Now we know.

Two of the critical questions for any school is whether the school is, in fact, teaching what it says it is teaching and whether the students are, in fact, learning what we say they are. In many private schools, the data on this subject is shrouded in secrecy, based solely upon anecdotal information, or simply doesn't exist. Instead, the school rests solely upon its reputation, which may reflect outdated outcomes or merely a good public relations and advertising campaign.

Parents should not accept this. They should ask every principal of every school their kids attend or are thinking that they attend, "show me evidence that you are successful teaching what you say you teach; and, show me what systems you have in place for assessing the efficacy of your program in meeting your stated educational goals."

This is really important. If a school cannot, with objective evidence, demonstrate that its educational outcomes meet its stated mission, then the school has a serious problem. Not only is the school not doing what it says it is doing, but it probably means that there is something wrong with the educational product. Ultimately, whatever reputational advantage the school has will gradually fade away as outcomes no longer comport with the perceptions of the school's stakeholders.

This is also hard and scary stuff. It is hard because it is difficult to objectify educational outcomes, since standardized tests do not always reflect whether a person is learning to their potential. It is also scary, because standardized tests sometimes squarely contradict previously held perceptions of a good educational system and then force uncomfortable changes, which often require difficult decisions. The Los Angeles Times revealed this in its "value added" study, which, essentially, sought to show how teachers in LAUSD improved the test scores of their students. In some cases, the students of supposedly "excellent" teachers did not show significant improvement on objective testing.

This is also true in the private school world. Having been involved in Kadima for ten years, I know that schools get reputations. In some cases, the reputation is that a school is "really academic." Other schools get a "developmental" reputation. Some schools are known for "producing really sharp graduates." Others for "nice people." What parents really want to know is that their kids are learning what they should be learning--generally defined by California state standards.

Most private schools give their students ERB tests. These are standardized tests that are given to independent schools throughout the nation. They are one form of analysis. Yet most schools won't tell you what their ERB scores. And even if they do, they almost always come with some kind of caveat, such as "small sample" or "the test does not reflect the realities of our curriculum" or "that other school teaches to the test or their kids aren't creative like ours." There are schools, of course, that do tell you their ERB results: they usually have really high scores. But again, ERBs are only one form of analysis.

The old Kadima often fell into this very trap. We've heard through the years that when our kids graduate, they are the best, and we do, in fact, have many examples of our graduates doing great things. But that kind of reasoning requires our parents to take a leap of faith that after ten years their kids will be properly educated.

No more. At the last Board meeting, our General Studies Principal, Kristi Combs, gave a presentation to the Board explaining precisely how Kadima ensures that we are (1) teaching what we say we teach and(2) that our kids are actually learning what we say they are learning. It was a tour de force. We are going to provide parents with the specific information Kristi gave us, but it suffices to say that we now have systems in place that will objectively demonstrate the efficacy and success of Kadima's educational program. I challenge any school to show it has what Kadima has.

There are several aspects to the assessment program.

1. Fluency in basic skills. We test our kids at the beginning of the year to make sure that they have the basic skills to allow them to participate in higher learning. If there is a problem, we address it both with the student and the teacher. If there is a pattern of something being wrong in this area, our staff will not only now know it early, but be able to remedy it and ensure that it does not continue.

2. Three times a year we will have an assessment of curriculum benchmarks. Kristi pointed out that at the beginning of each year, our teachers must devise a map showing what, when and how they are going to meet the school's curriculum goals for the year. We then assess the kids--using a specially and independently designed assessment instrument that is specifically tailored to our curriculum goals (which in turn are generally based upon California standards)--and know, fairly early on in the school year, whether the kids are learning what they are supposed to be learning. Again, this helps the administration know if there is a problem and so they can fix it.

3. And we still do our ERBs. And we will look to make sure that our kids can perform their best on standardized tests, since, whether we like or not, standardized tests are a reality of educational life.

At the end of a full year of this project, we will know what our kids have learned, where we are strong, and where there still remain opportunities to improve the program. Most importantly, because the project is in place now, if there are areas we need to fix now, we can do it now and do not have to wait until next year.

I doubt that any other school has what we have. Not only do we know what we are doing, we are assessing early enough in the school year to make necessary course corrections to respond to any opportunities for improvement.

This is really big stuff. No longer will have to rely upon anecdotal information about the success of our program.

Now we can prove it.

Exit the Whirlwind...

The delegation from Israel left Tuesday morning and everyone misses them. They were a terrific bunch of kids and our kids really enjoyed hosting them. We were able to spend some time talking with our visitors; the kids were able to find some new friends that hopefully they will have for a long time. And most importantly, our kids now have a direct connection with friends in the Promised Land.

Now things get back to normal as we head for Winter Break. We have a short Board meeting tonight to handle some business issues and also discuss plans for the big Gala on April 3. We'll also be setting our election date for new officers.

Lots going on at Kadima...be part of it!

Raising Resources.

This Sunday, our Board is going to have an amazing opportunity to learn better how to fulfill one of its primary tasks: raising the resources necessary to ensure Kadima's future. One of our Trustees, Suzy Bookbinder, is a professional in this area--both as a development professional and as a coach with PEJE--and she will be leading us through a four hour session all about development. While our Board knows that we are charged with raising resources, this will be one of the best opportunities we have to actually learn the best way to do it.

We are very lucky to have Suzy on our Board and providing her time and expertise in furtherance of the Kadima cause.

It is going to be a great day.

The kid speaks Hebrew.

We are presently playing host to a wonderful student from Ort Yad Singalovski and will be for the next week. The kids are having a great time getting to know each other and creating a special connection between America and Israel.

Our Israeli student speaks English very well; however, there are sometimes when we speak too fast or our grammar is poor, and it is clear that communication is not there. In those situations, my son, with his 9.5 years of a Kadima education, immediately steps in and starts speaking Hebrew to the student. It's pretty incredible. My son is 13 and he speaks and understands two languages: English and Hebrew. Indeed, last night a group of them were speaking Hebrew and my son was participating, laughing, and clearly understanding what was going on. An old language teacher of mine once said that you really know a language when you can listen to background speakers talking in another language and understand completely what they are saying. I think that my son is almost there; and we have Kadima to thank for it.

The kids are going to see the Sacramento Kings play the Clippers tonight because, in a remarkable coincidence, the Clippers are playing the Sacramento Kings, and the Kings have the only Israeli player ever to make it to the NBA--Omri Casspi. So the Clippers are honoring Israel tonight, and there will be lots of Israeli flags in the stands. We'll be there too, cheering and singing HaTikvah.

The experience thus far has been interesting; the cultural differences between Israeli Jews and American Jews can be significant. But for the kids, in the end, they are all kids. And they are really enjoying being with each other.

The Israelis are coming, the Israelis are coming...

This Thursday, a group of about a dozen Israeli middle school students from ORT Yad Singalovsky in Tel Aviv will descend upon Kadima and start a 12 day visit with us. And for me, it is literally with us. We will be hosting a student from Israel in our home for the 12 days. My son is excited, the visitors are excited, we're excited, and the school is excited, too.

The program is part of the Tel-Aviv/Los Angeles Partnership program sponsored in part by the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles. The idea is that by having students from Israel and Los Angeles get to know each other--at their own levels and in their own ways--they will begin forging long term relationships between Americans and Israelis. From what I've seen thus far, it will work.

The kids have already begun talking to each other by Facebook, and I've been impressed that our kids are, without a hitch, speaking and writing Hebrew with their Israeli counterparts. And I am talking about the non-native Hebrew speakers.

The next two weeks will be an adventure.

Gala Honorees: Ester and David Vered

The news is out: On April 3, 2010, Kadima will be honoring David and Ester Vered for their years of support and commitment to Kadima. It is going to be a special evening; we will be honoring the Vereds and also celebrating Kadima's four decades.

Mark your calendars. It is an event that you won't want to miss!

Tuition, again.

Tomorrow night our Board will be discussing the budget for next year, and in particular, what we will do with tuition. The Finance Committee and Executive Committee have already examined the issue, they will be making a recommendation to the Board. We will be looking at our budget and cash flow needs as well as economic realities. It is likely to be a good discussion.

I can't go into the details of the proposal, but I can say that there is a recommendation for an increase in tuition next year. That should not surprise anyone; it costs a lot to run a school like Kadima, and it costs more and more each year. Virtually every school raises tuition each year. We tried lowering it 25 percent one year in an effort to stimulate admissions, but like the government's stimulus package, it was not enough to trigger an admissions stampede to the school; a stampede that was necessary to offset the reduction in tuition collections. As a result, the following year we only provided only a 5 percent reduction from the original cost.

Ultimately, we learned that people will pay--to the extent that they can--for a good educational product. We have it at Kadima.

So tomorrow night we will discuss and wrestle with tuition issues. As always, it is likely to be a good discussion.

Dr. Saul Wachs.

Today, Dr. Saul Wachs, the leader and expert in tefilla education visited the school to work with Mrs. Yalovsky and Mr. Cohen to examine and analyze our school's already terrific tefilla programs.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for the school. Dr. Wachs really is the expert in prayer in schools, and to have him looking at our school exemplifies Kadima's leadership in this area. You can read a monograph he wrote on the subject, here. I strongly urge you to take the time to read this paper. We are working to ensure that Kadima's tefilla, like all of its programs, is second to none, and is part of our integrated educational experience.

Dr. Wachs writes that the key to successful tefilla--success as defined as engaging and meaningful for all ages, and not just skills education--is depth. He writes:

"The key is omek, depth. I believe that every service

should have some element of omek."

That really boils down what Kadima is about. Depth. Our programs are not superficial; they are meaningful.

Again, please read Dr. Wachs' paper. It articulates better than I possibly could what we are trying to achieve with a Kadima education.

To have Dr. Wachs at our school is an honor; it is also a direct result of being a member of the Solomon Schechter Day School Association.

This is important stuff.

Liberal Arts Education.

Rabbi Daniel Gordis recently wrote about the paucity of liberal arts education in Israel. You can read his article here. He raises several interesting points, the most important, in my mind, being that rigorous intellectual education remains critical to learning how to think and to understanding and solving some of the world's most difficult problems.

Gordis notes that in Israel, the number of people who are forsaking advance study of the humanities--history, language, literature, art--is dropping in favor of technical professions, such business and management. While these disciplines are important, they cannot be the end all of any educational experience. As Gordis writes:

What does matter is whether we can produce a generation of students who, when they hear something about which they disagree, can debate the ideas at hand, rather than merely seeking to silence those with whom they disagree.

It is important, therefore, that we teach our kids how to think, and use the humanities in order to do so. Our future requires that our children learn about ideas and how to analyze them.

This is what we seek to do at Kadima; moreover, we do it in a way that is grounded in both Jewish and General Studies. Just as our students study American history analytically, they also analyze Jewish history analytically. The goal is to challenge our students, encourage them to think critically, and to provide them with the beginnings of an intellectual background--and a commitment to learning for its own sake--that will permit them to solve problems, imagine solutions, and create their own successful futures.

Locus of Learning.

Kadima, at its core, is a place for education. It is a place of inspiration, learning, and growth. Kadima is not only a place where we develop Life Long Learners, but also a place where people can learn throughout their lives.

To that end, our educational staff will be arranging classes for our community throughout the year. Under the name Kadima Center for Life Long Learning, we will be offering a variety of opportunities for adults to study and receive the excellence of a Kadima education.

In addition to having our staff provide an excellent selection of Torah study opportunities throughout the year, we will also be hosting free classes entitled "Talking to Your Children About..."

The first one is October 29, 2010 at 8:00 a.m, and is entitled Talking to Your Children About Internet Safety. It will be taught by Lori Getz, M.A. an expert on the subject.

The next one is December 2, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. and is entitled Talking to Your Children About Human Sexuality (for parents of fifth graders and up). It will be taught by Rabbi/Dr. Ron Levine.

After that, we have Talking to Your Children About Drugs, Alcohol and Addiction which will be held on March 9, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. It will be taught by Doug Rozen of Beit T'Shuvah.

Mark these on your calendar. They represent another example of why Kadima remains a locus of learning in our community.

Shana Tovah.

Shana Tova.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, and on behalf of my family, I wish you all a healthy, happy, and wonderful year.

May this be a year of learning, fulfillment, community and fulfillment for the entire Kadima community.

Shabbat Under the Stars

This Friday, September 3, at 5:30 p.m., we will be having our annual welcome, Shabbat Under the Stars. It is a great opportunity for everyone to celebrate the beginning of the school year, wish everyone a Shana Tova, and be part of our community. I urge everyone to attend.

Wow, three posts in a week. I guess summer really is over.

Ten Years At Kadima...

Yesterday, my son began eighth grade at Kadima. He also began his tenth year at Kadima.

A decade is a lot.

In fact, it is probably the longest he will ever be at a single institution of learning in his life. It means that Kadima's influence will cast a long shadow on who he is, and what he becomes. When I spoke with the teachers before school, I pointed out that they have a huge influence upon their students; indeed, Kadima--its people, its environment, its ways of teaching--will influence my son for the rest of his life.

Nine years ago, when we decided to send our son to Kadima, we did so because we believed that the best way for him to become a learned, serious, committed and educated Jewish adult--and ultimately to have the best chance to live a life of Jewish meaning and not just cultural affiliation--was for him to possess a deep foundation of Jewish learning. The only way he could get this was at a Jewish private school.

This is because while we were comfortable that we could provide our son with a commitment to Jewish living--through our own family's involvement in synagogue, and his involvement in Camp Ramah and USY--what we could not do is provide him with a rich, deep and meaningful Jewish education that would, in the end, provide him with additional intellectual and spiritual tools so he could fully participate in Jewish and secular life at whatever level he ultimately chooses. The reality is that without a foundational Jewish foundation, it is more difficult (although by no means impossible, as people do obtain this knowledge later in life) for a lay person to live an intellectually rich Jewish life. Simply put, with a Jewish private school education, my son will have an easier time participating in Jewish life at a much deeper intellectual level than someone who does not have a foundational Jewish education. And, we hope, that this will give him the best chance of choosing, when he is an adult, the path to a learned, meaningful, and perhaps even influential Jewish life.

This is why we chose Kadima. There are many good Jewish Day Schools. There are many good secular private schools. There are, however, few non-Orthodox Jewish Day Schools that seek to provide a Judaic Studies program that includes not only holidays, traditions, and culture (and there is nothing wrong with schools that focus solely upon traditions and culture), but that also teach Judaic Studies as both an academic subject and a religious subject to its students. Kadima has always had this mission; it continues to work hard to meet it.

In a year, my son will leave Kadima and go to another school. Yet the foundation of both Jewish and secular learning will remain within him; we hope that this learning--and the Jewish values of learning, prayer, and kindness (torah, avodah, geilut chasadim) that he has been taught to study and embrace will help him set a Jewish course as he faces the myriad of pressures, choices, and wonder that will be High School--and the rest of his life.

The School Year Begins...

This past summer, the livin' was not easy. I was extremely busy with my day job, and so I wasn't able to opine or pontificate as much as usual on Kadima, day school education and other matters. So there was little time to write blog entries.

Tomorrow is the first day of school, and like the first day of Spring, it is on the first day of school that hope springs eternal. The shoes are new, the papers blank, and the clothes unruffled. Everyone still has the potential for straight As and to become the starting quarterback. For everyone, it is the time when we all start anew, and commit ourselves to a year of learning, friendship, community and growth.

It's the same for Board members. Yesterday, the Board of Trustees had its retreat, and unlike a year ago, where the theme was "Ch-changes..." the theme this year was "Forward to Greatness." We discussed how over the past year--a year of change, of upheaval, and of renewed commitment--we had firmly and unequivocally established a foundation for Kadima's continued excellence into the future. We heard remarkable presentations from Bill Cohen, Kristi Combs and Michal Yalovsky about their plans for the year, and everyone was just agog with excitement.

Ms. Combs, our General Studies Principal, detailed her plan for ensuring excellence in our secular educational program. Ms. Combs described how we will be monitoring our program so we know that our program is working and that our kids are achieving the best they can achieve. Ms. Combs made clear that for her, educational excellence is a continuing process. We will not rely upon our reputation or our perceived strengths; we will consistently review our ourselves and our efforts so we know that our program is outstanding and so we can prove it to our community. Ms. Combs recognized that this is hard work; but if we want to continue to ensure that Kadima's educational product maintains its value, we must remain vigilant.

Ms. Yalovsky was similarly impressive. She made clear that Judaic Studies is not the frosting on the educational cake at Kadima; it is part of the cake itself. Ms. Yalovsky pointed stated that our Judaic Studies program will remain professional in all respects; as a result, our kids will not only enjoy living Jewish lives; they will become learned Jews. Moreover, Ms. Yalovsky pointed out that Kadima will be refining and improving its curriculum so that the Judaic Studies portion of the program continues to be as equally meaningful, rigorous, and vibrant as the General Studies curriculum.

Finally, Bill indicated that he continues to move Kadima's master plan forward, and we continue our forty year journey of excellence in Jewish and General Studies education. His effort leading our community over the last year has been extraordinary.

This is going to be an amazing school year for Kadima and our community.

Be part of it.

Still Here, sort of.

I haven't posted because I've been busier at my day job than I have been in quite awhile. Between appellate briefs, emergency petitions and an arbitration, I've had more than enough to do just being a management employment lawyer, so the blog has suffered.

As school gets closer, please check back for updates and new blog entries.

Thanks for your patience.

Catholic School?

In discussing marketing initiatives, we've learned that a larger than you'd think number of Jewish families send their kids to Catholic schools. Catholic sponsored schools are less expensive (they generally receive funds from the local Archdiocese) and in some cases, are fairly gentle in the fervor of their religious presentation. They are respectful to other cultures and religious traditions. The thought arose as to why these families were not attending Jewish private school and what we could do to attract them to our school.

We haven't come to any conclusions, but my own view is that these families probably are not a target audience for a Jewish day school. Jewish day schools probably cost 40% more, and if a Jewish family is prepared to send their child to a Catholic school, the "Jewish" part of our program is probably not something that is compelling to them. These families could have chosen to send their children to public school or a secular independent school but made a specific choice (motivated by perhaps financial concerns, since a secular independent school is much more costly than a Catholic school) to send their children to a non-Jewish religious school. That choice, in my view, speaks volumes about their beliefs about the importance of Jewish education.

Hiatus.

I don't know if anyone is still checking this, but I've been on a bit of a hiatus as we enter summer. We're still working at Kadima, but things are bit slower now.

So be patient. Regular entries will resume soon.

A Couple of Great Days.

Last Sunday, we celebrated my son's Bar Mitzvah, and it was a wonderful day for our family. My son led the entire service, read all of the Torah portions, and led the entire community in the Hallel. It was a great advertisement for Kadima, and how a Jewish private school education--along with participation in synagogue and Camp Ramah--can help create a Jewish neshama. We were all extremely proud of Avi.

Yesterday, I started the morning by attending a celebration at Kadima wherein we dedicated the school's Torah in memory of Annalee Kaplan. The Kaplan family was there, and they saw our elementary school doven their morning prayers and sing with gusto; more importantly, they saw how their gift to the school will help our students continue their love of Torah and Jewish life. Perhaps even more importantly, the kids saw the importance of tzedakah, and how by giving charity and performing acts of kindness we can honor those whom we love.

Last evening, I attend Kadima's graduation of our eighth graders. Some of these students have been with us for a decade, and one family has put four kids in the school, and for the first time in 17 years will not be a Kadima family. The graduates were terrific; they clearly are close with each other and understand the importance of community.

And of course, on Monday, we had an Executive Committee meeting, followed by a four hour Board meeting.

It's been an exhausting, but uplifting, few days.

Proposed Board Slate.

Under the school's Bylaws, the Board elects the Board based upon a slate prepared by the Nominating Committee. Pam Teitelbaum chaired the Nominating Committee this year, her Committee has proposed the following slate, to be voted upon by the Board at its meeting on June 14.

The Officers of the School (most are serving the second year of a two year term)
Jack Sholkoff, President
Mark Teitelbaum, Executive Vice President
Brett Grauman, Vice-President, Finance
Rabbi Jay Strear, Vice President
Richard Spencer, Vice President of Trustees (to stand for election on June 14)
Pam Teitelbaum, Vice-President
Richard Abronson, Secretary
Shawn Evenhaim, Immediate Past President

The following are proposed to serve two year terms on the Board.

Suzy Bookbinder, Raz Bronstein, Eli Shetrit, Ester Vered, Katie Krause, Mike Resnick, Bronwyn Spencer, Natalie Spiewak

The following are proposed to serve a one year term on the Board.

Jackie Feldman, Rich Ross, Lina Soifer, Rabbi Richard Camras, Dave Leon, Gary Raikin.

This is a great group of people to lead Kadima into the future.

Hiatus.

I simply have not had time to sit down and blog. My son's Bar Mitzvah is this weekend and that is the focus of everything right now.

There is much to write about, though. Both of our new principals start soon, and have already made rounds meeting families. We're also preparing for culmination, a new "rising up" ceremony that each elementary school child will experience at the end of the year, as well as graduation. And we're working on the budget, we have to elect next year's board, begin strategic thinking for next year, and work, as always, on fundraising issues. So there's a lot going on.

But until this Sunday, my focus is on my son and his big day.

Blog Comes Back.

I think that this was longest silence between posts. I've been busy practicing law and focusing upon my son's upcoming Bar Mitzvah, which leaves little time for blogging.

But we've been having lots of interesting discussions at Kadima, and are moving forward toward next year.

On Friday, June 4, Kristi Combs, are new General Studies principal, will meet our parents. Tonight, both Kristi and Michal, our new Judaic Studies principal, met many elementary school families at our open house.

There is lots of energy, lots of vision, and lots of action at Kadima.

I'll try to write more substantively, soon.

A Shining Moment.

Yesterday, we had our Family Adventure day, and it was terrific. Thanks to so many people, including, but not limited to, Franci Levine-Grater, our Director of Development, Bill Cohen, our Head of School, and Jay Strear, our Vice President, Advancement, for making the day a wonderful one. We had many volunteers who made the day a success, too.

While we will look at the numbers from the event over the next day or two, the real benefit of this type of event is that people spend the day together enjoying and becoming part of, our community. Whether it was enjoying a massive volleyball game, flying on the zip line, or experiencing the foam cannon (the latter really should be rented for a Board meeting), people had a great time and felt part of a great community.

We have our challenges at Kadima, but for one brief shining moment, that was largely forgotten, as we came together and enjoyed a beautiful and wonderful day.

Why We Do This, continued.

This afternoon, I had the unique privilege of attending the Third Grade's presentation to Challenged Athletes Foundation, an organization that promotes athletics for physically challenged adults and children.

The third grade teacher, Ms. Oren, explained that the kids brought in recycled goods and raised approximately $50. They then decided to use this money to raise additional money for charity. So the kids ran a snack shack for three days, and sold a variety of snacks to the school community. They ultimately netted more than $868, which they then presented to a representative from CAF who visited the school. The CAF representative was a boy who, with the help of CAF, has completed triathlons notwithstanding having a prosthetic leg.

This is what Jewish education is about. The kids raised found a cause, raised money for it, and donated their proceeds to it. Prior to the ceremony, our school rabbi discussed with them the importance of doing good and repairing the world, and the kids demonstrated, through their answers and their deeds, that they understood this most fundamental of Jewish lessons.

Kudos to the Third Grade faculty, parents, and kids for their hard work to make the world a better place!

Shabbat Shalom.

Big News.

Last week, Bill Cohen, our Head of School, made two big announcements:

1. We've hired our new General Studies Principal, Kristi Combs. Ms. Combs hails from Tucson, Arizona, and will be moving, along with her husband and two children, to California during the summer. In announcing Kristi's hiring, Bill said:

Kristi is a master educator who has spent many years leading teams of General
Studies teachers in such areas as: Differentiated instruction, Understanding by Design, and cooperative learning. For three years, she served as the Director of Professional Development at a private school in Arizona, and she has a Master of Education in Curriculum Design and Instruction and a Bachelors of Science degree. Most importantly, Kristi is warm, engaging, and has been described as a "star" by those who have worked with her over the past decade.

In the brief time I met Kristi, she struck me as someone with tremendous energy who really understands pedagogy. She recognizes the importance of consistency, accountability and success in education, and will have a hugely beneficial impact to our school.

2. We've also hired our new Judaic Studies Principal, Michal Rozenberg-Yalovsky. In announcing Michal's appoint, Bill said:

Our new Hebrew and Judaic Studies Principal will be Michal
Rozenberg-Yalovsky. Michal grew up in Israel, and moved to Los
Angeles about a decade ago. For the last seven years, Michal has
served as Principal and Program Director at Congregation Or Ami in
Calabasas. During her tenure, Michal created a dynamic Hebrew and
Judaic Studies program which more than doubled in size. In addition,
Michal served as the program Director at Hadassim Junior High School
before moving to the US. Michal has received her Masters Degree in
Education from the American Jewish University, and she also earned a
Master of Arts in Cognitive Psychology from Tel Aviv University.
Michal loves technology, and looks forward to integrating Technology
into our Hebrew and Judaic Studies program. Michal, her husband, and
two children, recently moved to a new home in West Hills.

I'd add that Michal, who was raised in a secular Israeli family, but rediscovered Jewish life in America, possesses the skills to build upon Kadima's already excellent Judaic Studies program and maintain its strong connection to Israel. She is a great fit for our school and its program.

Both Michal and Kristi are tremendous additions to Kadima and we look forward to having them join our team this summer.

Family Adventure, again.

This is another reminder that we need our entire community to support the school by attending our 40th Anniversary Kick Off event on Sunday, May 23, 2010. It is going to be an excellent event and fun for everyone.

Please remember to purchase your tickets; it is a great to have fun and to support Kadima.

Foundations.

Earlier this week a group of us had a discussion about "why Jewish day school?" We often ask ourselves this on a regular basis because we recognize that we must have not only a good answer to this question, but a relevant one, so people will consider sending their kids to our school.

For me, it boils down largely to the fact that Jewish Day School is the best institution for providing a strong and deep foundation for Jewish learning. Having been taught Hebrew, having been taught that Judaism demands study, having been taught the foundations of Jewish thought, spirituality, observance, and tradition, the day school graduate can spend the rest of their lives--if they choose--pursuing a deep, intellectual, and educated commitment to Judaism far easier than someone who did not attend day school. This is not to say that a person who lacks an educational foundation of Judaism cannot live a committed, vibrant and meaningful Jewish life. After all, I didn't attend Jewish day school, and I like to think that I live a committed Jewish life. But it is to say that no matter how committed my Jewish life is, my lack of Hebrew, my gaps in foundational Jewish knowledge, all limit my ability to study Judaism. I could, of course, remedy those gaps, but it is far more difficult to do this as an adult than as a child.

There is, in the end, nothing that can provide the foundational and long lasting Jewish education as well as an effective Jewish day school. Supplemental school can't do it, Jewish camp can't do it, and membership a Jewish youth group can't do it. Each of these programs can do things that Jewish Day School may not, but they cannot provide the deep and rich Jewish education that only a day school can.

Learning About Blogs.

A reader just pointed out that a previous commenter had embedded a link that linked to, well, inappropriate sites. Comment moderation has been enabled, and hopefully that won't happen again.

And thanks to the person who pointed it out.

Right in Front of Us.

This morning a group of us met with a banker to discuss the school's long term finances. As part of our meeting, Bill Cohen, our Head of School, led us all on a tour of the school I never cease to be amazed just how wonderful the school looks, feels and is when I go on a tour of it.

Whether it is seeing the ECEC children--the wee ones--playing in the yard, or seeing Kindergarteners sitting a circle reading, or watching Middle Schoolers jam with their musical instruments in the music lab, what strikes is just how many good things are going on every moment at Kadima. The kids are happy and they are engaged. They are learning and are part of a community.

We really have a wonderful school and a terrific program. And it's all right in front of us.

BJE.

Yesterday, in a special meeting (it was telephonic--under our new bylaws, we can have a special telephonic meeting) the Board of Trustees voted to apply for re-affiliation with BJE (formerly the Bureau of Jewish Education), an agency associated with the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. Kadima withdrew from the Bureau several years ago, recognizing that the Bureau, with its focus upon personnel, instead of educational, issues, had lost its relevance to Kadima and was potentially shackling Kadima's efforts to improve itself.

Fortunately, over the last several years, the BJE engaged in its own strategic review to find better ways of promoting Jewish education Los Angeles. The BJE discussed these changes in a newsletter that you can read here. Importantly, the BJE recognized that its Code of Personnel Practices, which was designed primarily to apply to afterschool religious schools, no longer seemed particular relevant. As the BJE wrote in its newsletter:

"Recently, educators and school boards of Jewish schools served by BJE voted to “sunset” a longstanding Code of Personnel Practices. The Code, developed at a time when most Jewish schools were part time “Talmud Torah”programs, regulated aspects of the employment relationship between schools and educators who taught Hebrew and Jewish studies.

“Increasingly many stakeholder groups expressed concerns about issues that were seen as more appropriately managed between employee and employer,”said BJE Executive Director, Dr. Gil Graff.

As a result, effective June, 2009, the BJE has began to sunset the much maligned Code. The result is that the BJE will be seen by schools for what, in my view, it should be: a community organization dedicated to promoting and facilitating Jewish education, instead of a "super-personnel board" that serves little function but to review school personnel decisions and chilling school improvement efforts.

By becoming part of the BJE, Kadima will benefit from a variety of community services and grants, and we are excited about it. Like the BJE, Kadima has made its own strategic adjustments of late in order to improve itself. Together, Kadima and the BJE can do great things.

Family Adventure.

This is a reminder to be sure to buy your tickets to the Family Adventure set for May 23.

It is going to be a great day for everyone.

Eighth Graders Return from Israel.

Kadima participates in a partnership with the Yad Singlovksi school in Israel. This past two weeks, our eight graders have had quite an adventure. You can read about it here.

Completion and Refocus.

Last week was an exhausting one. Not only was my day job busy (yes, I do have a day job, and every so often it must take priority), but Kadima was busy, too, in that we had a Board meeting last Wednesday and it was an emotional one.

For the past three years or so, various members of the Board have been working on updating the Bylaws for the school. Why? Because the bylaws were old, contained a variety of errors, were vague and ambiguous in parts, and did not reflect best practices for independent schools. So we had to update and revise them. But any time you start messing with the Bylaws, people get nervous. And so, last Wednesday, after several review periods, numerous meetings and something like a thousand revisions, we finally put the new bylaws to a vote. The Board must approve Bylaw amendments by a 2/3 vote; this is a good thing; it requires us to forge a general consensus before we make any changes.

After much discussion, the Board approved the new Bylaws by a vote of 15-3-1. The new Bylaws will formalize much of what we've been doing anyway, and also provide certain procedural improvements (like having special meetings by conference call). Yet, it is a significant achievement for the Board.

With this major effort completed, the focus becomes long term strategic planning and fundraising. We've spent this year building a foundation for Kadima's future success. With a new Head of School, new Bylaws, new officers, and soon to be new principals, we are laying the groundwork for the future of Kadima. But now we need to look forward. Accordingly, for the next several months we will begin developing a Long Term Strategic Plan and then implementing the tactical decisions to reach the goals indicated in the plan.

We'll certainly keep you updated on our efforts as we develop our strategic plan for ensuring Kadima's future.

Annual Event Coming Up.

On May 23, 2010, we will be having our annual fundraising event--Kadima Family Adventure: Kickoff Our 40th Anniversary. We'll be having a similar event to what we had last year, which was absolutely terrific. It is an all day, all you can eat extravaganza, with zip lines, rock walls, swimming, inflatables, cotton candy, food, etc. It's a great time and you'll be providing critical funds to Kadima.

I'll have more about this in the days ahead, but be sure to mark Sunday, May 23, 2010, as a Kadima day.

Hard Weeks.

For the Tuition Assistance Committee, these are the hardest weeks.

The school sent out the Tuition Assistance Awards, and in many situations, people are disappointed with the grant they received. They look at the letter and they see a grant number that is lower than the number they requested. They are upset and frustrated.

What to do?

People can file an appeal of their award; however, in most cases, appeals will be only be granted if there is new or additional information that could not have been brought with the original application for assistance. But the Committee will examine all appeals. So if you think that you have a compelling reason for an additional grant, or you have new information to support your application, you should appeal.
_________________________

The entire issue of Tuition Assistance raises a whole host of philosophical questions for the school and its leadership. Any good private school education costs a lot of money to operate; to have excellence, you have to come up with money to pay for the teachers, the facilities, the books, the supplies, and everything else that makes a school great.

Yet, at this time of year, we often hear the mantra of "any Jewish child who wants a Jewish day school education should be able to get one, and should not be turned away because of a lack of funds." Yes, that's true, and we all agree upon it. But simply saying this doesn't make it a reality. Some very generous people have given millions to help Jews get day school educations, but even these millions are not enough to make Jewish Day Schools affordable for everyone. There simply is not the overwhelming community commitment to Jewish private schools that would allow for effective cost spreading.

Nonetheless, Kadima gives its families lots of financial aid. As a percentage of our budget, we probably give more than most schools. Indeed, if we cut our aid in half, we'd be in much better financial position (assuming, of course, that our students didn't leave or we were able to replace our financial aid students with full paying students). But we're not going to do that, because we do believe in trying to make Jewish education as affordable as we can. It is important to recognize, however, that we do not have unlimited funds; as a result, the Tuition Assistance Committee struggles to allocate fairly the limited funds we have for Tuition Assistance. The Committee does excellent work in a most difficult job.

Ultimately, however, I think that we all need to ask ourselves some serious questions around this time of year:

• What are our priorities? Do we believe that providing our children with an excellent, rigorous, effective education in a Jewish private school is a priority for us? If it is, should we provide tuition assistance to a person who chooses to live in a multi-million dollar house, drive fancy cards, and run up enormous credit card debt, but as a result simply does not have enough income left over to send their kids to Jewish private school? Is a family who purchased several rental properties and now finds itself suffering in the recession--and the rental properties are empty and underwater-- eligible for financial aid over the family that owns their home, has decent income, but lives modestly precisely because it knows that it has to pay for their childrens' private school?
  

• Should the school, in an effort to "get kids in the door" reward people who "hold out"?
  

• Do we give out as much aid as asked, in the hope that we will make up the difference on an increased volume of students? If we gave what everyone asked, and we didn't attract new students, we would surely close. And we know, from last year's experiment, that reducing the price 25% is not enough to attract enough students to justify the discount.
  

• At what point do we decide to make a Kadima education something that only the elite can afford? When do we say, "you know what, this family simply cannot afford to come to this school. It's sad, but absent a community commitment, we simply can't offer our education to those who are completely unable to afford it?" Or are we already at this point?
  

These are all tough questions. We don't have any of the answers. But the TA Committee and the school leadership continues to wrestle with them.

The Next Few Months.

I hope everyone had a good Pesach and enjoyed their pizza, beer, sushi, or whatever treat they had last night.

The Board will be gearing up for what promises to be an exciting couple of months. During April, May and June, we will be:

• Voting on a proposed restatement of the bylaws.
• Reviewing and approving a budget for next school year.
• Finding, selecting and approving a new Board for next year.
• Learning the identities of our new General Studies and Judaic Studies principals.
• Encouraging everyone to attend our annual event in May.
• Working to ensure that our student population continues to grow.
• Evaluating our Head of School.

It's going to be a busy few months.

Pesach Sameach!

From all of us on the Board of Trustees, and from my family to yours, we wish a Happy and healthy Pesach!

And remember, please get your Board applications in to our nominating committee! We'd love to have you aboard on the Board next year.

It's More Than A School.

Over at the PEJE blog, the author mentions some interesting research being done at Brandeis University about the differences between independent schools and religious private schools. I found this fascinating, since PEJE and ISM are geared toward independent schools, with the former urging Jewish private schools to emulate the best practices of independent schools, and ISM being, well, "Independent School Management" advises independent schools.

Much of what we've done at Kadima in recent years has been to professionalize, modernize, and improve the school so its academic and social environment is competitive with the best of independent schools. We've always believed--and still believe--that we can only attract the best students if we offer what the best independent schools offer academically and socially, and also offer the additional benefits of an education deeply steeped in Jewish thought, values, and religious tradition. We think our educational product is better, and it has to be better if we are to survive.

Professor Renee Rubin Ross, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at the Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education at Brandeis University, recently examined communities at an independent school, a Catholic school and a Jewish Day School. Professor Rubin writes:

In contrast [to the independent school], parents at Jewish Day and St. Cornelius also spoke about the fact that these schools were a good fit academically and socially for their children, and how meaningful it was to support and be involved with a community institution; how they celebrated religious holidays with other families from the school; how families supported one another in times of need; and how they trusted the other families to help them raise their children. When I interviewed parents at each of the three schools, I asked the same questions, but the interviews with Jewish Day and St. Cornelius consistently took longer, because these parents had many more ways of connecting with the school (emphasis added).

As a result, parents of Jewish Day Schools had a far deeper emotional connection to the school than parents of independent schools. The latter's connection was academics; the former's connection was academics and community. Thus, Professor Ross found:

It may not be surprising that families connected to a Jewish or Catholic school had more to talk about than academics. But what was a little more surprising was that this different kind of relationship helped to buffer conflict between administrators and parents when it inevitably occurred. For example, when several students at College Prep were reported to have fallen behind, parents were angry, some to the point of being litigious. In contrast, when students at Jewish Day were reported to have not met curricular standards, parents were also angry, but they worked with the school to find solutions and improve teaching and learning.

At Kadima, we saw the emotional connection our parents have to our school explode recently, when a group of parents believed that we were significantly changing our school, and they did not understand what the changes were, or why they were happening. We also saw, at the Bagels with Jack and Bill meeting, that we were able, largely, to have a reasoned and productive discussion with our parents about these issues precisely because they all care deeply about the school and want it to succeed. Simply put, because of that emotional connection, the parents came to the meeting wanting to stay at Kadima and to understand our improvements. They didn't just leave.

Professor Ross's study also reveals something more with regard to Kadima. Kadima is, in some sense, a bi-cultural (or multi-cultural) environment. We are all Jewish, but many of us come from different places; as a result, we sometimes have different expectations of how a school should run, how to live our lives, and more importantly, how we view the goals of the institution. Recognizing this, the Board has carefully and clearly delineated its Mission and Core Beliefs to reduce misunderstandings and so everyone knows who we are and what are striving to achieve. Nonethless, when you combine the cultural differences between an American Jew and an Israeli Jew with Professor Ross's study showing that attendance in Jewish Day School involves emotional commitments, and you also recognize that parents in Jewish Day Schools are also looking for communities, you can see that you have a mixture that, if not carefully ministered, can be combustible, but if managed correctly, can be incredibly rich and valuable.

We think that Kadima has the incredibly rich and valuable version.

Shabbat Shalom.

Trustees.

At the last Bagels with Jack and Bill, several parents expressed a strong commitment to Kadima and a desire to understand where the school's general direction, and presumably influence that direction.

This is precisely what Trustees do. In addition to exercising general financial oversight--the Board is the group that ultimately bears fiduciary responsibility for the school--the Board tackles strategic issues such as determining the Mission and Core Beliefs of the school, and then spends the rest of the time providing resources--through fundraising and donations--to enable the Head of School to implement the Board's vision.

Ultimately, the fundamental responsibility of the Board is to think strategically: as Trustees, our goal is to take necessary actions to ensure the school's survival into the future. The best example of what the Board does is this: the Board asks, "do we need a new library, and if so, how can we fund it?" The Board does not ask, "We heard there was an argument in the library last Thursday, what happened?"

If you are strategic thinker and share a commitment to ensuring that there remains a place where students can obtain the finest in General and Jewish education, then please consider joining our Board and becoming a Kadima Trustee.

Be on the Board.

Soon you will all be receiving a note from me soliciting your participation on the Kadima Board of Trustees. I hope that all of you will consider joining the Board of Trustees and working with us to continue to support Kadima.

Kadima needs committed Trustees to carry forward the work we're doing and ensure Kadima's future remains vibrant and bright.

Intellectual Challenge.

I was listening recently to This American Life, an excellent radio show that is also podcasted. The episode was entitled "Save the Day" and was about people who seem to swoop in and rescue or handle certain situations. The last segment was about the University of Montvallo's annual Life Raft Debate. The premise is as follows:

In the Life Raft Debate, we imagine that there has been a nuclear war, and the survivors (the audience) are setting sail to rebuild society from the ground up. There is a group of academic-types vying to get on the raft, and only one seat is left. Each professor has to argue that his or her discipline is the one indispensable area of study that the new civilization will need to flourish. At the end of the debating, the audience votes and the lucky winner climbs aboard, waving goodbye to the others.

Each debate includes a historian or English professor, or an Art Historian, or something like that, and they all try to convince the audience that their discipline is most important for the future. There is also a "Devil's Advocate" who argues that the audience should reject all of the presentations.

In the radio program, the Devil's Advocate--and English professor--won. He pointed out that the speakers, in an effort to "win" eschewed real argument, and simply relied upon fluff and funny presentations. He implored the audience that what was needed, because this is a college, after all, were arguments that provided intellectual challenge, and not just gimmicks that made people laugh, even if the latter did help the contestants win. His speech was so effective that the audience did reject the gimmicks and voted for the Devil's Advocate.

What does this have to do with Kadima? Some tend to focus on whether our kids are "happy" at school, rather than whether they are happy and learning. We sometimes forget that Kadima, at bottom, is a school. Kadima is not about entertainment, it is about educating our children; it is about challenging them, teaching them, motivating them, and developing them--all within in an environment permeated with traditional Jewish values. Kadima is not a day care center, or a day camp; Kadima's core job is to teach and to challenge our kids intellectually and spiritually. This means that sometimes kids will have difficulties and tough days; but the great thing is that Kadima's teachers don't desert the children in their time of difficulty; on the contrary, the teachers guide the children through the challenges. What was once hard becomes easier; yet, it becomes easier not because we have changed the task or lowered the goal, but because we have taught our kids how to master the challenge.

A Challenge to Jewish Private Schools.

Recently, the William Hart School District in Santa Clarita authorized a charter school that will, among other things, teach Hebrew to its students. It is not--because the United States Constitution prohibits it--a religious school. Rather, it is a school in which Hebrew will be one of many foci.

Charter schools are free because they receive public funds. It is precisely because of this, however, that they cannot be religious in orientation. Thus, they are very different than a Jewish private school, which, by definition, teaches particular religious values and traditions. Indeed, Kadima is a Solomon Schechter Day School, which means that its particular philosophical bent is tied to Conservative Judaism.

At Kadima, we believe being a Jewish private school, and being a Schechter School both mean something. They effect, in the broadest sense, how we teach our students. They mean that we are Jewish school, and not just a good language school, or a school based upon strong teaching of humanities. They also mean that our curriculum is integrated, and we focus academically upon both General Studies and Judaic Studies, in addition to inculcating Jewish values and religious traditions. Thus, our students (well, the older ones, anyway) study Jewish subjects with equal intellectual fervor as they study General Studies. Our Judaic Studies program is more than just celebrating holidays, although that is part of it.

It remains to be seen whether Hebrew charter schools will be successful. At best they will provide good language instruction; at worst, they seem to me that to be kind of like a cupcake: It takes good, but lacks any real nutrients.

At Kadima, we have lots of nutrients for the mind and the soul. We'll teach your kids Hebrew--because Hebrew is a key to rich understanding of Jewish philosophy and spirituality as well as being the language of Israel. But we'll also teach your kids the tools to find meaning in the richness and wonder of Jewish thought and Jewish life.

At Kadima, we're a Jewish school. And that's something that a charter school can never be.

Bagels and Insight.

This morning, for more than three hours, our Head of School and I met with about 40 parents to discuss recent school events.

It was a very healthy and important meeting. A variety of parents spoke about rumors (no matter how much we seek to provide information, there always will be rumors) and other concerns, and Bill addressed them. Others spoke generally about their commitment to Kadima and their love for the institution. Some spoke about cultural differences between members of the community, and how we need to work together to overcome those challenges.

From a Board perspective, and certainly from my vantage point as President, I learned several things.

First, no matter how much we try to contact people by email or other forms of communication (including this blog), we are never able to reach everyone. We will keep trying, and certainly, if you are reading this email, you are probably better informed than most. However, this being 2010, email is going to remain our primary form of mass communication with our community.

Second, many do not have a good understanding of the function of a Board of Trustees of an independent school. Our Board--as a Board--probably needs to have a higher profile; however, it is the Head of School who runs the school, and we don't want the perception to be anything else. What the Board does not do, and this is probably the biggest surprise to new Board members, is micromanage the school. As a result, Trustees do not "know" everything that goes on at the school, and what we do "know" generally involves thinking about things such as vision and where we want the school to go, and how we can pay for it. We don't get involved in staffing decisions and generally the Board doesn't know about such decisions until after they occur.

The meeting was a great way for our families to vent, to listen, and be part of a great community.

I'll have more thoughts on this later, but for now, I need Shabbat.

Shabbat shalom.

Shalhevet Closes Everything But High School.

This is a sad news. Yesterday, Shalevet, a nursery through high school, Modern Orthodox school, announced that it was closing everything but its high school. The press release is here.

This is extremely disappointing, but a clear reflection of the economic realities associated with operating a private school. The blunt fact is that it costs a fortune to provide excellent educational programs, and most people do not have a fortune to spend on their children's education. I don't know the specifics regarding Shalhevet's situation, but I can only assume that they did not have enough enrollment to support their institution, and so the Board decided that they would try to go back to their roots, and focus exclusively on high school. It took courage and honesty to face their situation and I commend the Board for its action.

PEJE recently wrote about an article by Jack Wertheimer, a historian at JTS, who recently wrote an interesting article about the high costs of being Jewish, and the apparent indifference of the organized Jewish community in subsidizing the high cost of Jewish life. Wertheimer is an excellent writer. His book on Conservative synagogues and Conservative Jews in America is fascinating reading. In his article, he writes:

In households and communities, the recession has also brought to the fore an “affordability crisis” that has been gathering for decades. At the heart of this crisis is an unyielding reality: above and beyond what Jews expend on the usual necessities and conveniences, it costs a great deal to live an active Jewish life. Growing numbers of families worry that they will not be able to pay the ever-rising bills associated with full participation in Jewish life.

Wertheimer points out that the cost of providing an active Jewish life for children can be staggering:

By far the greatest costs for many families are incurred from Jewish education. A considerable minority of families now enrolls its children in the three most expensive forms of Jewish education: day schools meeting five or even six days a week, usually for seven to 10 hours a day; residential summer camps, which run sessions lasting from three to seven or eight weeks; and extended programs in Israel for a summer, semester, or year.

But Wertheimer also points out that these very programs possess huge value. He writes:

Why do parents spend these sums of money? For the same reason so many American parents expend staggering sums on college tuition: they believe they are getting value for their dollar. Immersive Jewish education may not provide the same kind of material payoff as a college diploma, but it greatly increases the chances of children learning the skills necessary for participation in religious life, living active Jewish lives, and identifying strongly with other Jews. Day-school tuition is the cost many parents believe they must bear if their children are to retain their heritage in a society that exerts enormous assimilatory pressures.

They are right. It takes time and considerable effort to transmit a strong identification with the Jewish religion and people; to nurture a facility in the different registers of the Hebrew language: biblical, rabbinic, and modern; to teach young Jews the classical texts of their civilization; to expose them to Jewish music, dance, and art; and to socialize them to live as Jews—all the while providing a first-rate general education. Ample research has limned the association between the number of “contact hours” young people spend in Jewish educational settings and their later levels of engagement. Simply put, “more” makes a significant difference. It is not hard to find adult alumni of day schools, summer camps, and Israel programs who attest to the formative impact of their experiences. Not surprisingly, many parents committed to Jewish life want their children to enjoy the same benefits.

Wertheimer argues that the government should provide a variety of assistance (and thus he wages into a battle over the separation of religion and government--which is probably why his article was published in Commentary) but also states:

Most federations of Jewish philanthropy have neither the resources nor the will to make affordability a priority, and other types of organizations don’t even pretend to pay attention.

This is the heart of the problem. No one seriously contends that Day Schools are expensive because they are trying to make a profit. The fact is that serious education costs a lot to provide, and unless you have significant critical mass to diffuse the cost, there is no way to avoid a hefty tuition bill. Yet, if major charities decided to support Day School education, to provide real, solid and meaningful sources of funding, then the cost could be spread, and more people could afford it, and more people would attend, which would further diffuse and lower the tuition cost.

Some major organizations have stepped into help. The Jim Joseph Foundation provides millions for financial aid to Day Schools; in fact, Kadima has received sums from the foundation and thus been able to provide desperately needed financial aid to some of its families. Federations in Boston, Phoenix and Chicago have also helped day schools.

In the end, without a concerted effort by the community to make them more affordable, day schools will remain a privilege and not a right. The sad thing, as Wertheimer points out, is that by not supporting investments in Jewish social capital (i.e. efforts that promote adult involvement in Jewish life), major Jewish organizations undermine one of their major principle goals of promoting Jewish life and the Jewish future.

One Community.

Kadima has a history of diversity. Even though it is a Jewish Day School, it is rich with diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Despite the social and culture differences, Kadima finds strength in being one community. While our backgrounds may differ, we all share core basic values:

• We all want the best for our children and their future.
  
• We all believe in the importance of a Jewish education.
• We all commit ourselves to providing the best complete educational experience for children.

As Kadima begins its celebration of its fortieth anniversary, we must understand and recommit themselves to being one community.

Change, as we have said over and over again, is hard. And while some aspects of Kadima will--must--change to ensure that we fulfill our Mission, one thing that will never change is Kadima's commitment to being one community, dedicated to providing our children with the finest education possible.

Communications.

Next Friday, at 8:00 a.m., Bill Cohen and I will be holding a meeting "Bagels with Jack and Bill" to discuss the school year, the Board's vision for the school, and anything else people want to discuss about the school.

I urge everyone to attend.

And you can always email me with your thoughts, concerns, or great recipes at kadimapresident@gmail.com.

Change.

In these days of change at Kadima, I want to reiterate what the Board of Trustees approved earlier this year as our Mission Statement and Core Beliefs:

Kadima Day School provides an integrated general and Judaic studies education that is comprehensive and academically challenging. Our commitment to educational excellence and Jewish tradition teaches our students to maximize their academic, social, physical and spiritual potentials. A Kadima education instills a strong sense of identity, preparedness for higher education and a commitment to responsible living guided by Jewish ethics and values.

Our Core Beliefs are:

• A modern, well-rounded curriculum that includes technology, Judaic studies, athletics and the arts instills a joy for learning beyond the walls of the classroom.
• Active learning engages students to become creative, critical, and analytical thinkers.
• Studying Jewish texts contributes to critical and analytical skills that are valuable throughout one's life.
• Understanding ritual observance, possessing a love for Israel and studying Judaism develop each student's own Jewish identity and ensures our continuity as a people.
• All knowledge is significant; everything we learn can inspire and help us along our respective paths.
• A partnership between teachers, staff, parents and the larger community provides the foundation for moral sensitivity and empathy for others, which is essential to achieving one's fullest potential.
• As graduates of a Solomon Schechter Day School, Kadima students develop their own deeper understanding of, and commitment to, Judaism. Our students create their own paths to meaningful, intellectual, sound, satisfying and productive lives.

This is not just language. It is what we are about; most importantly, it is what our Board of Trustees instructed our Head of School to accomplish.

In addition, the Board fully understood that to fulfill this vision, our school had to change the way it did business. And that change will make everyone, at some point, uncomfortable. But the Board remains committed to meeting our vision, and to assisting our Head of School in fulfilling the charge we have given to him.

None of this will be easy. But, already, we have done so much. Our school looks better, feels better, and is better than it ever has been. We know that because our enrollment is up, our retention is up, and there is excitement in the hallways.

The road may rocky at points, but we are moving forward.

And we will reach our goals.

Strategic Boards.

The Bylaws Committee has finally finished its draft proposal. It will be holding a hearing next week for Board members to comment about the Bylaws.

One of the major contemplated changes in the Bylaws is to have the Board select and appoint itself. In short, the current leadership picks its successors.

As a natural democrat (note the small "d"), I was initially against a proposal that would take some of the democracy away from the selection of the Board. However, after considering the proposal, and communicating with other Board presidents, I realize that it makes a lot of sense.

First, being on the Board of an independent school is not like being on the School Board of LAUSD; Board members do not represent anyone but the school. Their role is to help fulfill the School's stated mission through application of their time, talent, and resources. Their fundamental job is to raise the school's image, raise the number of students, and raise money for the school. Their job is not represent discrete factions within the school social fabric.

Second, Board members--and by this I mean the whole Board, and not Executive Committee members--have more knowledge about what it means to be on the Board and what is needed for the future than just about anyone else. Board members are uniquely qualified to make strategic picks for the Board that mesh with the school's overall strategic direction.

Third, in the past decade, few people who were not nominated themselves ever came to an election meeting; thus, it's not as if everyone is voting and now we are disenfranchising them.

So the proposed Bylaws gives the Board, through a detailed and open process, the right to select the school's future leadership.

This is not only best practice, but it makes a lot of sense.

Even for a democrat like me.

Don't Just Believe Me...

As President of Kadima, it is part of my job description to be a public cheerleader for the school. This is easier than it sounds; Kadima is a wonderful place, and it is getting stronger and better every day.

But don't just take it from me.

Yesterday I had the immense pleasure of receiving a letter from a parent of the school telling us just how much she loves the school. She wrote:

I’m a parent to 2 kids at kadima for the past 2.5 years. I wanted to express my appreciation to the new head of school, Bill Cohen, and to the new ECEC Director, Randi Riddle. I think they are doing an amazing job, and I feel it on a daily basis.

The author then continued:

Kadima. . . [is] an amazing place to be. It feels very family oriented, but still very professional. Things are being taken care off immediately, and in a very positive way.

With regard to the administration, the author stated:

Bill Cohen is professional, strict, and takes care of business. I feel the school is in great hands. . . . I have to say that Randi is unbelievable; she is so energetic; you feel her presence in all ECEC; if I have an issue, she always knows about it and takes care of it before I get to her (and I get pretty fast). I just love her.

The author then spoke directly about her kids, who are in Kadima's Gesher class and the Kindergarten class, writing that:

Ms Raj and Sarit are very special to me. They are a very powerful team together. Sarit is a big heart . . . And Ms Raj, has something very unique. She is a teacher that one will remember for life. . . I feel so lucky that both my kids got to be in the Gesher class and enjoy such a wonderful, respecting, loving, and life changing experience. . . My daughter. . . is in kindergarten, and again, I’m so happy. Iris is so wonderful, always teaches with happiness, respect, and interest. My daughter loves her and enjoys going to school. Ms Weissman was amazing too, and I must say thank you to Bill Cohen who did a great job at replacing Ms. Weisman [with Ms. Quick when Ms. Weissman] had her baby. . . .once again, Bill Cohen knows his work, and got a perfect match.

Finally, the author concluded:

I feel that Kadima is getting better and better every day, and I can say with all my heart that it is a great place to be.

Res ipsa loquitur.

Open Meetings.

At last month's Board meeting, the Board expressly reaffirmed that our meetings remain open to all. While the Board may adjourn to executive session to discuss sensitive proprietary, financial or legal information, in general, our meetings remain open to all.

Apparently, size does matter--at least class size does.

We've been noticing a developing phenomenon: the large class sizes in public schools--the tumult in public school in general--is forcing people to begin to think about sending their children to private school. It remains to be seen whether concern that your seventh grader's English class is 41 people will get you to consider spending tens of thousands of dollars for something that you thought you were getting for free. Of course, you never really were getting what you get at Kadima for free; not only does Kadima offer its students a rigorous intellectual study of Judaism (something that you simply cannot get except in a Jewish private school), but Kadima also provides a level of differentiated attention, critical thinking, and spiritual education that no longer exists at most public schools, and probably never did.

The fact that large classes--larger than ever existed historically--is impacting the effectiveness of public education in most schools is hardly surprising. It is well established that smaller classes have the best chance of positive educational outcomes. For a good discussion about the importance of class size, look here. What is interesting is that parents are now getting this; the class sizes have gotten so large at public school that the teachers simply cannot handle them. As a result, parents are now looking at an option that they never previously would have considered: spending lots of money to send their kids to private school.

So the decline in public schools presents an opportunity for private schools, including Kadima. This is unfortunate, since our society suffers with poor public schools; and, strong public schools only force private schools to be stronger. Indeed, notwithstanding the struggle of public schools, our challenge remains to demonstrate to those who would have never looked at Jewish private school that we are worth the considerable expense it costs to send your kids there.

And we are meeting this challenge. I urge anyone reading this that, if you haven't done so, take a tour of Kadima and talk with our administration, teachers, and parents, and you'll see what I mean.

The kids are learning and developing and achieving. In small classes, of course.

Hold Outs and Free Riders.

When I was in law school, my real property professor was an economist as well as a lawyer, and he often analyzed legal issues in economic terms. I remember during one class he discussed a classic problem from economics: the free rider and holdout problems. I believe that this was discussed in a session about eminent domain, and the valuation of properties taken by the government. In any event, with admissions, tuition assistance, and other economic issues on my mind during these recent days, I thought it important to review these concepts and indicate how they can wreak havoc at Kadima.

Back to law school. The professor discussed how whenever there is a group of people purchasing something, or being sold something, and there is a deadline, there is always an economic incentive for some of them to become "free riders" or "hold outs."

A free rider situation occurs when a group of people need to purchase something and not everyone wants to pay. Suppose a group of people need to pay for a bus, to get home from the beach. Assume that everyone needs to get home. The bus costs $500, and there are ten people. If everyone pays $50 then everyone can get home. However, one of the people might say, "well, the other nine people really want to get home, so I don't need to pay anything, since others will step up and pay and I know that they won't leave me here." What happens in this situation? One person really wants to get home, so he pays the extra $10 for the person who becomes the a "free rider." The free rider says, "look, they're not going to leave me here--that would be against community values--so maybe I won't pay anything, or I will pay less and have everyone else make up the difference." My professor said that the economic incentives make being a free rider very attractive, so one could argue that you need rules and regulations to overcome the market incentive.

A holdout situation occurs when a party tries to "hold out" to get a better price from someone else at the expense of others similarly situated. Suppose there are ten property lots and a developer wants to build a new hospital that the town desperately needs, but he needs to buy all 10 lots or he can't build the hospital. He offers the great price for each lot, which is $100,000. Nine of the people agree to sell their properties, but the tenth becomes a "holdout." He knows that if he doesn't sell, the buyer can't develop the hospital. So he demands $500,000 for his lot. Because this is not economical for the buyer, the project collapses, and the buyer sells the other lots. The hospital is never built, and the community is worse off, and property values for everyone decline. Again, if the government can come in and take the property (compensating the owner), the hold out problem is eliminated.

What does any of this have to do with Kadima or private school? Lots. We often face similar issues with regard to tuition, deadlines, and financial aid. Some people choose not to submit their contracts or aid applications in the hopes that they will become "hold outs". They hope that Kadima will be so desperate for the student that they can cut a deal in August that would be better than the price they'd get in March. Their belief is that Kadima would rather take $10,000 instead of full price, because $10,000 is better than nothing, and by waiting until August, they can put more pressure on the school.

Others become "freeriders" in that they don't make a meaningful gift to the school (and "meaningful" means whatever is truly meaningful to the family, based upon the family's financial situation) because they assume everyone else will. Even though we constantly point out that our tuition does not pay all of the costs of the education, many people don't participate in fundraising because, well, someone else will pay the extra costs. Or so they believe.

Holdouts and freeriders are inherent in any economic situation. However, we are working hard at Kadima to ameliorate their negative effect. Not only do these situations hurt us economically, but they tear apart the social fabric of the community. Those that are good citizens and who are not holdouts or freeriders resent those that are, and then they decide either to leave the institution or try to become holdouts and freeriders themselves, and then, well, there's chaos. Moreover, the example it sets for our students--cut every corner, don't follow the rules--are contrary to the Jewish values we hold dear and promote at our school.

So what to do?

We can't change laws of economics, but we can "institute rules and regulations" that try to use them to our advantage. And we are doing just that. We are setting and sticking to our deadlines, even if, in the short term, it means additional pain for the school. If people know that they will pay a price for being a freerider or a holdout, and that there is no benefit to doing so, they are less likely to try.

We can, and have, created transparency in our processes and procedures so everyone knows how we do business. We can manage our affairs competently, judiciously, and wisely, all in tuned with a Mission to promote Jewish education. Ultimately, we can provide an educational product that is so spectacular that everyone wants it for their children.

None of this is easy. But we are working on it. It requires time, hard work, and the commitment to change.

We will succeed at it. And while some may lament the loss of a "special deal", the institution and the community will be the better for it.