Superintendent of Catholic Schools

Job Description

Job Title: Superintendent of Catholic Schools
Location: Upper Valley Pastoral Center (San Juan)
Department: Catholic Schools
FLSA: Exempt
Reports To: Moderator of the Curia

The Diocese of Brownsville is actively seeking an educational leader to serve as Superintendent of Catholic Schools.

The Diocese of Brownsville, led by Bishop Daniel E. Flores, serves more than a million Catholics, and encompasses the four counties of the Lower Rio Grande Valley - Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy. The Diocese includes 72 parishes and 44 mission churches. The Diocese of Brownsville currently has eight elementary, one middle, and two high schools.

The ideal candidate must be a practicing Catholic and exhibit a deep belief in the intrinsic lifelong value of a Catholic education. This person must hold an unwavering commitment to preserve Catholic identity and to serve as an inspirational model of missionary discipleship as expressed by Pope Francis. He/she will also affirm academic excellence as central to the educational mission of the local Church. The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to lead not only for the present, but also envision the long-term landscape of Catholic education in the Diocese. This includes leading the Catholic schools through sustainability, viability, and growth. The ideal candidate must embrace an educational model that leads to the holistic formation of young men and women spiritually, academically, athletically, and socially.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
o Provide support to each school in assuring accreditation standards are maintained and in compliance with the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Education Department.
o Provide support and direction to all Catholic schools in the areas of faith formation, quality and innovative educational programs, effective staffing practices, and teacher/staff development.
o Create and execute leadership/professional development programs for principals, administrators, and faculty throughout the system.
o Analyze academic data as a means of evaluating student and educator achievement levels and setting benchmarks for strategic planning.
o Work closely with the Diocesan Bishop(s), Chancellor, Priests Council, Diocesan Pastoral Council, Human Resources, and other diocesan agencies in representing Catholic school concerns in the Diocese.
o Work in close collaboration with the Office of Catechesis and the Office of Parish Engagement for support of the enhancement of the religion curriculum in Catholic schools.
o Manage background checks for all new hires through the Texas Department of Public Safety System (Fact Clearing House).
o Manage the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
o Stay current on the student qualifications of the Education Savings Account (School Choice).
o Serve as ex-officio of the diocesan school council, recommend policies, implement board policies, and report on the state of education in Catholic schools in the Diocese as well as national trends in Catholic education.
o Evangelize, together with the ministerial functions of the Diocese, by raising public awareness of the role and accomplishments of Catholic schools as an important contributor to society and community.
o Work with school leadership to evaluate, develop, and implement updates for the Diocesan curriculum standards.
o Work closely with community partners including colleges, universities, and funding organizations to develop strategic partnerships that will expand academic opportunities.
o Work in conjunction with the Diocese regarding financial strategy, budgeting, and operational effectiveness.
o Manage ongoing relationships with individual benefactors, and foundations supporting the mission of Catholic education in the Diocese of Brownsville.
o Directly supervise the work of the Catholic School Office staff.
o Conduct regular professional evaluations (annually or as needed).

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS
o Practicing Catholic in communion with the Church, who is faith-filled and Christ-centered.
o Master's Degree in Education Administration or equivalent.
o Minimum of five years' experience as an administrator in Catholic Education.
o Successful experience as a principal of a Catholic school including development initiatives.
o Appreciation of post-Vatican II theology, knowledge of the teachings and structure of the Roman Catholic Church and knowledge of adult faith formation and learning styles.
o Background in an appreciation of contemporary theology, adult education, and spirituality and formation.
o Competence in budget planning, recruitment, evaluation, supervision, and accreditation.
o Ability to build collaborative, working relationships across all levels of an organization such as a Catholic school system, traditional public-school system, charter school, private school, or other educational organization.
o Successful management experience along with a track record of initiating and managing growth.
o Experience in the development of training programs to enhance teacher competency with differentiated teaching models.

PREFERRED QUALITIES
o A mindset of creativity and innovation.
o A high level of emotional intelligence to build internal and external relationships to advance Catholic education.
o Experience and commitment to diverse cultural heritage to lead effectively academic programming and strategy.
o Understands the importance and value of being a visible part of the school community with an emphasis on visiting and attending school functions.
o Have knowledge or experience in adaptive use technology to advance academic priorities and enhance academic competitiveness.

KEY OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
o The Superintendent must focus on long-term strategic planning with an eye on the challenges posed by demographic shifts in Catholic elementary schools and growing competition from charter schools. The leader must be equipped to articulate effectively the value-proposition of the Catholic schools in the Diocese.
o The Superintendent must be sensitive to the role that technology can play in advancing the mission of Catholic education, in making it accessible to more students and schools, and the role it can have in innovative curricular models.
o The Superintendent must focus on the recruitment and retention of mission-aligned school leaders, including the implementation of a leadership succession-planning model at the school level.
o The Superintendent has the opportunity to work collaboratively and constructively with local pastors and principals as needed, to build support for and alignment with the Catholic high schools.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and to talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.

SALARY: $80,000 to $100,000.00

WORKING CONDITIONS
The work environment is typical office and Catholic school setting. The noise level in the work
environment is usually moderate. Average forty hours per week, occasional evening work. This
position requires employee to travel to multiple school locations. Fleet vehicles are available for
these positions. If no vehicle is available for use on a given day, the use of personal vehicles with
mileage reimbursement is available for business use.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
To apply, please submit the following documents as separate PDF attachments. They will be treated as confidential.
o Cover letter that aligns your experiences and skill sets with the current needs of the
Diocese as you understand them
o Statement of Catholic educational philosophy
o Current resume with all appropriate dates included
o List of five references to include names, relationships, phone numbers, and email addresses (No references will be contacted without your knowledge and approval)
o Letter from current pastor certifying that the individual is a practicing Catholic in good standing
o Email to: Annita Gonzalez at agonzalez@cdob.org
Please include Diocese of Brownsville in the subject field.

About the Employer

The Diocese of Brownsville, led by Bishop Daniel E. Flores, serves more than 1.3 million Catholics, and encompasses the four counties of the Lower Rio Grande Valley - Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy. The Diocese includes 72 parishes and 44 mission churches.

Our mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
foster spiritual growth, and serve our community with love
and compassion. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we strive to
build a vibrant and inclusive community that reflects on
the teachings of the Catholic Church. Through prayer,
worship, communion, charity, outreach, and service, we
seek to bring God's love and mercy to all his people,
promoting justice, peace, and unity to the people we serve.