cardinal newman high school

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CARDINAL NEWMAN HIGH SCHOOL
CO-EDUCATIONAL
GRADES 9-12
SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA
PRESIDENT
JULY 2014
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MISSION STATEMENT
Cardinal Newman is a Catholic, college preparatory
high school. Our mission is to educate our students
in the wholeness of mind, body, and spirit through
the teachings of Jesus Christ as proclaimed by the
Catholic Church. Our students learn to apply
leadership skills and talents in service to others. We
challenge each student to work to his or her highest
potential in the lifelong pursuit of learning and
excellence.
PILLARS
Academic Excellence
Altruistic Spirit
Artistic Expression
Athletic Achievement
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Cardinal Newman High School, a diocesan
Catholic high school in Santa Rosa, CA, has
initiated a search for its next President, who
will assume leadership in July 2014. The
school seeks an experienced educator and
capable administrator who is a practicing
Catholic, whose inspirational leadership
will ensure the school’s commitment to
deepen its Catholic identity, strengthen its
already excellent academic program and
who will promote the mission and values of
the school, both in the school and in the
broader community of Santa Rosa.
The new President will lead a community of
over 600 students, 51 faculty members and
25 staff members. The administrative team
at the school consists of the President,
Principal, Chaplain, Academic Vice
Principal, Assistant Vice Principal,
Advancement Director, Admissions
Director, Athletic Director and Business
Manager.
The school received its most recent
accreditation in 2009 from the Western
Catholic Educational Association
(WCEA) and Western Association of
Schools and Colleges (WASC). The next
visit is in 2015.
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THE SCHOOL
Founded on April 24, 1964 as an all-boys high
school, and named for Cardinal John Henry
Newman, Cardinal Newman High School was one
of the top 50 Catholic high schools in the nation for
2005. An Oxford scholar, Cardinal Newman was
first ordained as an Anglican priest, but through a
crisis of faith, embraced Roman Catholicism and
was made a member of the College of Cardinals in
1879. A believer in a more progressive philosophy
of education for the time, he advocated “persuasion
and the influence of kindness” in working with
young men.
Cardinal Newman:
Discourse V, No. 9 – The Idea of a University
Useful Knowledge then, I grant, has done its
work; and Liberal Knowledge as certainly has not
done its work,—that is, supposing, as the
objectors assume, its direct end, like Religious
Knowledge, is to make men better; but this I will
not for an instant allow, and, unless I allow it,
those objectors have said nothing to the purpose. I
admit, rather I maintain, what they have been
urging, for I consider Knowledge to have its end
in itself. For all its friends, or its enemies, may
say, I insist upon it, that it is as real a mistake to
burden it with virtue or religion as with the
mechanical arts. Its direct business is not to steel
the soul against temptation or to console it in
affliction, any more than to set the loom in motion,
or to direct the steam carriage; be it ever so much
the means or the condition of both material and
moral advancement, still, taken by and in itself, it
as little mends our hearts as it improves our
temporal circumstances. And if its eulogists claim
for it such a power, they commit the very same
kind of encroachment on a province not their own
It is important to note that the President-Principal
model is relatively new at Cardinal Newman with
the first President having been hired in 2004 and
having served until 2013. In November 2010,
Cardinal Newman's sister school, Ursuline High
School, announced that it would close at the end of
the academic year. Cardinal Newman quickly
responded by accepting young women for the first
time in the 2011-2012 school year. Presently,
Cardinal Newman High School provides a Catholic
secondary education to 626 students. Both young
women and young men are educated at Cardinal
Newman High School with an emphasis on the
whole person. The students are prepared for the
challenges of university life. They are taught to
contribute to the greater community and to lead
lives that remain true to the visions of the school’s
patrons, St. Angela Merici and Blessed John Henry
Cardinal Newman.
The school’s facilities include academic
classrooms, administrative buildings, a library, a
dance studio, weight room, and a gymnasium. An
adjoining retreat center building with a chapel is
also available for the use of Cardinal Newman.
Other athletic facilities include an all-weather
athletic field, football stadium, softball field as well
as tennis, volleyball and basketball courts.
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as the political economist who should maintain that
his science educated him for casuistry or
diplomacy. Knowledge is one thing, virtue is
another; good sense is not conscience, refinement
is not humility, nor is largeness and justness of
view faith. Philosophy, however enlightened,
however profound, gives no command over the
passions, no influential motives, no vivifying
principles. Liberal Education makes not the
Christian, not the Catholic, but the gentleman. It
is well to be a gentlemen, it is well to have a
cultivated intellect, a delicate taste, a candid,
equitable, dispassionate mind, a noble and
courteous bearing in the conduct of life;—these
are the connatural qualities of a large
knowledge; they are the objects of a University; I
am advocating, I shall illustrate and insist upon
them; but still, I repeat, they are no guarantee for
sanctity or even for conscientiousness, they may
attach to the man of the world, to the profligate, to
the heartless,—pleasant, alas, and attractive as he
shows when decked out in them. Taken by
themselves, they do but seem to be what they are
not; they look like virtue at a distance, but they
are detected by close observers, and on the long
run; and hence it is that they are popularly
accused of pretence and hypocrisy, not, I repeat,
from their own fault, but because their professors
and their admirers persist in taking them for what
they are not, and are officious in arrogating for
them a praise to which they have no claim.
Quarry the granite rock with razors, or moor the
vessel with a thread of silk; then may you hope
with such keen and delicate instruments as
human knowledge and human reason to contend
against those giants, the passion and the pride of
man. (Emphasis added)
Surely we are not driven to theories of this kind, in
order to vindicate the value and dignity of Liberal
Knowledge. Surely the real grounds on which its
pretensions rest are not so very subtle or abstruse,
so very strange or improbable. Surely it is very
intelligible to say, and that is what I say here, that
Liberal Education, viewed in itself, is simply the
cultivation of the intellect, as such, and its object is
nothing more or less than intellectual excellence.
Every thing has its own perfection, be it higher or
lower in the scale of things; and the perfection of
one is not the perfection of another. Things
animate, inanimate, visible, invisible, all are good
The excellence of the Cardinal Newman
academic program is recognized locally and
nationally. Cardinal Newman boasts of student
graduates being accepted into the top
Universities of the country.
The school is located in Santa Rosa which is the
See city for the Diocese of Santa Rosa as well as
the county seat of Sonoma County, California.
Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's
North Coast, Wine Country and the North Bay;
the fifth most populated city in the San Francisco
Bay Area after San Jose, San Francisco,
Oakland, and Fremont; and the 26th most
populated city in California. The city and county
boast of a variety of local points of interest
including wineries, Redwood forests, proximity
to the coast, destination resorts, shopping and
restaurants.
CATHOLIC IDENTITY
SCHOOL COMMUNITY
Cardinal Newman High School is a Catholic,
college preparatory school. The culture of the
school is clearly informed by the core values of
its patron and its belief that spirituality and
academic excellence are the foundation for
developing and preparing students to be
successful. The commitment of Cardinal
Newman High School to creating a Catholic
culture is vital to its future.
Cardinal Newman is a tight-knit, enthusiastic,
and supportive community. The students
embrace the community feel of the school,
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in their kind, and have a best of themselves, which is
an object of pursuit. Why do you take such pains
with your garden or your park? You see to your
walks and turf and shrubberies; to your trees and
drives; not as if you meant to make an orchard of
the one, or corn or pasture land of the other, but
because there is a special beauty in all that is goodly
in wood, water, plain, and slope, brought all
together by art into one shape, and grouped into one
whole. Your cities are beautiful, your palaces, your
public buildings, your territorial mansions, your
churches; and their beauty leads to nothing beyond
itself. There is a physical beauty and a moral: there
is a beauty of person, there is a beauty of our moral
being, which is natural virtue; and in like manner
there is a beauty, there is a perfection, of the
intellect. There is an ideal perfection in these
various subject-matters, towards which individual
instances are seen to rise, and which are the
standards for all instances whatever. The Greek
divinities and demigods, as the statuary has moulded
them, with their symmetry of figure, and their high
forehead and their regular features, are the
perfection of physical beauty. The heroes, of whom
history tells, Alexander, or Cæsar, or Scipio, or
Saladin, are the representatives of that magnanimity
or self-mastery which is the greatness of human
nature. Christianity too has its heroes, and in the
supernatural order, and we call them Saints. The
artist puts before him beauty of feature and form;
the poet, beauty of mind; the preacher, the beauty of
grace: then intellect too, I repeat, has its beauty, and
it has those who aim at it. To open the mind, to
correct it, to refine it, to enable it to know, and to
digest, master, rule, and use its knowledge, to give it
power over its own faculties, application, flexibility,
method, critical exactness, sagacity, resource,
address, eloquent expression, is an object as
intelligible (for here we are inquiring, not what the
object of a Liberal Education is worth, nor what use
the Church makes of it, but what it is in itself), I say,
an object as intelligible as the cultivation of virtue,
while, at the same time, it is absolutely distinct from
it.
Discourse V, No. 8 – The Idea of a University
The Philosophy of Utility, you will say, Gentlemen,
has at least done its work; and I grant it,—it aimed
low, but it has fulfilled its aim. If that man of great
intellect who has been its Prophet in the conduct of
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whether they came to Cardinal Newman
following the footsteps of parents or siblings or
as new families from a wide range of
communities. The school community fosters
respect for others, appreciation of diversity and
service to the community. The school
challenges its students to extend themselves,
both academically and spiritually, and provides
an environment where they can grow into
mature, self-directed adults of purpose and
vision.
The faculty and staff at Cardinal Newman High
School are dedicated to the fostering of a deep
understanding of what it means to be educated
in a Catholic school. A majority of the faculty is
comprised of seasoned, long-standing
educators. These are well integrated with the
newer members of the school teaching
community. The faculty value the close
relationships they have with their students,
identifying care and concern as earmarks of
those relationships. Parents speak highly of the
academic environment at Cardinal Newman and
of the deep sense of community among all who
are in the school. Many parents are alums
themselves and speak positively of their own
high school experience. They indicate that, in
their view, their children feel the same. The
balance of academics, athletics and spirituality
resonate particularly with parents, who
appreciate the well-rounded community, the
positive interaction among students and the
many opportunities for growth for their teens.
CAMPUS LIFE
The mission of Cardinal Newman is reflected in
the genuine and challenging college preparatory
curriculum and overall educational experience.
The school maintains a strong and balanced
offering of required and elective academic and
enrichment courses. Designed to build a solid
academic foundation, classes in core subjects
such as English, mathematics, sciences, social
studies and foreign language, offer ample
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life played false to his own professions, he was not
bound by his philosophy to be true to his friend or
faithful in his trust. Moral virtue was not the line in
which he undertook to instruct men; and though, as
the poet calls him, he were the “meanest” of
mankind, he was so in what may be called his private
capacity and without any prejudice to the theory of
induction. He had a right to be so, if he chose, for
anything that the Idols of the den or the theatre had
to say to the contrary. His mission was the increase
of physical enjoyment and social comfort; and most
wonderfully, most awfully has he fulfilled his
conception and his design.
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opportunities for students to explore individual
interests. Twelve Advanced Placement courses,
eight Honors classes and three accelerated courses are available to qualified students.
As a Catholic School, Cardinal Newman emphasizes the personal and spiritual development of its
young men and women. The four-year theology curriculum includes Scripture, World Religions,
Church History, Ethics, and Social Justice. An all-school liturgy (Mass) is celebrated once a month
and there is a weekly prayer service before school for faculty and staff. Retreats are offered at all
grade levels. The school is blessed with a full time Chaplain, who also teaches, a priest teacher of
religion and a Religious Sister teacher of religion.
Service, an academic and spiritual requirement, is an integral part of the experience for the students at
Cardinal Newman. Seniors complete a Community Based Service Learning (CBSL) project that
builds on their interests and inspires a life-long commitment to service. Projects have included
working with a variety of agencies such as Habitat for Humanity as well as overseas trips to
Nicaragua and the Philippines for service.
Athletics, the arts and many co-curricular offerings are essential parts of the comprehensive
educational experience at Cardinal Newman. The robust athletic program includes over twenty-five
sports programs, ranging from football, baseball and basketball to lacrosse and volleyball. A vast
majority of students participate in at least one sport. The visual and performing arts program is
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enhanced by classes in drama, dance,
video arts and photography, as well as
visual arts, aimed to open doors for
students who may have not had
opportunities in the past as well as to
nurture and encourage those with
experience. Performances as well as arts
exhibits (Arts Alive) are part of the
school year.
GOVERNANCE
The Board of Directors is established by
the Bishop of Santa Rosa as a Board of
limited jurisdiction. The Bishop holds specific reserve powers as articulated in the By-Laws. “The
Board collaborates with the Bishop by working with the Bishop’s designates—primarily (but not
limited to) the President of the School. The President is an ex officio full voting member of the
Board.” The Board consists of 13 members plus representatives from the alumni, faculty, students,
and parents. In addition, the school Chaplain serves as an ex officio member of the Board as well.
The Bishop of the Diocese of Santa Rosa oversees Cardinal
Newman in conjunction with the Diocese’s Superintendent of
Enrollment 2013-14:
Schools and the Board of Directors.
Freshmen: 175
The Board is responsible to the Bishop for working to ensure
Sophomores: 157
Cardinal Newman’s Catholic identity, academic excellence and
Juniors: 162
financial accessibility. Specifically, they are responsible for
Seniors: 132
policy, strategic planning, resource development and finances.
Total: 626
The Directors are strategic and have shown a tremendous
dedication to the mission of Cardinal Newman High School
and the continued growth and development of the school. They
manifest a clear sense that they want Cardinal Newman to be
the exemplary Catholic school, not only in the Santa Rosa area
but nationally.
The Board committees include but are not limited to
Advancement, Buildings and Grounds, Enrollment, Finance,
and Technology. The Directors and the Bishop recognize the
critical importance of selecting the right President to lead the
school into its next phase of development. They have been
diligent in preparing to conduct a thorough, effective search for
the next President.
FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT
The school is financially stable and has an overall annual
Percentage of students who are
Catholic: 57%
Percentage of students of color:
27%
Administration: 8
Faculty: 51
Staff: 25
Religious: 3
Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
Tuition for 2013-14: $13,100
One-time Registration fee: $450
Percentage of families on
Financial Aid: 29%
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budget of approximately $9.5 million. Tuition, which comprises the majority of the school’s revenue,
is set at $13,100 for the current academic year. Financial aid awards totaled approximately $600,000
for the 2013-14 school year and approximately 29% of students receive financial aid.
The Finance Committee of the Board and the Business Manager monitor the finances and support the
school’s efforts to maintain excellence while controlling costs. Total annual fundraising is
approximately $790,000. Current participation in the school’s Annual Appeal is approximately 90%.
Currently, the endowment (The Angela Merici and John Henry Newman Foundation) is
approximately $2.8 million.
Cardinal Newman has been engaged in an ongoing capital campaign to modernize the campus. The
fact that the school has very recently become a co-educational institution, and therefore larger,
requires additional planning and the construction of several new campus facilities. In recent years, an
Athletic and Convocation Center (ACC) was erected, and currently, the school is raising funds for
new science classrooms that will help provide a 21st century learning experience to students. The
school recently received more than $2 million from a local community foundation, and fundraising
efforts continue to make this project a reality.
Over the next several years, many buildings on campus, which date to when the school opened in
1964, will be replaced with more modern and efficient structures that will provide new opportunities
for students and teachers alike.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PRESIDENT
As a Catholic leader, the President oversees all aspects of school operation, working cooperatively
with the Principal in preserving and advancing the school’s exceptional educational program and
guiding its dedicated faculty and staff. Engaging with the Chaplain, the President is to help articulate
the school’s special qualities of a diverse and caring community to the broader community and help
maintain and model its Catholic ethos and mission. Uniquely, the President is tasked with the duty of
leading the school in the development of its key strategic priorities and bringing those priorities to
fruition.
The new President, working closely with the Chaplain and the Bishop, must ensure that the Catholic
identity remains and grows as an integral part of the school. In this regard, it bears repeating that it
will be critical for the next President to work
collaboratively with the Principal, the Chaplain,
the Board, the Diocesan Superintendent and the
Bishop on key areas: Catholic identity, academic
excellence and affordability.
In the context of Cardinal Newman High School’s
mission for education, the nature of today’s
students, and the challenges and opportunities
faced by educators today, the next President, in
collaboration with the Principal and School
Leadership, will provide a vision and philosophy
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that is grounded in the core values of Cardinal Newman and that will ensure a culture of excellence.
To that end, the President and School Leadership will engage the faculty in defining teaching
excellence in today’s context for the school and work collaboratively through the current professional
development and evaluation programs (i.e. Knowledge and Skills Based Plan) to ensure best
practices, including the appropriate use of technology as a teaching/learning tool. Additionally, the
President will work with School Leadership to ensure that there are suitable systems and structures
for the effective implementation of the programmatic objectives that provide a well-rounded program
(academics, arts, sports and service) that serves the needs of the students.
Cardinal Newman has a committed, dedicated, professional faculty. The President, working with and
through the Principal, must continue to galvanize effectively and mobilize appropriately this talent to
carry out the mission of the school. Although Cardinal Newman has been blessed with many
dedicated faculty who have served the school well for many years, there will always be a number of
new teachers and it is critical that the new President be attentive to hiring new faculty who will fully
embrace, model and live out the core values of the Catholic faith to ensure that the distinctive
characteristics of a Catholic school culture are enhanced.
The President will take a leading role in a comprehensive
advancement program, which includes fundraising,
external relations and alumni relations. These elements are
critical for the future of Cardinal Newman High School. In
addition, there needs to be a continuing focus on marketing
and outreach that takes into account an understanding of
the school’s position in the market and the competitive
landscape. The President must articulate, and help the
Cardinal Newman community understand and convey, the
distinctive value of Cardinal Newman, its Catholic identity,
the outstanding academic and extra-curricular programs
and the wonderful community, all of which are the
hallmarks of the school.
Cardinal Newman, as a co-educational high school, is still
relatively new. While the incorporation of the Ursuline
young women into Cardinal Newman has gone quite well,
it is still incumbent upon the new President to continue to
recognize the legacy of the Ursuline High School, actively
engage its alumnae, and integrate them in the Cardinal
Newman Community. The President, working with
administration and faculty, will need to focus on how best to meet the educational and programmatic
needs of the young women who are now part of the Cardinal Newman community. Finally, as the
school looks to its future facilities improvements, it will be critical that there is an appropriate
balance.
PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES
The Presidential Executive Search Committee and the school community seek experienced
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candidates who are strategic, visionary, excellent communicators and who possess the leadership
skills to advance the mission of Cardinal Newman High School. The President is an inspirational and
energizing leader who can embrace, articulate and promote Cardinal Newman’s vision of academic
and faith excellence within the context of a Catholic community dedicated to scholarship, faith, and
service. The President is a student-focused, visionary educator with an entrepreneurial spirit and
experience in secondary school administration. In addition to being a strategic thinker and skillful
manager, candidates will have backgrounds that include most or all of the following:
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A current understanding of directions and issues in the Catholic Church, including pastoral,
social and moral dimensions of church life and the role of Catholic institutions within the
Church.
●
An understanding of organizational dynamics so that appropriate professional structures can
be established and maintained to ensure strong collaboration among senior administration and
to facilitate their commitment to providing excellence and for the cohesive functioning of the
school.
●
An understanding of an effective external affairs program. The successful candidate must
have the willingness and commitment to be visible and to make connections with the greater
Santa Rosa community in order to enhance the school’s image and reputation and to increase
the level of financial support. She/he must be comfortable asking for financial support and
must have a commitment to developing a culture of philanthropy.
●
The ability to articulate Cardinal Newman’s mission and educational philosophy to inspire
and motivate all constituencies.
●
A passion for and experience in secondary education and the willingness to support a culture
of learning, high expectations and commitment to excellence.
● A commitment to collaboration and transparency that genuinely invites and respects the
perspectives and views of others, yet is decisive when required.
●
The ability to work closely and comfortably with the Board of Directors in building a
partnership in governance and leadership.
●
A willingness to work closely and comfortably with the administrative team, as well as with
faculty and staff, to build a true partnership for the school.
●
A flexible, strategic thinker who possesses a strong fiscal background and who has deep
experience as an educator.
● Possess effective, clear communications skills so that administration, faculty members,
parents, students, community members and the Board of Directors are appropriately informed
of potential issues and needs.
●
Knowledge of the effective use of technology as a teaching and learning tool.
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CARDINAL NEWMAN – PRESIDENT SEARCH
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The ability to delegate appropriately and hold everyone accountable.
●
A graduate degree.
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PERSONAL QUALITIES
Cardinal Newman High School is seeking a faith-filled committed Catholic who will serve as its
community leader and is willing to immerse himself/herself in the life of the school. The successful
individual will be someone with a warm, approachable presence and sense of humor. Additionally,
the new President invites and connects easily with parents, teachers and students and is adept at
drawing from the collective wisdom of the community. The school desires their new leader to be a
passionate, energetic, confident person of keen intellect, strong emotional intelligence, deep
spirituality and integrity who will enjoy developing and guiding the Cardinal Newman community.
This individual will have a true love of and appreciation for the school’s culture and for educating
young people, a leader who can mentor and encourage administration, faculty and staff in a direct yet
positive way. Finally, the new President’s actions and decisions will maintain and model the school’s
Catholic mission.
SEARCH PROCESS
Cardinal Newman High School has engaged the national executive search firm, Educational
Directions, Incorporated, to assist with the search. The Search Committee plans to complete the
search early spring 2014.
Candidates should submit all information as soon as possible, but not before first speaking with one
of the Search Consultants
Mathew Heersche, Ed.D.
mheersche@edu-directions.com
Risa Oganesoff Heersche
rheersche@edu-directions.com
Electronic submission of materials is required. Please send materials in a consolidated pdf format.
Reference letters should be submitted separately.
Candidates should submit the following documents.
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Cover letter explaining their interest and qualifications for the Presidency at Cardinal
Newman
Brief personal statement that includes the candidate’s vision on leading Cardinal Newman
Current resume
Names, e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of five references
Two written letters of reference
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SEARCH CALENDAR
Deadline for application materials
Semi-finalists selected
Semi-finalist interviews
Finalists’ visit to campus
Selection of new President
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Early January 2014
End January 2014
Mid February 2014
Late February 2014
March 2014