Mission: Tehiyah Day School is a Jewish community day school committed to serving a diverse student body, maintaining academic excellence and instilling in its students a love of learning, respect for individual differences, and a deep appreciation of Jewish values and culture.

VISION 2006/5766

“Tehiyah” is the Hebrew word for “renewal.” This Strategic Plan was developed and written with the spirit of renewal. Building on Tehiyah’s core values and many strengths, the Plan sets ambitious yet realistic priorities for the school for the next five years in order to enhance, extend and renew Tehiyah’s ability to achieve its mission. The Plan is intended to provide a platform for the future of Tehiyah and to guide Tehiyah’s faculty, staff, administration, board of trustees, and community.

I. LEARNING AT TEHIYAH

Tehiyah’s graduates are academically well-prepared for the challenges of demanding and rigorous high schools. They are also eager, inspired learners and independent, critical thinkers. Most important of all, Tehiyah graduates emerge as true mensches and serve as role models for their peers by living the Jewish values instilled in them at Tehiyah. Tehiyah must continue to look ahead and embrace the challenges inherent in educating students for a 21st century world with rapid advances in science and technology, great social change, and a need for a deepened understanding of the role and responsibilities of individuals in a diverse, global, interdependent society. Tehiyah is driven by its mission and values to meet these challenges in the context of a strong dual curriculum – both general and Judaic studies -- an academically diverse student body, and a learning context that is joyful and enriched by the values of tikkun olam (repairing the world), tzedakah (charity), chesed (caring) and other middot (values).

GOAL

Provide a creative and challenging curriculum that combines the best of traditional and innovative educational practices.

Clearly articulate Tehiyah’s educational philosophy.
Continually evaluate and evolve all school programs.
Document the scope and sequence of the curriculum in a context that preserves and inspires teaching innovation and creativity.
Ensure that technology is effectively and appropriately used to enhance learning and teaching.
Enhance math competency and understanding by reviewing, monitoring and assessing the Singapore Math Program initiated during the 2004-05 academic year.
Broaden and strengthen the K-5 science program, which includes physical, natural, environmental, health and life sciences, so that it is a more prominent feature of the lower school curriculum and enhances student readiness for the comprehensive Middle School science program that follows.

GOAL

Ensure that students have a deep understanding of Judaism and its values, history, texts, the role of Israel in Jewish life and the Hebrew language.

Continue to strengthen Judaic Studies with enhanced study of core values, culture, history, Israel, Torah and other texts and continue to explore ways to meaningfully and appropriately integrate the Judaic Studies curriculum with the general studies program.
Ensure that the Hebrew language program is current and utilizes best pedagogical practices and that clear and appropriate benchmarks are set for and achieved by students.

GOAL

Enhance the character education and community service — tikkun olam — programs of the school.

Expand the school’s character education programs to build on the core Jewish values and ethics of the school and draw stronger connections between Jewish teachings and school communal life.
Give back to and learn from the community by growing Tehiyah’s tikkun olam program – repairing the world – and other student community service efforts.

GOAL

Enhance learning services and methodologies to further support the many types of learners that enrich the educational environment of the school to ensure that the school serves the needs of all students and allows them to learn at their full potential.

Provide additional training and support for faculty in teaching students across a broad range of abilities.
Develop strategies for incorporating additional learning resources into the program.
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II. TEACHING AND WORKING AT TEHIYAH

Tehiyah has a vibrant, committed, and experienced faculty and staff. The faculty-student relationship is uniquely supportive and nurturing. In order to attract and retain a high caliber staff, the school needs to provide competitive compensation and increase opportunities for professional development. Also, the school needs to continue to develop its faculty/staff evaluation practices to enhance the experience of both teaching and learning at Tehiyah. The administrative demands on the school made by the dual aspects of its curriculum, as well as the need to expand fundraising efforts, strengthen student recruitment and community outreach, while still staying in close communication with current families, require an expansion of the school’s administrative resources.

GOAL

Provide resources to continue to recruit, retain, and support an outstanding faculty and administrative staff.

Provide a compensation and benefit package to faculty and staff that is as competitive as possible.
Review, revise and formalize faculty and staff performance evaluation procedures.
Expand opportunities and expectations for professional development for all faculty and professional staff.

GOAL

Ensure that the school has an administrative structure adequate to meet the current and evolving needs of the school.

Define roles and coordinate efforts for a strengthened team approach
to the administration of the school.
Evaluate the administrative structure and develop a timeline and job
descriptions for increased staffing in areas of admissions,
development, and support for the Head of School.
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III. BUILDING COMMUNITY

One of Tehiyah’s defining features is its especially strong sense of community and ruach — spirit. It is important that Tehiyah maintain and build on this strong sense of community by strengthening the partnership between families and the school, facilitating greater parent involvement, forging strong relationships with the community outside the school, and celebrating the diverse nature of the school, and larger, community.

GOAL

Strengthen the partnership between school and families.

Augment the quality and quantity of communication between school and families at all levels.
Improve means for informing parents about the curriculum, programs across grade levels, and the “step up” to middle school.
Enhance pathways for parent feedback and clarify the process for responding to parent concerns and input.
Increase, diversify and promote opportunities to educate parents,
including roundtables, informal meetings, guest speakers, forums, and
written and web communications.

GOAL

Create a more robust parent organization to better involve parents in the life of the school.

Reorganize and reinvigorate the Tehiyah Parents Organization (TPO) so that it encourages broader and more meaningful parent participation and effectively assists the school.
Use TPO as a vehicle for parent education and to help facilitate communication between school and the parent body.
Enhance TPO community-building and fundraising efforts through increased coordination with development staff.

GOAL

Strengthen the inclusive and welcoming nature of the Tehiyah community by supporting and celebrating the diversity within it.

Designate the Diversity Committee as a standing committee of the Board of Trustees and clarify the meaning of diversity for the school.
Further incorporate diversity in the school’s general and Judaic studies curriculum and continue to provide faculty and staff training around issues of multi-culturalism and diversity.
Create opportunities for families to learn about and from the diverse nature of the Tehiyah community, the Jewish community in general and the community around us by having parents, faculty and community members participate in on-campus events.

GOAL

Cultivate stronger relationships with the community outside of the school.

Increase community access to the school’s Jewish and general studies resources, including Tehiyah’s speakers, Hebrew studies, and cultural opportunities.
Strengthen the school’s relationships through liaisons with organizations such as the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay, Bureau of Jewish Education, local preschools and public schools, local and national foundations, Jewish community centers and synagogues, and Bay Area and national Jewish Day Schools.
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IV. BUILDING ENROLLMENT

To continue to grow and flourish, Tehiyah must engage the larger community around it by effectively communicating the value of Tehiyah’s programs. Increased, stable enrollment is essential to the fiscal health of the school. Tehiyah must be at the top of the list of schools considered by families that share a commitment to Tehiyah’s core values. To do so, the school must effectively communicate the distinctive value of the Tehiyah experience in clear and compelling ways.

GOAL

Develop a more comprehensive outreach program for student recruitment.

Augment the staff, volunteer resources and student recruitment materials to fully support the outreach efforts of the school.
Ensure that the unique identity of Tehiyah is consistently, incisively, and professionally reflected in all communications.
Educate existing and potential families, area preschools, congregations and Jewish agencies about the value of a Jewish day school education in general, and that offered by Tehiyah in particular, through high quality, cohesive, strategic communications.
Update and expand the school’s web site to provide a vibrant source of information about the school both for those outside the school’s immediate community and those within it.
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V. INCREASING FINANCIAL STABILITY

Families make a substantial financial commitment by sending their children to an independent school, and Tehiyah is no exception. Tuition provides close to 90% of school revenue with the balance coming from annual donations and ancillary programs. Over three-quarters of net tuition revenues are spent on the salaries and benefits of the school’s dedicated staff. At the same time, Tehiyah is uniquely committed to the mitzvah — duty and good deed — of enabling as many families as possible to enjoy the benefits of a Jewish day school education, including those who cannot pay full cost. Tehiyah is also committed to competitive compensation for teachers and provides a dual curriculum that demands staffing beyond that required at most independent schools. Tehiyah must successfully balance setting tuition at levels sufficient to sustain and grow its programs with the need to respect the economic realities of both the marketplace and the families that support the school with their tuition dollars.

GOAL

Ensure the financial stability of the school by growing the school’s revenue stream and enhance Tehiyah’s ability to achieve its program objectives, as well as achieve the goals of this Strategic Plan.

Develop an augmented five-year projection of revenue and expenses, with predictable tuition increases, and plan and prepare for adverse revenue contingencies.
Initiate and grow reserve operating and facilities funds to enhance financial stability and provide for the long term renewal and replacement of the school’s physical plant.
Develop a companion Strategic Financial Plan that identifies and plans for the costs of:
- A larger administrative team including new positions to support admissions, development, student support services and the Head of School
- The costs of the continuing integration of appropriate technology in the curriculum and operations of the school
- Other expenditures necessitated by the goals of this Strategic Plan.

GOAL

Support the school’s commitment to an economically diverse student body.

Evaluate the current tuition assistance program and policies and
consider innovative ways for Tehiyah to enhance its ability to provide
adequate and equitable assistance consistent with the fiscal realities of
its budget.
Educate the entire community about the benefits of tuition assistance in furthering the school’s mission of diversity and stabilizing and growing enrollment.
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VI. ENHANCING AND MAINTAINING THE CAMPUS

Tehiyah is fortunate to own a spacious, 3-plus acre, campus that provides a superior educational environment for its student body and staff. Tehiyah is committed to maintaining its primary financial asset — its physical plant — to ensure it is a safe, environmentally sustainable, welcoming place for all to enjoy. To that end, the school has already achieved the major aspects of two phases of a three-phase Master Plan resulting in light-filled middle school classrooms, with science and computer labs and, more recently, a multipurpose gym and performance space, inspirational beit midrash (Judaic Studies room), state of the art music room, and kosher kitchen. Phase three of the Master Plan includes a new library, several new middle school rooms, and upgrading remaining elementary and administrative spaces. The school also plans to further develop its garden and outdoor play spaces.

GOAL

Improve and maintain the school’s facilities and begin planning for the completion of Tehiyah’s master campus building plan.

Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the physical condition of the existing facilities so that they continue to provide a secure, safe, healthy, comfortable and environmentally sustainable campus for students, staff and visitors.
Identify typical life cycles, remaining service life, replacement costs, and maintenance and repair costs for the systems and components of the buildings and grounds and create a budgeted renewal and replacement plan.
Plan for the completion of phase three of the Master Plan.
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VII. INSPIRING THE CULTURE OF GIVING

All successful independent schools depend on voluntary financial support in addition to tuition revenue. Tehiyah’s success depends on the generosity of those who know it best: parents, friends, grandparents, alumni and, secondarily, foundations. Tehiyah needs to strengthen and expand its Annual Fund campaign as robust annual giving is critical to the school’s ability to adequately fund its operations and provide appropriate tuition assistance. To begin to plan for longterm endowment and capital needs, the school must strengthen its overall fundraising capacity by reinforcing its connections with successful funding sources as well as identifying and cultivating new ones.

GOAL

Broaden the culture of giving: increase the overall level of giving, augment parent participation in fundraising, and achieve 100% annual giving by the parent body.

Consistently and effectively state the case for increased giving by focusing on the interrelationships between annual giving, tuition, tuition assistance and the school’s ability to retain and attract highly
qualified faculty and staff and maintain a high-quality program.
Engage and train a broader cross-section of parents in the school’s fundraising efforts.
Continue to find meaningful ways to acknowledge supporters of the school for their contributions and dedication to fundraising.

GOAL

Develop a focused program of major donor identification and encouragement.

Identify potential major donors within and around the Tehiyah community.
Cultivate relationships with potential major donors and engage their support for the school.

Cultivate current and new sources of funding for Tehiyah.

Strengthen connections with alumni, alumni families and grandparents to cultivate their interest in and support of Tehiyah, including targeted events, communications and database development.
Expand on programs such as Grandparents’ Day that build relationships with students’ extended families and provide them with timely communication about school programs and activities.
Actively pursue grants and foundation resources of all kinds.

GOAL

Begin planning for capital and endowment campaigns to improve Tehiyah’s campus and to provide long-term support for faculty salaries, tuition assistance and the overall financial stability of the school.

Involve the community (including grandparents, alumni and their families, current families, founders and friends) in envisioning the school’s building plans and all long-term funding needs.
Solicit outside fundraising counsel to help explore major fundraising strategies and feasibility.

The Strategic Planning Committee

Marilee Allan, Former Trustee and Alumni Parent
Barbara Anscher, Parent
Leslie Crary, President, Board of Trustees and Parent
Rabbi Tsipi Gabai, Head of Judaic Studies
Laurie Greenhut, Trustee and Parent
Judy Lieberman, Trustee and Parent
Greg Marell, Senior Trustee and Alumni Parent
Elise Prowse, Head of Middle School
Lisa Staib, Coordinator of Lower School
Steve Tabak, Head of School
Buddy Warner, Trustee, Alumni Parent

Debbie Freed, Consultant
Miranda Heller, Consultant