<HTML>With regard to Stuart Zweiter's query and Rav Berger's comment that the
issue is greater than just financial considerations, I would suggest that
the financial issue is certainly the main factor, and disproportionately
so. Sticking just to principals (and not teachers), most principals that
I can think of began as teachers, and most people that I speak to believe
that this is the way things should be - people placed in charge of
educational institutions should understand their business from the bottom
up. That being the case, it comes down to the fact that we first need a
substantial pool of teachers from which principals can emerge, and such a
pool simply does not exist. There are very few people willing to suffer
the financial strains of being a teacher in order to one day get to the
somewhat more lucrative post of being a principal.
I speak every day to many students around YU, many of whom I feel would
make excellent educators, and one after the other gives me the same answer
- the money is keeping them away from the job. The lack of prestige seems
to bother people only after they enter the field. Furthermore, even being
a principal is not so wonderful. While I do have my personal aspirations
set to attain that goal, many people have told me that I should develop
skills for a second profession "as a backup." How many doctors and
lawyers spend their time learning to be computer programmers just in case?
I will agree that the lack of prestige is tough - several times in the
past week alone I have heard the comment that pulpit Rabbis feel that the
only job worse than theirs is Jewish Day school principal. However, if
the financial barrier is overcome, I feel that the other factors will be
more bearable, or at least their will be one major concern lifted from
people. Just my a priori musings - I would appreciate the replies of those
who are already heavily involved in Avodat haKodesh.
Aaron Ross
YU Semicha and NYU Rabbinic Literature</HTML>
