Board makes sure the school stays functional, and the Marianists ensure the school stays Catholic.

I had done it—I figured out who really runs our school. But, in hindsight, all of this seems rather obvious. Teachers answer to policies proposed by associate principals and approved by the principal, who in turn answers to the president. The president is accountable to the Board of Trustees, which collaborates with the Marianists to ensure the school’s mission and identity remain intact. It’s a relatively clean and logical chain of governance.

But I still think it was worth it.

What makes our leadership unique is not its order, but its ethos. I am reminded of the Marianist principle of Discipleship of Equals that Mr. Rone mentioned. It rejects the notion of leadership as domination. Rather, it is for collaborative, mutually-respectful leadership that is used for the sake of a shared vision. Every individual I spoke to embodied this in some way. Our teachers lead their classrooms, but they are open to feedback. Our principal oversees faculty, but values consensus. The president sets value and direction, but acts as a steward.

In this sense, Chaminade’s power structure isn’t strictly vertical—it is also relational. The school operates as a body, with various independent but interdependent parts.

So, who’s actually in charge here? One could potentially answer the teachers, the principals, the president, the Board, or the Marianists—and all would be technically correct. Philosophically, however, it is the mission of Chaminade—not any single person—that ultimately runs the school.