Planning For Success: Effective Insights And Strategies For The Administration Of Jewish Religious Schools

Book Summary

Dorothy Herman is the master principal. This book is a sharing of her experiences. Even if your style and school are different, this is a valuable chance to watch how another administrator runs a school. I have been very fortunate to have had wonderful role models who have influenced both my teaching and my administrative work. These are the people I have observed throughout the years. They shared their gifts with me, influenced my thoughts and my actions and helped me to grow. Their philosophies, theories and actions helped to make this book possible. I will forever be indebted to them. RABBI HERBERT BAUMGARD, the founding rabbi of Temple Beth Am, was totally involved with the school and the teachers. He taught me accountability, the need to set goals and to evaluate, to constantly strive to do better, to change with the times, and to be supportive of the staff. He gave me freedom to create and let me build upon my strengths. He wrote working papers as the basis for our school's curriculum and made himself and our associate rabbis available to the school. He provided us with a budget so that we could get the job done. He helped to train the teachers in Judaica at retreats and with individual curricula. LILLIAN ROSS, the first principal of Temple Beth Am, hired me while I was still in high school. She and her garage, filled with teaching materials, were always available to me. She stressed professional growth through Bureau of Jewish Education courses. She introduced me to resourcing, teachers' notes, meetings, and retreats. She made teaching in the religious school an important happening. DR. STEVEN VOSS was my internship supervising teacher in Gainesville, Florida. Steve is one of the finest teachers I have ever met. Every teacher should have the opportunity to work with someone like him. He taught me how to be a humane teacher and how to discipline with love and understanding. I learned how to accept each child where he was and not to prejudge a child by what I might hear in the teachers' lounge. I learned to be more open and to share myself with the children. I experienced the most incredible happenings in the classroom. His philosophy and teachings influence so many of the things that I do. IRWIN MARSHALL, the second principal of Temple Beth Am, took me out of the classroom and moved me into the world of administration. I followed Irwin around the school for two years. During this 'internship,' I learned to hire, fire, observe, supervise. administer, order, schedule, plan and all of the other things you need to know to run a big school. Irwin taught me how to dismiss teachers and still leave them with their dignity DR. ABRAHAM GITTLESON, Associate Director of the Central Agency for Jewish Education, Miami, Florida, is a superb teacher who gave me the opportunity to branch out into conducting staff development courses. He encouraged and guided me to give workshops locally and nationally He was the editor of earlier published curricula. Also available: Jewish Parents : A Teacher's Guide - ISBN 0933873107 What We Now Know About Jewish Education - ISBN 1934527076

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