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Commenting on Jonathan Isler’s editorial of July 1, 2008:
I agree on the following points:
1) we can’t be content with the existing flawed and broken system & structure.
2) our Rabbinical leadership needs to step up to the plate
3) The discriminatory, embarassing, and inapproriate scholarship process must be eliminated.
4) the boards and tuition committes operate without transparency and accountability to parents
5) organize parents into collective bargaining entities (caveat: as long as it is done positively and not negatively. Our schools are not our enemy.)
6) our established leaders are not leading
7) We are Jews. We solve lots of enormous problems. We can solve this one.
I disagree on the following points:
1) Gold Tier/Silver Tier – this automatically sets up a two class system. Nonetheless, it would be more of an incentive to be exempted from attending the annual dinner, than to be allowed to attend.
2) Pressure Rabbinical leasership – this is a dubious, unproductive, and ultimately corrosive practice.
I would add:
1) Board members and tuition committee members should be parents at the school, chosen by parents at the school.
2) It is the responsibility of the entire community to ensure all Jewish children get a Jewish education, whether or not you have children in school. This is halacha.
3) It’s a dangerous choice to accept money from the State. Be careful what you wish for, and even more careful if you get it.
Having run a tuition assistance organization in Baltimore for the past 5 years, I believe I have some insights worth considering.
What if there was a “kashrus committee” that could oversee what goes on? Rate the educational value being delivered both in Limudei Kodesh and chol, audit “the books” to see that there is no waste, make sure that administrative compensation is not exorbitant.
Earn enough money to pay private school tuition. If not the case, work with school to cover some expense (such as babysitting teacher’s kids, security, tutoring, cleaning up, and many more) so that it covers tuition (save on payroll costs).
Otherwise, convince rich people to give to yeshivas instead of their own pet charities, even though they are good Tzedakas. The additional money has to come from somewhere.
I think that a socialized Yeshiva system would be the best way to get a quick start on improving things. First of all, it uses economies of scale. Second of all, the central management team running the larger institution would be better qualified (i.e. more financially sophisticated) than the individuals who currently run individual institutions.
To illustrate my point, let’s say I am one who believes in gedolim. Then I would be glad to send my kids to a school under the auspices of the Moetzes Gedolai Yisroel of America. The umbrella organization would be the Agudah, and they would handle tuition and budgetary issues. The gedolim would make “executive decisions” instead of local boards and the local institutions would need only the minimum of on site administration. Naturally it is more complicated than this, but I am just trying to paint a picture.
I don’t think that all yeshivos would be under one umbrella organization; it is likely that many groups wouldn’t want to be under the Agudah and would form their own central organization. But I could go to any “Agudah” school in the country and know that they are being run by the gedolim of the Moetzes.
RE: Squeak’s idea.
Does anybody here know if Torah Umesorah runs their day schools from one centralized location with very limited administative functions at the individual schools? If yes, is their cost per child a lot less than the typical yeshiva? I’m curious to know, as this could show whether squeak’s idea can actually cut costs in practice.
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