Training Exemplary Jewish Educators

June 2017

Formal evaluation shows Jewish day schools to be extremely effective in increasing long-term Jewish engagement. Day school alumni constitute a disproportionate share of the innovators and rising leadership in Jewish non-profits.

CFP provides resources that address needs across the field and across schools. This includes:

• Training and Supporting Strong Educators
  Investments in training and professional development – both for aspiring future teachers and seasoned educators already in the classroom – ensure that day school educators are equipped to provide the strongest educational experiences.
   
• Building Organizational Capacity and Financial Sustainability
  Jewish day schools provide outstanding educational experiences, while teaching children strength of character, resilience, and commitment to the Jewish future. Yet none of this can be achieved without financial sustainability and strong operations. The committee invests in supports to help schools as a whole achieve financial and operational strength.

Recruiting and retaining excellent teachers is a key challenge facing Jewish day schools.  The New Teacher Center’s Jewish New Teacher Project uses the best practices of the education world to help Jewish day schools address this challenge.  New Teacher Center works primarily in public schools, using almost two decades of research and experience to train and mentor new teachers. The Chronicle of Education has described New Teacher Center’s work as the “gold standard” for induction programs in the United States.

The Jewish New Teacher Project (JNTP) adapts NTC’s methodology and materials to Jewish day schools.  Beginning teachers participate in an intensive two-year curriculum, including weekly mentoring based on classroom observation, and seminars about effective instruction.  Beyond support to new teachers, JNTP provides schools with a means to recognize and retain their best teachers by training experienced teachers to become mentors to new teachers. Mentoring offers veteran educators an enhanced career pathway and the opportunity to strengthen their leadership capabilities. JNTP also trains school Principals and Heads of Schools to better support new teachers: 91% of participating school leaders believe that JNTP has contributed to their understanding of how to support beginning teachers.