The Center for Strengthening Jewish Day Schools
CAJE’s Day School Market provides support and services to Greater Miami Jewish Day Schools including professional development design and implementation, coaching, mentoring and community-wide school programming.
PARTNERS | PROGRAMS | NETWORKS
The world of education is changing as fast as our day school students are growing up. Now more than ever, Jewish day schools must build student capacity for problem-solving, collaboration, effective communication, and critical thinking. In addition, we must provide opportunities for students to take ownership of their learning and equip them with the tools they need to be successful in this ever-changing world. For schools to stay competitive, they must:
- Engage in ongoing professional development
- Be student-centered and dynamic,
- Operate according to articulated standards,
- Know how to understand and utilize student data,
- Provide high quality curriculum and instruction, and
- Draw on multiple technologies to support student learning.
Leadership for Learning, CAJE’s Day School Professional Development initiative focuses on enhancing the capacity of Miami Jewish day schools’ capacity to meet the needs of learners through high-quality, job embedded professional learning opportunities that is responsive to schools’ articulated needs.
PARTNERS
Jewish New Teacher Project (JNTP)
Since 2008, CAJE is proud to partner with JNTP to offer this new teacher induction program to Miami’s Jewish day schools. CAJE staff facilitate the professional development of mentors, administrators, and new teachers participating in JNTP Miami. The Jewish New Teacher Project (JNTP) of the New Teacher Center accelerates the effectiveness of beginning teachers’ classroom practices. Through high-quality, intensive mentoring by seasoned teachers, JNTP-trained mentors guide the new teachers in developing practical skills in classroom management, lesson planning and pedagogy. This method of collaboration also provides emotional and practical support as new teachers adjust to their first years of teaching. Through this process, JNTP increases teacher retention, student achievement, and integrates teaching standards and professional development within school culture. JNTP.org
BetterLesson
CAJE partners with BetterLesson to support educators in Jewish day schools through virtual and in-person workshops and one-on-one coaching to ensure a student-centered approach to teaching and learning. Coaching provides educators a safe space and expert guidance to explore new concepts or skills within a focus area. Participants then apply those principles in practice, creating actionable and sustainable changes.
The Jewish Education Innovation Challenge (JEIC), supported by the Mayberg Foundation, in collaboration with CAJE provides funding for Judaic Studies and Hebrew teachers to engage in coaching in order to develop strategies that offer students the opportunity to engage in exploration, inquiry, and self-assessment while discovering meaningful connections and accountability in their learning. BetterLesson.com/jewish-education
MindCET
CAJE is proud to partner with MindCET an internationally recognized key player in the edtech ecosystem, which leads educational initiatives that embrace the world and the development of innovative pedagogical solutions.
Through our collaboration with MindCET, CAJE provides teachers with immersion in Israeli’s entrepreneurial and innovation culture to develop “teacher-preneurs” who work in partnership with teams in Israel to formulate technological solutions to challenges in their work. As a result, teachers are empowered to continue provoking culture change in their schools towards meeting the needs of learners in the Digital Age. MindCET.org/en
Hebrew at the Center
CAJE partners with Hebrew at the Center to enhance Hebrew language professional development and instruction in Miami Jewish day schools. Hebrew at the Center, revolutionizes Hebrew language education and engagement by working to professionalize the field, develop tools that enable educators to empower students, set goals, and assess programs, educate institutional leadership, and support Hebrew language advocacy. HebrewattheCenter.org
Pedagogy of Partnership
CAJE is proud to partner with Pedagogy of Partnership, a comprehensive Jewish educational model that trains educators to bring Torah to the next generation. By reinvigorating the power of havruta (learning in pairs), PoP-trained teachers empower learners to build habits of wonder, empathy and responsibility. PoP's innovative approach is guided by the core belief that how we learn is as important as what we learn. As learners become more adept at studying with one another, the text becomes their essential third partner. hadar.org/learn/pedagogy-partnership
Learning Forward
Learning Forward, CAJE’s earliest partner in professional development for educators is a professional organization devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development and helps its members leverage the power of professional learning to effect positive and lasting change. CAJE’s Professional Development work with Jewish day schools is grounded in Learning Forward’s Standards for Professional Learning. LearningForward.org
PROGRAMS
South Florida Jewish Day School Robotics Program
CAJE-Miami implements the South Florida Jewish Day School Robotics Initiative with the help of a local coach, Ilana Traub. This year-long program focuses on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education by introducing students to programming, coding, teamwork and problem-solving. Students use Lego Spike kits as they build robots and tackle specific missions and challenges. The Robotics program culminates in an annual Robotics festival where a team from every participating school showcases what they learned by competing against other schools in the tri-county area in friendly robot challenges.
The South Florida Robotics program uses the latest challenge mat from First Lego League as well as an Israel mat developed by our local coach. Teachers participate in a week-long teacher training in August to ensure they are ready to implement the CAJE robotics program in their respective schools.
For more information on the South Florida Jewish Day School Robotics Program, please contact Audrey Maman Bensoussan at 305-576-4030 ext. 141
Katz Teacher Initiative Awards
CAJE administers the annual Katz Teacher Initiative Awards established in memory of Eleanor Meyerhoff Katz (z”l) and funded by the Eleanor M. and Herbert D. Katz Family Foundation. This award provides grants to outstanding teachers in Jewish day schools in Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties to stimulate new thinking and fund projects that the schools cannot afford from their own operating budgets. To date, CAJE, in partnership with the Katz Family Foundation, has given out over $175,000 in grants.
Title Funding
The US Department of Education provides funding for non-public schools to support teacher professional development. These funds are distributed through individual states and are managed by local school districts. Through a consortium established by CAJE, we are able to access funds from the Miami Dade County Public School District for professional development in 16 Miami Jewish day schools.
NETWORKS
Coalition of Miami Admissions Directors (CMAD)
CAJE convenes over 18 admissions directors from the tri-county area on a monthly basis. Throughout the year, CMAD collaborates on numerous projects to leverage their strengths to benefit the community.
Mental Health Network
CAJE’s Mental Health Network, made up of 17 school counselors and psychologists from our 12 funded schools, was established post-Covid to address the heightened need for mental health in our school community. This network meets monthly and participates in relevant professional development addressing issues plaguing our youth.
