Q&A WITH PRINCIPAL JEREMY JOSEPH

By Joe Gaeta

Jeremy Joseph, a member of Curley’s Class of 1996, started his tenure as Curley’s principal beginning with the 2021-2022 school year. He has served the school community in a variety of roles in Admissions and Advancement since joining Curley’s staff in 2000. He and his wife Angela are raising four sons and are members of St. Isaac Jogues Parish in Parkville.

Can you give us a brief introduction of yourself and your professional experience?

My entire professional career has been spent here at Archbishop Curley High School. I was hired right out of Loyola University, having graduated with a degree in English literature and a minor in secondary education. My first job at Curley was as the admissions director in the 2000-2001 school year. After five years, I moved into the Advancement Office with a focus on fundraising events and other efforts to support the school’s mission. This is my twenty-third year at Archbishop Curley High School, and my second year as principal. During many of those years I also taught courses in English and history as well as SAT preparation.

What motivated you to want to become principal at Curley?

My greatest motivation is the desire to further the mission of this school, which means so much to me. As a Curley graduate, I know firsthand the impact that a Curley education has on a young man. I believe the Franciscan Education is very powerful, and I want to continue that mission and do everything I can to make sure that future generations have the same experience - maybe even a greater experience - than I had.

What were your top priorities upon taking the job as principal?

As I set out in this new role, I focused on affirming our Catholic, Franciscan tradition - the school’s foundation. We will couple that with the initiatives of our Strategic Plan to enhance and grow our offerings to meet the needs of our future students. It is exciting to me that as Curley continues to grow, the school’s Franciscan foundation remains central.

Describe for us three of the most important traits of an effective principal?

To be an effective leader within the school I feel the following traits are paramount: putting mission first, supporting those with whom I work, and setting aside time for prayer and reflection.

What are your expectations of teachers and staff members?

I believe we all expect one another to work hard and give the students the time and energy needed to be successful. We strive to uphold our high expectations of our students’ academic performance and to help them achieve their full potential.

Describe your leadership qualities and style?

I am committed to reflecting the school’s mission and making it clear for our students and our families what our expectations are. I am committed to growing in this job and continuing to develop as I learn every day from the students, teachers, and staff members. I am ultimately committed to being better tomorrow than I am today.

What advice would you give new teachers coming into Curley?

I would encourage any new teachers to take it all in and be open to the variety of experiences that Curley has to offer. The students will sense a teacher’s eagerness to serve the community and families when they are visible on the sidelines of games, or in the audience of a performance or as a club moderator. In these moments it will be clear to the entire community that our teachers are authentic educators committed to building the whole person.

What is your approach to student discipline?

We want all young men to grow in terms of their own accountability. Our discipline code is designed to help students develop their own sense of self-discipline and to carry themselves as Curley Men. We preach living our Curley Belief Statements about what the Curley Man is supposed to be.

How do you build a positive school climate or culture?

One of the blessings of Curley is that we have a culture that has developed during our 60-year history and that is rooted in our Franciscan tradition. We want to make sure that our culture emphasizes what it means to be a Catholic Franciscan School and that our school lives the Gospel message of being brothers to all we meet.

How would your current students describe you?

I would hope that if you were to poll the student body about what their assessment of my work has been over the last two years they would answer that I’m consistent. I hope they hear a consistent message from me that we put our students in a position for success and that we desire for them to be committed to growing as much as we are committed to help them grow.

What makes you a good fit for Curley?

I believe in what we are doing. I believe in our students, our tradition of The Franciscan Education, and in our teachers. I am blessed to be able to serve this community.

Your oldest of four boys, Jack ’26, is now a freshman. Talk about how that has been for you…and him.

As the admissions director, I would tell alumni dads that they were going to enjoy their son’s four years even more than they enjoyed their own. Now that my oldest son is here, the best part of my workday is when he stops in my office after school on his way to cross country or ice hockey practice. Seeing that excitement in his eyes, and his growth and maturity, in just these first few months, is very inspiring to me and gives me a great sense of joy and pride. To have these shared experiences with him is really special, and although I don’t want to wish the time away, it’s going to be exciting to have that opportunity with my other three sons as they come through Curley in the future.