Staff

Making Sure My Teachers Were Compensated Fairly

Last spring, our congregation took part in the Leading Edge Employee Experience survey. The only area we did not excel in was Salary & Benefits, specifically on the question “I understand how salaries and raises are determined at my organization.”

So when I took over as preschool director, one of my priorities was to make sure the preschool staff did not feel taken advantage of if they discovered how much their peers were making compared to themselves.

The first thing I did in creating a new pay structure was to meet with each teacher and chronicle their experience and educational background. 

Although I had no idea how much to weigh the various elements, I did my best to match current salaries with the average wages for the same positions in New Jersey and what the ECE-RJ surveys showed.   

No matter how hard I tried, I could not justify the current pay rates for many teachers. This required rectifying these discrepancies in the new budget for our next fiscal year. For some teachers, this meant an increase of $10,000 or more.  

Here are the various elements I considered when creating our new pay structure.

• Years as an Assistant Teacher
• Years as a Lead Teacher
• Certificates/Training (this area x4 for teacher credential)
• Child Development Associate Credential (CDA)
• Associate’s Degree
• Bachelor’s Degree
• Master’s Degree
• Merit
• Life Experience (work not directly as a teacher)

Is it right? Is it unbalanced? Does it consider every possible factor? Probably not. But it is a step in the right direction.   

Michelle W. Malkin
Executive Director and Early Childhood Director
Temple Ner Tamid, NJ

February 2022

The Loneliness of New Staff Members

During my first year as a teacher, I was standing on a counter putting up my very first bulletin board. I was so impressed with myself as I looked at the interactive recyclable trash board I created. Since there was no one around to share my pride, I smirked and kept prepping.  A few minutes later the assistant principal peeked into my room. She smiled and complimented my work. Then she turned to me and made a comment I’ll never forget, “Are you doing ok?”

I smiled and nodded my head. I was alright. I was bubbling with excitement at the opportunity to run my first classroom.

She continued, “You may be surrounded by children all day, but teaching can be a lonely profession. You can go hours without adult communication, so just checking on you.”

She gave me a warm, genuine smile and said that I should ask her if I ever needed anything. Then she moved on.

I stood there bewildered. I kept replaying the conversation in my head. How could teaching possibly be lonely at times? There are chatty staff meetings, children and parents, and the constant buzz of gossip. It seemed like an odd comment to me.

As the years went on, I’d remember her words. I finally understood what she meant when I became a director, as I wandered the halls during teacher prep week. Although it had been a busy week of workshops and team building, I saw teachers prepping their rooms in solitude. I stopped at the classroom door of a new teacher. I suddenly realized just what the assistant principal had meant. New staff members are literally thrust into a classroom within seconds of arriving.  It can be lonely. Every “new arrival’ would benefit from an anchor. It was from this realization that the peer mentor program was born.

Our Professional Orientation Program (aka POP) matches alumni teachers (mentors) with new teachers (mentees). The pairing lasts the entire first year. It is run by teachers, for teachers; creating an anchor to the school and providing a confidant, guide and friend to help guide and nurture the new teacher. The mentor hones their leadership skills and events are planned for all to bond. The program is light, fun and incredibly successful in helping new staff feel at home in and connected to our school community.

By Jodi Cohen Perry, MS.Ed
Early Childhood Center Director
The Amy Gail Buchman Preschool

Supporting Each Other Judgement Free

School is beginning and this year, more than ever, educators in early childhood centers and religious schools need support. A year and a half of changing plans that we worked so hard on, learning entirely new ways of teaching, comforting others while feeling uncertain ourselves, and doing our best to create a sense of community while students are separated into pods or logging into class from their homes has left educators running on fumes.

As we all dig deep to ensure that the start of this school year is as special and exciting as we can make it, our Jewish tradition offers answers as to where we might look for support. Hinei ma tov u’ma naim, shevet achim gam yachad: how good and pleasant it is for brothers and sisters to sit together (Psalm 133:1). We are in this together and we understand one another’s struggles and achievements, as educators, better than anyone else. While early childhood centers and religious schools welcome children to campus at different times and for different programs, the educational leaders of these departments can find time to sit with one another on a regular basis, without a formal agenda. Having this time set aside to speak with someone who inherently understands what we do and the intricacies of the organizations in which we work, can become the extra emotional sustenance that we need to propel us into this new school year.

This year we can make an extra effort to support our fellow educators by sitting together without judgment through:

• Joy: sharing our successes with students and watching their growth, watching our teachers develop professionally, celebrating lifecycle events, enjoy the moments when we get to feel a sense of “normalcy”, and laugh at the silly things that we see and hear when our students are with us.
• Hardship: the personal and professional challenges that Covid creates for educators, the shortage of teachers and money to pay them what they deserve, and the fear of our students, staff, families, or ourselves becoming ill.
• Change: the ways that we have had to learn to adapt to teaching our students in new ways, the ever-changing guidelines and mandates placed on schools, and the ways that many aspects of our jobs have dramatically changed since Covid began.
   

Rose Orlovich, MAEd, MAEd ECE
Director of Education
Lee and Frank Goldberg Family Religious School
Congregation Beth Israel, San Diego, CA

With synagogue doors slowly reopening and young children eagerly getting ready to go back to school, early childhood directors are scrambling to fill vacant teaching positions.  

During COVID, with enrollment in decline, numerous teachers were furloughed. Instead of waiting to come back, many went on to find alternative careers. 

 Preschool directors are placing ads in Indeed or on Facebook as they desperately try to fill vacant teaching positions. To say that it has been a challenge is understating the crisis. However, the best place to find teachers may be right under our noses: synagogue boards, congregants, and parents of preschool graduates. There is a saying that “it takes a village.” The expression never mentions, “it takes someone else’s village…”. 

 Many times, a family’s first encounter with the local Jewish community or congregation is when their child attends a synagogue’s preschool program.  To strengthen our Jewish communities, we need to make sure this first-time experience is as meaningful as possible. This requires teachers who understand Jewish culture, have experience within the community, and have a personal commitment to seeing early childhood centers succeed.  There are several other reasons to hire someone who already has a relationship with the community. These individuals

• Already understand the ECE program’s values and philosophy,
• have a vested interest in the school’s success, 
• are not looking to fulfill a personal financial need, but rather a moral, social, or charitable pursuit, and
• would only require limited onboarding because they already understand the school’s operations. 

To help directors tap into this pool of outstanding teaching candidates, they need the help of a synagogue’s professional staff and lay leaders. Notices should be placed in the monthly bulletin, emails sent out to members, posts placed on social media accounts, announcements made during services, and posters hung on bulletin boards. 

Imagine a Jewish synagogue that could sustain its preschool program with its own community members: a thriving Jewish community would be nurtured and supported. 

Dr. Tamar Andrews
Director of ECE Programs
American Jewish University

September 2021

QUESTIONS NEW TEACHERS SHOULD ASK 

Onboarding is the process by which new hires get adjusted to the social and performance aspects of their jobs quickly and smoothly. They learn the attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behaviors required to function effectively within an organization. However, a study conducted by Richard Ingersoll found that teaching is mostly done in isolation from colleagues and supervisors.   According to the study, “This isolation can be especially difficult for newcomers, who, upon accepting a position in a school, are frequently left to succeed or fail on their own within the confines of their classrooms — often likened to a ‘lost at sea’ or ‘sink or swim’ experience.”

What can you, as a teacher, do to become more connected to your school?  Ask the questions that will allow you to really know your school – create an “onboarding” strategy that meets your needs and learning style.  Then, share what you have learned with the families of the children in your classroom.  The more you learn about the specifics of your school and your institution, the more confident you will sound to the families.

Ask about… School Philosophy

Who are we?

• We are a developmentally appropriate preschool. That means, we teach children according to their developmental level.
• We are play-based. We believe that children learn through their play and interaction with their environment. In order to facilitate student learning, we fill our classrooms with ever-changing materials which include manipulatives, books, art supplies, dress-up, real-life artifacts, etc.

What do we teach?

• We borrow from a number of educational philosophies in order to create a developmentally appropriate curriculum.
• We teach “academics” (think ABCs and 123s) in an emergent and organic manner. We allow these subjects to emerge naturally throughout the day. That means, counting children as they line up at the door (How many friends do we have? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…), spelling words throughout the day (Let’s look at the sky. S-K-Y, sky), using beginning letters often (Patty starts with the ‘Puh’ sound. That’s the letter P).
• We infuse our teaching with Jewish values (discussed below). We are interested in the science of how children learn, how their brains acquire and process information.

What don’t we teach?

• We do not indoctrinate.  There is not one right way of thinking.  We promote a culture of inquiry among our staff and students. We encourage questioning and multiple perspectives.
• We do not force or persuade children to do something that is not at their developmental level. For example, we do not teach children to write their name without first teaching them how to hold a pencil.
• We do not genderize (boy/girl) toys, dress-up, or materials. We allow children to self-identify and choose materials that they feel are appropriate for them. Remember, there are no “boys’ toys” or “girls’ toys”.

Ask about…Your Work Environment

What are the school resources?

• We have a teacher resource room next to the Director’s office. There are books, videos, music, and materials available for use.
• We have a Temple library with books on Judaics as well as general studies. The Temple library also houses many children’s books. 
• The Rabbi and Cantor are available to visit classrooms during the school year. It is especially nice for them to visit during holidays.

What are the temple resources?

• Learn about programs that are available to staff and families with young children.
• Find opportunities to get to know Temple staff outside the school.
• Seek out clergy or Temple mental health professionals for ideas to use in your classroom or for guidance in your personal life.

Ask about… Professionalism and Professional Development

What do we, as staff, need to know?

GENERAL STUDIES

• We know that we must be familiar with our curricular materials. That means, reading through the materials and other resources available. In order to teach a subject, we know we must first immerse ourselves in the subject matter.
• Continued professional development is important to us. We know that in order to succeed at teaching, we must succeed at learning.

JEWISH STUDIES

• We follow the Jewish calendar in regards to holidays (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Chanukah, etc.). We sing songs related to Jewish tradition.
• ) and righteousness/justice (chesedWe surround ourselves with Jewish values, especially those of peace (shalom), kindness (tzeddakah).
• We know that many, if not most, of our students are not Jewish. They come from a variety of faith and cultural backgrounds. We respect their family traditions and beliefs.

How do we assess our teaching and student learning?

• Students are assessed one or more times a year.
• Teachers will be evaluated informally throughout the school year. Formal evaluations will take place at least once throughout the school year. 

By Tammy Kaiser, MSJE
September 2018