Organizational Development
Designated School Program
Guidelines for Applying to ACAJE’s Designated School Program
Four essential steps comprise the DSP application process.
Step One:
A formal explanatory presentation about DSP to the entire Board of Directors should be given either by an ACAJE representative or by an informed member of the applying synagogue. This gathering should, at minimum, include the synagogue’s executive officers (and their successors if identified), which includes, but is not limited to, the Board, Rabbi, Cantor, Education Director, Education Committee Chairperson, a faculty representative and the lay leaders of all formal and informal education groups from the synagogue. Any prospective Steering Committee members in addition to the President, Rabbi, Education Director, Cantor, faculty representative and School Committee Chairperson, should also be a part of all preliminary discussions about DSP. In addition, the School Committee should be actively involved in deciding about participation in the DSP.
Step Two:
The Board of Directors should consider the information presented and make a decision about participation in the DSP.
Step Three:
When there is agreement about pursuing involvement in the DSP, the above mentioned leaders need to collaborate on drafting a “letter of intent” that summarizes the following points in no more than 2 typewritten pages (single spaced):
- The reasons that the synagogue leaders wish to participate in the DSP.
- The specific ways in which the DSP can be beneficial to the synagogue, both organizationally and substantively.
- The synagogue leadership’s commitment to the DSP process.
- The Steering Committee members’ understanding of the time and effort involved in DSP work (steering committee includes professional staff).
- The synagogue’s and Steering Committee members’ willingness to commit the time and effort involved in this undertaking (a minimum of one steering committee meeting per month with follow-up tasks and possible other, smaller group meetings in between).
Step Four:
The “letter of intent” should be signed by the professional and lay leaders
mentioned above and directed to the attention of the ACAJE Consultant for
Educational Leadership and Organizational Development.. It will be reviewed
by ACAJE’s EXCEL Committee as soon as possible after it is received. Once
a decision is reached, the synagogue will be notified in writing.
Post-Acceptance Process
Once a synagogue is accepted into the Designated School Program, the first step in this process is holding a retreat for the entire DSP Steering committee (usually 5-6 hours in length on a Sunday afternoon at ACAJE). The main goals of this session are as follows:
- Provide an orientation to the DSP model.
- Begin team building in preparation for the work ahead.
- Begin reviewing and updating the synagogue’s educational vision and mission, culminating in a working draft.
- Train members of the DSP Steering Committee (DSPSC) to facilitate similar envisioning sessions for the purpose of updating the educational mission with the rest of the congregation.
- Develop a projected plan for DSP work over the next two years based on the goals articulated in the synagogue’s “letter of intent.”
Return to the Designated School Program page
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