MetroWest Jewish Day School Introduces New Leadership and Educational Models

Written by Susan Petroni

As part of a new dual leadership model, the MetroWest Jewish Day School Board of Directors has hired Dr. Scott Sokol as the Director of Education.

"As an educational innovator and implementer, Dr. Sokol has a vast array of qualifications that make him uniquely qualified for this position,”  said Barry Ruthfield, Co-President of the MetroWest Jewish Day School Board of Directors and former Superintendent of Ashland Public Schools. 

Sokol will co-direct MWJDS with the Director of Institutional Advancement.

Sokol has spent 25 years in the fields of psychology and education, both secular and Jewish.  In addition to dual-ordination as a rabbi and cantor, he is a licensed psychologist and board certified pediatric neuropsychologist with a high degree of expertise in child development and learning.
  
Although better known to most of the Jewish community for his pulpit work and graduate training of rabbis, cantors and Jewish educators at Hebrew College, Dr. Sokol has had significant hands-on experience as a teacher and supervisor, and has taught students of all ages.  

Dr. Sokol has been associated with MetroWest Jewish Day School for eight years and is a parent of a current student.  He is a MetroWest resident with strong ties to the community both personally and professionally.

Dr. Sokol has already made programming improvements to the MWJDS integrated curriculum, as a leader of the Education Task Force.  His key focus will be to implement Individualized Learning Plans for every student, establish ability-based groupings for core subjects of humanities, math and Hebrew, and multi-age groupings for application of the core curriculum in the social sciences, science, Judaics and the arts.  Frequent assessments will ensure that every child is placed at the right level for a given subject with the ability to be challenged or supported in a more dynamic, real time model. 

“These structural changes will continue to provide an even more exciting and engaging individualized educational program for a wide range of learners," said Lindsay Farrer, Co-President of MetroWest Jewish Day School Board of Directors. 

The Director of Institutional Advancement, sharing the dual leadership role, will develop the school’s strategic plan, lead recruitment efforts, steward donors and community relations and manage the business activities.

MetroWest Jewish Day School, a pluralistic co-ed Jewish day school, is located in Framingham and has students in grades K-7 from 20 MetroWest communities.