Seeking Director of Education

Beth David Reform Congregation, nestled in the woodlands of historic Gladwyne just a few miles outside Center City Philadelphia, is a diverse, intimate, and joyful congregation of 300 member families. We are seekers. We are learners. We are doers. At Beth David, we are impelled by our tradition to build connection, support our communities, and do our part to help heal the world. Our synagogue is the aggregation of our stories—a 75-year history that entwines our diverse individual pasts with a shared future.

As our new Director of Education, you will have a unique opportunity to envision the future direction of our religious school. We recently launched a three-year capital campaign, in conjunction with an ongoing strategic planning process, that will reimagine our youth and family programs and ensure the financial health and vibrancy of the synagogue. It’s an exciting time to join Beth David and assume this pivotal role. Your vision, creativity, and leadership will be critical in developing a progressive learning curriculum that inspires our youth, embodies our values, ensures an inclusive learning environment, and grows our Jewish community.

We are seeking someone who:
Has a vision for implementing innovative ideas to make Jewish traditions, texts, and values come alive for young people and families in a contemporary world.
Builds and nurtures relationships with students, parents, and faculty with warmth, caring, and menschlekeit.
Thrives in a collaborative work environment with multiple stakeholder groups, such as students, parents, clergy, staff, and board members.
Has experience in progressive, informal, and/or experiential education.
Is passionate about creating and modeling an inclusive learning environment and safe space for diverse student populations, including gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, physical ability, religious background, and learning differences.

Goals for our Religious School:
Re-imagine our current Religious School model, assessing our current program and shifting to a model that better meets the needs of today’s families, potentially including ideas like more experiential opportunities, project-based learning, and service learning.
Expand outreach efforts and expand our programming beyond Religious School to create multiple doorways into Jewish life for families.
Create robust teen programs to retain students beyond b-mitzvah.

Job Responsibilities:
Leading Innovation
Build connections with students, parents, faculty, and other stakeholders to understand the needs of today’s families, and the strengths and weaknesses of our current Religious School
Research innovative models of Jewish supplemental education and family engagement, and evaluate how different models might fit our community’s needs and identity
Partner with clergy and lay leadership team to create a vision for the next era of our community’s Religious School that will make Jewish life accessible, inspiring, and transformative for the next generation
Create and manage a multi-year strategy to implement the new vision, including a process of experimentation, reflection, and evaluation as we refine the model
Participate in local and national organizations to enhance professional development and support ongoing innovation
Religious School Oversight
Evaluate, develop, update, and deliver curriculum
Oversee all aspects of hiring, training, supporting, and supervising of teachers and other educational personnel
Determine what is needed to provide the most inclusive and safe learning environment for all students, with special consideration for those with additional needs in addition to establishing an atmosphere of acceptance and respect for all staff, students, and congregants
Create metrics that will enable the ability to track progress against religious school goals to drive measurable outcomes
Partner with clergy to facilitate their teaching in the Religious School, teen programming, and family education
Teach electives, special programs, or classes as time allows, and coordinate school assemblies and special programs
Be an active and visible participant in congregational events, especially programs involving families and children
Correspond and meet with prospective families to introduce them to the Religious School and the congregation

Communications
Provide regular communications about school activities, school policies, and student progress to students and parents; promote educational programs to congregants through existing email newsletters
Maintain open communication with the Board of Trustees, and congregation committees
Communicate congregation policies and policy changes to educational staff.
Promote programming to the wider community to reach unaffiliated families and potential members

Administration
Create class assignments for religious school students and staff; coordinate scheduling of educational programs in alignment with congregation calendar
Acquire appropriate learning materials for religious school
Prepare annual school budget in consultation within the financial limits set by the Board of Trustees and assume fiscal responsibility for the religious school and other educational program budgets as assigned
Update health and safety protocols in partnership with executive director and lay leadership, and oversee the implementation of these protocols
Carry out standard administrative functions according to current congregation policies and practices, including maintaining religious school records

Qualifications:
Three years of experience preferred in related leadership/teaching experience in Jewish, informal, or progressive education settings, as well as demonstrated knowledge of Reform Judaism and Jewish life and culture
Proven track record of developing and implementing curriculum
Ability to develop metrics and track progress against religious school goals to drive measurable outcomes
Experience in a leadership role, preferably within a nonprofit organization or educational program
Experience implementing diversity, equity and inclusion training in an educational environment
Strong communication skills and ability to foster relationships with students, parents, Board members, and the clergy and lay leadership a must
Detail-oriented and comfortable with technology; experience using Google Docs and ShulCloud appreciated

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Base compensation: $75,000 - $100,000
Percentage of pension in addition to salary: 15%
Medical and dental insurance
Paid vacation
Additional benefits including funds for professional development