Principal  Starting  July,  2016  

Welcome  to  Mission  Dolores  Academy!  Our  Goal  Mission  Dolores  Academy  is  currently  searching  for  outstanding  candidates  for  the  position  of  Principal,  starting  July,  2016.  Our  goal  is  to  find  the  right  person  for  this  challenging  and  tremendously  rewarding  opportunity.  We  are  looking  for  someone  with  the  leadership  experience,  personality  and  drive  to  envision  and  implement  a  rich  academic  program  and  inspire  our  faculty,  students  and  parents  to  work  together  in  building  upon  the  lessons  and  successes  we  help  our  students  strive  for  each  day.    

Mission  Dolores  Academy,  deeply  rooted  in  Catholic  tradition,  graduates  students  who  are  confident,  lifelong  learners,  and  academically  prepared  to  succeed  in  our  global  community.    

 

 Catholic  Values  

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Mission  Dolores  Academy  is  a  welcoming,  vibrant  and  diverse  community  that  provides  equal  access  to  high  quality,  independent  Catholic  K-­‐‑8th  education  for  inner  city  students.  We  embrace  families  of  all  faiths  and  believe  in  delivering  a  values-­‐‑based  education.  Our  students  learn  to  be  critical  thinkers,  do  their  research,  ask  questions  and  be  confident  about  their  future  success  -­‐‑  and  they  rise  to  the  challenge.  

Our  Blended  Learning  program  is  a  new  paradigm  in  K-­‐‑8th  education.  We  teamed  with  Seton  Education  Partners  to  pioneer  the  concept  of  data-­‐‑driven  academics  by  integrating  online  learning  with  traditional  teacher-­‐‑led  instruction.  Our  school  was  one  of  the  first  in  the  country  

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to  integrate  online  learning  into  core  curriculum.  And  it’s  working.  

Based  on  comparative  analysis  using  national  standardized  test  results,  Mission  Dolores  Academy  students  are  making  great  strides.  This  is  occurring  at  an  inner  city  school  with  one  of  the  lowest  private  school  tuitions  in  San  Francisco.  Over  85%  of  our  students  receive  financial  aid  and  more  than  60%  meet  state  qualifications  for  lunch  benefits.  After  graduation  our  students  go  on  to  attend  some  of  the  best  private  and  charter  high  schools  in  the  city.  Many  of  them  will  be  the  first  in  their  family  to  attend  college.  

This  is  a  school  community  that  is  thriving.  

Our  Story  

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Beginning  with  the  2016-­‐‑17  academic  year,  the  school’s  leadership  model  will  change  to  a  Head  of  School  –  Principal  organization.  This  model  is  emerging  as  a  best-­‐‑practice  construct  around  the  country,  especially  for  schools  requiring  substantial  effort  in  development  and  fundraising  while  ensuring  a  superior  level  of  academic  

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performance  and  growth.    

Recently  the  Board  was  very  pleased  to  appoint  Paul  Recktenwald  as  the  first-­‐‑ever  Head  of  School.  Paul  and  the  new  Principal  will  certainly  be  working  together  a  lot  to  implement  this  highly  collaborative  and  productive  model  in  a  way  that  positions  the  school  for  maximum  overall  success.      

Our  New  Leadership  Model    

Mission  Dolores  Academy  is  proud  to  honor  its  rich  Catholic  tradition.    Students  attend  Mass  each  week  and  receive  daily  religious  instruction,  including  preparation  for  the  sacraments  of  Reconciliation,  First  Communion,  and  Confirmation.  We  are  grateful  to  have  both    Jesuit  and  Dominican  religious  personnel  on  staff  including  Chaplain,  Fr.  Charles  Gagan,  SJ,  Sister  Ann  Providence,  OP  and  Sister  Annette  Sheaffer,  OP.  

Of  the  approximately  265  students,  40%  are  Latino,  25%  African-­‐‑American,  20%  Filipino,  13%  Multi-­‐‑Ethnic  and  2%  other.  

Continued  on  the  next  page  

Diversity  

Latino

African-­‐‑ American Filipino

Multi-­‐‑Ethnic Other

 

Our  Story  (continued  from  previous  page)  

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Our  rich  history  dates  back  to  the  1850’s,  making  us  the  oldest  private  elementary  school  in  San  Francisco.  Our  campus  is  located  on  the  historic  Mission  Dolores  site  and  the  original  Misión  San  Francisco  de  Asís.  Dedicated  to  St.  Francis  by  Father  Junipero  Serra  in  1776,  the  Mission  is  the  oldest  continuously  standing  structure  in  San  Francisco.  

 

Beginning  in  2001,  we  saw  a  decade  of  mergers  between  some  of  San  Francisco’s  most  established  and  historic  inner  city  schools  due  to  lack  of  enrollment.  The  Reverend  Charles  Gagan,  SJ,  with  the  help  of  generous  donors  and  dedicated  Board  members,  interceded  to  chart  an  independent  course  to  provide  K-­‐‑8th  Catholic  educational  opportunities  for  inner  city  families.  In  2011  Mission  Dolores  Academy  was  formed,  building  on  our  historic  cornerstone.  

Fred  Furth,  a  long-­‐‑time  supporter  of  educational  opportunities  for  underserved  youth,  played  a  key  role  in  this  strategy  by  generously  stepping  in  to  help  safeguard  the  school  community.  He  enabled  the  establishment  of  a  significant  endowment,  the  Megan  Furth  Memorial  Fund,  in  honor  of  his  late  daughter,  Megan.  Mr.  Furth  has  been  an  unwavering  supporter  for  many  years,  and  we  are  grateful.  

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Today,  Mission  Dolores  Academy  is  on  a  strong  and  stable  path.  While  the  current  difference  between  tuition  and  expenses  is  $7,500  per  student,  this  deficit  is  covered  primarily  through  fundraising  and  dedicated  underwriting.  The  Academy  staff,  Board  and  several  local  organizations  together  raise  over  $1.5  million  dollars  each  year  to  help  bridge  the  gap.  That  kind  of  support,  along  with  the  Megan  Furth  Memorial  Fund,  will  help  ensure  the  financial  health  and  longevity  of  Mission  Dolores  Academy  for  years  to  come.  

The  Academy  is  committed  to  ensuring  our  students  continue  to  reap  the  benefits  of  leading  educational  technology  in  a  stable  environment.  We  also  provide  many  enrichment,  sports  and  spiritual  programs  to  nurture  and  develop  the  whole  student.  

As  Mission  Dolores  Academy’s  exciting  story  continues,  the  Principal  will  be  welcomed  as  a  key  member  of  the  leadership  team.  Along  with  the  Head  of  School  and  other  members  of  leadership,  the  Principal  will  have  a  tremendous  opportunity  to  help  guide  the  school  on  the  next  leg  of  our  journey  to  capture  our  brightest  possible  future.    

 

 

Principal  –  Responsibilities  of  the  Position  The  Principal  of  Mission  Dolores  Academy  is  the  school’s  educational  leader.  Many  of  the  key  responsibilities  of  this  critical  role  are  highlighted  below:  

• Directly  responsible  to  the  Head  of  School  for  the  daily  operations  of  the  academic  program  and  the  teaching/learning  process;      

• Leads  the  faculty  in  the  implementation  of  curriculum  (blended  and  traditional)  that  meets  the  educational  needs  of  the  students  and  in  analyzing  and  assessing  of  school-­‐‑wide  outcomes;    

• Leads  the  teacher  observation  and  performance  evaluation  process,  as  well  as  the  evaluation,  training,  development  and  mentoring  of  faculty  and  staff;  

• Supervises  those  team  members  responsible  for  student  activities,  student  counseling,  high  school  placement  activities  and  family  services;      

• Oversees  processes  related  to  and  makes  recommendations  to  the  Head  of  School  regarding  hiring,  supervision,  evaluation  and  dismissal  of  faculty  and  staff;    

• Communicates  learning  targets  and  outcomes  to  colleagues,  parents,  and  students  on  a  regular  basis;      

• Builds  and  maintains  positive,  transparent  relationships  with  the  parents  and  support  educators  to  optimize  and  evolve  their  students’  personalized  learning  experience;  

• Coordinates  and  oversees  the  planning  and  development  of  the  master  calendar;  • Works  with  the  Head  of  School  to  help  plan  and  implement  the  facilities  and  

technology  needs  of  the  school  as  they  relate  to  the  academic  program;  • Coordinates  the  updating  and  consistent  use/interpretation  of  the  Student  

Handbook;  • Facilitates  and  supports  parent  programming,  including  parent  meetings,  parent-­‐‑

teacher  conferences,  Back-­‐‑to-­‐‑School  night,  holiday  celebrations  and  open  house(s);  • Develops  and  oversees  implementation  of  an  annual  budget  that  reflects  the  

school’s  priorities  as  set  forth  by  the  Head  of  School  and  the  Board  of  Directors.    

   

Principal  -­‐‑  Qualifications  and  Characteristics  We  are  looking  for  leading  candidates  who  apply  for  the  Principal  position  to  have  the  following  qualifications  and  characteristics:  

• A  Catholic  who  is  open  to  sharing  her/his  faith  with  our  students;  • Demonstrated  strength,  skills  and  experience  in  school  administration  and  leadership  role(s);  • Classroom  teaching  experience  working  with  multiple  grade  levels;  • Experience  in  teacher  and  classroom  observation  and  assessment  as  well  as  in  providing  

constructive  feedback,  coaching,  improvement  ideas/techniques  to  aid  faculty;  • Experience  interviewing,  hiring,  training  and  developing  faculty  and  staff;  • Experience  facilitating  productive  resolutions  and  appropriate  communications  involving  

students,  teachers  and  parents  in  matters  such  as  conduct,  attendance,  admissions,  etc.;    • Excellent  verbal  and  written  communication  skills;  • Experience  and  skills  in  conflict  management,  performance  management  and  team  building;    • If  not  currently  bi-­‐‑lingual  (English-­‐‑Spanish),  willingness  to  develop  conversational  ability  in  

Spanish.  

In  addition  to  the  above,  ideal  candidates  will  also  have  some  of  these  preferred  characteristics:  

• An  outgoing,  engaging  interpersonal  style  with  genuine  interest  in  and  respect  for  others;  • An  advanced  degree  in  Education,  School  Administration  or  similar;  • Five  to  eight  years  teaching  experience  in  a  K-­‐‑8th  school  environment;  • Experience  in  a  Catholic  school  environment;  • Experience  in  or  in-­‐‑depth  understanding  of  various  Blended  Learning  models;  • Three  or  more  years  experience  as  a  Vice  Principal  or  similar  school  leadership  role;  • Experience  working  with  Title  1  populations;  • Bilingual  verbal  and  written  skills  (English-­‐‑Spanish);  • Currently  living  in  the  greater  San  Francisco  Bay  Area.    

To  Apply  Interested  candidates  should  submit  the  following  materials  via  email  to  Paul  Recktenwald,  Head  of  School  at  paulr@mdasf.org.  Please  note  how  you  heard  about  this  opportunity  in  your  email.  Thank  you.  1. A  thoughtful  cover  letter  describing  your  interest  in  and  

understanding  of  this  Principal  role  as  well  as  your  educational  philosophy;  

2. Your  current  resume;  3. A  list  of  three  references  with  names,  titles,  phone  and  

emails.  These  are  kept  strictly  confidential  and  will  not  be  contacted  until  later  in  the  process  and  only  after  seeking  and  receiving  your  specific  permission.  

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