After many years of service, Dr. Abraham, Mrs. Steiner and Mrs. Peiken have been told that they will not be asked to come back to Hillel next year.
Why?
Perhaps the answer lies in the recently released BLUEPRINT TO “EXCELLENCE” UPDATE below:
Dear Hillel Parents,
We are pleased to bring you the eleventh edition of Hillel’s Blueprint to Excellence Update.
This year has seen many enhancements and improvements, reinforcing our confidence that raising Hillel’s standards of success is enabling all of us to sustain the essence of our special school and ensure its longevity. Outcomes of our commitment to excellence are goals to offer quality education and to establish financial security. Thus, in an effort to achieve these goals, the Board has endorsed the recommendation of the Budget & Finance Committee and the administration to right-size our school community of students, faculty and administrators.This model has proven to be successful in other independent and Jewish day schools. This proactive, strategic approach will enable Hillel to focus on and refine our program so we may offer children the highest standard of Jewish education.
Enrollment will be capped at about 1,000 students, which means a student body 15% smaller than our current one. Faculty will be right-sized by 16-20%, and administration will be rightsized by 22%. Lower School classes will continue to be capped at about 20 students per class, and Grades 6-12 now will be limited to 66 per grade. Enrollment to date is very close to these numbers; as we recently have shared, waitlists already have developed in several grades.
We are pleased to share that CAJE President/CEO Dr. Chaim Botwinick has spent a great amount of time with our administration and has approved our thoughtful, just process. Coupled with a comprehensive administrative review, Hillel has right-sized throughout every division. Today, administrators will begin to meet with faculty regarding contracts to teach in the 2008-2009 school year. As a demonstration of our appreciation for the contributions of those teachers who will not receive contracts to teach next year, some will be offered severance and all will receive support packages of a range of services from tuition assistance to career counseling.
As in every fine school, Hillel contracts are extended based upon a variety of criteria including qualifications, ability to enhance school community (i.e. leading enrichment activities) and an overall skill set of professionalism, dedicated work ethic, flexibility, organization, educational philosophy and abilities to reflect, problem-solve and inspire children to reach their full potential.
We have in fact also recruited new teachers. Yet, these are mainly in the Upper School where parents, Board and administration have identified a significant need for program improvement.
Hillel not only prepares students for higher education, but also helps develop individual character. And we do this through our fine teachers. Hillel prioritizes critical, independent and creative thought and expression in the classroom and offers students a unique program. We are confident that Hillel will become strong, secure and stable next year through this right-sizing so we may enrich our program with a rigorous curriculum, religious and cultural experiences, comprehensive service learning, performing arts, competitive athletics and other educational opportunities.
It is your continued partnership that will ensure the success of what clearly is a turning point for this institution. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to be in touch. We wish you and your family a happy, healthy Pesach.
Sincerely,
Rafael Russ, Chairman
Dr. Adam Holden, Head of School
Rabbi Michael Druin, Rabbinic Dean
34 responses so far ↓
1 concerned // Apr 16, 2008 at 1:03 pm
But why Rabbi Lefkowitz and Rabbi Feingold???!!
Ohhh…. I forgot…. they actually inspired us.
2 Kj // Apr 16, 2008 at 6:37 pm
This is unbelievable… why the hell is HELLel firing all these teachers. many teachers have rejected thier new contracts because they are recieving a less contract. MRS . DEBORAH HEBER was offered a less contract as a substitute teacher, while she inspired and taught her students and had a personal and deep connection with ALL of her students.
3 also concerned // Apr 16, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Community Day School?? — seems like more like Day School for the Rich and Famous. Like the NYT article - the Educational Industrial Complex. Besides, what do you expect from a school with a corporate culture of a lack of transparency over the years due to financial abuse and virtual blackmail between the top wealthy boardmembers and the former top administrator(s)(regarding tax fraud and administrator(s) of a strange sexual nature).
4 Longtime Anonymous // Apr 16, 2008 at 9:07 pm
They are just finishing what they started last year. Move on.
5 also concerned // Apr 16, 2008 at 10:31 pm
If you want your children to get a heimishe Jewish education send them to Hebrew Academy. Don’t waste your time, money, and children’s soul on this school run by a band of the souless ego maniacs who are more concerned about power trips and seeing their name on the wall.
6 Anonymous // Apr 16, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Clearly the enrollment is down as everyone knew would happen. Private schools never “cap” their numbers. Hillel’s days are numbered. Say goodbye to Hillel.
7 Longtime Anonymous // Apr 17, 2008 at 12:22 am
Time to move on. The whole world is “rightsizing” and people are being cut and losing their jobs. It’s the way Hillel can make the cuts they wanted to last year.
8 not mega rich // Apr 17, 2008 at 11:24 am
If you want to raise jewish children and not suffer through the psycho drama at hillel and possibly have money to send your children to college, get on the Hebrew Charter School bandwagon and get Jewish education aftersoon. You have to have a suitcase of money from Colombia to afford Hillel and the powers that be seem to want to keep it that way.
9 Anonymous // Apr 17, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Another one bites the dust.
Say goodbye to Marlena Tuchinsky.
10 Longtime Anonymous // Apr 17, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Out with the old - In with the new. Maybe they should change the school name and leave the Hillel name as a pleasant memory.
11 Anonymous // Apr 17, 2008 at 10:18 pm
This school is a terrible parody of Animal Farm by George Orwell. We already have a Napoleon and we’re working our way into the filling the parts of the rest of the characters. Soon enough we’re going to be reliving the kind of dictatorship that George Orwell was so strongly trying to make his point against.
12 Fed Up // Apr 17, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Has anyone noticed the school logo? It has now been replaced with an animal. I guess when heartless animals run the school it is not surprising.
13 Longtime Anonymous // Apr 18, 2008 at 8:46 am
I say they changed the logo, now change the name.
14 Admin Team // Apr 18, 2008 at 12:00 pm
“the new logo: a new image that embodies
the essence of Hillel’s mission and each one of its core values.” - Rafael Russ
“The definition of logo, from the Greek logotype, is a graphical element, symbol or emblem that identifies and represents an organization. Typically, the design is for immediate recognition, inspiring and extolling the values and virtues of the organization as a whole. As I look at our new logo, I am so very impressed with all of the elements that have been included in it. Every part of the intricate design represents something about Hillel, and it all comes together in a simple yet professional format.” - Adam C. Holden
15 teacher // Apr 18, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Just as the Jews were liberated from Egypt, at this time of the year, many of my colleagues were liberated from the micro-managing, gestapo-like institution now known as Hellel. Many people now know about the wonderful teachers and staff members who were not offered contracts. They don’t know about the people who were offered contracts that the admin team knew would not be acceptable. The students are asking WHY? What are the answers? My colleagues and I are at a loss for answers. Only the veteran kiss-up to the administration teachers are left. Most everyone else is new or almost new. They are the cheap ones and often you get what you pay for. The teachers who are out will certainly move on to better places. In the end, its the students who will suffer.Just like last year, there is no history and no loyalty.People are tired of supporting a losing cause and no one will stand up for those who have been dismissed or otherwise forced out.That is what the higher-ups are counting on.After all, isn’t everything quiet now? At parlor meetings which were by invitation only, the masses were told that there would be changes but they MUST support them. Parents, you must realize that the lambs (your children) are pretty much being sacrificed. When it happens, don’t complain. It will be too late.
16 Longtime Anonymous // Apr 18, 2008 at 3:15 pm
I wouldn’t say no one has stood up. But as you say, it’s a losing cause and every teacher had all year to decide what is best for them. The writing was on the wall already last year.
17 Anonymous // Apr 18, 2008 at 5:09 pm
The teachers should have unionized and stood up for themselves long ago. They all remained silent to their own peril.
Only 2 old school Hillel HS teachers remain. 2 sycophants. One is an excellent teacher. The other can’t teach to save her life. But she sure knows how to kiss ass. It’s been said that she drove the finest history teacher the school ever had so crazy that the teacher was fed up and left mid-year. The loss of Aileen Konovitch was indeed a huge blow as well.
There is some justice though. One of the main people on the board suffered as her daughter fell casualty to the revolving door of mediocre teachers and substitutes that the tenth graders had to suffer through this year.
Word on the street is that several Hillel kids are enrolled elsewhere for next year.
18 sandy gold // Apr 22, 2008 at 6:49 pm
say bye bye to dr.holden and rabbi druen and start with fresh people. you will have a better school. Let’s move on and start with new adminstration.. They did there horrible job now we could say bye bye to them. call back our good teachers.
19 Anonymous // Apr 23, 2008 at 7:34 am
At least then the teachers were respected, the education was top notch, there were no retention issues, and the students learned and graduates achieved. Now staff can’t be retained, the newby teachers have no experience let alone experience teaching dual curriculum programs, the high school students guide themselves as they are lucky if they even have a permanent teacher. There is something wrong with the current picture and administration.
Back then communications were plentiful and had meaning by individuals who understood the population and what a community means - not these two bit blonde high heeled teeny boppers who have no idea what they are doing and how they are doing it.
20 Longtime Anonymous // Apr 23, 2008 at 10:14 am
I agree. Any of that back office stuff is really ancient history and academically the school was at it’s best then. Those who go back that far all know it. Many of the “founding fathers” were still involved, knew what they wanted, and made it happen. Once they were pushed aside and new set of people took over, it was the beginning of a downward turn. And that was long before Holden/Druin. They are just finishing the job.
Plus over the years, the backgrounds of the student population has changed. The parents started looking for other things. So the school changed based on that demand.
21 sandy gold // Apr 23, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Wake up and bring back Rabbi Lefcovitz Rabbi Feingold Debbie Haber and all who were let go that are great teachers. We want our old Hillel Back.Board Members wake up.. You need to help the school.Your kids will suffer.. These teachers were role models for your children..I hope The Board will wake up really soon after Passover and do something to make these teachers come back..
22 Truth // Apr 23, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Why would they? The whole idea was to get those teachers out. They tried last year and finally accomplished their goal this year.
23 Longtime Anonymous // Apr 23, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Your old Hillel doesn’t exist anymore. The Board won’t wake up. They want all this. If not the Board, then the Officers.
Who needs to wake up are the parents and teachers. They need to look around and make a decision if the new Hillel is for them.
24 Truth // Apr 23, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Well said Longtime Anonymous. It has become abundantly clear that we are dealing with a new entity here. Whether it is better or worse depends on what kind of a school you are looking for - for your children or for your employment.
The Hillel of old was a jewel. It was also the only choice for many families. Now we are fortunate to have many new choices. For both students and teachers.
Shoneh makom shoneh mazal.
25 Anonymous // Apr 24, 2008 at 4:30 pm
The majority of parents are ignorant as to the true quality of education their children are now being offered.
How do they know that the quality is now suffering? They believe that you get what you pay for. And since they’re paying a lot, they assume they’re getting a lot.
Little do they know that there has been a revolving door of mediocre and failed teachers in the high school this year.
Little do they know or seem to care that Judaics are no longer a priority.
Many of the current Hillel parents don’t really seem to value education much anyhow. They figure that if their kids go to a school with Jewish kids , then they don’t have to rub elbows with public school kids. Upon graduation, their kids can take over the family business and so it doesn’t really matter if their children get a degree from sub-par universities like FIU.
The current parent body is not the academic elite of the past. The current parent body may be well-meaning but most are a bunch of ignoramuses.
The ones who have a clue pulled their kids out long ago or would do so now except for the fact that their children only have a few years left and these parents are not about to uproot their kids in their final years. However, they are telling young parents that Hillel is not a good bet.
The board miscalculated, but they’re so dumb they don’t even realize that their poor decisions have caused the demise of the school.
A demise doesn’t happen overnight. Rome did not fall overnight. But the wheels have been set in motion and the board will not reverse the direction of destruction they have steered the school into.
We are all very sad. This marks the official 1 year anniversary in remembrance of the final nails hammered into the coffin that was once Hillel. The coffin is hereby sealed. RIP.
26 Longtime Anonymous // Apr 24, 2008 at 8:29 pm
No need to be insulting. If everything and everyone is so bad, just move on.
27 Food for Thought // Apr 26, 2008 at 8:22 pm
A school should be judged based on its teachers and where there students metriculate. I don’t know if your teachers are qualified, but the list of schools the graduates of 08 are attending are not impressive. You are a private school, not of excellence.
28 Food for Thought // Apr 26, 2008 at 8:23 pm
yes,
there should be their, sorry
29 Marc Mermelstein // May 5, 2008 at 11:04 am
Right-sized? In the words of the famous Jim Norton, “uch.” The idea of right-sizing is a sickening display of political correctness. Rather than saying what they truly mean of we don’t want non-believers in our school, they “right-size” it. How about just saying we’ve shitcanned good teachers because we could. The insincerity makes me sick.
30 Anonymous // May 5, 2008 at 5:32 pm
It makes us all sick.
Orwellian double take and euphemisms at their best brought to you by the propaganda spin masters of the PR dept.
31 Observer // May 12, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Anyone read the last KOL HILLEL?
Druin writes:
“The name of the book we use at the seder table is the Hagadah. The primary reason why we call it a Hagadah is because it comes from the word הגד which means to tell.
Doesn’t anyone find that a little scary?
Doesn’t it bother anyone that הגד is not a word?
What state is the school in when the “Rabbinic Dean” does not know proper Hebrew?
32 Anonymous // May 12, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Doesn’t “higid” mean “to speak” from the root word of hagadah?
33 Anonymous // May 13, 2008 at 8:23 am
Does it really matter? He and the school have bigger issues.
34 Ivory // May 14, 2008 at 11:18 pm
I left last year, with the other 30+.
I went to another school. It was good for a time, then four of us were called into the office (at the new school, I was the only Hillel “grad”) in the last week and told we were not coming back. Oh, and my reviews were superb - I am just not a socialist or a humanist….Pits city.
And now it is happening at Hillel, again!
I loved Hillel when I was there, it was so good - then. Teachers felt respected, discussion was encouraged…I have tried to keep track of my friends from Hillel but all my e-mails got bounced right back even with the new ones…and finding time to call is hard with the eighty hour weeks (work, family, publishing…)…
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