Davidson School Field Programs

The Davidson School commits to excellence through a variety of services offered to schools, programs, and professionals in the field. These services currently include professional development in institutional and instructional leadership, as well as open forums for dialogue about core questions in the field. To ensure high quality, our services are consistently evaluated. They reflect current trends in leadership, instructional methods, materials, and technology.

DAY SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TRAINING INSTITUTE (DSLTI)

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 peers. DSLTI provides a network of visionary educational leaders committed to advancing and living the Jewish values of their school communities. DSLTI is funded jointly by the AVI CHAI Foundation, Alan B. Slifka Foundation, and JTS.

IVRIYON: HEBREW IMMERSION PROGRAM FOR JEWISH DAY SCHOOL TEACHERS

Ivriyon offers up to 15 day-school teachers the opportunity to enter a one-month summer Hebrew-immersion program for teaching Judaic curricula. This program strengthens Hebrew language proficiency and the skills necessary for teaching in Hebrew through peer teaching, participant presentations, and textual study. A review of grammar and a focus on vocabulary expansion are also integral to the program. Ivriyon is funded jointly by the AVI CHAI Foundation and JTS, and is coordinated through The Davidson School and JTS’s Hebrew Language program. 

LEGACY HERITAGE INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

This project, generously funded by the AVI CHAI Foundation and Legacy Heritage, guides instructional leaders in Jewish day schools to build standards-based curriculum for Bible and Rabbinics. It also helps them develop the skills and knowledge needed to coach their teachers around issues of curriculum and instruction, and to create collaborative, reflective faculty cultures. The project has resulted in rich professional development for teachers and leaders in the field of Bible education, and from 2017, Rabbinic education as well.

JEWISH EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (JECELI)

The Jewish Early Childhood Education Leadership Institute is a collaboration between JTS and Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion. Developed in consultation with Bank Street College of Education and originally funded by generous support from the Jim Joseph Foundation, JECELI provides new and aspiring Jewish early childhood education directors with 20 months of intensive professional development that uses Jewish texts and values as a basis for best practices in early childhood education and Jewish education. During the 2017–19 year, a second cohort for JECELI will be launched in the Chicago area through the generous support of the Crown Family Philanthropies.