Israel Studies Have Never Been More Important; Are Schools Rising to the Challenge?

By Dr. Harry Bloom, Founder and President, Benchmarking for Good, Inc.

At a time when educating young Jews about Israel’s history and importance has never been more critical, Benchmarking for Good's recent Parent research results identify challenges as well as good news.

How Satisfied are Parents with Israel Studies?

Research involving 11 diverse Jewish day schools and nearly 1,400 parents indicates a very wide range of satisfaction. The median school had a lackluster Net Promoter Score* of just under 20%; three schools had negative NPS. On the good news front, the top scoring schools, Westchester Day School and JKHA/RKYHS Kushner Academy, had very strong Net Promoter Scores of nearly 50%.

*Net Promoter Score=% Very Satisfied minus % neutral plus % dissatisfied

Written comments by parents cited concerns about curricular quality, teacher continuity and quality, the lack of experiential education, and student deficiencies in Hebrew spoken language fluency as drivers of their concerns.

Student Satisfaction Lags That of Parents

Fourteen hundred High School students attending 8 Jewish day schools indicated a high degree of dissatisfaction with schools' Israel Studies programs. Yet, 2 schools, Denver Jewish Day School and Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls managed positive NPS scores, once again suggesting there is a pathway to progress.

Israel Studies Satisfaction and Hebrew Language Satisfaction are Nearly Perfectly Correlated

It is important to note that there is nearly a perfect correlation (83% where 100% represents absolute perfect correlation) between these two attributes, which raises the bar for school improvement.

Unfortunately, Parents’ Hebrew Language satisfaction trails that of Israel Studies satisfaction, with the median school Net Promoter Score in modestly negative territory.

Benchmarking for Good’s Planned Next Steps: Identifying What Best Practice Schools are Doing Differently

Benchmarking for Good will follow up this initial report with in depth video interviews with successful school leaders to probe what exactly they are doing to achieve high levels of parent satisfaction, so stay tuned for our future communications on this topic.

Benchmarking for Good Research Grants Can Help

In the meantime, we welcome hearing from you relative to your own experience and perspectives on this very important, topical issue. Furthermore,if you would like Benchmarking for Good’s support conducting research into your own school’s performance in this arena please contact harrybloom@benchmarkingforgood.org to see if your school might qualify for one of our no cost research grants.

Sukkot: Z'man Simchateinu: Uncovering the Highest Levels of Joy Among Students and Staff

By Dr. Harry Bloom. Founder and President, Benchmarking for Good, Inc.

As the vibrant energies of Sukkot—Z'man Simchateinu, the Season of Our Joy—fill our communities, Benchmarking for Good would like to share some data nuggets about the most exceptional pockets of happiness are in our Jewish Day Schools. To be clear, genuine happiness can be found in many areas and aspects of Jewish day schools---but here are some that particularly stand out.

Students

Our analysis covering nearly 1,500 high school students indicates that 53.5% of students enjoy going to school either "A Tremendous Amount" (17.1%) and "Quite a Bit" (36.4%). But 9^th graders are the happiest at 63%. Schools with the highest documented enjoyment are Denver Jewish Day School and Davis Renov Stahler Yeshiva High School for Boys (DRS) at 60-70%. And, notably, the happiest school/grade combo was Stella K. Abraham High School for Girl’s 9^th grade with a stellar 82% level of joy!

Staff

Based on job satisfaction, Educational Administrators lead the way with a whopping 87% Very Satisfied statistic. The next most satisfied role is that of Specialty Teachers at 49%! Generalist teachers and Academic Support/Guidance professionals trail at 41%--though teachers with more than 15 years’ experience blow that figure away with a 57% Very Satisfied level.  Finally, from a departmental standpoint, Non-educational Administrators lead with 61% followed by Early Childhood teachers at 56%.

How Benchmarking for Good Can Help Your School Ensure Happy Students and Staff Members

Our no cost research grants can provide your school with the data you need to help ensure your students and staff are happy and find their roles highly satisfying. If this is of interest, please contact harrybloom@benchmarkingforgood.org to explore the possibilities. In the meantime, Chag Sameach to you and your family!

The Impact of Teacher Tenure on Job Satisfaction and Advocacy 2024-25

By Dr. Harry Bloom, Founder and President, Benchmarking for Good, Inc.

This report examines the attitudes and professional profiles of educators, based on detailed survey data from over 1,000 respondents across 23 diverse Jewish day schools. The analysis is segmented into distinct career stages and employment histories to understand how job satisfaction and school advocacy are shaped by experience. The findings provide a clear roadmap for school leaders seeking to build a stable, satisfied, and high-performing faculty.

Overall Educator Experience Profile

First, it is essential to understand the overall distribution of experience among the respondents. The data reveals a field rich with seasoned professionals, particularly in terms of total career length.

Table 1: Total Years of Experience in Education (All Respondents) This table shows the distribution of educators' entire careers in the field, compiled from the sources.

Total Experience Bracket		Percentage of Total
1-3 years (incl. First Year)		9.9%
4-5 years		8.7%
6-10 years		21.0%
11-15 years		16.6%
More than 15 years		43.9%
Total		100%

Table 2: Years of Experience at Current School (All Respondents) This table shows the tenure of educators at their specific institution, indicating staff movement and retention, compiled from the sources.

School Tenure Bracket		Percentage of Total
1-3 years (incl. First Year)		33.4%
4-5 years		14.5%
6-10 years		24.3%
11-15 years		10.6%
More than 15 years		17.3%
Total		100%

 

Part I: Analysis by Career Stage

The data shows a clear and significant trend: as educators gain more experience, their job satisfaction and likelihood of recommending their school increase consistently. Each career stage, however, presents a unique profile.

• 1. Early-Career Educators (1-3 Years Total Experience): This cohort is characterized by the widest possible range of sentiments. Their responses contain a disproportionately high number of "Unsatisfied" and "Neither satisfied nor unsatisfied" ratings, and their willingness to recommend their school to potential colleagues spans the entire spectrum from "Very likely" to "Very unlikely".

• 2. Developing Professionals (4-5 Years Total Experience): Educators in this stage begin to show more stability. Dissatisfaction drops off significantly, and responses become concentrated in the "Somewhat satisfied" and "Very satisfied" categories, with a firm shift toward positive advocacy.

• 3. Established Educators (6-10 Years Total Experience): This group forms the solid core of the faculty. Satisfaction is consistently high, and "Very likely" to recommend becomes the most common response.

• 4. Veteran Educators (11-15 Years Total Experience): These experienced professionals report very high levels of satisfaction. "Very satisfied" is the predominant response, and they are overwhelmingly "Very likely" to recommend their schools.

• 5. Senior Experts (More than 15 Years Total Experience): This cohort represents the institutional bedrock. They are the most satisfied and loyal group by a significant margin, with the highest concentration of "Very satisfied" responses and an almost uniform "Very likely" willingness to recommend.

Part II: The Critical Difference Between "Stayers" and "Switchers"

Beyond career stage, the data reveals another powerful determinant of faculty satisfaction: employment history. By comparing faculty who have spent their careers at one school ("Stayers") with those who have changed employers ("Switchers"), a critical pattern emerges.

• "Stayers" (Original Employer Faculty): These educators, whose school tenure matches their total career length, are remarkably and consistently satisfied. Dissatisfaction is virtually nonexistent in this group. They are also the most reliable advocates, with responses dominated by "Very likely" to recommend.

• "Switchers" (Faculty Who Have Changed Schools): This group presents a much more polarized and complex picture. Their experience changing schools leads to highly varied outcomes.

   ◦ High Risk, High Reward: While many Switchers report being "Very satisfied"—indicating they found a better professional fit—this group also accounts for nearly all of the "Very unsatisfied" and "Somewhat unsatisfied" responses in the entire dataset.

    ◦ More Critical Recommendations: Switchers are more measured in their advocacy. They are the source of almost all "Very unlikely" and "Somewhat unlikely" recommendations. Their experience at other institutions gives them a basis for comparison, and they may be personally satisfied while still recognizing that their current school has shortcomings compared to previous employers.

Metric	Stayers (Original Employer)	Switchers (Changed Employers)
Job Satisfaction	Consistently High. Dominated by "Very satisfied." Negative responses are extremely rare.	Polarized and Varied. Includes many "Very satisfied" but also nearly all instances of "Very unsatisfied".
Likelihood to Recommend Working at Their School	Overwhelmingly Positive. Strong advocates who are "Very likely" to recommend.	More Critical and Reserved. Contains almost all "Very unlikely" and "Somewhat unlikely" responses.

Part III: Implications and Actionable Strategies for School Leaders

This data provides a clear mandate for school leaders: adopt a differentiated approach to faculty recruitment, development, and retention.

1. Strategic Imperative: Intensely Support and Retain Early-Career Educators.

    ◦ The Finding: The first 1-3 years are the most volatile. Positive early experiences are crucial for long-term retention.

    ◦ Action Plan: Implement robust, multi-year induction and mentorship programs that pair new teachers with trained veteran mentors. Conduct frequent, low-stakes check-ins to build trust and address issues before they fester. If you can successfully guide a teacher through this phase, the data shows they are highly likely to become a satisfied, long-term employee.

2. Strategic Imperative: Retain and Leverage Veteran Educators.

    ◦ The Finding: Senior experts (>15 years) and other veterans are your most satisfied, loyal, and powerful advocates. They are the keepers of institutional culture.

    ◦ Action Plan: Retention of this group is paramount. Empower them as formal mentors and leaders to leverage their expertise and reaffirm their value. Create senior faculty advisory groups to tap into their deep institutional knowledge for strategic planning.

3. Strategic Imperative: De-Risk the Hiring of Experienced "Switchers".

    ◦ The Finding: While hiring an experienced teacher can bring immense talent, it also carries the highest risk of a severe mismatch, leading to a dissatisfied and critical voice on your faculty.

    ◦ Action Plan: Your hiring process for experienced faculty must be exceptionally rigorous in assessing cultural fit. Involve a wide range of faculty in the interview process. Once hired, do not assume their experience means they need less support. Implement a tailored onboarding process that focuses on integrating them into the school's specific culture, norms, and community. Their successful integration is critical to realizing the value of their experience.

How Benchmarking for Good Can Support Your Faculty Management Processes

Benchmarking for Good’s no cost faculty climate surveys, which provide rich insights into the details of your faculty’s priorities and perceived satisfaction-- along with an assessment of how they compare to those of peer schools-- are an excellent way for you to calibrate the strength of your staff’s affinity for your school and to guide your efforts to become the Employer of Choice in your market. Contact Dr. Harry Bloom at harrybloom@benchmarkingforgood.org to explore the potential for a research grant.