The shortage of qualified educational administrators for Orthodox day schools keeps growing. In addition to the many elementary schools searching for appropriate principals and directors of Jewish studies, there are middle and upper schools--many of them only recently founded or expanded--which have added their demands to a human resources wish list that is becoming increasingly difficult to fill.

The constantly growing and rapidly changing needs of schools also complicate the performance of administrators already in the field. The financial and technological intricacies alone often consume more than their fair share of an administrator’s time and energy, to the detriment of the more "traditional" responsibilities of curriculum and staff development. Novice administrators need to be apprised of the complexities that await them, given advice by professionals who have dealt with these issues, and afforded the opportunity to plan viable strategies with which to handle them.

Yeshiva University is pleased to inaugurate a significant new program of professional educational leadership training. The successful graduates of this program will be prepared to assume positions as heads of modern Orthodox day schools and yeshiva high schools and will receive assistance in placement.

This training program will bring together up to 15 qualified participants for two 4-week sessions to be held during July 2000 and July 2001, and four weekend retreats--one preceding the first summer session and three following it. The "course work" will have an academic structure but will rely considerably on the full-time participation of a staff of successful day school principals who will serve as mentors to the participants. The experience and insight they will share with the novice administrators will enable the program to bridge theory and practice in a highly concentrated effort. The retreats will provide contact and continuity for a distance learning program that will pair mentors and participants during the intervening year.

• composing vision/mission statements

• translating vision into accomplishment

• cooperation between professionals and lay leaders

• anchoring the school in the community and securing community support

• school finance (budget and allocation)

 

• Can we establish and maintain standards, chart and assess progress in limudei kodesh, as we do in general studies?

• Are "skills based" curricula the panacea?

• Are our current students learning with the same rigor and at the same pace at which their older siblings learned?

• What are the educational implications of Torah li-shmah?

 

• parent and student engagement/disengagement

• educational needs versus enrollment pressures

• social and emotional development versus academic performance

• junior high (7-9), middle school (6-8), or variations thereof

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Utilizing the results of effective and essential schools research, the course will concentrate on implementing change in schools--particularly those, like day schools, with longstanding--and often outmoded--traditions of curriculum, instruction, and administration.

Combining theories of adult learning and research in peer mentoring, this course will concentrate on the responsibilities of a head of school as the head teacher, responsible for faculty professional development and supervision.

During session I, participants and mentors will chart a course of administrative responsibilities to acquire/practice during transitional year.

Said responsibilities to be fulfilled by "shadowing" (i.e., following school administrators on their daily routines) under supervision of mentors/faculty and reporting, periodically, on outcomes.

Will include retreats to provide participants with opportunities to share each others’ field experiences, as well as to obtain additional direction from specialist workshops in such areas as school finance (e.g.).

The staff will include Dr. Yitzchak S. Handel, Director of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration; Dr. Moshe Sokolow, Program Director; heads of school mentors.

Tuition, room and board for all participants will be covered for the entire program, including both the summer sessions and the retreats.

Qualifications:

• minimum of 5 years professional educational experience

• preferably 2 years exercise of administrative functions or responsibilities

• MA degree in education, Jewish Studies or appropriate branch of psychology/sociology

• Master’s level knowledge/competence in Judaica

• commitment to Halakhah and attendant values

• commitment to entire course of the program

Process:

This program is sponsored through a grant from The AVI CHAI Foundation.