Cristo Rey San José Jesuit High School
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).