The lead story in the Jewish Journal this week concerns the high cost of Jewish Day School. And the lead in the story is about Kadima.
On a chilly night in early December, crowds of parents filed into the auditorium at Kadima Hebrew Academy/Kadima Heschel West Middle School, chatting and clutching cups of coffee. The atmosphere was almost festive as finance committee chair Brett Grauman stood at the podium, framed by blue tinsel Stars of David.
“Jewish education should not be only for the wealthy,” Grauman said. “We understand what our families are going through; Kadima is feeling it, too.”
Scattered murmurs rose from the audience as he unveiled the highlight of the assembly — lower tuition rates for the 2009-2010 school year. Through a partnership of parents and donors subsidizing the cut, yearly costs for students in grades K-8 would be reduced between 19 percent and 22 percent.
The economic conditions that necessitated the rare move echoed the story of that week’s parsha, said the school’s Rabbi Avi Navah, in which Jacob flees his home to escape his brother’s wrath and finds himself wandering in the wilderness toward an unfamiliar place.
“He is lonely, frightened, insecure and unsure about his future,” Navah told the roomful of parents and teachers. “This story shows that we in the Jewish community should expect highs and lows.”
Today, Kadima announced that Yuri Hronsky, our present middle school principal, has agreed to serve as Kadima's principal for 2009-2010. This is absolutely wonderful news for Kadima and its community.
Yuri came to Kadima as part of the merger of the middle school, and we're lucky to have him. Not only is Yuri smart and knowledgeable, but he's a mensch. He "gets" Jewish Day School education. With Yuri as our principal, we can rest assured that even in these somewhat tumultuous times, Kadima's educational program will be anchored by one of the best teachers and educational leaders around.
As middle school principal, Yuri combined the best features of the Kadima and Heschel West programs; he implemented a program that is one of the best in the city. We look forward to him providing educational and curricular support to our new Head of School in the years ahead.
This is really great news for the Kadima community.
We promised we'd give the information as soon as we could, and here it is:
We are pleased to announce that the Search Committee has unanimously selected Bill Cohen to be a Finalist for the position of Head of School of Kadima. As we have already announced, Bill will be visiting Kadima all day on February 17, 2009.
Bill is presently the Assistant Head of School at Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School, in Northridge, California. A native of Boston, Bill graduated from Brandeis University in 1986 with a major in Politics, and received his Master of Arts Degree in Education from the Fingerhut School of Education of the University of Judaism (now American Jewish University). Bill served as the principal/head of school of Los Angeles Hebrew High School for nine years, during which time he improved the enrollment of the school by more than 70 percent. In addition to serving as the Assistant Head at Heschel, Bill also teaches Educational Administration at the American Jewish University.
We are very excited about Bill being a Finalist for the Head of School position. He's excited, too. We believe that Bill offers the combination of educational insight, management skill, and leadership acumen that will take Kadima to even greater levels of success.
Take the opportunity on Tuesday, February 17, to come meet Bill. The program for parents starts at 7:45 p.m. Be sure to RSVP to Sera at sera@kadimaacademy.org.
With so many rumors running about, we realize that maybe we haven't been completely clear about our understanding of the role of the Head of School, and in particular, how we see our new Head of School.
We want to be clear. We are looking for a Head of School who will examine every facet of Kadima's program and environment, and will, exercising the Head's knowledge, skill and leadership, ensure that Kadima's program thrives into the future as the preeminent Jewish Day School in our area. As Board members, we have a generalized vision for Kadima--that it be a locus for serious Jewish education in our community--but that vision will gradually change as the new Head learns more about Kadima and works with the Board to grow Kadima for the future. Kadima, after the Head starts, will ultimately reflect the shared vision of the new Head and the Board.
We also want to be clear that we are looking for a strong Head; we are looking for someone who will recognize what works and will not hesitate to fix what does not. We want someone who will be unafraid to make necessary change; we are not looking for sychophant. Within the general ambit of being a Jewish Day School, we have no sacred cows. Granted, before making wholesale changes, the Head will need to lead the Board to a shared vision and wisdom supporting those changes--otherwise any suggested changes will fail. But the Board intends to hire a Head that will look at everything. This means that everything will be up for discussion, but in the end, in certain fields--staffing, curriculum, management--the Head will have complete carte blanche to make whatever changes the Head wants, provided it meets the Board's and the Head's shared vision for the school.
This is why getting the right Head of School is so important. Our Board does not run the school; the Head of School runs the school. And we are fully prepared to support the new Head's efforts to make our school better.
This is all very exciting. Some of it may be difficult, but change is hard. But in the end, if we do it right, Kadima--and all it has stood for during the past 40 years--will thrive.
There are rumors rampant throughout the school about "what is going on" with the school and the search and just about everything else. One of the reasons we started this blog was, at least for Head of School issues, it provides an easy way for people get the actual facts and not have to rely upon rumors. Unfortunately, because of the nature of the search, as well as the need for the author to spend a few moments every now and then on his day job, there has to be a quiet time. We're in that time, and the unfortunate result is that, well, now there's all sorts of rumors flying about.
We've heard a bunch of them, and let me tell you, when you actually know the facts, and you hear some of the rumors, you scratch your head and wonder. It is important for people not to trust the rumors, but to rely solely upon official sources of news. Sometimes the rumors are based upon events that occurred months ago, and are no longer accurate. Other times, the rumors are clearly just made up by someone.
We recently heard that the word on the street was that our Head of School was leaving because she did not want to lower our tuition and that the Board did, so the Board fired her. This is categorically false. Indeed, the Head of School announced her departure before the Board ever decided to lower the tuition; the two issues had absolutely nothing to do with each other!
Don't listen to rumors.
We can tell you that we should have some concrete news about the search process in less than a week. More later.
Even with the inauguration of a new President, and even with the Head search underway, the admissions process continues at Kadima. There is an Open House at the school today; I'd encourage people to stop by if they have the chance.
Here's the word from Michele Starkman, KHWMS's admissions director:
Last month, we all learned of the Community Tuition Partnership, which lowered our tuition commitment for our kids enrolled in grades K-8. To help Kadima continue on its path of making Jewish day school education more accessible to families, I ask for your help – not to worry, what you have to do is really simple – tell your friends, family members, and neighbors about Kadima and how wonderful a Jewish day school education is. Better yet, invite your friends to see the school in action! On Wednesday, January 21 at 9:30 there is an open house scheduled. Come for coffee and bring a friend.
For additional information, contact Karen Pery, Director of Admissions at 818/346-0849 x339 or admissions@kadimaacademy.org.
Last night the Kadima Board met to discuss a variety of serious issues facing the school. We can't go into these issues now; hopefully, we will be able to discuss them soon. However, as I was listening to the discussion, I was struck at the sense of love and devotion our Board members have for Kadima: they discussed their aspirations for the school, and how they love its culture, and how Kadima possesses significant meaning in their lives. For many of us, the school is not just a school; it is part of our lives. Kadima is not merely the place we send our children to learn; it has become a reflection of our own dreams and aspirations.
As I listened to the heartfelt expressions of Board members, I recalled from my old U.S. History classes the famous statement by Daniel Webster in the argument in Dartmouth College v. Woodward, in which Webster urged the Court to prohibit the state from taking over the school because it would change the fundamental nature of the institution. Webster said:
"It is, sir, as I have said, a small college. And yet there are those who love it!"
The same can be said of Kadima. It is a small school. And even with all of its many issues and struggles, we all love it.
We plan to report some significant Search Committee news within the next two weeks.
One of the easiest ways to lose readership to a blog is to stop posting messages. We've haven't posted for a few days because, while there are a variety of things going on, they all still have to remain confidential.
As a result, we have two choices: we can pontificate a bit about the theoretical and academic issues surrounding independent schools and Head of School searches, or we can stay silent. We've chosen the latter course for now.
But keep looking. We will have some substantive information on line soon.
While I've previously talked about the great technology program at KHWMS, I did not mention that the whole idea for a blog about the Search Committee's effort came from my sixth grade son. While I'm happy that my son came up with the idea, that's really not the point. The point is that the primary reason he was able to develop the idea of using a blog is because he is enrolled in KHWMS's great technology program.
So he (and KHWMS) get the credit. I'll take responsibility for any errors or mistake in content.
The nature of any employment search requires balancing a variety of factors. On the one hand, we have to be extremely discreet and work in the shadows: we are likely interviewing candidates that have present jobs, and do not want to reveal to their employers that they may be seeking new positions. The best way to handle this is to respect confidentiality so much that no one has any idea about what the Committee is doing until we present our Final Candidate(s) for review by the larger school community. On the other hand, if we take that approach, and no one outside the Committee has any idea what is going on, it creates its own problems. Nature abhors a vacuum, so rumors can get started, and this can create a negative environment which in turn undermines the search process. In addition, people not on the Committee need to know that the Committee is, in fact, doing something.
We've tried a balanced approach with this blog. We are providing as much information as we can, but also engaging in a variety of actions on a confidential basis. If someone wants to know nothing, they need not check our blog. However, for those who do want to have an idea about what is happening, they can read the blog. We think that this works well.
The Committee had a great meeting last night which we believe greatly furthered our search efforts. However, this is one of those times that we can say nothing else and must instead keep things confidential.
Kadima Hebrew Academy's elementary school is a Solomon Schechter School. The middle school, because it is a joint project with Heschel West, is not. What makes a Schechter School? It's a good question. Rabbi Jim Rogozen, the Head of School of the Gross Schechter Day School, in Ohio, posits one the best explanations I've seen, here. The key language:
"But there's one more ingredient, one that is intellectually exciting and compelling. In Mishle (Proverbs) 3:6 we read: "B'chol drachecha da'ehu" — "In all of your ways know God." I take this to mean that all avenues of study, all areas of knowledge, can and should be seen as ways to comprehend the wonder of God and of the universe. Put another way, there is no such thing as "secular" or religiously insignificant knowledge; everything we learn can inspire us and help us along our path. It follows, then, that all learning is important (on the global level) and is ultimately impactful (on the personal level)."
I think that everyone at Kadima implicitly gets this, regardless of whether they are in the elementary school or the Middle School.
Unfortunately, the Schechter brand has lost some of its identity in California. Go East, and many, if not most, stakeholders have a very defined conception of what a Solomon Schechter education means. In Los Angeles, a Solomon Schechter school means that the school is associated with the Conservative Movement and thus more "religious" than a non-Schechter non-Orthodox day school. Of course, defining what the Conservative Movement is presents its own complexities.
This is unfortunate, because the guiding philosophy underpinning the Schechter schools--and Kadima--is quite meaningful.
In 1992, highly decorated retired Admiral James Stockdale was running for Vice-President as Ross Perot's running mate. In the Vice-Presidential debate, Admiral Stockdale began his opening statement with the unforgettable words, "Who am I? Why am I here?"
A few days ago, I spent a couple of hours speaking with Nehimia "Nammie" Ichilov, the dynamic Head of School of the King David School in Scottsdale, Arizona. The King David School is lucky to have him. Nammie "gets it" with regard to the issues facing Jewish Day Schools and the importance of each school having its own purpose and raison d'etre. Only when the school knows precisely what it is trying to achieve can it actually work to achieve it. And this centrality of purpose energizes the school community and helps make it successful.
Creating and refining vision is hard stuff. In a 1993 study, David Conley, a professor at the University of Oregon, examined 79 strategic plans of schools. Based upon this review, he created a vanilla mission statement:
"It is the mission of ______________ to enable all students to become responsible citizens and lifelong learners in a changing global society. This will occur in an environment where diversity is valued and the potential of each student is developed to the fullest, with an emphasis on excellence in all endeavors. This can only occur as a result of a partnership between and among the school district, parents and other community members and agencies."
Conley, and others, however, have found little evidence that such a generic mission statement actually contributes to a school's success, as defined by superior educational performance.
At Kadima, we have a non-vanilla Mission Statement, although it may be a bit outdated and I'd bet that most of our community is not familiar with it. Moreover, in recent years we've struggled a bit with a tendency toward vanilla bromides and confusion about who we are and why we are here. Much of the reason for this is because of the practical difficulties associated with operating an independent Jewish Day School in a rapidly changing environment under extreme economic and other pressures. Simply put, much of the leadership spends its time ensuring that the kids receive an excellent Jewish and secular education and leave Kadima as mensches; as a result, they have little extra time to engage in philosophical discussions.
The hiring of a new Head gives all stakeholders, in conjunction with the new Head of School, the opportunity to engage in some self-examination and reflection. A new Head--and one that is a strong leader-- will work with all stakeholders to help all of us better define Kadima's vision of itself, and clarify the school's central purpose. This will be difficult but rewarding work.
Happy 2009! We hope that everyone has a healthy, fulfilling and happy 2009.
The Search Committee meets tomorrow night. We will likely have much more news about the status of the search after that meeting. Again, the process must be confidential at this point. However, we will be, at the appropriate time, inviting parents and others to meet with any Finalists, once we have identified them.
