Head of School Adam Shapiro Attends Harvard’s Leadership Seminar

Last week, Head of School Adam Shapiro participated in Leadership: An Evolving Vision, a seminar at the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Principals’ Center in Cambridge, MA. The week-long institute is part of a larger, year-long program to enable day school leaders to improve their schools, with special focus on their Jewish mission and vision, sponsored and facilitated by the AVI CHAI Foundation.

 

The AVI CHAI Foundation, a New York-based private foundation dedicated to promoting Jewish commitment, sponsored Mr. Shapiro and 17 other eligible day school professionals to attend the seminar to help address the professional development of day school leaders with a particular emphasis on their role in promoting the Jewish mission of their schools.

 

Participants attended lectures and discussion groups led by Harvard faculty, educational consultants and school practitioners. The program focused on the challenges facing experienced school leaders, seeking to re-inspire them to lead instructional improvements at their schools. Rigorous study was combined with writing, reflection and peer interaction, allowing participants to identify priorities and share ideas and solutions. In addition, the AVI CHAI-sponsored day school leaders attended additional sessions, facilitated by Jonathan Cannon, former head of the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, MD, applying what was learned at Harvard to the Jewish purpose of their schools.

 
“This was an incredibly meaningful professional development experience for me,” said Mr. Shapiro. “This week-long program afforded me the opportunity to think about how we can enhance the school experience for everyone – students, teachers and administrators alike. I am grateful to the AVI CHAI Foundation for supporting this endeavor and I am confident that the lessons learned from this program will absolutely translate to new ideas and approaches here at Golda Och Academy.”

 

Mem Bernstein, Chairman of AVI CHAI’s Board of Trustees, said, “Strong instructional leadership is critical to achieving AVI CHAI’s goal of enhancing the Jewish education provided by day schools. Through these institutes we aim to provide Jewish day school leaders with an intensive opportunity to reflect on school leadership with leading academics and with practitioners from across North America.”