This Week

Room At The Blackboard

JESNA, the group's education arm, is facilitating a pilot
project in which college students teach part time in local
congregational schools while receiving training and
mentoring for Jewish education careers.
• Several organizations, including the UJC and
JESNA, are teaming up to launch a Web site,
Programs for Jewish teachers can't keep up with day school boom.
JewishjobFindencom, to serve as a clearinghouse for
jobs in the Jewish community.
• Edah, a modern Orthodox group, may create a
modeled after Teach for America that would
who is overseeing a Jewish program
recruit young, modern Orthodox college graduates to
JULIE WIENER
Education Service of
teach for a few years in Jewish day schools.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
North America (JESNA)
• Bar-Ilan University in Israel runs a summer pro-
task force on the national
gram
for new day school administrators, while
New York
shortage of education per-
Yeshiva University and the Jewish Theological
very time the newly formed North American
sonnel. "Many of these
Seminary — with funding from the Avi Chai
Association of Jewish High Schools con-
people are less than quali-
Foundation — are operating summer programs to
venes, the room is more crowded and there
fied."
groom potential day school heads. In Chicago,
is word of new schools in the works.
The shortage of educa-
Loyola University and Jewish day schools have
But given the shortage of qualified personnel,
tors with backgrounds in
teamed up to create a master of education adminis-
school leaders greet their new compatriots with some
Jewish studies mirrors the
trative degree for Jewish day schools.
ambivalence, said Simcha Pearl, head of the four-year-
general shortage of teach-
old New Atlanta Jewish Community High School.
• Pardes, a Jerusalem yeshiva known for attracting
Rabbi Robert Abramson
ers in the United States.
They are delighted at the growing popularity of day
liberal
North American college graduates for inten-
That has left Jewish day
sive Jewish text study, began offering alumni this
schools and the opportunity to create joint programs,
schools struggling to find not just Judaic studies
year a master's program jointly with the Hebrew
like semesters in Israel. But they also are wary of the
teachers — a perennial problem — but secular stud-
University of Jerusalem. Fourteen students — who
competition for teachers.
receive tuition subsidies and $12,000-a- year
"Everyone's thinking, All right, but I have to protect ies teachers as well.
Rabbi Robert Abramson, director of education for
stipends — have enrolled so far, committing to
what I have,"' Pearl said.
the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism's
teach at least three years in North American day
The personnel shortage in North American Jewish
department of education — which has almost 70
schools. The program includes a three-week student
education stems from several factors, among them
Solomon Schechter day school affiliates — describes
teaching and mentoring placement in North
the rapid growth of new day schools, the shortage of
the teacher shortage as a "wave crashing down" that's
American day schools.
institutions training teachers and administrators for
going to "hit everyone." Abramson is a former prin-
Even with fellowships, however, it is unclear how
Jewish schools, a national dearth of teachers in gen-
cipal at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit.
many
people will take advantage of the new pro-
eral and a field that historically has paid low salaries.
Institutions located outside Jewish hubs have par-
grams unless salaries and status improve.
Day schools are particularly hard hit given the sec-
ticular difficulty attracting talent. "For us in Atlanta,
Cheryl Finkel, head of the Epstein School, a
tor's rapid growth in recent years. But all areas of
the challenge is to not have the metro New Yorks
Conservative day school in Atlanta, said, "The way I
Jewish education — congregational schools, nursery
and L.A.s and Bostons be the black holes into which
schools, summer camps, youth groups and campus
like to put it is, 'If you're a young woman and dating
are sucked all the great talent," Pearl said.
a Jewish classroom teacher and your mother says
Hillels — face serious shortages.
Day elementary schools long have relied on sec-
that's great, then the problem will be solved.'"
The personnel crisis also affects other areas of
ular
Israeli
expatriates
to
teach
Hebrew
and
Judaic
Finkel, who is leaving her current post to work as a
Jewish communal life, such as federations, Jewish -
studies, said Bruce Powell, head of a new day high national consultant for day schools, said philan-
community centers and the rabbinate.
school planned for Los Angeles and a consultant
thropic dollars are needed so that day schools can
Personnel is "the No. 1 problem in North America
to day schools around the country.
increase salaries without having to raise tuition.
for the Jewish people," said Rabbi David Silber, co-
But day high schools, especially the new
A recent survey by the New York-based Covenant
founder of Ha Sha'ar, a new program training Jewish
Conservative and community ones, have particular
Foundation found that beginning, full-time teachers
day school teachers. "Nothing's even close to it."
trouble finding qualified Judaic studies teachers.
at North American Jewish day schools can expect to
"In high school, it gets more complex in terms of
earn, on average, $21,000 to $24,000, with "mod-
Jewish philosophy and theology," Powell said,
New Approaches
est" health benefits:
Teachers with master's degrees average $24,000 to
In the past few years, a number of new recruitment and adding that teen-agers need teachers who are experts
on the subject matter and who are religious role
training efforts have emerged from different quarters,
$31,000.
models. "Now you can't just have someone who had
In contrast, U.S. public school starting salaries
including degree programs, professional development
a little Bible in school in Israel," he said.
average $27,000, with more extensive health bene-
sessions that groom people for top positions and pilot
Modern Orthodox high schools have a somewhat
fits. And even public school salaries are far below
projects in which college students receive training while
different
challenge. They have existed for several
what college graduates tan earn in other fields.
teaching part time. And salaries reportedly are rising.
generations, but most graduates pursue careers more
Barry Shrage, president of the Combined Jewish
Just how bad is the situation? At virtually every
Philanthropies of Greater Boston, said the law of supply
Jewish conference in the past year, recruitment seem- lucrative than education. Thus the schools often hire
educators trained in fervently Orthodox institutions,
and demand will force up teacher salaries.
ingly tops the list of people's concerns. Still, statistics
which
means the schools end up imparting a more
Already, according to Powell, low salaries are starting
to measure the shortage are hard to come by.
fundamental approach to Judaism than parents or
to become "old news." Some veteran teachers earn up
That's because positions usually are filled in the
lay leaders seek for their children.
to $90,000, he said, while headmaster positions in new
end, albeit after lengthy searches, and not with ideal
day schools are running from $150,000 to $220,000.
candidates, said Paul Flexner of the Jewish
Some Answers
A growing number of day schools, Powell said, are
Education Service of North America.
The shortage is sparking numerous projects. Among
recruiting rabbis for administrative and teaching
"There's a tendency in education circles that when
them:
posts, luring them from the pulpit with the perk of
school opens you frantically hire at the last minute
• The United Jewish Communities, the umbrella for
having Shabbat and Jewish holidays free to spend
people to teach in all your classrooms," said Flexner,
Jewish federations, plans to hire a human resource direc-
with their families. ❑
tor to launch a national project focusing on recruitment.
Related editorial: page 33

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