After an extensive national search conducted in collaboration with the Cristo Rey Network, Cristo Rey Kansas City has appointed Michael Padow as principal effective July 2018. Padow succeeds Mary Kallman, the school’s founding principal, who is proud to have been part of the team that brought the Cristo Rey model to Kansas City. “Working together with the founding team of teachers and staff, we have made a difference in the Kansas City educational climate, and I’m honored to have been part of it,” remarked Kallman.
“Michael is deeply committed to urban education,” said Cristo Rey President John O’Connor. “He is thoughtful and articulate and is experienced in developing and implementing educational and operational policies. Michael is committed to academic excellence, strong pastoral care, and continual improvement in the performance of staff and students.”
Padow’s early schooling was in Alexandria, VA, followed by Jesuit secondary and post-secondary education in Kansas City. In 2006, he joined the teaching faculty of the newly-formed Cristo Rey Kansas City. Over the past 12 years, he has been formed in the mission of Cristo Rey and the charism of the school’s sponsors, the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth.
An emerging leader, Padow was tapped for administration in 2010 and has served as assistant principal of Cristo Rey over the past eight years. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science and a Master’s in Education from Rockhurst University. Currently, he is working toward finishing his dissertation and doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Kansas.
“I’m thrilled at the opportunity to continue the journey to strive toward academic excellence at Cristo Rey Kansas City,” reflected Padow. “Our goal, in the words of Chris Hadfield, ‘is keeping our team focused…and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter’,” he said.
Michael Padow and his wife and son live in Overland Park and are parishioners at Holy Spirit.
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About Cristo Rey Kansas City
Cristo Rey Kansas City is a private, Catholic, college preparatory high school sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. As one of the 32 schools in the Cristo Rey Network, the school serves culturally diverse students with economic need. An innovative Corporate Work Study Program enables students to expand horizons while earning approximately half of the cost of education. With its first graduating class in 2010 and in each year thereafter, 100% of the school’s graduates have been accepted to college. Currently, the school serves 386 students - 56% Latino, 35% African-American, 3% Caucasian, 1% Asian and 5% other ethnicities.