Principal, Cristo Rey San José Jesuit High School

Feb 2, 2022

Cristo Rey San José Jesuit High School is a Jesuit, Catholic high school that empowers students from underserved communities in San José to be men and women for others who are prepared spiritually, academically, and professionally to complete college and who will become accomplished leaders committed to a lifelong pursuit of learning, faith, and justice.

Cristo Rey San José provides students from underrepresented communities in the region with a rigorous college prep education and a unique Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP) in which students work in over 70 Silicon Valley companies.

About the Principal Role

Cristo Rey San José seeks a Principal for the 2022-23 School Year, inclusive of Summer 2022 (and ideally beginning on June 1, 2022).

Reporting to the President, the Principal is the instructional leader of the school, responsible for the policies and procedures which ensure all students receive a high quality college prep education in a safe and loving environment. With our unique school model, in which students work at least one day a week at a partner company, it is particularly important that the Principal of Cristo Rey San José embrace collaboration and innovation. A member of the school’s leadership team, the Principal will actively collaborate with other members of that team to ensure alignment across the organization. The Principal is also the staff liaison to the School and Education Committee of the Board of Directors.

We have identified the following short-term priorities for the Principal:

• As we move from a start-up phase to a more mature phase in our organization’s growth, the Principal will be committed to helping establish systems and structures that advance the development and effectiveness of faculty and staff and the quality of student experience.
• The Principal will lead in championing diversity, equity and inclusion in their own role and as a priority for all staff.
• The Principal will strengthen collaboration between the Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP) and Academics, including establishing systems that ensure the collaboration will be effective and ongoing.

With these priorities in mind, the Principal’s specific responsibilities include:

Leadership and Collaboration

• Works with the President to promote the mission of the school.
• Sets and communicates clear expectations for excellence and defines responsibilities for all academic staff. Delegates tasks and responsibilities in ways that are consistent with role definitions.
• Oversees school leadership staff (assistant principals and deans), including setting goals and conducting performance evaluations.
• Embraces shared organizational leadership.
• Nurtures positive relationships with all stakeholders.

Jesuit Identity and Cristo Rey Mission

• Ensures that the school’s Catholic, Jesuit identity, vision, and mission drive school decisions and positively support all school stakeholders, ensuring liturgical practices, prayer, and Catholic culture are integrated into school life.  Allocates time and resources for the work of Campus Ministry.
• Ensures that all members of the school community are treated fairly, equitably, and with respect and compassion. Protects the rights and confidentiality of students and staff.
• Values and actively promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice.

Instruction and Curriculum

• Ensures that all students are being challenged in an academically rigorous, college prep setting.
• Oversees the Assistant Principal for Academics and the Dean of Faculty to ensure the
  • development and evaluation of a comprehensive academic program, implementing the Cristo Rey Academic Benchmarks,
  • writing of new curricula and development of new course requirements,
  • development and execution of an effective faculty professional development program including regular faculty meetings and other formal meetings as needed.
• Assures that each faculty member has annual goals, is evaluated annually, and receives appropriate feedback, coaching and training with the Instructional Leadership Team.
• Completes regular classroom walkthroughs and observations giving feedback to teachers.
• Assists teachers, parents, and staff in interpreting and understanding student data.
• Develops and implements a vision for our summer programming to prepare incoming ninth graders (Summer Bridge), remediate students who are behind, and provide enrichment for all students. Selects and supervises academic summer program leaders.
• Facilitates Academic Leadership efforts to improve student retention and college success.

Partnership with Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP)

• Actively partners with the Executive Director of the CWSP to create true partnership, enlivening and enriching the full Cristo Rey experience with professional experience.
• Demonstrates enthusiasm for the CWSP and its valuable contribution to student experience.
• Champions and plans for the integration of the CWSP with Academics, including incorporating CWSP into academic team decision-making, crisis management, academic staff onboarding, calendar planning, event coordination, student discipline, and school policy-making.
• Engages in creative problem solving in collaboration with the Executive Director of the CWSP to address issues as they arise.
• Plans for better and increased integration over time, including joint alumni support and classroom/programmatic integration.

Strategic Planning

• Assists the President and other members of the Leadership Council in developing and executing a strategic plan.
• Aligns actions and communications with the vision and plan for excellence.
• Predicts the needs of staff, students, and families in pursuing the strategic plan, anticipates barriers, and develops measures to ensure effectiveness and plan for contingencies.
• Designs and executes processes and systems for progress monitoring goals and metrics across all critical areas of the strategic plan.

Student Support and Safety

• Creates, in collaboration with other leaders, comprehensive safety plan for safe return to school amidst the pandemic
• Meets with students and parents regarding retention issues, helps counsel students regarding collaboration with Admissions, Assistant Principal of Student Life, Work Study, and counselors.
• Collaborates with the Assistant Principal for Student Life on major behavior issues including potential violence, substance abuse, and repeated behaviors that could lead to removal from school.
• Oversees school emergency response and serves on the security call list 24/7.
• Collaborates with the Assistant Principal for Academics on student counseling support, intervention, college, and alumni programming.
• Collaborates with the Director of Human Resources to ensure compliance with best practices for protection of minors.

School Culture and Family Involvement

• Develops a school culture that values the unique gifts that all staff, students and families bring, works to guarantee an inclusive school environment, and ensures that parents are welcomed and an integral part of the school community.
• Creates a culture of continuous improvement that focuses on high expectations and high support, drawing particular attention to equity gaps and commits to their elimination.
• Models school values and mindsets and holds self and others accountable to maintaining the standards for adult culture, including actively promoting the regular exchange of affirming and adjusting feedback among members of staff, including vertical feedback provided to managers.
• Develops strategies for meaningful and reciprocal family and community engagement.

General School Functioning

• Develops and executes strategies to improve performance of academic staff over time, supporting the short and long term success of each academic staff member.
• Actively participates in the school’s admissions process, helping to set guidelines, timelines, and enrollment goals consistent with the school’s approved operating budget and mission.
• Hires all school academic staff (instructors, counselors, coaches, etc.), ensuring that each person hired can carry forth the school’s mission.
• Identifies program needs, presents an academic budget to the President and Director of Finance each year, and approves all school expenditures within the budget authorizations.
• Oversees all work associated with maintaining accreditation with the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA), the Jesuit Province, and the Cristo Rey Network.
• Works with the Director of Operations to coordinate the use of the school facilities.

Assumes other duties as assigned by the President.

Qualifications and Experience

Candidates for Principal must have the following qualifications and experience:

• Master’s degree in educational leadership or administration
• At least two years of experience as a school principal is preferred. At least three years of experience supervising and evaluating faculty and staff is required.
• Experience and excellence in educating and connecting on a personal level with students from historically underrepresented demographic groups (including low-income, Latinx, Asian and Black students)
• Demonstrated commitment to Catholic, faith-based education.
• Demonstrated ability to connect with and engage families, including family members for whom English is a second language
• Demonstrated ability to inspire, lead, manage and work collegially with faculty and staff
• Strong background in a rigorous, standards-based, college-ready curriculum
• Demonstrated success as an instructional leader who creates a culture of continuous improvement
• Evidence of an ability to analyze and use data to increase student achievement
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Exemplary interpersonal skills with faculty, staff, parents, students and community member
• Fluency in Spanish is preferred. Some level of Spanish proficiency is required.

To apply, please send a letter of interest and resumé to Christina Dickson (christina.dickson@cristoreysj.org).

Pastoral Associate for Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Full Time, Exempt

Dec 22, 2021

The Pastoral Associate is Director of and is responsible for two specific ministry areas:

• Youth Ministry
• Young Adult Ministry

As the Youth Minister, this member of the Pastoral Team will respond to the spiritual and social needs of all parish youth in Middle School, Grades 6-8, and High School, Grades 9-12.  The Youth Minister is the primary advocate for this age population in the St. Simon Parish community and is responsible for coordinating and overseeing catechetical, service, and social activities geared toward these age groups.  The mission of Youth Ministry is to attract, educate and retain all applicable youth in the life and leadership of the parish.  The program will provide participants with opportunities to form and grow their Catholic faith and identity by providing meaningful opportunities for youth to serve in ministry to the community and further develop their leadership skills.

As the Young Adult Minister this member of the Pastoral Team responds to the spiritual and social needs of this age group (ages 18-30) with the intention of retaining young adults in the life and leadership of the parish.

We believe that mission trips and outreach projects are a critical gateway for the spiritual development of the youth and young adults. As such, we expect the Pastoral Associate to Youth and Young Adults to play a crucial role in development and execution of all mission trips.

Candidates for this position should have significant experience in Youth and Young Adult Ministry. Care is taken to reflect the diversity of the Parish Community, thus candidates for this position include men and women of various ages, social and ethnic backgrounds, married and single.

QUALIFICATIONS and SKILLS TO PERFORM THE JOB SUCCESSFULLY: 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill ability or physical demands required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

• Must be able to attract, recruit, motivate, educate, and retain middle and high school age youth and young adults through service opportunities, mission trips, retreats and social experiences. Recruiting includes visiting local high schools to promote parish youth ministry programs and activities.
• Must be able to attract, recruit, motivate, form and retain volunteers in support of Youth Ministry (i.e. catechists, core team members, facilitators, chaperones, etc.).
• Must have a basic knowledge and understanding of scripture, theology, liturgy, catechesis, and youth faith formation.
• Must be able to articulate the faith of the Catholic Church in a professional and pastorally appropriate manner.
• Must model for our youth and young adults full, conscious, and active participation at Mass and other liturgical services.
• Must have good verbal and written communication skills, and be proficient in basic Microsoft Office functions, Google collaboration suite, use of social media for engagement, and the use of technology.
• Works in collaboration with Middle School, High School and Young Adult Core Teams in the development of programs appropriate for each age group.
• Must be organized and able to work in collaboration with parents, the Pastor, Director of Children Faith Formation, volunteers, as well as members of the school and pastoral staff to develop appropriate plans for implementation of the various components of comprehensive Youth and Young Adult Ministry.
• Must exhibit pastoral and professional demeanor at all times.
• Will participate in on-going formation courses as required.
• Must follow guidelines for youth ministry, safe environment policies, and meet standards and policies as outline by the Diocese of San Jose.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Include THE FOLLOWING:(other duties may be assigned)

General Responsibilities

All ministry in and by the Church is substantially different from secular involvement. Church ministers must conduct themselves in a manner which is consistent with and supportive of the mission and purpose of the church. Their public behavior must not violate the faith, morals or laws of the Church or the Diocese. Ministers should carry out all duties and responsibilities in a manner that meet the needs of the Parish Community and is within policies and guidelines of the Roman Catholic Church. They should maintain the confidential nature of all work. Care is taken to reflect the diversity of the Parish Community, thus candidates for this position include men and women of various ages, social and ethnic backgrounds, married and single.

Responsibilities:

• Recognizes the importance of bringing the youth and young adults into fuller participation in our faith community.
• Plans, develops and coordinates youth catechesis into a comprehensive ministry for middle and high school youth in the community. These plans include regular meetings, retreats, mission trips, service projects. Prior to May 1 each year, generates an annual calendar and updates YM google calendar in order to upload to the parish website.  Maintains changes to the YM calendar and works with parish communications to keep the website current and relevant.
• Plans develops and coordinates a comprehensive Confirmation Preparation Program
• Works in partnership with St. Simon Parish School personnel to plan, develop and coordinate faith formation of Middle School students including:
  • Participation in the Parish Confirmation Program
  • Participation in annual retreats for Middle School students
  • Encourage participation in parish wide service learning projects and opportunities to further develop leadership skills.
  • Visit the classrooms (5^th– 8^th) during the year to promote parish programs and opportunities.
• Plans, develops and coordinates a comprehensive program for Young Adults.
• Collaborates with all parish leadership Councils to promote Youth Ministry and Young Adult involvement in leadership opportunities and service projects.
• Assures that the youth and young adults of the parish are visible in the community.  Engages the parish including the parents of the young parishioners concerning the vital role the community plays in evangelization of the young parishioners.

Education and experience

• Academic: BA or equivalent. Course work in Catechetics, Youth Ministry, Religious Education a plus.
• Certification: Current certification as a Basic Catechist according to the California Catholic Conference Guidelines and an Advanced Catechist Certificate. Ideally this person would be in process as a Master catechist.
• Experience: At least five years’ experience working as a volunteer or employee within a parish catechetical and/or Youth program. Experience as a parish Catechetical Coordinator or Youth coordinator is preferred. Experience working with Young Adults preferred.

Language Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills; proficiency in composing reports, correspondence and letters and in publishing newsletters and flyers in English; ability to develop and facilitate workshops, training and presentations; ability to read and understand Church documents, guidelines and professional journals; ability to understand and explain policies and answer questions. Bilingual in Spanish a plus.

Computation Skills:: Ability to read and manage a budget and contribute to building a budget.

Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and respond to a variety of situations related to catechetical ministry.  Ability to understand and apply guidelines and organizational ability required.

Physical Demands: While performing duties of this job, the employee must be able to transport materials and equipment (up to 30 pounds) to and from various locations. The employee is regularly required to sit for extended periods of time, use hands in repetitive motion tasks, handle objects, talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Working Conditions: The employee is expected to work a 40-hour workweek. The 40 hours will be on a flexible schedule as work demands.  Evening and weekend work is required.

Other Requirements: The employee must demonstrate a history of effective leadership, good judgment, initiative, confidentiality and discretion. Must be a practicing Roman Catholic.