Too often, we talk about Jewish day schools in purely transactional terms—tuition is paid, services are rendered, and parents assess value like customers weighing a purchase. But schools, while certainly organizations that must operate with financial sustainability, are not just businesses. They are living, breathing institutions shaped by the people within them. A thriving Jewish day school isn’t merely delivering a product; it’s building a community, fostering a shared mission, and cultivating a sense of belonging.
At the recent Prizmah Jewish Day School Conference, Dr. Erica Brown facilitated a thought-provoking conversation with Rachel Fish and Tamara Tweel titled Looking to the Horizon for Jewish Day School Education. One of the standout ideas was the pressing need to shift from a consumer mindset to a stakeholder mindset.
Consumers engage in a transactional way: they pay tuition, expect services, and evaluate their experience based on personal benefit. Stakeholders, however, feel a deep sense of partnership. They invest not just financially but emotionally, intellectually, and communally. They contribute to building something greater than themselves, creating a sense of belonging that extends beyond their own direct experience.
So what happens when we shift from a consumer mindset to a stakeholder mindset? What would this look like for different groups within our school communities, and how do we facilitate this shift?
Students: From Passive Recipients to Engaged Learners
Consumers: Students view school as something done for them. They show up, receive an education, and move on.
Stakeholders: Students feel ownership over their learning, their school culture, and their Jewish identity. They are actively engaged in shaping their educational experience.
How to shift: Foster student voice and leadership. Give students meaningful roles in shaping school policies, programming, and culture. Encourage them to think beyond their own experience and contribute to the school’s future.
Teachers: From Employees to Visionaries
Consumers: Teachers see themselves as professionals fulfilling a job description and delivering content.
Stakeholders: Teachers view themselves as partners in the mission of the school. They feel ownership over student success, school culture, and professional growth.
How to shift: Invest in professional development that aligns with the school's vision, cultivate a culture of shared leadership, and provide opportunities for teachers to be part of long-term strategic planning.
Parents: From Tuition Payers to Mission-Driven Partners
Consumers: Parents evaluate schools based on the services provided to their children.
Stakeholders: Parents see themselves as co-creators of a strong, vibrant Jewish educational experience for all students, not just their own.
How to shift: Move beyond transactional communication. Engage parents in conversations about the school's future, offer leadership opportunities, and invite them to contribute their expertise and energy to broader school initiatives.
Lay Leaders: From Oversight to Active Engagement
Consumers: Board members and lay leaders ensure financial and operational oversight but may remain disconnected from the day-to-day school experience.
Stakeholders: Lay leaders are deeply engaged in shaping the school’s long-term vision and feel personally connected to its mission.
How to shift: Provide meaningful opportunities for lay leaders to interact with students, faculty, and parents. Create a culture where their work isn’t just fiduciary but also deeply mission-driven.
The Community: From Observers to Supporters
Consumers: The broader Jewish community sees day schools as institutions that serve families with school-age children.
Stakeholders: The community recognizes that Jewish day schools are essential to the continuity and vibrancy of Jewish life, regardless of personal connection.
How to shift: Schools should position themselves as communal assets, offering adult education, cultural programming, and opportunities for broader community involvement.
The Work in Action
I’m currently working with a Jewish day school that is navigating this very shift – from a school that exists in the community to a school that is truly of and for the community. This means rethinking not only how the school engages its families and educators but also how it positions itself as a central pillar of Jewish life. Together, we are designing structures that invite meaningful stakeholder participation, ensuring that everyone – students, teachers, parents, and lay leaders – feels not just invested, but indispensable to the school’s future. The transformation isn’t just about policies and programming; it’s about cultivating a mindset shift that will sustain the school for years to come.
The Impact: A Thriving Future
When everyone sees themselves as a stakeholder rather than a consumer, schools become stronger, more resilient, and more deeply embedded in the fabric of Jewish life. Families don’t just attend for the years their children are enrolled – they remain engaged long after. Teachers invest in the long-term success of their students and their school. Lay leaders make decisions with a profound sense of responsibility. And the broader community sees Jewish day schools as integral to Jewish continuity.
This shift is not just aspirational; it is necessary for the long-term sustainability of our schools. As we look to the horizon of Jewish day school education, the key to thriving is ensuring that everyone – students, teachers, parents, lay leaders, and the community – feels like a partner in building something meaningful.
Let’s move from transaction to transformation. From consumer to stakeholder. The future of Jewish day schools depends on it.
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