Principal (K-8)

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES

The Catholic Parish School Administrator (“Principal”) is hired by the Pastor, who by Archdiocese ofPortland in Oregon (“Archdiocesan”) policy, canon law, and through a decree from the Archbishop of Portland in Oregon (“Archbishop”), is directly responsible for the parish school as a ministry of the parish.

The Principal serves as the Pastor’s delegate and agent in the oversight, management, and administration of the parish school and is the chief educational leader of the school ministry. In this role, the Principalexercises substantial day-to-day independence in the leadership of school operations, personnel, studentlife, academics, culture, and mission implementation, while remaining accountable to the Pastor andoperating in fidelity to Archdiocesan norms, policies, the expectations of Mission Passionate Catholic Education (“MPCE”), and the Statement of Catholic Community Beliefs and Commitments.

The Principal is a fully initiated, believing, and practicing Catholic who gives joyful witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ; lives as a disciple of Jesus Christ and a loyal son or daughter of the Church; abides by the precepts of the Catholic Church; and lives in conformity with the teachings of the Church according to his or her state of life. The Principal understands that Catholic school leadership is not merely administrative work, but an ecclesial and ministerial role exercised in communion with the Church, under the authority of the Pastor, in communion and unity with the Archbishop and the Office for the Mission of Catholic Education (“OMCE”), and in fidelity to the mission of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon.

As Lead Disciple, Lead Formator and Teacher, Lead Culture Cultivator, and Executive Leader and Manager, the Principal is responsible for ensuring that the school exists to witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and delivers MPCE as a ministry that aids parents in their role as the primary educators of their children.

The Principal is expected to exemplify the Archdiocesan mission values of Zeal and Courage for theMission, Fidelity to the Faith, and Being a Team Player: Humble, Hungry, Smart, and Prayerful.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Catholic Mission, Discipleship, and Ecclesial Fidelity

Serve as a visible witness to Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Catholic Church in word, conduct, judgment, and leadership.

Ensure the school operates as an apostolate and ministry of the parish in communion with the Church, in fidelity to Catholic teaching, and under the authority of the Pastor.

Foster commitment to the mission of Catholic education: to witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and make disciples through education and formation.

Lead in a manner consistent with Archdiocesan expectations for MPCE and the Statement of Catholic Community Beliefs and Commitments, including ongoing examination of school life, policy, and practice in light of Church teaching, local and Archdiocesan pastoral priorities, and the Mission Indicators and Defining Characteristics of MPCE.

Safeguard the Catholic identity of the school in all programs, policies, structures, communications, and decisions.

Spiritual Leadership and Catholic Community of Faith

Oversee the spiritual and sacramental life of the school under the direction of the Pastor.

Coordinate prayer, worship, service, liturgical life, and devotions in conformity with the Church’spractice and Archdiocesan norms.

Ensure students, faculty, staff, and families are regularly invited into an ongoing encounter and relationship with Jesus Christ, the Gospel, and the Catholic Church.

Promote age-appropriate Catholic formation for students and adult faith formation for faculty and staff.

Ensure student discipline, school routines, and communal life are rooted in Catholic mission, Christian anthropology, virtue formation, and authentic concern for the good of the child and family.

Instructional Leadership and Catholic Intellectual Formation (Academics)

Lead the planning, implementation, evaluation, and renewal of curriculum, instruction, and assessment in alignment with Archdiocesan norms and Mission Passionate Catholic Education.

Ensure the curriculum is centered on Christ the Logos, rooted in Christian anthropology, situated within salvation history, and marked by the unity of faith and reason.

Promote strong pedagogy that cultivates wonder, attention, inquiry, memory, deliberation, and the habits of mind.

Oversee support systems for students of diverse abilities so that all learners can access the Catholic formative program.

Conduct programmatic and curricular reviews and lead continuous improvement efforts.

Assess professional development needs and provide formation and coaching that support instructional excellence and Catholic mission integration.

Formation in Catholic Culture, Mission, and Virtue

Lead the school in forming students for a life of virtue, wisdom, holiness, and mission.

Ensure students are formed to understand the dignity of the human person, the goodness of the body, the complementarity of male and female, the sanctity of life, and their vocation in the Church and society.

Foster a Catholic culture in which the liturgical year, sacred art and music, devotion, beauty, the lives of the saints, and Catholic cultural literacy permeate school life.

Ensure the school’s culture and programs help students experience what is means to have a vocation and grow in readiness for Christian mission and service.

Support for Parents as First Educators

Honor and protect the Church’s vision of parents as the primary educators of their children and the family as the first school of the child.

Develop structures for regular communication, collaboration, feedback, and partnership with families.

Provide opportunities for families to engage in the life of the school, receive the Gospel, grow in Christian community, and participate in matters affecting their children and the school community.

Ensure school decisions and communications reflect a spirit of service to families while maintaining fidelity to mission and proper authority.

Personnel Leadership and Culture Cultivation

Recruit, screen, recommend, hire, supervise, form, and evaluate faculty and staff who are mission- fit and capable of advancing MPCE.

Clearly communicate responsibilities, expectations, accountability, and standards of professional conduct for all school personnel.

Foster a positive, prayerful, mission-centric, and professionally healthy faculty and staff culture.

Coordinate faculty meetings, ongoing staff formation, coaching, and support for improvement where needed.

Prepare and maintain faculty and staff handbooks, policies, and procedures consistent with Archdiocesan norms and parish-school expectations.

Oversee evaluation of all school personnel.

Executive Leadership, Operations, and Stewardship

Oversee the daily operations of the school in accordance with Archdiocesan policies, parish expectations, and sound educational practice.

Manage the annual operating budget in consultation with the Pastor, Business Manager, and/or other appropriate advisory bodies.

Ensure that financial planning, resource allocation, enrollment efforts, and operational decisions reflect and advance the mission of the school.

Oversee student life systems, the student handbook, the master calendar, safety procedures, volunteer requirements, compliance obligations, and reporting requirements.

Maintain a visible presence during the school day and at major school events.

Oversee facilities stewardship, maintenance, and reporting of significant needs to the Pastor.

Lead efforts in mission-centric enrollment, retention, community engagement, and long-range renewal planning in service of mission sustainability.

Collaboration with Pastor, OMCE, and Archdiocesan Structures

Work in close cooperation with the Pastor and in a spirit of respect for and obedience to his authority and pastoral leadership.

Collaborate and cooperate with the OMCE in areas including leadership support, policy alignment, mission renewal, curriculum, accreditation or review processes, and ongoing formation.

Participate in Archdiocesan events (i.e. Leadership meetings, retreats), reporting, and school improvement processes as required.

Assist the Pastor in ensuring the school remains aligned with the Archbishop’s vision and the norms, laws, and policies of the Archdiocese.

SPECIFIC JOB SKILLS

The Principal should demonstrate the following skills and capacities:

Strong Catholic witness, sound judgment, discretion, and integrity of life in conformity with Church teaching and state of life.

Ability to articulate and steward the vision of MPCE with conviction and clarity.

Ability to lead as a missionary disciple, educational leader, and culture builder rather than merely as an administrator.

Knowledge of Catholic school leadership, Catholic identity, ecclesial structures, and the authority of the Pastor and Archbishop in the Church’s educational apostolate.

Skill in integrating faith and reason, Christian anthropology, virtue formation, Catholic worldview, and the Gospel into academics, student life, discipline, and school culture.

Skill in building a culture shaped by prayer, reverence, beauty, Catholic cultural literacy, and fidelity to Church teaching.

Strong instructional leadership, including curriculum oversight, teacher development, assessment, and school improvement planning.

Ability to recruit, supervise, coach, evaluate, and retain mission-fit personnel.

Strong communication and relational skills with clergy, faculty, staff, parents, students, volunteers, donors, and parish leaders.

Skill in family engagement that honors parents as first educators.

Strong organizational leadership in budgeting, scheduling, compliance, operations, and strategic planning.

Capacity to lead with humility, courage, patience, prudence, hope, and missionary zeal.

Ability to think critically, discern prayerfully, make sound decisions, and remain flexible while maintaining clarity and accountability.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Practicing, fully initiated Catholic in full communion with the Catholic Church, who abides by the five precepts of the Catholic Church, is supportive and enthusiastic about the Catholic Church’s teachings, and lives in obedience to and conformity with the Church’s teaching according to their state of life and vocation.

Demonstrated evidence of living as a disciple of Jesus Christ, fidelity to Catholic teaching, and support for the mission of Catholic education.

Graduate level credentials in Catholic school/educational leadership, administration, theology, curriculum/instruction, or a related field; or the ability to obtain appropriate graduate credentials within three years of hire.

Minimum of three- five years of teaching experience preferred, especially in Catholic schools, with experience broad enough to understand the PreK-8 or 9-12 school structure and the demands of educational leadership.

Prior leadership experience in a parish-school or school setting strongly preferred.

Demonstrated leadership ability, including the capacity to inspire teachers, students, parents, clergy, and community leaders.

Ability to complete the Archdiocesan/OMCE application process and pass all required background checks and safe environment requirements before hire.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

This position is performed in a Catholic parish-school environment and includes regular work in classrooms, offices, hallways, church spaces, meetings, school events, and parish-related functions. The Principal must be able to maintain a visible and active presence throughout the school day and at major evening or weekend events as required. The role includes frequent interaction with clergy, faculty, staff, students, parents, volunteers, visitors, and advisory bodies. It requires the capacity to manage multiple priorities, maintain confidentiality, respond to emergent situations, and lead with consistency, charity, and steadiness in a mission-driven environment.

The Principal is expected to model professional conduct and behavior fully compatible with Catholic moral and doctrinal teaching.

SUPERVISOR ROLE

The Principal is directly responsible for the leadership, supervision, formation, and evaluation of all school personnel, including but not limited to teachers, instructional aides, office staff, support staff, andother school employees and volunteers as assigned by parish-school structure and policy. The Principal ensures that all personnel understand their responsibilities and are held accountable for performance, professionalism, and fidelity to the Catholic mission of the school.

The Principal makes hiring recommendations to the Pastor and oversees ongoing personnel management in accord with Archdiocesan policies and parish-school expectations.