I’ve been reading a lot of posts about Jewish education, often in the context of the economic difficulties we are currently in. I’d like to just sketch a few alternative models for Jewish education that may be more sustainable than what we’ve got now.
Model 1:
Existing day schools slash costs and give a bare-bones offering. No extra-curriculars (or pay-as-you-go), no AP classes, and a scaled-back Judaics curriculum. High schools run for only three years and graduate students per the minimum state standards (like a NY Regents diploma). Access to education is increased, and quality instruction will still be available, but less will be taught. Students who want to get into top colleges will need to go elsewhere.
Model 2:
Community schools. For this to work, all denominations need to pull together to make the schools attractive to all. Secular studies will benefit from economies of scale, and facilities and overhead costs will be significantly reduced. Judaic studies can be offered on different tracks, so that parents can still have their children study the brand of Judaism they subscribe to. The big obstacle here is participation of the Orthodox, most of whom would not send their children to a co-educational school, or to a school where they might be exposed to ‘heterodox’ children and influences.
Model 3:
Public schooling/Charter school followed by Talmud Torah/Hebrew School. Though this model can be economically affordable, it suffers two major flaws. For the Orthodox, sending your kids to public school is the only thing worse than sending them to a community day school. For the non-Orthodox, Hebrew schools are usually a 4-6 hours/week commitment. Kids very quickly get the message that Hebrew School isn’t important. Little of educational value ends up being achieved, which only confirms that the exercise is not valuable.
Model 4:
Home-schooling networks. These are great ideas, especially for small communities, but I can’t imagine how these would scale up to meet the needs of large Jewish communities. That said, their existence will particularly benefit the Orthodox, for whom home-schooling wouldn’t carry much of a stigma.
As for me, I would like to see Model 2, the community schools, become the dominant model. Enough already with all of our separate institutions and insistence on ideological purity. Teaching our kids together is the surest and swiftest path towards greater Jewish unity, appreciation of Jewish diversity, and flowering community.
Rejewvenate! 
Batya said:
Will people really join forces for a community school? I understand that the pragmatic result of high tuition is fewer kids. How do people afford the tuition?
In Israel, the more kids you have the better chances of scholarships.
rejewvenator said:
The Orthodox are the sticking point, and perhaps they would see affordable Jewish community schools as a better option than public schools.
rds9240 said:
In view of the fact that one of the greatest challenges we face in Jewish education is the dearth of competent Judaic educators in both day and supplemental schools, I’d like to suggest a different model for Jewish education; one that invites Jewish students in day schools to become the Jewish educators and leaders of the future. This model is an eight stage developmental ladder that begins in kindergarden, continues through middle and high school, extends through college and graduate school, and is fully implemented in our Jewish day schools. The eight stage career development ladder for students and teachers in a day school is explained below:
The Eight Stage Career Development Ladder for Students and Teachers in a Jewish Day School
Stage One: The tutor stage: The student tutor assists younger students who need additional assistance. High performing, knowledgeable, motivated, upper elementary school students with good interpersonal skills work with younger students to strengthen their general and Judaic academic skills (i.e. reciting the Hebrew alphabet, saying the prayers, practicing conversational Hebrew, etc.). These student tutors are trained and regularly monitored by the classroom teacher (moreh or morah) or supervisor to assess the performance and progress of the tutor and the student being served.
Stage Two: The madrich or madricha stage: The madrich or madricha is an 8th, 9th or 10th grader who is invited by a classroom teacher (i.e. the madrich teacher; refer to stage six ) to serve as a teaching assistant and role model in the madrich teacher’s classroom. The madrich teacher is expected to have received enhanced training on how to utilize the services of the madrich/madricha in order to maximize learning in the classroom.
During stage two the madrich/madricha will be mentored to perform these administrative responsibilities3: Setting up the classroom, taking attendance, collecting tzedaka; distributing supplies, books, and other materials, preparing snacks, correcting students’ work; managing progress charts, preparing materials for upcoming activities, reorganizing the classroom at the end of the day; temporarily taking charge of the class if the teacher is indisposed, teaching a five minute mini-lesson to a small group or the entire class and participating in and leading portions of a prayer service.
As madrichim these teaching assistants and role models would assume these kinds of interactive responsibilities3: Greeting students as they enter the classroom, helping students with art projects and assisting students with class work, leading students in small-group activities, explaining transitions between activities; reading stories to the class, and mentoring students who have difficulty focusing during instruction.
The madrichim would also perform these kinds of creative responsibilities3: Creating bulletin boards, making samples for upcoming art projects; developing costumes, scenery or puppets for class performances; editing student-centered newspapers and providing musical accompaniment to prayer services.
During the 11th grade selected madrichim would receive coursework in Judaics (i.e. Tanach, Jewish History, Tefilah, Hagim, Israel, Hebrew and the Middot, etc.) and Judaic-specific pedagogy (e.g. lesson planning, models of teaching, classroom management, student behavioral management, traditional and performance assessment, learning styles, multiple intelligences and reaching all students, etc.). This coursework could be taken within the regular school schedule as a service learning or mitzvah project, or be a component of a mentoring or independent study program. Alternatively, madrichim could receive this specialized instruction after school and earn college credit. For example, seniors at Barrack Hebrew Academy, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania can earn college credit through Gratz College, Melrose Park, Pennsylvania for receiving this coursework.
Stage Three: The student teacher stage: At the end of the 11th grade, a select group of madrichim who have successfully passed the coursework in Judaics and Judaic specific instruction, are invited to become student teachers during the twelfth grade. During the first semester of their high school senior year, in addition to performing the duties of the madrich/madricha, each student teacher will have an enhanced responsibility. He or she will now be observing, reflecting and doing some small group teaching in the classroom of a trained mentor teacher (see stage seven). This first semester student teaching experience is designed to prepare the teacher candidate to become a co-teacher during the second semester. Accordingly, the student teacher is beginning to acquire the knowledge base and skills to perform these kinds of teaching responsibilities: Planning lessons, determining content and curriculum (i.e. what should be taught); creating a positive classroom environment, developing multiple ways of delivering instruction and using traditional and performance assessments to determine what students have learned; managing student behavior, and collaborating with other members of the instructional staff (i.e. madrichim, co-teachers, teachers, and administrators).
Once again this student teaching experience can be folded within the service
learning, independent study, career exploration or mentoring programs all ready present at certain day schools.
Stage Four: The co-teacher stage During the second semester of the 12th grade, if deemed successful, the student teacher is invited to take on the role of a co-teacher; the co-teacher is a teaching intern who will now gradually assume many of the responsibilities of the classroom teacher. Accordingly at the beginning of the second semester, the co-teacher and his/her mentor teacher will be engaged in co-planning. co-instructing and co- reflecting upon their learning activities. They may be engaged in team teaching where they alternate instructing the whole class, or divide the class into small learning groups, which each one directs. Upon successful completion of this stage, the co-teacher should receive a teaching certificate from the sponsoring institution indicating that he or she has met the requirements to teach at a supplemental school while attending college.
Again this co-teaching experience can be included within the service
learning, independent study, career exploration or mentoring programs all ready existing at certain day schools.
Stage Five: The beginning teacher stage: The undergraduate student is now serving as a moreh or morah at a supplemental school located near his or her college. Ideally he or she is being coached by a mentor teacher during this critical novice teaching period.
Stage Six: The madrich teacher stage: A skilled and seasoned moreh
or morah with at least three years of superior performance evaluations is
additionally compensated for inviting the madrich/madricha to serve as a teaching assistant, student leader and role model in his/her classroom. It is expected that the madrich teacher has received staff development training or coursework in how to mentor the madrich or madricha.
Stage Seven: The mentor teacher stage : A madrich teacher with at least
five years of superior teaching performance evaluations will be compensated
additionally to invite and train the student and co-teacher to learn the art and
science of being a Jewish educator. The mentor teacher should have received
training in the core knowledge base of Judaics and Judaic instruction. In
addition, the mentor teacher needs to acquire the knowledge base and
repertoire in mentoring pre-service and in-service teachers (i.e. interpersonal
communication, observational techniques, the clinical supervision, professional
reflection, the developmental stages of pre-service and in-service teachers,
adult learning principles, etc. ).
If you wish to learn more about this model, and where it is being implemented refer to these two sources:
http://www.ravsak.org/news/155/125/Developmental-Ladder-for-Students-and-Teachers-in-a-Jewish-Day-School/d,HaYidion/
http://richarddsolomonsblog.blogspot.com/
rds9240 said:
Here is another article that was published in CAJE’s Jewish Education News in the fall of 2007. This piece describes a seven stage career development ladder that would apply to both supplemental and day schools.
CAJE Article- Fall/Winter 2007- Jewish Education News
From Madrichim to Expert Educators: New Career Ladder for Professional Development for Supplemental and Day School Teachers
by Richard D. Solomon, Ph.D., Elaine C. Solomon and Hana Bor, Ph.D.
There is abundant empirical and documented evidence that we need more highly competent Jewish educators in both Judaics and pedagogy for our supplemental and day schools. That is not debatable.
The JESNA task force on recruitment, development, retention and replacement , put it succinctly:
here is a chronic shortage of Jewish educators at every level and in every setting. Schools, camps, and youth programs are constantly seeking staff, ranging from entry-level teachers, counselors, and advisors to the senior personnel necessary to administer institutions and programs. In an open society with few barriers for Jews, not enough young people are choosing to become Jewish educators, and not enough of those who make this choice stay with Jewish education as a lifelong career.
The good news is there are many excellent programs designed to train candidates to become skilled Jewish teachers, administrators and leaders. We have listed a few exemplary programs below:
• DeLeT Program at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Rhea Hirsh School in Los Angeles and at the Mandel Center at Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts
• Masters in Jewish Education Program at the Fingerhut School of Education, American Jewish University (formerly the University of Judaism), Los Angeles, California
• Masters of Jewish Education at HUC-JIR in Los Angeles, California
• Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, New York, New York
• Masters in Jewish Education at the Davidson School of Education, Jewish Theological Seminary, New York, New York (some online courses offered)
• Masters in Jewish Education at Gratz College (including online courses), Melrose Park, Pennsylvania
• Masters in Jewish Education at Baltimore Hebrew College (including on line courses), Baltimore, Maryland
• Masters in Jewish Education at Hebrew College, Boston, Massachusetts
• Masters in Jewish Education at Hebrew University, Rothberg International School, Jerusalem, Israel
• Masters in Jewish Education, Spertus College, Chicago, Illinois (including online courses)
• Masters in Jewish Education, Siegal College of Judaic Studies, Cleveland, Ohio (including online courses)
We strongly believe, however, that there is a compelling need to create a new track in Jewish teacher training from the madrich to the expert teacher. At the present time we are missing a golden opportunity to plant the seeds of a teaching career as early as high school if we do not create teacher training programs for our 11th and 12th graders in their supplemental and day schools. Moreover, we need to provide undergraduate Jewish Studies majors with a structured for credit program to learn the pedagogical knowledge and skills to become Jewish educators.
In addition, Jewish teacher training in the 21st century will not be dependent upon proximity to a college or university near the student. With the advent of distance learning, high school, undergraduate and graduate students will be able to take courses in Judaics and pedagogy from any location that has internet services. Indeed, at the present time Gratz College offers online courses for these learners.
To make this seven stage career ladder a reality, we would like to offer the following recommendations:
1. Supplemental and day schools consider implementing madrich programs which offer some of their 11th and 12th participants a two year paid teacher internship program. In the 11th grade these teacher candidates would strengthen their knowledge base of Judaics and receive classes in best practices in teaching. During the first semester of the senior year in addition to performing the duties of the madrich/madricha, the student teacher would have an enhanced responsibility. He or she would now be observing, reflecting and doing some small group teaching in preparation for becoming a co-teacher during the second semester. During the co-teaching phase, the teacher candidate would now be engaged in co-planning. co-instructing and co-reflecting with his or her mentor teacher. Together they may be engaged in team teaching where they alternate instructing the whole class, or they might divide the class into small learning groups which each one directs. Ultimately, the goal of co-teaching is for the teacher candidate to assume most, if not all, of the responsibilities of the mentor teacher.
2. Colleges and universities that offer undergraduate programs in Judaic Studies consider providing credit bearing courses in pedagogy. These courses can also be offered on line to 12th grade supplemental and day school students who receive the recommendation from their respective schools.
3. Colleges and universities that offer master’s programs in Jewish Education and Administration consider providing online courses for mentor teachers in supervision, mentoring, staff development and models of teaching.
4. Supplemental and day schools, bureaus and central agencies of Jewish education, and Jewish educational foundations consider funding this new track for professional teachers.
There is no question that there are excellent graduate and some undergraduate programs to develop Jewish educational leaders. Our point is that the state of Jewish education today requires that we begin this initiative while students are still in their supplemental and day schools.
If you wish to learn more about this model, and where it is being implemented refer to this source: http://richarddsolomonsblog.blogspot.com/
rejewvenator said:
Richard, thanks so much for the detailed comments. It’s great to see that there’s some fresh thinking about how we approach education.
My concern with the model that you laid out is not so much with whetehr it will be effective as much as with whether it’s a reasonable way to spend our resources. School, in my opinion, should be about educating out children, not educating our children to be educators.
Regarding the roles that you laid out in the 8-step ladder, I thought I’d offer the perspective of growing up in an Orthodox community. In such a community, many of the roles you describe were available in one way or another in the school, synagogue, or other community body. For instance, at shul, youth minyanim provided leadership opportunities from leading davening to giving a dvar torah to story-teling or leading activities. Older kids would serve as madrichim for these groups. Youth movements like NCSY offered opportunities for social leadership and entrepreneurship. Teen minyanim let people experience being a gaabia, organizing a minyan and a kiddush, and so forth. Within schools, good students were frequently tapped to work with weaker students, sometimes in the strucutre of a chavruta, and sometimes in a formal tutoring arrangement. Other teaching opportunities existed in the form of extracurricular activities.
Finally, I would challenge an underlying assumption to your comment – that the dearth of educators can be resolved with better training and a clearer career and education track. I would argue that you’re ignoring the two big problems. The first is that front-line teaching is poorly compensated, and talented professionals quickly advance to more financially rewarding positions. The second is that front-line teaching is not well-respected, and therefor it doesn’t attract enough talented candidates.
Richard D. Solomon, Ph.D. said:
Permit me to make a few observations to your comment.
1. Thank you for taking the time to read and reflect on my eight stage career development ladder for Jewish educators.
2. With regard to your comment that our schools should be about educating our children, not educating our children to become educators, I like to offer three thoughts. (1) I agree that the purpose our schools is to educate our children and (2) and one of the most effective ways to educate our children is to empower them to share what they have learned with others. To educate a child is not to simply disseminate our knowledge to them. To truly educate a child is to invite that child to take that knowledge, internalize it, recreate it in his or her own words, and act upon it in a way that brings about tikkun olam. Thus, inviting a child to tutor or teach another student does not only reinforce what has been taught, but bring blessings to the world in which we live. (3) When the teacher share his or her knowledge, there is only one guaranteed learner in the classroom, the teacher. When the teacher empowers his/her students to create meaning and share his or her knowledge with his/her peers, we multiple the number of teachers and learners in the classroom. The eight stage career development ladder model is designed to increase the number of teachers and learners in the classroom.
rejewvenator said:
As an educator myself, I agree with you that the only guaranteed learner is the teacher. That said, an engineer can be trained to know engineering and be a great engineer without knowing how to teach engineering. Judaism and engineering may not be completely comparable, but I’m hesitant about, well, re-engineering our educational system to train educators rather than educated.
Richard D. Solomon, Ph.D. said:
I respectfully submit that we can and do show and teach our more gifted students to help their classmates and students in lower grades. This occurs in both Jewish and secular schools. Please consider reading this article online;Solomon, Richard (December, 2008). Development ladder for students and teachers in a Jewish day school. RAVSAK Journal, HaYidion. 18-21. http://www.ravsak.org/news/155/125/Developmental-Ladder-for-Students-and-Teachers-in-a-Jewish-Day-School/d,HaYidion/
Thank you,
Richard D. Solomon, Ph.D.
Michael Makovi said:
What is so tragic, however, is that the Orthodox would have any opposition to models 2 and 3. Assuming they offer an equivalent quality Orthodox education, it is pathetic that anyone would be concerned about the pernicious influence of non-Orthodox or (gasp!) non-Jewish children. (You mean, not everyone else in the world is Orthodox? You mean, we cannot continue to imagine that the entire socio-economic infrastructure of America exists solely to prop up the Orthodox community? Heresy!) I was educated in a public school, and I saw nothing morally problematic there. If not all the girls there were dressed tzenua, well, I just didn’t look at them.
rejewvenator said:
The Orthodox community has every reason to fear that mixing with other denominations will lead to an erosion of the Orthodox way of life. Personally, I think it would be a good thing if the Orthodox community was exposed to some of these influences, and thereby turned less extreme and hostile, but I don’t kid myself that the Orthodox would be dragged into such a process voluntarily.
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Larry Y said:
It’s time for someone to take a look at the non-Orthodox force working against community schools: The Solomon Schechter movement, which prides itself on excluding Reform patrilineal Jews.