Principals Visit Public School

Ten principals from Chabad Yeshivas across North America visited a NYC public school on Thursday as part of the Menachem Education Foundation’s Principal Leadership Program.

The program began on Chol Hamoed Sukkos and will continue to meet for 16 full-day workshops over the year of 5770. The program is being facilitated by the NYC Leadership Academy, the organization responsible for developing transformative school leaders for NYC public schools.

The Principal Leadership Program was developed to help principals develop transformational leadership skills that will lead to educational improvements in their schools. “Principals are much more than just administrators,” explains Rabbi Zalman Shneur, executive director of Menachem, “Principals are brilliant leaders who can inspire and transform generations of students, parents and teachers!”

Thursday’s session began at 9:30 AM in the New York City Leadership Academy’s headquarters in Long Island City. Following the morning workshops, the participants ate lunch together and went to visit Midwood High School.

The principals went on a “learning walk” through the school, guided by the
school principal, Dave Cohen, and the staff of the NYC Leadership Academy.

The principals went to three classrooms to observe and gather data and notes on the teaching and learning in the classrooms. They then compared their notes with each other and with the school principal, and observed the school principal coaching and collaborating with the teacher to improve the methods used in the classroom.

Rabbi Yossi Rosenblum, principal of Yeshiva Schools in Pittsburgh and a participant of the program had the following to say: “After observing the methods that Dave used to coach the teachers in his school, I walked away feeling that these are methods that I need to implement in my school immediately. I think that all ten of us had this sense of urgency, that these methods need to be implemented in our mosdos! ”

“It was incredible experiential learning!” exclaimed Rabbi Ayal Benzion of Darkei Menachem, “we experienced how a principal implements the methods of the NYC Leadership Academy to practically improve the level of education in his school.”

The Menachem Education Foundation was established to raise the bar in Jewish education. We are dedicated to ensure that every Jewish child has equal access to the best possible Jewish education. We pledge to advocate for individualized education, suitable for each student.