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Posted: 07-Aug-24
Location: Merion Station, Pennsylvania
Type: Full Time
Categories:
K-8 PRINCIPAL
Kohelet Yeshiva, Merion Station, Pennsylvania
Kohelet Yeshiva seeks a warm, talented and innovative K–8 Principal beginning July 2025, who embodies and articulates the mission and vision of Kohelet Yeshiva. The position will report to the Head of School.
The K-8 Principal will lead the Lab School (Grades K-5) and Middle School (Grades 6-8) divisions during a pivotal and exciting transition, as the student population continues to climb, as we scale and build to meet our needs, and as we continue to coalesce as a fully integrated K-12 institution in an environment of financial stability. The K-8 Principal will directly supervise the K-8 Associate Principal of Judaic Studies, the K-8 Associate Principal, the Director of Inclusion, and the School Psychologist.
The successful candidate will be a growth-oriented educator with a strong background in teaching and learning and with proven experience managing a school. He or she must possess a deep understanding and love of children, value student-centered education and social-emotional learning, and be passionately committed to the school’s religious and educational philosophy. He or she will strive to create a positive environment for students and teachers in which they are challenged and inspired.
The successful candidate will have: enthusiasm for Torah and Torah studies, a commitment to robust secular education, excellent organizational and communications skills, energy, flexibility, creativity, and a drive for intellectual growth.
Responsibilities will include:
Academic Leadership
- Serve as lead educational professional of the Lab School and Middle School, responsible for their day-to-day operations, while maintaining congruence between the school’s mission and all activities of the Lab School and Middle School; embody the school’s values and mission inside and outside of school.
- Hire, supervise, develop, support and evaluate the teachers and staff in the Lab School and Middle School.
- Oversee development, advancement, implementation and regular review of the General Studies, Limudei Kodesh, Ivrit and extracurricular programs in accordance with contemporary best practice and the Kohelet mission.
- Along with the HOS and the High School leadership, develop a unified K-12 curriculum, ensuring that both foundational knowledge and foundational skills are successfully cultivated in each grade.
- Lead faculty to identify learning goals and outcomes for each student, oversee standards, benchmarks and student evaluation, and ensure the availability of adequate resources for students so as to set clear expectations and scaffold for student success.
- Facilitate a culture of joy of learning and accomplishment, within a framework that recognizes and supports the distinctive differences and strengths of individual teachers and students.
- Establish programs for the orientation of new teachers, for in-service training and continued professional development of all teachers, and for the evaluation, self-reflection, and growth of classroom teachers; ensure that teachers are familiar with and adhere to school policies in all areas of the school’s operation.
- Serve as a mentor and coach to teachers and conduct regular meetings with teachers to provide training in classroom management and teaching methods; provide an environment that stimulates an exchange of ideas on issues of educational interest and concern.
Operational Leadership
- Prepare a master class schedule and assign teachers and students to classes and other obligations.
- Oversee coordination of the co-curricular and extracurricular activity programs of the school; assist in the planning and presentation of school programs and assemblies; assist in maintaining a comprehensive calendar of school events; in coordination with the Executive Director, ensure that the Kohelet community is informed of various school programs and activities.
- Work with the Head of School, the Executive Director and High School leadership to grow and strengthen the school’s admissions, enrollment, and retention.
- Adhere to the annual budget set by the Head of School and Executive Director, as approved by the Board of Directors.
- Work collaboratively with the Head of School and the High School leadership to facilitate a smooth transition from Middle School to High School and to ensure that the school’s K-12 vision is carried out.
Communications Leadership
- Articulate the Lab School and Middle School’s educational and non-educational programs, expectations, short and long term goals, and behavioral guidelines, to ensure that all constituencies are fully informed, consistent with their individual roles.
- Be a visible presence in the Lab School and Middle School; work toward a resolution of all conflicts, both routine and novel as the challenges arise, while keeping the Head of School informed.
- Establish guidelines for proper student conduct and dress; maintain student discipline consonant with school policies; monitor students’ adherence to established school rules; maintain accurate records of student attendance and behavior.
- Lead administrators and teachers in regular communication and reflection with students and parents around goals, progress and next steps.
- Build and promote positive relationships with parents, leading administrators and teachers in exceptional responsiveness, and in managing and addressing concerns.
- Work with the administrative office, led by an Executive Director, on all major development and communications initiatives.
- Serve, along with the Head of School, as the Lab School and Middle School’s ambassador at all Kohelet Yeshiva and community events, building strong personal partnerships with parents through proactive outreach, parent programming and education, and by serving as a liaison with the PTO.
Generous Benefits Package
About Kohelet Yeshiva:
Kohelet Yeshiva is a Modern Orthodox yeshiva day school located on a beautiful four-acre campus in Lower Merion, PA. The school has three divisions – a Lab School (grades K-5), a Middle School (grades 6-8), and a High School (grades 9-12). Current enrollment is approximately 360 students. The Executive Director oversees all non-academic aspects of the school, including finance, development, operations, marketing, communications, and facilities, allowing the academic administrators to focus on educational excellence and engagement with the faculty, parents and students.
Kohelet Yeshiva provides a warm and embracing environment that fosters scholarship, intellectual curiosity, love of learning, and a commitment to Halachic Judaism, while providing opportunities for each student to achieve their maximum potential. We instill a belief in the centrality of the State of Israel to the national and spiritual identity of the Jewish people and are committed to training our students to be passionate, articulate advocates for Israel.
The Lab School and Middle School are committed to utilizing replicable, empirically supported, student-centered methods of pedagogy in order to maximize learning for all students in both Judaic and General Studies and advance the field of Jewish Education.
The High School is known for its rigorous programs in both Judaic and General Studies, enhanced by outstanding music and art programs. The High School offers honors and advanced placement courses, as well as multiple levels of learning center support, in addition to regular classes. Art and music classes along with a full range of extracurricular and athletic activities are valued components to the program. Our high school graduates attend top-ranked universities, yeshivot, and midrashot in the U.S. and Israel.
Kohelet Yeshiva is a center for Modern Orthodox values and provides vital community resources. We have been honored to attract and host prominent thought leaders and notable speakers including Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z”l, Rabbanit Chana Henkin, former U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman z’’l, and Natan Sharansky who spent time in the school, met with Kohelet students and lectured at the school in presentations that attracted a broad Jewish community audience.
About Our Area:
Kohelet Yeshiva is located minutes from Center City Philadelphia, nestled in a beautiful, thriving suburban community that has seen tremendous population and institutional growth over the past decade in the Modern Orthodox community. People are drawn to the area by world-class universities and excellent nearby professional opportunities. The Lower Merion Jewish community has several Orthodox shuls and schools, a Yoetzet initiative, a thriving community Kollel and multiple kosher restaurants. Although physically located in Lower Merion, Kohelet Yeshiva is part of the greater Philadelphia area, drawing faculty and students from Cherry Hill, NJ, Center City Philadelphia, Elkins Park, Overbrook, Yardley, Northeast Philadelphia, and Allentown. In addition to easy local access to Philadelphia, the community is conveniently located halfway between Washington, D.C., and New York City.
We’d love to hear from you.
To apply to become Kohelet Yeshiva’s next K-8 Principal, please send your resume and cover letter to Amy Wasser, Senior Director of Field Advancement at Prizmah Center for Jewish Day Schools at amyw@prizmah.org.
Qualifications:
- Passionate commitment to Kohelet Yeshiva’s mission and vision
- Superior interpersonal skills, including a warm friendly demeanor; ability to connect with people and work collaboratively, strong listening skills, an abundance of patience and compassion; and a relationship-based and problem-solving disposition
- Superior management skills, including ability to juggle numerous tasks and prioritize them, ability to make decisions in a challenging and changing environment, ability to respond timely to communications, and ability to set short term and long term goals
- Significant experience teaching and supervising and supporting teachers
- Skilled at identifying, hiring and stewarding gifted educators and supporting their professional growth so as to deliver exceptional educational outcomes
- Prior experience in educational leadership as a Principal or Assistant Principal, preferred
- Hebrew language skills, preferred
- Master’s degree or Doctorate in Education or a related field, preferred