Day School Leadership Training Institute (DSLTI)

The Day School Leadership Training Institute (DSLTI) prepares new and aspiring heads of school for their work in Jewish day schools by providing engaging experiential learning opportunities, cutting-edge leadership development, ongoing mentoring, and the chance to collaboratively problem-solve with cohort peers. 

DSTI alumni provide outstanding leadership in over 75 day schools across North America and Israel, from Montreal to Hod HaSharon.

My experience at DSLTI has profoundly changed both my professional and personal life. The people I have been blessed to learn with over the last 15 months contribute to my understanding of the field, as well as my own Jewish journey. I have developed a strong professional network and new friends who have already been by my side as thought partners and problem solvers. DSLTI has given me an understanding of the breadth of the position, and I am confident that with the guidance of my mentors and cohort, any issue I face I will not face alone. —Andrea Kasper, Head of School, SSDS of Greater Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut

Who It’s For

DSLTI is an invaluable professional development experience for serious, motivated Jewish educators—educators who already work in their schools’ leadership or those who are working toward more advanced positions. The ideal participant:

• Expresses a strong commitment to Jewish values, literacy, religious purposefulness and peoplehood.
• Demonstrates superior collaborative skills.
• Is highly organized and efficient.
• Tackles leadership challenges strategically and creativity.

A participant might be:

• A new head of school (one to two years in the headship).
• An incoming head of school.
• A principal of lower school, middle school, or upper school.
• A Judaic or general studies coordinator.
• An experienced educator who has a record of instructional leadership: teacher leader, grade-level chair, school leadership team member, rabbi-in-residence, or professional developer.
• A synagogue school director.

In addition to preparing educators to take on leadership positions in day schools across North America, DSLTI generates an incredible support network for participants—program alumni continue to work and collaborate with each other long after the program ends, giving participants a strong professional community to encourage continued growth and advancement.

How DSLTI Prepares Inspiring Leaders

The 15-month program is highly interactive, incorporating case studies, simulations, and problem-based learning to help participants develop an advanced leadership style that combines self-reflection with Jewish values.

Two three-week summer sessions—one each summer for two consecutive years—and a series of three-day retreats prepare participants to think as strategic heads of school, ask critical questions, develop problem-solving strategies, and work collaboratively with school staff and lay leaders.

Our program values experimentation and self-reflection, innovation and continual assessment. DSLTI will help educators understand the intersection of their personal Jewish journeys and their professional lives by filtering instruction through three connected lenses:

• Judaism: We explore how a Jewish worldview informs educational theory and grounds practice and decision-making.
• Education: We enhance curriculum development and assessment; knowledge of learning theories and practice in contemporary society; professional development; and school culture.
• Leadership: We develop skills in communication; budget and finance; development; recruitment and retention; marketing; board relations; and organizational change.

Applying to DSLTI

For more information, contact Program Director Ray Levi at ralevi@jtsa.edu.