‘A Good Teacher Is Priceless’: Implications for Our Day Schools and Yeshivot

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This morning, I was listening carefully to a group of cable news commentators discuss the proposed dismantling of the United States Department of Education. as recently mandated by President Trump.

The one common theme throughout the conversation was that for decades ,the Department experienced dramatically low student math and reading scores in our public school system and that it is now high-time to address this ongoing crisis.

The conversation evolved quickly into a fascinating discussion regarding the quality of public education and that the rightsizing of the Department was wise, timely, strategic and long overdue. It also stimulated a passionate conversation regarding causes for the current crisis and concerns for the future of education in our country, including the profoundly important role, value and responsibility of teachers.

One of the commentators, a well-respected internationally recognized business leader cut right to the chase and stated that it’s all about teachers, and that a good teacher is priceless”.

The implications of his comment were obvious. We all know inherently that the role, function and responsibility of the teacher is paramount. In fact, it is essential and key to the future success of our educational system.

Although this challenge is of continuous concern, the conversation  inspired me to think about the relevance of this discussion to our Jewish day schools and yeshivot – at least to those that take limudei chol (general studies) seriously. .

Baruch HaShem, our day schools and yeshivot are far more advanced than most of the schools in the public schools system. However, we also know that in the absence of high quality faculty and teachers, our day school and yeshiva community run the same risk and potential academic deficits that are now plaguing our public school system,

The Current Teacher Personnel Crisis.

Not unlike public education, our Jewish day school and yeshiva community are now experiencing a serious and dramatic paucity and daunting deficit of highly qualified general studies and in select cases Judaic studies teachers. This phenomenon has not only created a tremendous crisis in our schools, but has dramatic implications and potential to significantly disrupt quality chinuch on the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Over the past several decades, our Jewish community and its institutions have invested significant human and financial capital in the enhancement and improvement of this condition. They include the provision of  increased intensive and extensive teacher training programs, unlimited opportunities for high quality teacher mentoring, coaching, training workshops, seminars and conferences; and in select cases, herculean attempts to increase levels of teacher compensation, incentives and benefits.

It is truly amazing, if not mind-boggling that in spite of these serious investments, a growing number of our day schools and yeshivot are still in dire need of high quality teachers and faculty.

One has only to look at the current increased proliferation  of teacher recruitment ads, social media posts and advertisements to fully understand and comprehend the extent of today’s dramatic teacher recruitment crisis. Better yet, interview day school and yeshiva principals and heads of school who are currently struggling day and night with this ongoing challenge.

Unfortunately, many ongoing recruitment efforts do not motivate or inspire confidence in our ability to recruit high quality teachers.

As an educational leader, teacher, consultant and executive coach, I cannot recall a period in our history which experienced a teacher recruitment shortage or crisis of such proportion or magnitude.

Yes, we have always experienced a “teacher personnel crisis” (as it has traditionally been called or labeled ); but, never to the extent that we are experiencing it today in 2025.

As a result of this evolving crisis, many of our day schools and yeshivot  are beginning to engage and hire teachers with less experience, and  minimal classroom experience or training. In addition, many of these teachers do not view their teaching  positions as core or central to their careers, but rather as a way to supplement their income.

Finally, irrespective of the investments our community and its institutions have made in the areas of teacher training and development, as well as the provision of increased creative compensation models, our schools are still  nevertheless failing to attract the best and brightest into our classrooms.. In fact, many of our day schools and yeshivot will begin this coming  academic year, (in only several months ),  with substitute teachers or at best temporary “teacher fill-ins”. Not a very positive  or healthy outlook.

Where Do We Go From Here?

This may sound somewhat stale or cliche, but in order to help resolve this crisis (underscore “help”) our communities will need a very serious paradigm shift in the manner it promotes the image and status of the Jewish educator and teacher in our community.

There are those who will posit that the teaching profession will never ever be able to compete with the image and status of other respectful professions such as physicians, lawyers or successful business professionals. And there are others who feel passionately, that our communities must redouble its effects in this critically important area and that we indeed can over time, compete with these professions.

Needed however is a true sense of urgency and the leadership to direct and drive this urgency. Yes, it is an emergency, and it must be treated as such.

Most attempts to increase and/or enhance teacher salaries and benefits in our schools are welcomed but they are sporadic at best. They are definitely sincerely appreciated and lauded, but they are viewed by many as flashes in the pan with very limited long-term impact or replicability. There are also those who posit (I being one of them) who believe that the current teacher crisis requires a whole community comprehensive approach.

This means applying our best strategic thinking to changing our communal mind-sets by creating a paradigm shift in our community’s perception and values regarding the image and status and value of our teachers.

It’s always somewhat easy to invest a few extra dollars at the problem. But we know that these attempts will never ever really change the perception, value,  image or status of the teacher in our community.

In light of these realities, we must make the teaching profession our TOP PRIORITY. Not a priority, but rather its TOP priority.

This can only happen if our communities come together and develop a comprehensive shift in its priorities. It will require a significant investment and infusion of dollars at the expense of other communal needs and the ongoing  promotion of the image, status and value of the teacher as our children’s influencers, gatekeepers and repository of knowledge for their future.

Finally, we are always proclaiming that our children are our future. But, what will their future really look like in the absence of a high valued quality education.

This challenge is an imperative; we cannot afford to kick this can down the road. To be sure, we have been doing it long enough and it’s just not working.

We must invest in our teachers as never before.

We have very little choice.

It is my hope and prayer that our community be blessed with the insight, foresight, wisdom, health and resources to help create the positive image and status of our teachers which they so honorably require and deserve.

A good teacher is indeed priceless.