St. Joseph’s Preparatory School Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Principal Start Date: July 1, 2019 www.sjprep.org Mission Fast Facts The mission of St. Joseph’s Prep — as a • Year established: 1851 Catholic, Jesuit, urban, college preparatory • Total enrollment: 902 school — is to develop the minds, hearts, • Student/teacher ratio: 13:1 souls and characters of young men in their • Total faculty: 71 pursuit of becoming men for and with others. • Faculty with advanced degrees: 97% • Average faculty tenure: 17 years • Students receiving financial aid: 56% Motto of the Society of Jesus Ad maiorem Dei gloriam – “For the greater glory of God”
Overview
Founded in 1851 by the Society of Jesus, St. Joseph’s Preparatory School (the Prep) is an independent, Catholic, college-preparatory school for boys. Located in North Philadelphia, it is the only Jesuit high school in the Delaware Valley and one of 62 Jesuit Secondary Schools in the United States. The school serves approximately 900 students and is dedicated to providing a robust educational experience to its students while balancing its highly-regarded classical program with extensive offerings of athletics, theater, music, and club opportunities. Even more important is the school’s commitment to produce graduates who are “men for and with others” and who will serve their families, churches, and communities.
A sense of pride, enthusiasm, and “Brotherhood” permeates the campus at all levels. Students, parents, alumni, faculty, and administration fully embrace the Ignatian mission. The school is devoted to maintaining its commitment to diversity, service, and academic excellence. Enrollment is strong and steady, the Board is visionary and supportive, the faculty is talented and dedicated, there is a formidable strategic plan in place, and the reputation of the school is stellar.
Rev. John W. Swope, S.J., was appointed President in 2015 and serves as the visionary, strategic, and mission-driven leader of the campus. The school now seeks an equally dynamic leader as Principal who will be devoted to the mission and programs of the Prep and who will direct a talented faculty to embrace new and innovative academic initiatives that will further enhance the excellent reputation that the school has built. This is an exceptional opportunity to lead a high-performing all- boys Catholic secondary school with deep ties to its community and an unwavering commitment to its mission.
The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 1 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Fast Facts
School History
St. Joseph’s Preparatory School was founded in 1851 in Philadelphia. The school grew out of a small parish church created by Rev. Joseph Greaton, S.J. in Center City in 1733. As the city and parish blossomed over time, the Jesuits of the Maryland Province decided to create Saint Joseph’s College with a supporting preparatory department to serve the growing Catholic immigrant population. In the late 1800s, the college and school moved to Girard Avenue, near the site of the Centennial Exposition. When the college later relocated to the northwestern corner of the city, St. Joseph’s Prep took over the Girard Avenue campus and became an independent institution in 1927. By 1939, enrollment reached 735 students. A devastating fire in 1966 destroyed two-thirds of the school, but with their commitment to serving an urban population, school leaders quickly made plans to rebuild on the same site.
The School
Today, the Prep, as the school is affectionately known, offers students a world-class education that takes advantage of both a vibrant academic program and the school’s location in the culturally rich city of Philadelphia. The school is a diverse community of young men who hail from over 245 different elementary and middle schools, 172 different zip codes, and 10 different counties. St. Joseph’s Prep diversity/inclusion initiatives and programs enhance the life of the school, contributing to an environment that reflects and nurtures the recognition and appreciation of human dignity and multiple perspectives while embracing and celebrating shared experiences.
The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 2 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com The Prep is fully accredited by the Pennsylvania State Department of Public Instruction and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. It is also an active member of the Jesuit Schools Network, National Catholic Education Association, the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools, and the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools.
Academics
Rising from its Jesuit roots, and embracing a liberal arts model of education, St. Joseph’s Prep strives to be at the vanguard of student-centered learning. With its talented, dedicated faculty (97% of whom hold advanced degrees) and its challenging and innovative curriculum, the school works to ensure that all students are prepared to thrive at the world’s top colleges and universities and to grow into lives of personal and professional success and service. At the center of the Prep’s academic philosophy is the Ignatian tradition of educating the mind and the heart. No student should reach the end of his day feeling either unchallenged or unloved.
To graduate from the Prep, a student must earn a minimum of 26 academic credits, satisfy the State of Pennsylvania requirement for physical education, and fulfill community service requirements through the Ignatian Service Program. But that’s just the core of the program. Students can also take Advanced Placement (AP) courses in 17 areas, including History, English, Science, Latin, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Psychology. They can enroll in any of the numerous electives in the sciences, humanities, and arts. They can take public speaking or engage in fieldwork in Environmental Sciences or study the social ethics of war and peace. They can immerse themselves in classical and modern languages, including Mandarin or Russian, and study the fundamentals of economics.
The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 3 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com College Placement The St. Joseph’s Prep Class of 2018 received 759 acceptances from 212 different colleges and universities, including:
Arizona State University Bard College Bates College Boston University Bucknell University Case Western Reserve University Clemson University Colgate University Columbia University Dickinson College Elon University Fordham University Franklin & Marshall College Georgetown University Hamilton College Johns Hopkins University While the academic program has long served students Kenyon College well, St. Joseph’s Prep is always interested in growing Loyola University Chicago and evolving its program. To that end, the school is now Macalester College working to foster greater interdepartmental and grade-level Marquette University collaboration among the faculty and establish best practices Michigan State University for use in the classroom. At every turn, the teachers strive Morehouse College to instill in students a lifelong love of learning. This evolving New York University work offers a great opportunity for the next Principal to help Northeastern University shape and guide the school’s 21st century curriculum. Princeton University Syracuse University While the academic program is second to none, the Prep Temple University also aims to encourage its students to discover through The Catholic University of America serious and prayerful reflection not only a strong sense of The George Washington University their own self worth but also a clear responsibility to share Trinity College their gifts working with, and for, their fellow human beings. University of Chicago University of Miami University of Notre Dame University of Pennsylvania University of Vermont University of Virginia Vanderbilt University Villanova University Wake Forest University Xavier University Yale University
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The philosophy of mens sana in corpore sano — “a healthy mind in a healthy body” — has long been a part of a Prep education. To that end, the school offers numerous varsity, JV, and freshmen sports teams each season. Prep teams have had tremendous success in their league over the years — including state and national titles — and many of their athletes go on to compete at the collegiate level. But the members of the coaching staff will tell you that while success in competition is important, they also endeavor to instill the qualities of leadership, loyalty, and sportsmanship. Teams include baseball, basketball, bowling, crew, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, squash, swimming, tennis, track, Ultimate frisbee, volleyball, and wrestling.
Jesuit Mission
At the Prep, the Mission & Ministry team brings the school’s mission to life in a variety of ways. By living the Gospel Message, Mission & Ministry strives to meet students and adults where they are through its work to create in them sustainable, faith-filled, contemplative, and active relationships with others and Jesus Christ.
Through the newly created Summer Service Learning Course, St. Joseph’s Prep offers the opportunity for students to analyze the complexities of the challenges facing the City of Philadelphia and advocate for change. The retreat program strives to bring continued development, spiritual growth, and the Ignatian ideal of Cura Personalis — care for the whole person — to students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Students in each grade have opportunities to participate in retreats. Mission & Ministry also offers a variety of liturgical and spiritual opportunities to address the needs of everyone at the Prep.
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Students at the Prep are involved. At all grade levels, they are encouraged to take part in a vast array of clubs and activities that build body, mind and spirit, as well as brotherhood and community. To that end the school offers 13 academic clubs, from Forensics to Model UN to the Writing Lab, as well as eight Cultural Clubs, including the Asian Club and the Black and Latino Club. The school offers eight clubs in the visual and performing arts, four service clubs, and more than a dozen special interest clubs, from Anime to Fishing to Robotics. Students also help run various school-related publications and participate in a wide array of intramural sports, from mountain biking to ping pong.
The Ignatian Service Program facilitates opportunities for students, as well as faculty and staff, to serve the needs of others in the immediate community and beyond. During their four years at the school, students will complete a minimum of 75 hours. Weeklong immersion trips take place over Spring Break and during the summer for Juniors and Seniors.
Campus
In 1868, the Prep established 17th and Girard in North Philadelphia as its home. Following the fire of 1966, the Jesuits re-committed to the city of Philadelphia and chose to rebuild here rather than move to a suburban location. The main Prep building became the center of the rebuild and remains the focal space for the school’s mission of developing the minds, hearts, souls, and characters of young men.
The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 6 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Today, school leaders are re-committing once again to their urban campus. The recent strategic plan calls for updating, improving, and adding to the existing campus. This project includes modernizing all classrooms, building a state-of-the-art Learning Commons, rejuvenating the school’s theater, adding a Welcome and Admission Center, and building an additional nearby athletic field.
The Church of the Gesu, a remarkable Victorian Cathedralesque Basilica built in 1888, became St. Joseph’s Prep’s official chapel in the 1990s — and continues to serve as the school’s spiritual center.
For many students, one of the main attractions of the Prep’s campus is its access to the City of Philadelphia and all of its remarkable cultural offerings. Indeed, the school considers the city a central part of the curriculum and an important extension of its campus.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia. Philly. The City of Brotherly Love. There are few locations in the United States with a more storied history and dynamic present. Founded by English Quaker William Penn in 1682, the city has served an instrumental role in the American Revolution and is the site of the signing of both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Over the years, the city has been home to many U.S. firsts, including the first library, hospital, medical school, nation’s capital, and stock exchange.
Today, the Philadelphia metropolitan area is the eighth largest in the United States. As a thriving economic center, it is home to some major U.S. corporations, including Comcast, Cigna Insurance, Sunoco, Aramark food service, GlaxoSmithKilne, Urban Outfitters, and others. The city is also
The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 7 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com growing as a center for biotechnology and information technology. Of course, Philadelphia’s historic and cultural sites make it one of the nation’s major tourist destinations. In 2017, it attracted more than 41 million visitors.
On the cultural front, museums include the Franklin Institute, the Museum of the American Revolution, the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the Philadelphia Museum of Art (with the now-famous Rocky steps), and the impressive Barnes Foundation, which promotes the advancement of education and appreciation for the fine arts. With its historic neighborhoods, parks, and remarkable building murals, Philadelphia is a wonderful city for walking. It’s also a great city for dining out, with 300-plus bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) restaurants and lots of sidewalk seating reminiscent of European cities.
In education, the city is home to some of the oldest independent schools in the country and has the nation’s third largest concentration of college students — including at the University of Pennsylvania, Saint Joseph’s University, Temple University, and Drexel University.
Opportunities and Challenges
This is an outstanding and rare leadership opportunity at one of the finest and most prominent Catholic schools in the country. The Prep is a high performing school in every respect, and its academic and extra-curricular programs are exceptional. The school’s stated goal is to graduate young men marked by the following characteristics: “open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving and committed to doing justice.” In order to accomplish this goal, the entire school community must embrace the Jesuit mission and the vision that the leadership articulates.
The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 8 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Following a year-long process involving more than 300 Prep constituents and consultants, an ambitious strategic plan is now in place consisting of four key pillars:
1. Live Our Catholic and Jesuit Mission 2. Enhance Academic Excellence 3. Strengthen an Environment of Involvement, Respect, and Connection 4. Sustain the Prep Mission through Enhanced Revenue Strategies
While the Principal will be a critical leader across all elements of the plan, he/she will be expected to drive #2 in particular. This will involve the following strategic objectives:
• Initiate a process for ongoing curriculum review • Foster interdepartmental and grade-level collaboration • Establish best practices for use in all classroom instruction and an environment that instills a love of learning
The next Principal will also need to be grounded in mission while being a courageous leader in the field of teaching and learning excellence. This is a classic “take it to the next level” opportunity. The school enjoys an enviable market presence and history in the community, but there is a desire to seize the momentum and build on this solid institutional platform. Additionally, the school desires to have a Principal who possesses significant knowledge of independent school operations and strategic planning and who will also be a strong communicator and a dynamic, energetic leader.
The St. Joseph’s Prep community is genuinely committed to its ideals of equity and inclusion and realizes that this passion for a diverse community requires further attention in order to achieve its true promise. The next Principal will be expected to work earnestly with faculty, staff, parents, and The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 9 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com students in ensuring that the sense of true “Brotherhood” continues to be a warm and welcoming reality.
Qualities and Characteristics of the Next Principal
As with all Jesuit secondary schools, the Prep operates in the President/Principal Leadership Model. In this powerful leadership structure, the Principal reports to the President and is responsible for day-to-day academic operations and the overall quality of the student experience. Moreover, the Principal plays a critical role in setting the tone, fulfilling the mission, holding people accountable, and partnering with the President to achieve the critical goals and objectives of the school. In this regard, the President could be considered the “Institution Builder” and the Principal the “Community Builder.” Together the President and Principal represent a formidable and synergistic leadership team.
The next Principal will also need to be a strong “servant leader” – collaborative and collegial yet persistent and determined at the same time. The Prep environment is appropriately demanding, with high expectations of its faculty, students, and staff. The next Principal will need to manage these expectations and build an academic team capable of executing with discipline and fulfilling the promise of the new strategic plan.
The school is also deeply committed to its Ignatian spirituality and emphasis on “Cura Personalis,” or care for the entire person. The Principal must embody and exemplify the mission and demonstrate its power and purpose in his/her daily leadership practice.
To qualify, you will need to be a practicing Catholic with significant leadership experience, preferably in an independent school or college setting. You will also need to be appropriately credentialed to lead a faculty where 97% hold advanced degrees.
To Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit electronically in one email and as separate documents (preferably PDFs) the following materials:
• A cover letter expressing interest in this particular position; • A current résumé; • A one-page statement of educational or leadership philosophy and practice; • A list of five professional references with name, phone number, and email address of each (references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission) to:
Bob Regan Senior Consultant Group Practice Leader, Catholic Schools Practice [email protected]
Barbara Daush Senior Consultant [email protected]
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