I thought that it might be helpful to include biographies of some of the presenters at the Institute as well as some of their ideas. Please take a moment to read about Mr. Bassett and also click on the link to his blog below. It provides meaningful insight into his ideas. Please feel free to comment below and also to share any thoughts as to how these apply to education in Jewish Day Schools.
NAIS President Patrick F. Bassett Biography
Published: July 18, 2005
Updated: January 27, 2012
Updated: January 27, 2012
Patrick F. Bassett became the president of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) in August 2001. NAIS, a membership organization for more than 1,400 independent (private) schools and associations of schools in the U.S. and 250 affiliated schools and associations internationally, is the "national voice for independent schools and the center for collective action on their behalf," providing advocacy for independent K-12 college-prep education, research and trend analysis, leadership and governance guidance, and professional development opportunities for school and board leaders.
Bassett began his career in independent schools in 1970 as an English teacher, lacrosse coach, and dorm parent at Woodberry Forest School (Virginia), an all boys boarding school. In 1980, he became headmaster of an all girls school, Stuart Hall (Virginia), where he remained until 1989, when he was appointed head of school at Pomfret School (Connecticut). From 1993-2001, Bassett was the president of the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS). He is an adjunct faculty member of Teachers College, Columbia University.
From Zippy:
ReplyDeleteAs I see it, the best thing about Pat Bassett is that he has been in the trenches, is a real practitioner and not merely a theorist, although theory underpins much of what he does.
The blog posts that resonate with me include:
“Not having new teacher induction….throwing toddlers into the pool without instruction”
Our schools often do that , and our Day Schools have a paucity of mentors/mentees so that often our teachers—particularly Judaic studies teachers, whose training is sometimes weak—are left to “swim” on their own . Needless to say, our students are the ones who suffer.
“Character counts”
If that is not the basis for our philosophy and our essence, what is?
Middot, character….etc. A wonderful quote from R’Avraham Yitzchok Kook:” The primary purpose of learning torah and fulfilling mitzvoth is to clear away the obstacles preventing us from being loving human beings…It is not about the amount of knowledge that the scholar has—it is about the effect of that knowledge. The knowledge should enable someone to become a vessel of G-dliness, a compassionate and loving human being.” Orot Hakodesh IV:389
“Leading from the Middle”
I worry about the crisis in leadership in our Day Schools. Some of the most prominent schools are or will be seeking Heads (JDS among them!) If education as a career choice is not something that is valued in our communities , in whose hands does that leave the future of our schools?
Zippy