Penultimate Post
25 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in The Jewish Education Crisis Tags: ben gamla, Ben Gamla Boca, ben gamla charter school, Boca Raton Jewish Education, Boca Raton Synagogue, HDS, hillel day school, jewish day school, jewish education, jewish tuition crisis, talmud torah, tuition crisis, yeshiva education, yeshiva tuition, yeshiva tuition crisis
Feedback is always good because, even when it is negative, it encourages further thinking and analysis of the matter at hand.
The majority of people who commented on last week’s post, or who contacted me directly, disagreed with what I wrote, regardless of their own tuition situation (including my own husband, for the record). I have had some time to mull over my earlier thought process, and it all comes down to this:
Communication. I don’t think I made that point strongly enough last week.
Time and again, despite earlier mistakes, the school continues to send out communication that upsets people. Timing is tantamount to success, always. Therefore, sending out emails regarding financial aid and scholarship application while the Business Manager is on vacation, and unavailable to field questions, will fuel people’s anger. In addition, sending out an email to the entire school, when only a small percentage of families meet the requirements, adds to the general feeling of degradation amongst families benefiting from financial aid. In fact, a number of people expressed just that to me – why does the whole school need to know what we are being put through if we ask for help? The feeling seems to be that people already believe they are being scrutinized, that everyone knows (or thinks they know) who is getting help, and by sending out all these communications to everyone (including The Questionnaire) it furthers the feelings of inadequacy and helplessness amongst those in need.
Is there a better way to do this? Probably. When the initial re-enrollment forms are sent out, there is a box at the bottom to check if you plan to apply for tuition assistance. So, it is clear from the time of registration who is applying, and who is not. In this great age of technology, it is pretty simple to create a “group” email for all those that checked the box, and to send those emails only to those people.
One comment on last week’s post (from someone who clearly lives outside of Boca) said:
I don’t think it is a bad idea for you to petition those on the HDS finance committee to publicize details on the formula they use to determine who gets tuition assistance and in what amount such assistance will be awarded. I can’t imagine they would have any objection to revealing that. You seem concerned that groceries and clothing expenses are not taken into account because you are not asked to disclose those expenses on the scholarship application – I would imagine that there is a general assumption for those expenses taken into account, but if it isn’t, or if the assumed amount is unreasonable, then you have a legitimate concern.
I understand that the people making the decisions about financial aid are supposedly anonymous (i.e known by many, but not officially). I wonder if anyone would petition HDS for those details. And I would be interested to see how exactly they figure out how much a family can pay. I heard this week from someone who received a contract asking them to pay double what they paid the past year, even though neither spouse is making any more money than they were…
I got an anonymous email from someone saying how pleased they are that my children are leaving the school, because that is 3 children fewer that they will be paying for. I don’t respond to anonymous emails, but I’m sure you are reading this, and here is what I say to you: tuition is about $16,000 for each child. About $3000 of that goes towards another child’s tuition. As far as the school tells it, there is no family receiving 100% tuition assistance. In fact I believe it maxes out at either 50% or 60%. Which means that every family at the school is contributing something. If every family on tuition assistance leaves, you will not be paying for other people’s children but in order to survive without merging with another school, HDS would
a)have to significantly raise tuition for the families left behind, and
b)downsize their teaching staff as fewer classes per grade become necessary.
So then you create a new problem – the teachers who are let go will most likely pull their kids out too, and the school shrinks further and is less likely to survive.
So, before people walk around saying “good riddance”, just remember, everyone is paying something, and every dollar coming in keeps your contribution where it is.
Next week will be the final post in this resurrection series, and likely my final word on the tuition “crisis” in Jewish Day Schools. A lot remains unsaid, but as my family leaves the system, at least for the time being, I will leave it to those who are still within to hash it out, and maybe come up with a plan for the future of Jewish education
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Shavuot Sameach!
Best Business Practices
18 May 2012 6 Comments
in The Jewish Education Crisis Tags: ben gamla, ben gamla boca raton, Boca Raton Jewish Education, HDS, hillel day school, jewish day school, jewish day schools, jewish education, jewish tuition crisis, non-profit business, tuition crisis, yeshiva education, yeshiva tuition crisis
Let’s discuss best business practices today.
In most situations, the party making payments is the customer, and the party in receipt of payment is the business. American businesses are great at giving discounts – there is always a sale going on, there exists such a thing as double coupons in some places, it is win win!
On a larger scale, when it comes to large sums of money, the customer negotiates a price; a contract is drawn up and is signed. The business then receives payment based on the dollar amount in the contract. It is the business who draws up the contract, therefore one has to assume that the business agrees to receive only the amount in the contract from this customer. The business has the right to demand timely payments, and to take action if those payments are not made.
If the customer subsequently finds a way to save even more money – perhaps a manufacturer’s rebate – he pays the business, and is then reimbursed the amount of the rebate. Or in some cases, the rebate voucher is given to the business, which then is reimbursed by the manufacturer – like using coupons at the grocery store. It is the customer who benefits from the savings.
Let’s discuss schools, hypothetically, of course.
A low income family wishes to send their child to a private school. They cannot afford tuition, so they apply through the private school’s system for financial aid. They are awarded a 40% grant on a $15,000 tuition, so they are obligated to pay $9000. After receiving their contract the family hears about a program whose mission statement says that they provide K-12 scholarships to economically disadvantaged families, to give them the freedom to choose the best school for their children. The school tells the family they must apply for this grant, or they will lose their financial assistance that has been allocated.
This family is eligible for the maximum amount awarded by this program – $4000. So now, their personal obligation is only $5000. The family is ecstatic, not only because their child can now go to the school they feel is best for him, but also because they will now pay $500 per month, rather than $900 over a 10 month period. This $400 per month difference allows them to pay off their credit card debt and their student loans faster, and perhaps they can take their kids to a movie or the zoo once in a while.
The school is still getting the $9000 they agreed to for this child. With the lower payment coming from the family there is also a higher chance of it being paid on time. Everyone should be happy.
These programs exist to help low income families, not the institutions. In fact, the definition of low income families, for the purpose of this program, is for a family of 4 people (i.e a 2 parent, 2 child family) to be making less than $3500 per month.
Once a family is approved for a scholarship, a check is made out to the school, not to the parent, which must be endorsed by both the school and the parent.
But the school says “hey wait a minute! You signed a contract saying you would pay us $9000 for the year. We want YOUR $9000, AND we want the $4000 that you have been allocated by this grant program!”
Should schools encourage their families to apply for these scholarships, knowing that only a handful will qualify? Absolutely! Should they make it mandatory for all families applying for financial aid to apply? Yes! Anything that can help should be encouraged.
But if a family has already received a contract for the coming school year, and subsequently discovers that they are eligible for scholarship money through an external program, does the school have the right to ask for this money in addition to the amount stipulated in the contract? Or should that money help alleviate the burden from a family already stretched?
Legally, there is little doubt that they can ask for the money in whichever way they want. Morally, however, especially in a faith-based school, one would hope that those in power would view these scholarships as a way to assist these lowest income families to pay their portion of tuition on time.
If a school is aware of voucher-type programs that will relieve families of some of the burden of tuition, they should advertise them. In fact, I think it is fair to say that the schools should require all families asking for financial assistance to apply to any or all available programs. From an ethical standpoint, if they plan on taking that money in addition to what they think a family can pay, surely they should first find out if the family is eligible for one of these scholarships? Once established how much each family will be allocated, a contract can be drawn up by the school for the amount that the family should be responsible for, in addition to what they will receive from an external scholarship. Have them submit their grant eligibility along with all other relevant income information and “The Questionnaire”. Then the school has all the information that they need before putting together a contract.
Make information about these schemes known at the time of re-enrollment. Make it clear at the time of registration that everyone MUST apply for these grants if they are applying for aid, and that if grants are awarded, tuition contracts will be drawn up for an additional amount.
If a school wants to be treated like a business (rather than a non-profit) then they should act like a business and have good business practices.
I welcome comments to my blog, positive and negative. If you feel the need to post anonymously, go right ahead. Comments are not moderated, but I reserve the right to remove anything that is deliberately hateful.
Shabbat Shalom
Tuition Assistance: Revisited
11 May 2012 1 Comment
in The Jewish Education Crisis Tags: ben gamla, Boca Raton Jewish Education, Day School tuition, FACTS, financial aid, HDS, hillel day school, jewish day school, jewish day schools, jewish education, jewish tuition crisis, OU SUmmit, tuition assistance, tuition crisis, yeshiva education, yeshiva tuition crisis
This is the 2nd post in the Resurrection Series of my blog, leading up to the Summer vacation.
An additional questionnaire was sent home this year, mandatory for all families asking for assistance. I understand why this questionnaire was sent home, but the only possible outcome is a negative one. As if families do not already feel degraded by asking for help, now they are forced to fill out yet another form, that is not even anonymous (signature required on the bottom!), practically itemizing their spending.
We live in a small community. Regardless of how confidential it is supposed to be, most people are aware of those families who are not paying full tuition. Here’s more fodder for Lashon Harah. Who sees this form? Who will take away any last remaining dignity from these families who are simply trying to get their children a decent Jewish education?
1. Please explain in detail any changes in your financial situation from the past year.
Fair enough.
2. Please list all schools that your children attend and the financial aid awarded in the current school year as well as for the coming year if already awarded. (Include total tuition and assistance)
Okay.
3. Describe any trips or vacations that you have taken within the past two years as well as any that you have planned within the next 12 months.
Say, for example, your brother is getting married, so you shouldn’t go? Or you should go alone and not bring the family? And what of the people whose families offer to pay for them to go? Or to come visit for Pesach or another holiday? How does one say to one’s children “I’m so sorry we can’t spend Succot with Bubbe & Zaide, but you see, if we accept their kind offer of paying for our tickets, the school won’t allow us to stay there, because they want that money instead.” A great way to raise children with a love of Judaism and the Day School environment.
Perhaps these are not the trips the questionnaire is asking about. Perhaps they are asking only about cruises, and fun trips to Orlando. But honestly, it doesn’t matter. If a family member says “you need a break, I’m sending you on a cruise for a few days”, who says “oh, would you mind giving me the cash so I can donate it to the kids’ school?”
4. Please list any camps or other summer programs that your children attended this past summer or plan to attend this coming summer and the financial aid awarded if applicable (include total fee and assistance)
So, you have two working parents. The kids need to be in camp, clearly. This does not specifically refer to sleep away camps, so evidently they are talking about all summer programs. What do they want working parents to do with their children all summer? And for stay at home parent families, I tried it last year, the no camp thing, and while I loved spending the time with my kids, the feeling wasn’t mutual because their friends were all at camp…
5. What are your monthly home child and day care expenses?
Again, if parents are working, what difference does it make? Someone needs to be home for the kids.
6. What are your monthly domestic help expenses?
This question irritated me more than any, with the exception of the next question.
7. Do you receive any other financial assistance from parents, extended family, etc? If yes, how much? Please include money received from any resources not included on the FACTS form.
No. Just outright NO. If my parents hand me a wad of cash before they leave from a visit, that’s none of your damn business. If my grandparents died and left me an inheritance, don’t so much as think about it. Tuition assistance should be based upon what the parents of the children can afford to pay. I don’t really care that the OU summit decided that grandparents (specifically paternal, I recall) should be responsible for tuition if the parents cannot afford it. The attendees at the summit clearly do not live in the real world. No grandparent should be held responsible for paying for their grandchildren’s tuition. Are all grandparents that wealthy? Should grandparents donate money to the schools that their grandchildren attend? Absolutely, part of their tzedakah should be allocated to those schools. But that’s it. I argued this before in an earlier blog post, by asking for grandparents to pay their grandchildren’s tuition, we are creating an environment similar to the Chareidi one, where generations sit and learn and never work, while supported by their parents and grandparents. This is not what we do.
8. Please use the space below to provide any additional information that might help the committee understand your application request. (You may attach additional sheets).
Anyone who got this far, and was still able to answer, well, wow.
>>I hereby affirm that the information contained within this form is true and >>correct. I am aware of the fact that if the committee finds any of this information >>to be false or incorrect that I forfeit all financial assistance.
The problem with this form is that those who are already scamming the system will continue to do so, and the people who will actually get screwed are the ones who truly need the help.
Personally, my first reaction when I saw this was “Thank G-d I don’t have to fill this out”
Because it made me feel sick to my stomach.
Let’s not forget the questions that were not asked, but perhaps should have been included:
Question 9:
How much do you spend on coffee at Starbucks etc. in an average week?
Question 10:
How much do you spend on birthday parties for each of your children annually?
Question 11:
How much do you spend on manicures and pedicures monthly?
Question 12:
How much money did you donate to tzedakah in the past 2 years, and how much do you plan to give in the next 12 months? Please list each cause and explain why they are more deserving of your money than our school.
Shabbat Shalom.
Resurrection of Friday blog posts
04 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in The Jewish Education Crisis Tags: Ben Gamla Boca, ben gamla charter school, Boca Raton Jewish community, Boca Yeshiva, HDS, Hebrew language charter schools, hillel day school, jewish day schools, jewish education, jewish tuition crisis, Rising tuition, yeshiva tuition crisis
Starting with something simple.
The decision has been made and is public. Our children will not be returning to Hillel in the fall. They will all be attending the Ben Gamla Charter School in Plantation.
The reactions to this news have been incredibly diverse. Some people were truly shocked. Others expressed envy that we will be saving money. Still others made insensitive remarks about it being hard on the kids, terrible for their Judaism etc.
If anyone believes that this was a decision that has been made lightly, or without considerable pain, you’re just wrong. If anyone truly thinks that our lives are going to radically change to the point where we will be jetting off to London and Dublin for every vacation, then you have no idea where we are actually coming from.
Our children love learning Torah. The move from Hillel to Ben Gamla will not infringe on their limudei kodesh. We will ensure that they will continue learning during the week, plus on Shabbat and Sunday. We are committed to their continued learning, and so are they. We believe strongly that sending children to a Jewish Day School does not guarantee a religious outcome. We also believe that it is pointless to send children to a religious school if that religion is not practiced at home in the same manner which it is taught at school. By moving our children to a non-Day School environment, we do not believe that we are taking them away from orthodox Judaism. Our home continues to be orthodox. We continue to keep kosher both at home and out. We continue to keep Shabbat both at home and when away from home. We continue to ingrain in our children the importance of the Hebrew calendar over the Gregorian one when planning our lives. We continue to lead a life that is ruled by our faith first.
Our children comprehend that this move is necessary in order for us to continue to live here. They understand that they will still see their current school friends on Shabbat, chag and during shared vacation times. They also realize that it will require some extra effort to maintain some of these friendships, whereas others will remain steadfast without too much work, and some will simply fade away.
I don’t really feel it necessary to defend our decision. I would love to say that it is a relief to know that we will no longer be judged for being at a Day School, when clearly we cannot afford it. I would love to think that people no longer scrutinize every penny that we publicly spend. However, I am not naïve enough to believe that this will be the case. We will be judged for taking our children out of Day School. We will be judged for choosing to get out of debt rather than keep them in a Jewish School. We will be judged for many other reasons. So be it. I am happy to know that we can no longer be considered a burden on fully paying families at the school.
I will reiterate what I have always said about Hillel. We are very happy with the education our children have gotten there. Both religious and secular. Their teachers have all been wonderful and we will miss every single one of them. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for giving our children such a wonderful start to their education.
Shabbat Shalom
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Affordable, Effective, Made in the USA
23 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
in Beauty Tags: american made skincare, anti-aging skincare, bath and body, Beauty, cheap skincare, essential oils in skincare, facial care, Jordan Essentials, Lemongrass, multi-peptide, natural skincare, peptide serum, Safe skincare, spa products, spring catalog
Yeah, it’s been a while. I’m not lying low or anything silly like that, but I’ve been busy with life – work, kids, dog (yes, we got a dog!).
Jordan Essentials new Spring catalog came out on February 18th. As with each new product launch, I was excited to see and try the new products and to sniff the new fragrance (Lemongrass Citrus, extracted from pure, essential oils!). What I was not prepared for, was the results that I would see from using one of the new products.
Truth be told, I was a little upset when it was announced that the skin firming serum was being replaced by something new. I loved the skin firming serum, an aloe based product, which left my skin looking tight, soft and bright.
Then I began to use the new, multi-peptide serum. I was told to expect results within a week to 10 days. I admit to being skeptical.
I was pleasantly surprised. 
First, the packaging. With the new catalog, all the face care products got a face-lift. The labels have been changed a little bit, and the serums (age-defying, time rewind eye & multi-peptide) all come in airless pumps. This is wonderful, as you will never again have to use Q-tips to pull the last little bit of product out of the bottom of the vial.
Second, consistency. I always felt that the skin firming serum was more like a gel than a serum. The new serum is very serum-y. It is extremely lighweight, yet one pump is enough for the entire face and neck.
Third, results. After about 6 days I began to notice results, just as promised! The main issue I currently have with my skin is uneven skintone. This is from a mix of acne scarring, sun damage and a little aging. After just one week of using the multi-peptide serum (and only once daily, at night, rather than the recommended twice) I noticed that my skintone looked a lot more even. The sun spots are fading, and the acne scarring doesn’t look as pronounced.
Last week, I treated myself to a facial for the first time in over a year, with the lovely Mirta Brown. Shortly before I began with Jordan Essentials, I had a facial with Mirta. My skin was bad. Breakouts, oiliness, blackheads, plus signs of aging and sun damage. Cut to last week. Mirta couldn’t believe the difference in my skin in just a year. I had almost no blackheads – and those that were there were visible only with a 3x magnifying lamp. The texture of my skin had improved greatly. To me, this was the best testimony I could get. I knew my skin was better for using JE, but to hear it from a professional told me that I wasn’t imagining it!
The Jordan Essentials Skincare Line is safe (paraben, SLS, mineral oil and DEA free), affordable (individual prices begin at only $5.50!) and made in the USA.
For a free mini-facial and skincare consultation, I invite you to contact me. I will gladly help you put together a skincare regimen to benefit your body and your wallet.
Shabbat Shalom!
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plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
23 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in The Jewish Education Crisis Tags: ben gamla boca raton, ben gamla charter school, Boca Raton Jewish Education, Boca Raton Synagogue, Dan Katz, HDS, Hebrew language charter school, hillel day school, jewish day school, Jewish Day School Mafia, jewish day schools, Jewish Eduation costs, jewish tuition crisis, Orthodox Jewish education, Private Jewish schools, Rising tuition costs, tuition crisis, yeshiva education, yeshiva tuition, yeshiva tuition crisis
[Edited b/c apparently the 8th grade tuition amount was a typo. 8th grade tuition is the same as 6th & 7th. I'm gonna leave my comment about the Israel trip]
It’s re-enrollment time at HDS. You got the email, (as long as you are up to date with payments for this year). If not, expect an official looking letter coming your way. I wonder if it will be sent registered mail?
Tuition will increase by 3% for the coming school year.
If you have 3 children in 1-5, you will be paying a grand total of: $46,470!
If you have a child in grades 6 & 7 you pay: $17,545 per child.
Apparently 8th graders are expected to learn slightly less, as tuition is only $17,455 for 8th grade. Or maybe that is due to the additional fee you will be asked to pay so your 8th grader can go to Israel?
And if your child needs the ETGAR special needs program, be prepared to pay a whopping $32,255
Let’s take an average Orthodox family, with say, 4 kids in 1st grade, 3rd grade, 5th & 7th. That’s $65,000 for school next year.
Sixty-Five Thousand Dollars.
Thankfully, the OU has now admitted that there is a tuition crisis in our Day Schools. We can rest assured that people smarter than us are already working on a way to guarantee that all Jewish neshamot have access to a superior Jewish education.
What are people paying for? A private education, or Jewish education in a private school? Does a good Jewish education necessarily need to come from a Private Jewish Day School? Is it not our obligation as parents, to educate our children in Judaism, and not to rely on a school? Obviously, there cannot be a Jewish Public school in the United States, unlike across much of Europe. However, there must be a way to ensure that our Jewish children will get a fantastic Jewish education, without having to forgo university, and without families going without food.
Does the answer lie right in front of our eyes, as all the best answers usually do?
Chanukah oh Chanukah come light the Menorah…
16 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Aish Chanukah Song, Chanuka, Chanukah, Chanukia, Chanukiah, Chrismukah, Dreidel, Dreidle, Festival of lights, Hannuka, Hannukah, Hora, Jelly Donuts, Latkes, Maccabeats, Maccabees, Menorah, Sevivon, Sufganiyot
Why is this the song associated with Chanukah in the US? And how come it wasn’t translated more accurately?
The original song goes like this (excuse the size of the Yiddish font, but WordPress doesn’t allow me to edit text size in Yiddish!):
חנוכה אוי חנוכה
אַ יום-טוב אַ שיינער
אַ לוסטיקער אַ פריילעכער
נישט דאָ נאָך אַזוינער
אַלע נאַכט מיט דריידלעך שפילן מיר,
פרישע הייסע לאַטקעס, עסן אָן אַ שיעור
געשווינדער, צינדט קינדער
די חנוכה ליכטלעך אָן,
זאָגט על-הניסים, לויבט גאָט פאַר די נסים,
און לאמיר אלע טאנצען אין קאָן.
זאָגט על-הניסים, לויבט גאָט פאַר די נסים,
און לאָמיר אַלע טאַנצען אין קאָן
Chanukah oy Chanukah
A yontif a sheyner,
A lustiker a freylekher
Nisht do nokh azoyner
Ale nakht mit dreydlech shpiln mir,
Frishe heyse latkes, esn on a shir.
Geshvinder, tsindt kinder
Di Chanukah likhtlech on,
Zogt “Al Hanisim”, loybt Got far di nisim,
Un lomir ale tantsen in kon.
Zogt “Al Hanisim”, loybt Got far di nisim,
Un lomir ale tantsen in kon.
In English, this means:
Chanukah, Oh Chanukah
A beautiful celebration.
Such a cheerful and happy one,
There is none like it.
Every night with the dreidels we will play,
Fresh, hot latkes we will eat endlessly.
Come quickly children
Light the Chanukah candles
Say “Al Hanissim”, praise God for the miracles,
And we will all dance together in a circle!
Say “Al Hanissim”, praise God for the miracles,
And we will all dance together in a circle!
Sound familiar? Nope, didn’t to me either. Why is that? They took God out of the song! In the translation He’s not mentioned at all. “Days long ago” may as well refer to pre-cellphone era as far as our kids are concerned.
The song most of us know goes like this:
Chanukah, Oh Chanukah
Come light the menorah
Let’s have a party
We’ll all dance the horah
Gather ’round the table, we’ll give you a treat
Dreidels to play with, and latkes to eat
And while we are playing
The candles are burning bright
One for each night, they shed a sweet light
To remind us of days long ago
One for each night, they shed a sweet light
To remind us of days long ago.
Oh well, I guess in today’s world of Chrismukah, or the Christmasification of Chanukah, anything goes. Oh, and for the record, we don’t light menorahs on Chanukah. We light the Chanukiah, which has 9 candlesticks.
Last year the Maccabeats had a great song to Taio Cruz’s Dynomite. This year, Aish has put together a great Chanukah medly. Enjoy!
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Orim Sameach! (Or Happy Hannukah….)
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