The Weekly Reporting System: Bringing Clarity and Purpose to School
June 15, 2026
Think Tank XIII Recap
July 7, 2026
Rabbi Shimshon Gewirtz
There is a longstanding debate over whether the best person to lead a car company would be a “car guy”—someone whose passion and expertise lie in the design or engineering of automobiles—or a business-oriented professional. On the one hand, a car company is a business, and the skills and disciplines needed to lead one are not so different from those developed in MBA programs or held by experienced CPAs. On the other hand, designing and building cars is a different business than selling clothes, building homes, or running a chain of restaurants. The debate rages on, with major corporations swinging between business leaders who balance the books and get the company’s stock prices to rise, perhaps at the expense of building cars buyers want, and car guys, who back expensive research and development projects that spoil balance sheets but produce cars that sell well, define the brand, and reshape the industry.
The same debate exists in the world of school leadership, especially private school leadership. Schools are communities of learning, and decisions about policy, staffing, curriculum, and educational philosophy have a major impact on learning within them. At the same time, they are non-profit organizations with budgets and fundraising, compliance, and reporting requirements. Business-oriented leaders may balance the budget but find that parents and teachers are losing faith in the institution’s ability to pursue its educational mission effectively. The “school guys,” often experienced classroom teachers, may be more comfortable and effective in educational decision-making, yet may fall short in strategic planning and budgeting, frustrating board members and donors.
In this edition of The Journal of Jewish Day School Leadership, we focus on the way school leaders serve as instructional leaders, the chief teachers in their schools. Mrs. Brendy Siev asserts that the school leader must be the school’s “leading learner.” Dr. Lea Goldstein shares her recipe for great school leadership, describing the skills and values that are integral to it. Mrs. Beth Napleton shows how great school leaders can make time for instructional leadership. And Rabbi Dr. Levi Druin suggests that intentionally cultivated parent-school connection is critical to support instruction.
Although school culture often refers to shared values and beliefs that extend beyond learning, great instructional leaders cultivate a culture that supports their goals. Dr. Maury Grebenau writes about how principals can create a culture of supervision in which teachers value feedback and input. Mrs. Chana Kashi highlights the principal’s important role in supporting and guiding new teachers. And Rabbi Elisha Paul argues that replacing time-consuming formal classroom observations with schoolwide, curriculum-aligned assessments is the ideal model of instructional leadership.
Several writers highlighted the importance of leadership that supports classroom teachers. Dr. Todd Whitaker encourages leaders to take care of their best teachers, highlighting the qualities these educators possess and urging leaders not to frustrate these strengths. Rabbi Shlomo Kolko argues for leading with deference, letting teachers be themselves. And Mrs. Lisa Stroll describes how to build a culture of kavod, respect, for teachers by creating space, allowing visibility, and giving recognition.
Moving from theory to practice, Rabbi Dr. Hillel Broder writes how using Kim Marshall’s supervision model ensures that instructional leadership is supportive and predictable. Rabbi Yehoshua Krames shows how Mel Robbins’s “Let Them” framework and Larry Thompson’s Responsibility-Centered Discipline (RCD) allow school leaders to make time for good leadership. And Rabbi Sharir Yablonsky offers a weekly reporting system to support instructional leadership.
Rav Dovid Breslauer addressed the recent Chinuch Conference of the Consortium of Jewish Day Schools, describing the essential value of Jewish educators and their enduring impact. It is our honor to share some ideas from his message with you here.
As always, we hope you find this edition of The Journal of Jewish Day School Leadership to be informative, thought-provoking, and enjoyable to read. We appreciate your feedback at sgewirtz@cojds.org.