This blog is open again for commenting.

Note: Because I do not have much time to administer the website, there will be a team of individuals who have agreed to help run this website from this point onwards.

Dear School Members,

We are pleased to share with you the nominated slate of members and officers of the Board of Governors for the 2007-2008 school year.* The enclosed slate is a recommendation made by Hillel’s Committee of Governors and now is open for nominations from all school members, per our bylaws.

If you wish to add someone to this list, please submit a written nomination according to the procedure outlined below. Nominations should be submitted to Pam Burd in the school office by May 11.

Following Hillel’s long tradition of open forum and parent involvement, we invite and encourage all Hillel parents and school members** to attend the 2007 Annual Meeting on Wednesday, June 6, 2007, 7:30 PM, in Hillel’s Friedman-Uhlar Auditorium. This meeting is called each year to pass the Board slate; in addition to the vote and installation of the Board of Governors, we will report progress of our Blueprint to Excellence, recap the past year and share plans for next year.

We thank Hedy Whitebook and her committee for their diligence in constructing this slate; the committee includes Michelle Amselem, Fortuna Kopel, Ofi Osin-Cohen, Jeffrey Scheck, Tania Gilinski Seidl and Ellis Sinyor. Nominations were conceived in a documented, thoughtful process, and we are grateful to the commitment and dedication of all who worked to ensure a quality, effective Board – the backbone of our school. Please note the following synopsis of the committee report and the bylaws’ definition of a school member in good standing.

We look forward to seeing you at our 2007 Annual Meeting on June 6. We hope your family will participate in this significant event; the voting and installation processes shape our school’s future.

Sincerely,

Rafael Russ
President/Chairman

Dr. Judith Dach
Secretary

*Per bylaws, Article VII C
**School members must be in good standing, as described in following definition.

SLATE (As of May 2, 2007)
Executive Committee
President/Chairman: Rafael Russ
Executive Vice-Chairman: Gil Bonwitt
Treasurer: Jorge Woldenberg
Secretary: Dr. Judith Dach
Immediate Past President: Ellis Sinyor

Parent Board List
Michele Amselem
Helena Broide
Michelle Diener
Rossana Franco
Anita Givner
David Lichter
Janet Mitrani
Diana Mundlak
Jennifer Olemberg
Joanne Papir
Raquel Rubin
Rachel Sapoznik
Marty Scheck
Mike Shalom
David Wolf

Non-Parent Board List
Simon Beck
Dale Bergman
Anita Lapco
Sherri Lebwohl
Jeff Levinson
Rabbi/Dr. Ezra Levy
Rabbi Avrohom Lipszyc
Dana Yemin-Schrager
Hedy Whitebook
Ilanit Yanovich

HIP/PTA President: HIP/PTA to announce

NOMINATIONS BY PETITION (Bylaws, Article VII D)
Nominations by petition may be submitted to the Chairman or Secretary at least 25 days prior to the Annual Meeting (May 11, 2007). The petition shall be signed by no fewer than 20 members in good standing and shall contain a statement by the nominee of his/her willingness to serve if elected. Nominees who shall submit valid petitions shall be added to the slate. An amended slate containing the names of nominees by petition shall be mailed to the membership no later than 15 days prior to the election (May 22, 2007).

SYNOPSIS OF COMMITTEE OF GOVERNORS REPORT
The Committee of Governors met to create the slate of Board of Governors for the 2007-2008 school year. Present but not voting were Dr. Adam Holden, Rabbi Michael Druin and Chairman Rafael Russ. “Standing” of each member of the 2006-2007 Board was reviewed. All Board members and committee members were asked to complete a one-page questionnaire. Renewal for 2007-2008 was discussed.

Executive officers were selected first, followed by those who serve on standing committees that are part of the Executive Committee. Non-parents (10 per bylaws) were reviewed and selected. Parents were the last group nominated (15 per bylaws). Discussion about having a “staggered” Board indicated that many parents will come up for renewal at once. The committee recommended that candidates not part of the 2007-2008 Board serve on committees.

SCHOOL MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING
Parent:
Parent/legal guardian of children enrolled as students in the school, who is current in payment of contributions, has no past due financial obligations to the school and/or has otherwise made accepted accommodations for the payment of such financial obligations.

Contributor:
Person who has contributed $1,000 or more to the school for each of the preceding three years and expresses in writing an interest in membership for the current year; any parent who was a member for the preceding year shall remain one for each succeeding year in which he/she has made a contribution of $1,000 prior to January 1.

Committee Member:
Any member in good standing of a standing/special committee (Bylaws, Section VIII).

*Per bylaws, Article VII C
**School members must be in good standing, as described in enclosed definition.

The article states that “as many as fourteen teachers at Hillel Community Day School in North Miami Beach were given notice that their contracts would not be renewed next school year.”

The article goes on to further show how an online presence is conveying our messages:

Many of the students believe that their display of support for the teachers brought about the Administration’s perceived change of heart. “It’s amazing how much influence we really have!” one eleventh grader posted on Facebook.

The board is in “full support” of this decision, though a recent comment on this site from a board member might bring that notion into question. The article continues to voice the board’s sentiment:

While [board Chair Rafael] Russ admits that there were some “communication glitches” in the way the system was implemented last week, he stressed that it is more important to take a step back and look at how far the school has come in recent years.

“As a board, we feel very confident and support the process,” Russ said.

“We don’t make decisions based on public opinion,” [Ellis] Sinyor [the school’s immediate past president] said. “We are focused on becoming a model for Jewish education in the United States. We know where we’re going, and we’re not going to be swayed.”

How are they responding to this website?

“Things on that website are completely unacceptable,” said Sinyor, regarding the recently established blog SaveHillel.com, where students, parents, and alumni have posted their opinions concerning the recent events. “It is Lashon Hara, and hype.”

Not everybody thinks so.

But a former Hillel parent who wished to remain anonymous said that she hopes the board will read the postings on the site and take them to heart. “The people who don’t care aren’t taking the time to write. Those who are writing are the school’s future and need to be heard.”

Will our questions be answered? Probably not.

In the interest of confidentiality, school officials would not discuss specific teachers or the reasons why each one is being let go. This has led to much speculation on the part of students and parents as to why this is all happening.

Did the statement from the parent in Kansas City contain erroneous information? The financial information probably speaks for itself:

In fact, Holden was praised by supporters in Kansas City for balancing the school’s budget; according to the school’s IRS filings from 2003, his efforts brought the school’s payroll from $2.3 million to $1.8 million, an unprecedented 18% decrease in human resource expenses.

For more information, continue reading the Hillel Students React to Teacher Firings article.