How small schools can leverage 21st century learning and social media into high impact recruitment and retention.

1. How Small Schools Can
Leverage 21st C. Learning &
Social Media Into High
Impact Recruitment &
Retention
Dr. Jon Mitzmacher
NAJDS Conference
March 9, 2015

2. Learning has CHANGED
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TrPwOrf4sM

3. What year are you preparing your
students for?
1970 2012 2023

5. The 21st Century
Classroom

6. In the 21st Century,
Students become Teachers

7. It’s not about technology!
It is about learning.
https://www.youtube
.com/watch?v=DVqct
qpEQPc

8. Jewish Education Should Lead the Way
Jewish education is uniquely positioned to
implement this vision, as many elements are
currently reflected in our schools’ and programs’
pedagogy, philosophy and approach to learning.
For thousands of years, we have been interested in
global connectedness. In addition, our focus on
Hebrew, probing questions, curriculum integration,
chevrutah learning and other aspects of its
pedagogy qualifies Jewish education to grow and
lead this work .

9. An Administrator’s Perspective
Dr. Jon Mitzmacher, Former Head of School, Martin J.
Gottlieb Day School, and Executive Director, Schechter
Day School Network
MJGDS is a 53-year old, K-8, located in Jacksonville, FL.
The Jewish population is 12,000. There are three
synagogues, a Federation, a JFCS and a JCC. There is a
small Orthodox day school.
MJGDS has one full-time Admissions Director. There are
one and a half support staff people. That plus the Head of
School equals the front office.
The budget for “Marketing” is $5,000.

10. One School’s Journey…
The MJGDS 21st Century Learning
Journey in 13 Blog Posts
http://wp.me/p50MJX-wG

11. A Path From Here to There
• Identify the “big idea” (blogfolios)
• Create buy-in with stakeholders
– Parent Connect
– Board & Donors
– Students
• Develop a faculty culture (ning)
– Raise the bar
– Provide coaching
– Accountability

12. A Path From Here to There
• Keep eye on the prize
• ALL new ideas must keep the big idea
(blogfolios) at the center:
– Schedule/Facility (No “Computer Lab”)
– Student-Led Conferences
– Teacher-Led Evaluation
– Transparency
– Learning Target

13. What’s Your School’s Admission
Challenges and Strategy?
Will this be
on the final?

14. The Tree of Alignment

15. 21st Century Marketing
• [Website]
• A Floor, But No Ceiling and Other Blogs
• Blogfolios
• Speed Geeking
• Ambassador Program
• Facebook Pages (and Pages)
• Twitter
• Skype-ortunities
• The Virtual Tour
• Financial Aid

16. Blogging Is Part of School Culture
Blog/Vlog Roll
Gil Perl: http://www.gilperl.com
Bil Zarch: https://learningtospeakhon.wordpress.com
Yakov Green: http://eha.org/about/blog
Shira Leibowitz: https://sharingourblessings.wordpress.com
Moshe Vankin: https://www.youtube.com/user/HAMCNJ/videos

17. Blogfolios
http://mjgds.org/students/elianam/

18. Speed-Geeking
http://vimeo.com/65334954

19. Parent Ambassador Program

20. The Ambassadorial Outline

21. Facebook Pages (and Pages)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Martin-J-Gottlieb-Day-School-Third-
Grade
https://www.facebook.com/mjgds

22. Twitter
• http://twitter.com/4thmjgds
• http://twitter.com/5thmjgds

23. Skype-ortunities
• http://www.chrisgrabenstein.com/kids/school
-visits.php
• http://vimeo.com/62308101

24. The Virtual Tour
A Day in the Life of an
MJGDS Kindergartener
http://vimeo.com/1
6782679

25. Financial Aid Marketing
• Within Reach – Gann Academy:
http://www.gannacademy.org/Page/Within-
Reach
• Tuition Calculator – Schechter Manhattan:
http://104.236.34.220/?page_id=12

26. What Worked? What Didn’t?
What’s Next?

27. Questions, Questions…
??????????????
??????????????
????????