Gottesman Fellows Visit GOA
The Gottesman Fellows (teachers who were recognized from each of the Quest schools) decided to visit each other's schools as a learning opportunity. Yesterday, our own Gottesman Fellow, Upper School Math Department Chair Nina Bilmes, and Upper School Dean of Faculty Gail Shapiro hosted the first tour. We were thrilled to welcome Linda Litland of Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy), Sheri Swiss of Gottesman RTW Academy, and Jonathan Garcia of the JEC who visited Middle and High School classes and ended the tour with a memorable viewing of the sun at our Observatory. Each of them shared how much they enjoyed learning about GOA, seeing classes in action and connecting with our teachers.
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The Quest for Teaching Excellence program provides over $2 million in funding to support the following major areas: a “faculty dean” position at each of the schools to coordinate ongoing professional development; a pool of grants to enable teachers to build on their skills through individualized workshops, continuing education, and other professional development activities; the preparation of new, comprehensive faculty assessment systems at each school; and a community-wide professional development conference for all faculty.
The Jerry Gottesman Fund for the Pursuit of Teaching Excellence is a $250,000 endowment of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater MetroWest NJ (JCF) created in memory of the day school benefactor and leader, who died in September 2017 while in Israel with family. Gottesman, with his wife, Paula, was the initiative’s lead benefactor for more than a decade and first envisioned the partnership of the denominationally diverse schools.
Wilf Lower School Campus
Eric F. Ross Upper School Campus
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