<HTML>Dear Shalom,
Twice in the past week you solicited input on the leadership issue, and
both times you indicated that you do not think that the answers lay
primarily in the area of financial compensation. I wholeheartedly agree
with Aaron Shalom Ross's assessment of the reason for the dearth of
qualified principals and would like to support his argument.
First, to paraphrase, he suggests that, "the financial issue is the main
factor, since most principals begin as teachers, as it should be - and a
substantial pool of teachers from which principals can emerge simply does
not exist since 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."
The preliminary results of my research on turnover of rebbes (male
Orthodox teachers) indicates that there are a cadre of idealistic
individuals who remain in the field despite financial difficulty due to
the satisfaction they derive from teaching Torah and doing outreach.
Thirty-eight percent of the respondents cited salary and related factors
as their prime source of dissatisfaction. Seventy-three percent cited
"teaching Torah," "being involved in chinuch," "the students," "kiruv" or
"impact on community" as their main source of satisfaction.
The question is why did hundreds of other capable individuals either leave
chinuch or choose a different profession? I believe it is primarily due
to the fact that the projected future reality factors of raising a family
weighed more heavily in their decision making process than did idealistic
motivations. (Of course, in the immortal words of Seinfield, "not that
there's anything wrong with that.")
Lastly, a personal word to Aaron Shalom Ross (who I don't know) - stick
with it and become a principal - without a parachute. As a day school
principal for the past seven years who is on sabbatical, I can't wait to
get back into the action. The rewards are immense - from the excitement
of the opening assembly after a full summer of planning to the nachat of
seeing the growth of the 8th graders at graduation - not to mention
bumping into former students from non-Orthodox families who are now in
chinuch or kiruv.
Avram Skurowitz</HTML>
