Head of School – Torah Day School of Phoenix

Overview

Torah Day School of Phoenix is seeking its next outstanding leader: someone who can cast vision and execute effectively, who children light up around, teachers trust, and parents are glad to partner with.

Role Overview

The Head of School (HOS) is the chief executive and educational leader of Torah Day School of Phoenix (TDSP), with comprehensive responsibility for all educational, operational and cultural aspects of school life.  Working with the Board of Directors and school administrators, under the guidance of the Vaad Hachinuch, the HOS ensures fidelity to TDSP’s mission, while providing an expansive vision and strategic leadership.

In this role, the HOS:

• Creates a culture that instills a love of Torah and Yiddishkeit, inspires students to middos tovos, respect for teachers & fellow students, and holds every student to a high standard of behavior.
•  Maintains measurable excellence in both Limudei Kodesh and Limudei Chol.
• Cultivates cohesion among staff members, recruits and develops talented capable, and committed people, and instills in all staff members a strong sense of ownership, pride, and responsibility for fulfilling the school’s educational mission.
• Develops strong, trusting relationships with parents, local Rabbonim and educational leaders at other schools, and consistently bolsters TDSP’s reputation within the greater Phoenix community and national Jewish educational community.
• Ensures compliance with all legal and accreditation requirements and fiscal discipline in all areas of school operations.

The Head of School provides leadership and direction for all aspects of the school’s educational program, with ultimate responsibility for decisions relating to Chinuch, curriculum, faculty hiring and supervision, admissions, student placement, and discipline.

The Head of School reports to the Board of Directors.

About Torah Day School of Phoenix

Torah Day School of Phoenix was established in 2010 with seven Kindergarten students and is today the largest Jewish school in Arizona. In its various divisions, including The Phoenix Gan, a daycare for children ages 0-2, Kindertots, a preschool for children ages 2-5, and the Girls’ K-8 and Boys’ K-8 schools, TDSP serves over 440 Jewish children and has over 100 employees, including a stellar roster of Rebbeim, Moros, and general studies teachers.

All TDSP divisions are fully accredited. The Gan and Kindertots are accredited by NAEYC, and our elementary school is accredited by Cognia.

Torah Day School of Phoenix was the first Jewish school in Arizona to offer single-gender classes for grades Kindergarten (5 years old) and up.  TDSP has spurred year-over-year growth in the local frum community, making Phoenix a highly attractive destination which now includes over 1,000 Orthodox families, two yeshiva high schools, a Beis Yaakov, strong BMG community Kollel, eruvim, mikvaos, and dozens of Orthodox shuls and kosher restaurants.  

Job Requirements

1. Educational Vision and Academic Excellence

The HOS establishes and guides the school’s educational priorities, ensuring its programs support its Torah mission and a commitment to high-quality, data-driven instruction in Limudei Kodesh and Limudei Chol, appropriate student behavior, measurable academic achievement, and continuous improvement.

The HOS will:

• Ensure that through TDSP’s educational offerings, all students develop Ahavas Hashem and Ahavas Hatorah,  and are competent members of the Jewish people. This means they can learn Torah, daven with Kavanah and with a minyan/ at shul, observe halachos that apply to their lives, and above all, take unwavering pride and joy in their Yiddishkeit.
• In conjunction with administrators, oversee the development of curricular maps and goals, and reliable assessments to measure student achievement, in Limudei Kodesh and Limudei Chol.
• Evaluate existing curricula and instructional approaches, identifying opportunities to strengthen learning outcomes.
• Conduct bi-annual comprehensive reviews of student performance and use assessment data to guide instruction and improvement.
• Ensure that all students have a robust roster of extra curricular and enrichment experiences that foster positive feelings towards Yiddishkeit, help students bond with their teachers and classmates, develop non-academic skills, and grow as people.
• Prepare graduates to be accepted to, and thrive in, appropriate Yeshivas and Orthodox high schools, and work with families, students, and administrators to guide eighth graders through the high school admissions process.

2. School Culture

TDSP seeks a leader with a true passion for building school culture. Culture doesn’t happen by accident; it must be intentionally nurtured and stewarded. We believe culture ultimately determines a school’s success: its academic achievement, student outcomes, and staff cohesion.

The HOS will:

• Create a culture that enshrines middos tovos in student behavior, and promotes kindness, personal responsibility, respect, gratitude, refinement, and perseverance, and eschews rudeness, laziness, meanness, and apathy.
• Foster a supportive, high-morale climate among all staff that inspires mission alignment, goal setting and achievement, ongoing learning, and continuous improvement
• Encourage and empower staff members to serve as role models, embodying in their own conduct the Torah values and middos tovos TDSP seeks to instill in its students
• Create a school community where every child is known and valued, and parents feel they are partners in the mission.

3. Leadership and Personnel

The Head of School builds and manages a high-performing team of administrators and teachers.

The HOS will:

• Recruit, hire, mentor, and guide administrators and teachers to create a cohesive, mission-driven, aligned team.
• Establish clear expectations for each team member, hold them accountable to their responsibilities, and conduct regular evaluations of administrators and key personnel.
• Lead strategic planning sessions (in conjunction with the board) and develop clear, measurable annual goals.
• Develop a comprehensive professional development plan that aligns with the school’s goals and objectives.

4. Financial Stewardship

As leader, the Head of School shall promote fiscal responsibility as a necessary discipline of any highly successful school.  The HOS will:

• Working closely with the Director of the Business Office and the finance committee, educational priorities that inform development of the annual operating budget, including evaluating the financial implications of staffing decisions and educational initiatives.
• Ensure that resources are managed responsibly and in line with educational priorities.
• Ensure all expenditures follow agreed upon policies & procedures to facilitate effective budget management.
• Participate in long-range strategic planning with the Board
• Participate in fundraising initiatives when appropriate.

5.  Enrollment Management

The Head of School maintains final authority over all admissions decisions.   The HOS will:

• Review each child’s prior school record to ensure a basic fit with TDSP’s behavioral and educational expectations
• Confirm an applicant is halachically Jewish
• Identify potential special-needs challenges early and work with the administrative team to plan for them
• Oversee student placement and educational transition into TDSP.
• Ensure that prospective parents and students understand the TDSP ethos and are comfortable embracing its rules and standards
• Ensure that new families and students are a “good fit” for the school community.

6.  Organization and Compliance

The Head of School is responsible for creating TDSP’s organizational structure. In addition to hiring and managing administrators, the HOS will:

• Ensure compliance with all the requisite state agencies and accrediting bodies
• Oversee the creation of the yearly school calendar
• Oversee academic guidance, grading, and standards for student assessment
• Oversee annual revisions and updates to the Staff Handbook, the Parent Handbook, and Dress Code Policy.
• Oversee the structure and timetable of the school day, including carpools and dismissals.

7.  Community and Parent Relations

The Head of School is the public face of TDSP. The HOS will:

• Build strong relationships with families, alumni, local Rabbonim and leaders of other educational institutions, community organizations, and donors.
• Represent TDSP at significant school and community events, including student and family milestones, fundraising events, community gatherings and graduations hosted by local high schools and shuls
• Assist with capital campaigns and other development initiatives by articulating TDSP’s educational vision and priorities to donors and the broader community.

Qualifications

A successful candidate shall possess the following qualifications:

• A serious Ben Torah who models Torah, Yiras Shamayim, and Middos Tovos
• A minimum of five years of prior leadership experience as the head of a Yeshiva or Jewish Day School, including hiring and managing staff, managing a budget, creating programs, setting goals, and working with parents.
• A proven track record of program execution, follow through, and completion.
• Strong organizational ability
• Emotional intelligence and sound judgment
• Outstanding interpersonal skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Exceptional integrity and professionalism.

For more information or to apply for this position, please contact Rabbi Heshy Glass at hglass@cojds.org or 516.368.3333

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