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St. Joseph’s Preparatory SchoolPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPrincipalStart Date: July 1, 2019www.sjprep.org
MissionFast FactsThe mission of St. Joseph’s Prep — as aCatholic, Jesuit, urban, college preparatoryschool — is to develop the minds, hearts,souls and characters of young men in theirpursuit of becoming men for and with others. Motto of the Society of JesusYear established: 1851Total enrollment: 902Student/teacher ratio: 13:1Total faculty: 71Faculty with advanced degrees: 97%Average faculty tenure: 17 yearsStudents receiving financial aid: 56%Ad maiorem Dei gloriam– “For the greater glory of God”OverviewFounded in 1851 by the Society of Jesus, St. Joseph’s Preparatory School (the Prep) is anindependent, Catholic, college-preparatory school for boys. Located in North Philadelphia, it isthe only Jesuit high school in the Delaware Valley and one of 62 Jesuit Secondary Schools in theUnited States. The school serves approximately 900 students and is dedicated to providing a robusteducational experience to its students while balancing its highly-regarded classical program withextensive offerings of athletics, theater, music, and club opportunities. Even more important is theschool’s commitment to produce graduates who are “men for and with others” and who will servetheir 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 devotedto maintaining its commitment to diversity, service, and academic excellence. Enrollment is strongand steady, the Board is visionary and supportive, the faculty is talented and dedicated, there is aformidable 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 asPrincipal who will be devoted to the mission and programs of the Prep and who will direct a talentedfaculty to embrace new and innovative academic initiatives that will further enhance the excellentreputation that the school has built. This is an exceptional opportunity to lead a high-performing allboys Catholic secondary school with deep ties to its community and an unwavering commitment toits mission.The Search Group Carney, Sandoe & Associates1search@carneysandoe.com www.carneysandoe.com
Fast FactsSchool HistorySt. Joseph’s Preparatory School was founded in 1851 in Philadelphia. The school grew out of a smallparish church created by Rev. Joseph Greaton, S.J. in Center City in 1733. As the city and parishblossomed over time, the Jesuits of the Maryland Province decided to create Saint Joseph’s Collegewith a supporting preparatory department to serve the growing Catholic immigrant population. Inthe late 1800s, the college and school moved to Girard Avenue, near the site of the CentennialExposition. When the college later relocated to the northwestern corner of the city, St. Joseph’sPrep 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, butwith their commitment to serving an urban population, school leaders quickly made plans to rebuildon the same site.The SchoolToday, the Prep, as the school is affectionately known, offers students a world-class education thattakes advantage of both a vibrant academic program and the school’s location in the culturally richcity of Philadelphia. The school is a diverse community of young men who hail from over 245 differentelementary and middle schools, 172 different zip codes, and 10 different counties. St. Joseph’sPrep diversity/inclusion initiatives and programs enhance the life of the school, contributing to anenvironment that reflects and nurtures the recognition and appreciation of human dignity and multipleperspectives while embracing and celebrating shared experiences.The Search Group Carney, Sandoe & Associates2search@carneysandoe.com www.carneysandoe.com
The Prep is fully accredited by the Pennsylvania State Department of Public Instruction and theMiddle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. It is also an active member of theJesuit Schools Network, National Catholic Education Association, the Pennsylvania Association ofIndependent Schools, and the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools.AcademicsRising from its Jesuit roots, and embracing a liberal arts model of education, St. Joseph’s Prepstrives 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 worksto ensure that all students are prepared to thrive at the world’s top colleges and universities andto grow into lives of personal and professional success and service. At the center of the Prep’sacademic philosophy is the Ignatian tradition of educating the mind and the heart. No student shouldreach 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 theState of Pennsylvania requirement for physical education, and fulfill community service requirementsthrough the Ignatian Service Program. But that’s just the core of the program. Students can alsotake 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 electivesin the sciences, humanities, and arts. They can take public speaking or engage in fieldwork inEnvironmental Sciences or study the social ethics of war and peace. They can immerse themselvesin classical and modern languages, including Mandarin or Russian, and study the fundamentals ofeconomics.The Search Group Carney, Sandoe & Associates3search@carneysandoe.com www.carneysandoe.com
College PlacementThe St. Joseph’s Prep Class of 2018received 759 acceptances from 212different colleges and universities,including:While the academic program has long served studentswell, St. Joseph’s Prep is always interested in growingand evolving its program. To that end, the school is nowworking to foster greater interdepartmental and grade-levelcollaboration among the faculty and establish best practicesfor use in the classroom. At every turn, the teachers striveto instill in students a lifelong love of learning. This evolvingwork offers a great opportunity for the next Principal to helpshape and guide the school’s 21st century curriculum.While the academic program is second to none, the Prepalso aims to encourage its students to discover throughserious and prayerful reflection not only a strong sense oftheir own self worth but also a clear responsibility to sharetheir gifts working with, and for, their fellow human beings.The Search Group Carney, Sandoe & Associates4Arizona State UniversityBard CollegeBates CollegeBoston UniversityBucknell UniversityCase Western Reserve UniversityClemson UniversityColgate UniversityColumbia UniversityDickinson CollegeElon UniversityFordham UniversityFranklin & Marshall CollegeGeorgetown UniversityHamilton CollegeJohns Hopkins UniversityKenyon CollegeLoyola University ChicagoMacalester CollegeMarquette UniversityMichigan State UniversityMorehouse CollegeNew York UniversityNortheastern UniversityPrinceton UniversitySyracuse UniversityTemple UniversityThe Catholic University of AmericaThe George Washington UniversityTrinity CollegeUniversity of ChicagoUniversity of MiamiUniversity of Notre DameUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of VermontUniversity of VirginiaVanderbilt UniversityVillanova UniversityWake Forest UniversityXavier UniversityYale Universitysearch@carneysandoe.com www.carneysandoe.com
AthleticsThe philosophy of mens sana in corpore sano — “a healthy mind in a healthy body” — has longbeen a part of a Prep education. To that end, the school offers numerous varsity, JV, and freshmensports teams each season. Prep teams have had tremendous success in their league over theyears — including state and national titles — and many of their athletes go on to compete at thecollegiate level. But the members of the coaching staff will tell you that while success in competitionis 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 MissionAt the Prep, the Mission & Ministry team brings the school’s mission to life in a variety of ways. Byliving the Gospel Message, Mission & Ministry strives to meet students and adults where they arethrough its work to create in them sustainable, faith-filled, contemplative, and active relationshipswith others and Jesus Christ.Through the newly created Summer Service Learning Course, St. Joseph’s Prep offers the opportunityfor students to analyze the complexities of the challenges facing the City of Philadelphia and advocatefor change. The retreat program strives to bring continued development, spiritual growth, and theIgnatian ideal of Cura Personalis — care for the whole person — to students, faculty, staff, andalumni. Students in each grade have opportunities to participate in retreats. Mission & Ministry alsooffers a variety of liturgical and spiritual opportunities to address the needs of everyone at the Prep.The Search Group Carney, Sandoe & Associates5search@carneysandoe.com www.carneysandoe.com
Student LifeStudents at the Prep are involved. At all grade levels, they are encouraged to take part in a vast arrayof clubs and activities that build body, mind and spirit, as well as brotherhood and community. To thatend the school offers 13 academic clubs, from Forensics to Model UN to the Writing Lab, as well aseight Cultural Clubs, including the Asian Club and the Black and Latino Club. The school offers eightclubs in the visual and performing arts, four service clubs, and more than a dozen special interestclubs, from Anime to Fishing to Robotics. Students also help run various school-related publicationsand 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, toserve the needs of others in the immediate community and beyond. During their four years at theschool, students will complete a minimum of 75 hours. Weeklong immersion trips take place overSpring Break and during the summer for Juniors and Seniors.CampusIn 1868, the Prep established 17th and Girard in North Philadelphia as its home. Following the fireof 1966, the Jesuits re-committed to the city of Philadelphia and chose to rebuild here rather thanmove to a suburban location. The main Prep building became the center of the rebuild and remainsthe focal space for the school’s mission of developing the minds, hearts, souls, and characters ofyoung men.The Search Group Carney, Sandoe & Associates6search@carneysandoe.com www.carneysandoe.com
Today, school leaders are re-committing once again to their urban campus. The recent strategic plancalls for updating, improving, and adding to the existing campus. This project includes modernizingall 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 ofPhiladelphia and all of its remarkable cultural offerings. Indeed, the school considers the city acentral part of the curriculum and an important extension of its campus.Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia. Philly. The City of Brotherly Love. There are few locations in the United States with amore storied history and dynamic present. Founded by English Quaker William Penn in 1682, thecity has served an instrumental role in the American Revolution and is the site of the signing of boththe Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Over the years, the city has been hometo many U.S. firsts, including the first library, hospital, medical school, nation’s capital, and stockexchange.Today, the Philadelphia metropolitan area is the eighth largest in the United States. As a thrivingeconomic 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 alsoThe Search Group Carney, Sandoe & Associates7search@carneysandoe.com www.carneysandoe.com
growing as a center for biotechnology and information technology. Of course, Philadelphia’s historicand cultural sites make it one of the nation’s major tourist destinations. In 2017, it attracted morethan 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 Museumof Art (with the now-famous Rocky steps), and the impressive Barnes Foundation, which promotesthe 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 greatcity for dining out, with 300-plus bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) restaurants and lots of sidewalkseating reminiscent of European cities.In education, the city is home to some of the oldest independent schools in the country and has thenation’s third largest concentration of college students — including at the University of Pennsylvania,Saint Joseph’s University, Temple University, and Drexel University.Opportunities and ChallengesThis is an outstanding and rare leadership opportunity at one of the finest and most prominent Catholicschools in the country. The Prep is a high performing school in every respect, and its academicand extra-curricular programs are exceptional. The school’s stated goal is to graduate young menmarked by the following characteristics: “open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, lovingand committed to doing justice.” In order to accomplish this goal, the entire school community mustembrace the Jesuit mission and the vision that the leadership articulates.The Search Group Carney, Sandoe & Associates8search@carneysandoe.com www.carneysandoe.com
Following a year-long process involving more than 300 Prep constituents and consultants, anambitious strategic plan is now in place consisting of four key pillars:1.2.3.4.Live Our Catholic and Jesuit MissionEnhance Academic ExcellenceStrengthen an Environment of Involvement, Respect, and ConnectionSustain the Prep Mission through Enhanced Revenue StrategiesWhile the Principal will be a critical leader across all elements of the plan, he/she will be expected todrive #2 in particular. This will involve the following strategic objectives: Initiate a process for ongoing curriculum reviewFoster interdepartmental and grade-level collaborationEstablish best practices for use in all classroom instruction and an environment that instills a loveof learningThe next Principal will also need to be grounded in mission while being a courageous leader in thefield of teaching and learning excellence. This is a classic “take it to the next level” opportunity. Theschool enjoys an enviable market presence and history in the community, but there is a desire toseize the momentum and build on this solid institutional platform. Additionally, the school desiresto have a Principal who possesses significant knowledge of independent school operations andstrategic 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 andrealizes that this passion for a diverse community requires further attention in order to achieve itstrue promise. The next Principal will be expected to work earnestly with faculty, staff, parents, andThe Search Group Carney, Sandoe & Associates9search@carneysandoe.com www.carneysandoe.com
students in ensuring that the sense of true “Brotherhood” continues to be a warm and welcomingreality.Qualities and Characteristics of the Next PrincipalAs 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 forday-to-day academic operations and the overall quality of the student experience. Moreover, thePrincipal plays a critical role in setting the tone, fulfilling the mission, holding people accountable, andpartnering 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 yetpersistent and determined at the same time. The Prep environment is appropriately demanding, withhigh expectations of its faculty, students, and staff. The next Principal will need to manage theseexpectations and build an academic team capable of executing with discipline and fulfilling the promiseof the new strategic plan.The school is also deeply committed to its Ignatian spirituality and emphasis on “Cura Personalis,” orcare for the entire person. The Principal must embody and exemplify the mission and demonstrate itspower and purpose in his/her daily leadership practice.To qualify, you will need to be a practicing Catholic with significant leadership experience, preferablyin an independent school or college setting. You will also need to be appropriately credentialed to leada faculty where 97% hold advanced degrees.To ApplyInterested and qualified candidates should submit electronically in one email and as separatedocuments (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 ReganSenior ConsultantGroup Practice Leader, Catholic Schools Practicebob.regan@carneysandoe.comBarbara DaushSenior Consultantbarbara.daush@carneysandoe.comThe Search Group Carney, Sandoe & Associates10search@carneysandoe.com www.carneysandoe.com
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.
