There is no criteria I can think of that would not conclude that this week’s edJEWcon 5773.1 was anything other than an unqualified success. And I do not want to duplicate the amazing curatorial efforts of my colleagues and present my summary of what took place, when they are continuing to do such an amazing job of it themselves. I’ll simply cut-and-paste from their terrific contributions to the website and move on to a question I need to answer as head of the school who hosts…
Here is the story of edJEWcon through its keynotes:
Here is the story of edJEWcon through Storify (thanks to Silvia Tolisano for creating!):
http://storify.com/langwitches/edjewcon-5773-1-day-1
http://storify.com/langwitches/edjewcon-5773-1-day-2
http://storify.com/langwitches/edjewcon-5773
And here is what was undoubtedly the highlight for many attendees: Speed Geeking!
However, before moving into the meat of my reflection, special mention must be made of Andrea Hernandez, who is the most responsible for the conference. Others make meaningful contributions, but Andrea makes it happen. No Andrea? No edJEWcon. So please be sure to share your admiration and appreciation to her directly.
Considering how much time and energy it takes to put on an experience like edJEWcon, it is reasonable to ask whether or not hosting edJEWcon is good for the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School? Remember, after all, that our primary responsibility is to the students, parents, teachers, donors, and stakeholders of MJGDS – if edJEWcon doesn’t serve their needs we have to consider the question.
Upon reflection, I can think of three categories in which to consider this question.
Financial Impact
If our school made money off of edJEWcon that could be reinvested in the school, that could be one reason why edJEWcon is good for MJGDS! The EduCon we borrowed the original idea from does, in fact, turn a surplus which is invested back into the host school, Science Leadership Academy.
In our case, we have been generously funded by the AVI CHAI Foundation in order to put on edJEWcon the first two years and have charged fees to cover expenses. We have not looked to monetize edJEWcon – either through fees, sponsorships, vendors, etc. Our plan was to transition from being subsidized to a sustainable business model that allowed us to break even. We have not focused on edJEWcon as a possible source of revenue for MJGDS. Considering how much fundraising goes into the school’s budget, it is at least reasonable to ask whether or not hosting edJEWcon should be viewed as a business opportunity. Would it change the mission of the conference? Would it change the program? Would it impact how people felt about the conference?
All worthwhile questions worthy of consideration.
Recruitment/Retention
Does hosting edJEWcon and the accumulated prestige associated with it have enough of a local impact to positively impact retention and recruitment of students into the school? Retention is a harder one to measure because there are so many co-variables. In the abstract, it makes sense that the more our local community has access (through the public keynote, publicity, social media, etc.) to the significance of hosting a conference such as this, that it ought to lend prestige to the school, bolster its reputation and hopefully encourage families to want to send (and keep) their children in a school like this. I think we have some anecdotal evidence, at least with retention, that this is the case, but I think the recruitment question is not yet clear.
If it were the case that hosting edJEWcon lead to higher rates of retention and increased enrollment, it would be well worth the time and energy it takes to put it on.
Quality of Education
Does the fact that we host edJEWcon positively impact our teachers’ professional growth and, ultimately, their performance? Or, more simply, does the fact that we host edJEWcon make our teachers better?
This is a difficult one to measure as well, because there is no control group of MJGDS teachers in a non-edJEWcon MJGDS to compare them to. But it is my opinion that the knowledge that people are coming to our school to see a “21st century school in progress” does exert positive pressure. I also believe the opportunities our teachers have to present at edJEWcon contribute positively to their professional growth. They also, of course, benefit from the professional development opportunities of participating in edJEWcon.
If hosting edJEWcon makes our teachers better and, thus, improves the quality of education at MJGDS, it may be well worth doing.
[I could also mention the incredible opportunities our students have to present at edJEWcon and what impact it has on their growth.]
edJEWcon is an enormous task for a school our size to take on. It comes at a significant price – the time, energy, and care of the conference organizer, the conference planning team, and one way or another the entire faculty and staff of the school. We all have pretty important day jobs to concern ourselves with – ensuring that the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School is everything it can be. As we reflect on edJEWcon 5773.1, it is my responsibility to ensure that if there is going to be an edJEWcon 5774.2 that it serve the greatest good for the greatest amount.
And in the spirit of transparency, it is important that I make that explicit.
In the meanwhile, we will continue here at MJGDS, on the edJEWcon website, and through social media to keep the edJEWcon-versations alive for all who care about the marriage of 21st century learning and Jewish day school education.
But first a good weekend’s sleep!
Jon — thank you for taking the time to reflect and ask these questions, which I’m sure others are wondering about as well. I want to add one more element to your list. Beyond professional development for teachers, and some pride in sharing their work, I think there are other important benefits. First, knowing the school is going to be showcased pushes the whole staff to continue to innovate and strive for quality. I suspect this as a subtle but important influence on your leadership, and the work of every person (maybe students included) in the school. Second, I think pride of this work, and feeling part of something bigger than their classroom or the school itself likely has a profound impact on enthusiasm and satisfaction in their jobs. You could in fact get some data on this with a survey I suppose. Do they STAY at MJGDS because of this? Does MJGDS attract top notch staff who are interested in more than a middle of the road role in a school? Will you remain in a role as head of school longer and/or with more enthusiasm because of it? I suspect this kind of thing pays small but important dividends in so many places it will be hard to accurately add them up. And the other side of the coin is, “what’s sacrificed?” Are there MJGDS things you’re NOT doing because staff is investing time and energy in EdJewCon? It’s the total at the end of that equation that really matters. The questions and data are important. I suspect your gut has a pretty good estimate of the final answer. Kol Hakavod, again.
Although I appreciate your recognition of my role in making edJEWcon a success, I feel the need to set the record straight. I am not the “most responsible.” I have been extraordinarily lucky at MJGDS in being able to experience the best of collaboration and synergy. Part of my reflection (still to be written) is the seamless and effortless way that Silvia and I work together, like two hands of one being. It is the trusting relationship we have, the fact that we can rely on one another 100% to both follow up and follow through, and the way we easily divide the myriad tasks while always learning and growing together, that makes us a powerful team.
All points well taken…but you are still pretty awesomely responsible! You both earned and owned more of edJEWcon this year and you should be proud of the accomplishment…that doesn’t diminish anyone else’s contributions and there were plenty.
As parents of three MJGDS students, we are grateful for the energy and emphasis on learning that edJEWcon brings to our school, community and city. We only hope that next year we can involve and engage more of our parents and community as raising children is a partnership between he family, school, and synagogue. Thank you!