Why become a Drexel School?
Getting to Know the Drexel School System What, Why and How for Prospective Drexel Stakeholders
Thank you for your interest in becoming a Drexel School. The Drexel School System is a robust network of schools that share a common investment in promoting great scholars of sound moral compass who participate fully in a rigorous academic environment shaped by Blended Learning. Drexel Schools are focused on datadriven instruction, invested in meeting student learning needs and committed to making Catholic education accessible for families who are willing to partner in the rich, authentic Catholic environment of our faith-based schools. As an included member, your school will be entitled to a multitude of benefits that are the direct result of the governance and funding structure of the Drexel System. In order to evaluate whether your school would benefit from being a member of the Drexel School System, stakeholders need to evaluate a variety of components of the educational and institutional model.
We can take this old world and make it over again. ‘I make all things new,’ says Jesus. He can do it. We can do it. We have His Gospel. We have Him. EXCERPT FROM THE WRITINGS OF ST. KATHARINE DREXEL
We hope that this packet will guide you to a preliminary understanding of the power of the Drexel School System and how it might benefit your school. Each section features a “What’s in it for Me” to highlight the stakeholder perspective and to answer some of the questions we anticipate you will have during this initial evaluation process.
Sound good? Want to learn more? Visit us online to learn more about the Drexel School System and to request information:
As always, our team is available to answer any questions that you may have. Thank you in advance for your interest in the Drexel School System, where we are Transforming Catholic Education.
drexel.dsj.org Drexel School System inquiry@drexel.dsj.org 408-983-0185
GO DREXEL!
Tara Rolle, Ed.D. Assistant Superintendent, Drexel School System Diocese of San Jose
e Drexel School System Th is part of the Diocese of San Jose.
Pillar I: Authenticity rexel Schools have robust faith formation programs: The Drexel D School Sites are robust Catholic communities that integrate faith into every discrete moment and every major event for the promotion of children of integrity and compassion formed in the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.
rexel Schools have designated Drexel Tuition Assistance to be D affordable for families: The Drexel School System is committed to making a Catholic education possible for all families who are willing to join in educational partnership.
Pillar III. Achievement rexel Schools use data to drive instruction and to meet each D student’s learning needs: The Drexel School System is committed to ensuring the achievement and growth of all students by embracing an academic culture of data-driven instructional planning and decision making.
rexel Schools are committed to diversity and outreach to local D families: The Drexel School System is committed to engaging and enrolling neighborhood families at every Drexel School to ensure each school reflects the demographic of the local community.
Drexel Schools place emphasis on social justice and integrated service learning curriculum: The Drexel School System has a vision for a comprehensive Service Learning Program that will be standard and integrated in every Drexel School. The Drexel School System is considered the model for the future: The Drexel School System is committed to securing the future of Catholic education by designing a model that can be replicated nationally to ensure that Catholic Schools do not just survive, but thrive.
Pillar II. Access
» What’s in it for Me?
» What’s in it for Me?
• P astors take leadership in the spiritual life of the community and the Catholic formation of the students, especially partnering with the school administration to provide spiritual leadership and inspiration • P rincipals gain access to a network of supportive Catholic educators who participate in their faith and exchange ideas about cultivating an authentic Catholic community while participating in ongoing formation retreats • T eachers in the Drexel Schools participate in ongoing formation retreats and receive support to teach Catholicity in the classroom and encouragement to model and share their love of Christ with the wider school and parish community • P arents become part of a community of faith that is focused on living the gospel values and raising children who are formed with a strong moral compass and with particular attention to ethical development and a passion for social justice • S tudents in Drexel Schools receive thoughtful, faith-centered education and practice their faith through service and leadership
• P astors have access to system-designated and donor-funded Pastor Scholarships to make Catholic education affordable for parish families who otherwise couldn’t afford a Catholic school • P rincipals have access to system-designated and donor-funded resources to provide Drexel Tuition Assistance for families who couldn’t otherwise afford a Catholic education in a parish school • T eachers have classrooms filled with eager learners who come from families that value Catholic education and who are committed to partnering with the school for the maximum educational benefit of the child • P arents have access to Drexel Tuition Assistance to help “fund the gap” between what the family can afford and what resources might otherwise be available to assist with tuition • S tudents have the opportunity to attend Catholic school and receive a robust academic, social and spiritual education
rexel Schools are masterfully using Blended Learning and D Station Rotation as the primary instructional modality in all core instruction classroom and in all grades: Every teacher in the Drexel School System is required to attend Santa Clara University and obtain a certificate of excellence from the Academy of Blended Learning to ensure that Drexel teachers are highlight qualified to work within the advanced curricular model of Drexel Schools rexel Schools have transparent and measurable academic D objectives, focused on explicit student growth and academic performance: The Drexel School System is committed to outperforming the national averages in student growth and performance in both Reading and Math.
We are His living images, the handiwork of God… Put your trust in our Lord and hold yourself ready to have Him do with you what He thinks best.
Be Saints for God’s greater glory, every one of you. You are called to it.
We are the paint brushes in the hand of the Lord…We can do it.
ST. KATHARINE DREXEL
ST. KATHARINE DREXEL
ST. KATHARINE DREXEL
Pillar IV. Accountability rexel Schools have a different governance structure than D traditional, parish schools in order to ensure maximum accountability for site personnel, structures and systems: In the Drexel School System, the principal and school is supervised by the Assistant Superintendent of the Drexel School System and the pastor serves as the primary faith partner for the school and parish community. In addition, a System Financial Controller oversees budgeting and investments for each Drexel site.
» What’s in it for Me? • P astors are relieved of the burden of expectation for supervising the academic growth of the school and instead are invited to be partners in celebrating school successes and planning for areas of opportunity to serve the greater school and parish community • P rincipals receive professional development and ongoing training and support to look holistically at the entire school and make decisions for continuous site improvement to ensure maximum effectiveness in education • T eachers receive professional development and ongoing training and support to determine how best to use data to drive daily instruction and to plan and speak thoughtfully and thoroughly about student learning needs • P arents receive explicit data reports reflecting student achievement, growth and progress and have access to teachers and administrators who are trained to not only conference with data but use data to drive the daily instruction for student differentiation • S tudents receive ongoing instruction at the appropriate academic level to ensure they are challenged, engaged and continually making progress towards set academic goals
rexel Schools participate in a recruitment and Retention D Responsive Pay Scale (BLESS: Blended Learning Educator Salary Schedule): The Drexel School System is committed to recruiting and retaining highly qualified educators. These efforts are supported by the implementation of a non-traditional pay scale that utilizes specific criteria and transparent metrics to calculate incentive grants to exceptional teachers of quality. rexel school have reduced site expenses allowing for better D and more efficient stewarding of resources for student learning: The Drexel School System is committed to making Catholic schools sustainable by centralizing services and reducing site operational costs. This reduction in costs assists with keeping Catholic education affordable and ensuring that budgeting and investing decisions are being made in consultation with a system Financial Controller.
» What’s in it for Me? • P astors are relieved of the burden of supervising the educational operations of the school and the financial health and management of the school, and instead are engaged as partners in the robust Catholic heritage of the school and greater parish community • P rincipals have resources and support for managing and maintaining the needs of the school and have access to a pay scale that enables them to better recruit and retain highly capable and well trained teachers • T eachers are compensated equitably for effort, skill and commitment to Catholic education • P arents are investing in a school where specialists support the administration with all major components of running a school and where the school is thoughtfully governed and committed to long-term educational and financial success • S tudents attend a healthy, vibrant Catholic School that has adequate resources and is staffed by highly trained and robustly skilled educators who are committed to continuous improvement
Christ lives in every action… [but] Christ will not save us without our cooperation. ST. KATHARINE DREXEL