Mission Dolores Academy is currently searching for outstanding candidates for the position of Principal, starting July, 2016.

1.
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.

2.
Catholic Values
1
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
2
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
1
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
2
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

3.
Our Story (continued from previous page)
3
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.
4
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.

4.
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.

5.
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.
Equal Opportunity Employer