Position Available: Principal Oakland Catholic High School Pittsburgh, PA 15213 THE SCHOOL: Oakland Catholic High School, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was founded in 1989 by the Diocese of Pittsburgh and is part of a long tradition of all female Catholic educational tradition in Western Pennsylvania. Oakland Catholic High School, Inc is a non-profit, all girls collegepreparatory school for grades 9-12 that serves approximately 600 students. Set in the heart of the cityʼs academic, cultural and healing center, Oakland Catholic offers students opportunities that come in todayʼs urban setting while inspiring them to prepare for tomorrowʼs global needs. THE SCHOOL S MISSION: Oakland Catholic High School is a Christ-centered, college preparatory school for young women of diverse backgrounds. The Oakland Catholic community is committed to an environment that promotes spiritual formation, excellence in education, a wide range of activities and athletics, and service to others. Formed under the patronage of St. Joan of Arc, Oakland Catholic is dedicated to teaching young women to lead lives of faith, courage and commitment as they lay the foundation for their future as responsible and respected global leaders. GENERAL POSITION DESCRIPTION: The Principal, as the educational leader of the school, is responsible for the operation of the school within the context of the teaching-learning process. The Principal is assisted in this task by the Assistant Principal and others appointed to the Principal s Administrative Team. The Principal, along with the President, is a facilitator of the community of faith and bears the responsibility for the integration of faith and culture within the school. The Principal has the primary responsibility for achieving the mission of the school by maintaining and developing a school strong in academic achievement, counseling and guidance services, and by providing ample programs to meet the co-curricular and extracurricular needs of the students. The Principal works closely with the President, the Board of Directors, and in varying degrees, with other groups within the school community to provide leadership in establishing the high quality of Catholic Education as delivered by the teaching staff. The Principal is to assist the President in responding to all Stakeholders to insure the high quality of Catholic Education, and is accountable to the President/Board of Directors. The Principal is evaluated by the Assistant Superintendent for Catholic Schools through the procedures established by the Board of Members. The following people report directly to the Principal: the Assistant Principal, the Campus Minister, the School Office Staff, the Athletic Director, the Guidance Department, all faculty personnel, all moderators and coaches, and the Director of the Joan of Arc Society of Scholars.
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES Faith Community/Catholic Character: The Principal... Ensures that the Catholic Character of the school is developed and nurtured. Employs faculty and staff whose values are compatible with the mission of the school. Helps faculty and staff integrate the school s mission in academic affairs, student affairs, athletic affairs and campus ministry affairs. Maintains a discipline program with the Assistant Principal(s) which is consistent with the Catholic nature of the school. Provides opportunities for school liturgies and student retreats in conjunction with the Campus Minister. Ensures that students, faculty and staff have awareness of the global family and of social justice issues. Ensures that the Campus minister works to keep visible the Catholic character of the school. Interprets and implements pedagogy and the spiritual direction of the school in a manner consistent with a Roman Catholic education, in conjunction with the guidance of the Department of Mission Integration. Works with the Chaplain and Secondary Consultant for Catechesis to insure that Catholic Teaching as outlined by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in maintained throughout the curriculum. School Policies and Procedures: The Principal: Provides input into periodic review of the philosophy and mission statement of the school. Implements Diocesan policy with regard to academic affairs, student affairs, athletic affairs, and campus ministry affairs. Votes at all Board meetings as an ex-officio member. Prepares and presents a written report at each Board meeting on internal school matters that have emerged since the prior meeting. Assists the President and Board in the development of strategic, short, and long-term plans. Works cooperatively with the President, the Board of Directors, and the Chief Financial Officer in the development of the annual school budget. Ensures compliance with all accreditation agencies. Complies with all terms of the FPDT Agreement.
Staff Recruitment/Development: The Principal... Creates and maintains an environment within the school that fosters strong morale. Hires faculty and staff, making certain that all employees are in conformity with all Diocesan requirements including all state mandated clearances, Protecting God s Children and the Cardinal s Clause. Develops a Faculty/Staff Handbook with input from the President. Provides orientation and ongoing mentoring for new teachers in conjunction with the Principal s Administrative Team and Academic Council. Coordinates agendas for faculty meetings, advisory council meetings, and in-service professional development days. Meets regularly with the President regarding personnel matters. Ensures the quality of the teaching-learning process in cooperation with the Assistant Principal(s) and/or Deans. Cultivates leadership and advancement opportunities within the ranks of faculty and staff. Hires coaches in consultation with the Director of Athletics. Ensures the quality of the Guidance and Counseling Program. Serves as a liaison between the faculty and staff and the office of the President. Collaborates with the President and the Office of Admissions regarding new student recruitment/enrollment. Ensures that there are in-place appropriate systems of professional development and evaluation for all faculty, administration and staff. Student Affairs: The Principal... Works closely with the Assistant Principal to oversee student behavioral and academic disciplinary procedures in consultation with the Assistant Principal. Follows diocesan policy regarding suspensions and expulsion of students. Supervises the administration of the discipline policies of the school. Monitors the Development a Student Handbook with input from the President. Ensures the timely appointment and supervision of all student activities moderators. Oversees the completion of all official accreditation, diocesan and state reports. Assists the President in the communication of strategic, short-range and long-range plans to the school community.
Supervises the development of the school calendar. Academic Affairs: The Principal... Assumes overall responsibility and accountability for instructional programs. Directs the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of the curriculum with the assistance of the Assistant Principal and the Department Chairs Collaborates with the Assistant Principal in the assignment of teaching and other professional responsibilities as the needs of the school require. Serves as a liaison with various educational and professional academic organizations. Oversees the student registration process. Monitors the preparation of the master schedule. Oversees the reporting of student progress. Oversees the assignment of substitute teachers. Manages the school in compliance with all policies of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. EVALUATION: The Principal is directly responsible for the Evaluation and Supervision of the Teaching staff including: Professional Staff Co-curricular Coaches and Monitors The Principal is evaluated by the Assistant Superintendent for Catholic Schools, in collaboration with the President, through the procedures established by the Board of Members. The evaluation will be based on the guidelines established by the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the duties and responsibilities listed above, and the goals set by the Principal at the start of each school year. Information for the evaluation will be gathered from the administration, faculty, and staff of Oakland Catholic High School. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPLICANTS: The Principal will be a dynamic, energetic Catholic leader who facilitates learning, growth, and collaboration both inside and outside the classroom. The Principal should have a genuine commitment to Catholic education and the ability and willingness to relate well to students and members of the school community and to interact with them regularly. The Principal should have administrative certification and hold a minimum of a Master s degree in an education-related discipline. The Principal must have a successful background in teaching and/or leadership experience in a school setting. Experience as a principal is preferred. The Principal must understand, embrace, and be able to articulate the Roman Catholic mission and vision of college preparatory education in an all female setting. It is important that the Principal create a collaborative, positive, and inclusive environment conducive to open communication. The Principal must be open to new ideas and able to effectively implement policies and programs that further the school s mission. It is essential that the Principal possess technological competence given the school's 1:1 laptop initiative Mission Forward outlined on our site.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: August 1, 2014 TO APPLY: Please send a resume, a compelling letter of interest indicating how your skills, knowledge and experience match the responsibilities articulated in the job description, three references (at least one of which must be directly involved in your current organization) with current phone numbers and e-mail addresses, and your answers to the questions set forth below to: The President's Office/ Office of Advancement Oakland Catholic High School 144 N. Craig Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213 ATTN: Principal Search OR Email: principalsearch@oaklandcatholic.org Please answer these questions and send us your responses along with the abovementioned application materials. Please limit responses to 300 words or less (per question). 1. Why do you want to serve as Principal at Oakland Catholic High School? 2. How would your educational and leadership philosophy animate the mission of Oakland Catholic High School? 3. What are the greatest challenges facing Catholic/all girls high schools today?