FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN
August 19, 2016 Dear friends of Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School, In 2014, Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit opened its doors to begin serving economically disadvantaged students, regardless of faith tradition. Drawing on both the Jesuit tradition and the Cristo Rey model, the school set out to provide an exceptional college preparatory education with the unique and powerful compliment of Corporate Work Study. The relevant work experience, combined with exceptional academics creates a phenomenal learning opportunity. Work reinforces the value of what students learn in the classroom and gives them the skills and relationships that will propel them to success in college and beyond. The Mission of Cristo Atlanta is focused on a single ideal: men and women for and with others. As a school we seek to exemplify this ideal in service to our students, families, and broader community. And by example, we strive to inspire our students to live lives of solidarity and service. Our aim in education is expansive. We desire that our students will live with greater freedom, dignity and opportunity. That they will have choices in life and that they will choose paths that improve our world. In this Mission, this school does not work alone but in collaboration with many: the Jesuits, the Cristo Rey Network, our Corporate Work Study Partners, the organizations and individuals who give financial and volunteer support, and, of paramount importance, the communities and families to which our students belong. We come together in common concern for our young people, recognizing our shared identity as members of the Metro Atlanta community. Over 500 stakeholders have contributed to this planning process, including faculty, staff, the Board of Directors, Corporate Work Study Partners, volunteers, and, of critical importance, students and their families. Our stakeholders have celebrated the rigorous yet supportive environment at this school, where students not only grow tremendously but also feel known and cared for as individuals. Stakeholders have also noted our exceptional faculty and staff as great strengths. As well as the community partnerships that have made the school viable in these first few years. Still there is a great deal of work ahead to realize our Mission. We look forward to moving to a permanent campus, reaching full enrollment, and sending our first class to college. This plan lays our goals for the next 5 years. It is a living document designed to align our resources and decisions toward a shared vision. We are grateful to all those who contributed to its creation. We rely on God to bless these goals and direct our efforts to achieve them. Sincerely, William J. Garrett President
Table of Contents Mission Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 History and Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Plan Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Strategic Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Charism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Solidarity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Academics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Stewardship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Mission Statement Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School is a Catholic learning community that educates young people of limited economic means, of any faith or creed, to become men and women for and with others. Through a rigorous college preparatory curriculum, integrated with a relevant work study experience, students graduate prepared for college and life. Our Beliefs: We work to challenge students with rigorous academics in order to prepare them to enroll in and graduate from college. We work to provide an invaluable corporate employment experience. We work to create a safe and supportive environment rooted in faith-based values. We work exclusively with Atlanta’s economically disadvantaged students of all faiths by opening the doors to excellence in higher education, the workforce, community citizenship, and Catholic values. We are the school that works in the heart of Atlanta.
History and Identity Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School is a Jesuit school with a Cristo Rey model, founded to serve the city of Atlanta. The idea for a Cristo Rey school in Atlanta was first advanced by Mr. Timothy Hipp, an educator at Woodward Academy, and reinforced in 2010 by Archbishop Wilton Gregory’s education task force, which proposed a Cristo Rey school to counteract the lack of educational opportunities for Atlanta’s low-income communities. The concept picked up momentum when Bob Fitzgerald became the founding Board Chair and the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) expressed an interest in sponsoring the Atlanta school. With the support and effort of many community members, educators, and leaders, the idea became reality. The feasibility study was completed in 2012 and the school opened in 2014, sponsored by the Society of Jesus and endorsed by the Society of Mary. Cristo Rey Atlanta is rooted in its Jesuit identity. The Society of Jesus – “Jesuits” – are closely associated with the charisms (spiritual gifts) of education and social justice. Cristo Rey Atlanta is part of a more than 450-year tradition of Jesuit education that began in 1548; there are now thousands of Jesuit schools globally, including more than 60 U.S. high schools. As part of this broader Jesuit Apostolate, Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit seeks to respond to society’s present needs through education. In 1973, Pedro Arrupe, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, challenged Jesuit educators to be focused on forming “men and women for and with others,”1 with a special emphasis on serving the low-income population. Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit accomplishes its mission through a Cristo Rey model and enjoys the benefits of membership in the nation-wide Cristo Rey Network. Cristo Rey schools serve only economically disadvantaged students, regardless of faith and culture, combining a college preparatory education with relevant work experience to empower students. 1 Father Pedro Arrupe, speech given at the Tenth European Congress of Jesuit
Alumni, Aug 1973
Plan Preface The strategic planning process began in April 2016. Board Chair Bob Fitzgerald and President Bill Garrett identified critical questions facing the school over the next five years and approved the process to undergo a self-study and create a five-year strategic plan. The process included extensive community feedback gathered through an all-stakeholders survey, SWOT workshops, focus groups, one-on-one interviews, and retreats. The following stakeholder groups were consulted: • Parents; • Students; • Faculty and staff; • Board of Directors; • Tutors; and • Corporate Work Study Partners. School leadership used this input to identify and prioritize five strategic goals and proposed a path to achieve them, further engaging faculty and staff during the drafting and revision process.
Strategic Goals Below are the resulting five strategic goals. After each goal, the Strategic Rationale is presented, explaining the goal and its significance to the mission of Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit. The objectives are the sub-goals that will allow Cristo Rey Atlanta to achieve the larger strategic goal.
Charism GOAL I: LIVE OUR FAITH AS A COMMUNITY OF MEN AND WOMEN FOR AND WITH OTHERS Strategic Rationale Our understanding of God’s redeeming love for each human person is the center of life and the source of mission at Cristo Rey Atlanta. As St. John wrote, “The way we came to know love was that He laid down His life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”2 Love for God and neighbor is integral to the wholeness we seek for our students – we believe that “human life is fundamentally spiritual” and that “being fully alive necessitates an active relationship with God.”3 Accordingly, we seek to nurture a rich inner life in our students, so that they may experience God’s love and, in turn, be “men and women for and with others.” We desire that our students may live more expansive lives, with a wider set of options and the ability to choose well, “that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”4 Forming students begins with adult examples. As a board, a faculty, and a staff, we are committed to being examples of faith, love, and service, demonstrating Christ-like love toward all those who touch our school community. We seek to build a school community of faith where all students, faculty, and staff experience God’s love throughout their daily lives. We welcome students of all backgrounds, and in humility, we affirm that it is God who understands and speaks to each human heart. Objectives Toward the achievement of Goal 1, Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit has identified the following objectives: • Ensure that each board member is personally committed to living the mission of Cristo Rey Atlanta. • Attract, retain, and develop exceptional faculty and staff members who are committed to the mission and eager to share their gifts with their students and school community. • Invite faculty and staff to grow in deep personal love for Jesus Christ and be adult examples of faith, love, and service for our students. • Exemplify a “union of hearts and minds” as faculty and staff, creating a culture of communication, collaboration, and respect for the varied skills and talents needed to accomplish our shared goals. • Ensure students are exposed to the Gospel and have the opportunity to encounter the love of God on a daily basis. • Be a community that values inter-cultural, inter-denominational, and inter-religious dialogue and reflects the cultural heritage of our students in the faith life of our school. • Welcome students of all faiths, encouraging them to explore their beliefs, to affirm a fundamental orientation toward God, and to establish a relationship with a religious tradition. 2 1 John 3:16 3 Portrait of the Graduate at Graduation 4 John 10:10
Solidarity GOAL II: RECRUIT A DIVERSE STUDENT BODY AND ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE Strategic Rationale Our desire for a diverse and welcoming school community is grounded in the beliefs that all human beings reflect God’s image and that God reveals varied aspects of Himself through our encounters with others. In the face of the social justice issues in our modern world, we are called to stand for and with others and heal divisions. As a board, a faculty, and a staff, we desire to develop a “well-educated solidarity”5 in ourselves and our students. Accordingly, Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit seeks to serve students from various economically disadvantaged communities of Atlanta. While the school has been blessed by a diverse student body in the early years, we recognize the need to be deliberate and purposeful when recruiting. More generally, we recognize the need to “go out into the city” to listen and build relationships in the communities we serve. Objectives Toward the achievement of Goal 2, Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit has identified the following objectives: • Be an active presence in Atlanta’s low-income communities by listening, learning, and building trust. • Be a school that dismantles racial and ethnic biases, heals divisions, and exemplifies both diversity and unity based on Gospel love and social justice. • Demonstrate the desire to understand the complex cultures, histories, and present-day social justice issues faced by our students and their communities. • Attract and retain diverse faculty and staff as well as a diverse group of students who have the determination and ability to succeed in a rigorous college preparatory environment. • Engage and empower parents to better support their children, so they can succeed at Cristo Rey Atlanta, in college, and beyond. 5 Rev Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., address at the Jesuit conference on Commitment to Justice in Higher Education at Santa Clara University, 2000
Academics GOAL III: PREPARE OUR STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE AND LIFE THROUGH A RIGOROUS CURRICULUM THAT INCLUDES LEARNING IN SCHOOL AND AT WORK
Strategic Rationale Crito Rey Atlanta Jesuit has seen strong student growth in its first two years and will continue to build on this success while expanding to a full fouryear program. Education is a path to greater freedom, dignity, and opportunity. What we seek for our graduates is nothing short of flourishing – the whole person, fully alive. The Portrait of the Graduate at Graduation describes this person: open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving, committed to doing Justice, and work-experienced. The unique Cristo Rey model accomplishes this goal through a rigorous college preparatory program that includes corporate work experience as well as extracurricular and service opportunities. Students grow intellectually and personally both in academics and in Corporate Work Study jobs. We are committed to continuing to develop a comprehensive program that prepares students for success in college and life. Objectives Toward the achievement of Goal 3, Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit has identified the following objectives: • Build upon early success and establish a four-year program that prepares all our students to enroll in and graduate from college. • Develop exceptional college counseling and alumni support to guide students to and through college. • Equip students with the skills and support to excel in Corporate Work Study and to appreciate the connections between work and school. • Continue to be a school that exemplifies care and concern for each student as an individual with a focus on relationship, trust, and personalized support. • Develop student gifts in areas beyond the classroom by offering extracurricular, athletic, and artistic programs that reflect the cultures and interests of the student body, while also being sensitive to the demands of study and work.
Stewardship GOAL IV: ENSURE FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY BY EXPANDING AND STRENGTHENING OUR PHILANTHROPIC AND CORPORATE WORK STUDY PARTNERSHIPS AND CONTINUING TO ESTABLISH WISE BUDGETARY PROCESSES
Strategic Rationale Crito Rey Atlanta Jesuit was founded and has seen initial success due to the gifts God has poured out through many stakeholders. We are committed to being good stewards, advancing our gifts and multiplying them for God’s purposes. In order to establish a full, four-year school on a permanent campus, we must continue to develop financial sustainability by strengthening Corporate Work Study partnerships, enhancing Advancement, and ensuring wise use of financial resources. Objectives Toward the achievement of Goal 4, Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit has identified the following objectives: • Build broader connections and engage expertise of board members and other volunteers through committees. • Establish CWS partnership as an expectation for civic-conscious corporations in Atlanta and ensure job retention by demonstrating value to our CWS partners. • Be an organization that has earned broad awareness and support within the Metro Atlanta area. • Establish an endowment and create sustainability in our Advancement practices. • Ensure financial viability by stabilizing costs and establishing budgetary processes to quickly react to changing economic and political realities.
Campus GOAL V: COMPLETE THE NEW CAMPUS AND FULLY UTILIZE FACILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY TO ENABLE OUR MISSION Strategic Rationale An expanded campus is essential to fulfilling the mission of Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit. The school has reached capacity at its current location but has been blessed with a new site for our permanent school. The new campus in the heart of Downtown Atlanta will be easily accessible by MARTA to the communities we currently serve and to our stakeholders. Recognizing how space influences human community, Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit is committed to designing the campus in a way that strengthens a sense of connectedness with others, both within the internal life of the school and with external stakeholders. Doing so will enable our goals of faith, community, student growth, and stewardship.
Objectives Toward the achievement of Goal 5, Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit has identified the following objectives: • Complete the new permanent campus suited to a 600 student enrollment. • Promote communication and enable student growth through thoughtful design and use of the campus. • Ensure the safety and security of all community stakeholders. • Employ technology to maximize student learning. • Fully utilize the new campus to be a presence in the city that welcomes the broader community.
