Yeshivat Frisch has been recommended for re-accreditation by the Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools for another seven-year term, in a glowing report commending the school’s student-centered educational approach, values-infused environment, extraordinary warmth and exceptional leadership. The oral report was delivered on December 9 to the entire Frisch faculty by Christopher Leonard, chair of the Middle States visitation team that evaluated Frisch.
The report commended Frisch’s academic program of Judaic and general studies. “The school has a clearly defined scope of courses over the four years of high school, as well as a process for evaluating curriculum on a regular basis,” said Leonard. “As evidenced by strong SAT and ACT scores, as well as an impressive pattern of college acceptances, the school’s courses lead to college and career readiness following their completion. The team also commends the school for how consistently its curriculum reflects the religious nature of the school, and how the Modern Orthodox Judaic viewpoint is seamlessly woven throughout many different courses.”
The report also praised Frisch’s student-centered mindset, “exemplary planning practices,” academic tracking of classes by individual subject rather than across the board, effective Learning Center and the personal warmth of both students and faculty. “It is evident that the school community is a cohesive one,” said Leonard, who is the chief learning officer at Sage Thrive and former director of operations at Sage Day Schools. “The students with whom we met were joyful, insightful and comfortable both in supporting and in challenging each other. Your parents are dedicated to your core beliefs and amazed by the growth of their children. Your faculty and staff work together with palpable passion and fervor.”
The team noted that these strengths are demonstrated in the school’s extracurricular aspects as well. “The school has infused a spirit of community service and faith into student life and activities,” added Leonard, making a special point of noting Frisch’s involvement with Friendship Circle as well as Shiriyah. “The school is commended for its annual week-long Shiriyah celebration in which students in each grade level have the opportunity to celebrate, express and bring the mission to life in a variety of ways, including adding its own mural to the hallways that represents a theme related to the mission. In this way, the mission is not merely seen and heard but felt and recreated.”
The report included the committee’s findings in the 12 areas examined by Middle States: school mission, governance and leadership, school improvement planning, finances, facilities, school organization and staff, health and safety, educational program, assessment and evidence of student learning, student services, student life and activities; and technology and information resources.
The re-accreditation process began approximately two years ago, and was extended as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown. Campus tours originally scheduled for late March 2020 had to be postponed. Leonard was able to visit Frisch’s 14-acre campus in person in February 2020, and briefly toured the school’s outdoor facilities—including 20 newly created outdoor classrooms and recreation areas—in October. Meetings with stakeholders, including students and faculty, were conducted through Zoom.
“Although our visit has been virtual, we have appreciated the warmth with which we have been received, and the depth and candor with which you have shared your deepest concerns and greatest wishes,” said Leonard. “Your participation in this process and the way in which you have described your work reflect how effectively you model Frisch’s core four missions: the spirit of inquiry, devotion to religious growth, culture of kindness and pursuit of passion.”
Leonard also applauded the Frisch community’s “resilience in handling the curveball that is 2020, with strength and grace”—from upgrading the Frisch campus and technological infrastructure for in-person instruction, to Frisch Principal Eli Ciner’s commitment to “maintaining a strong stance on safety measures at the outset of the pandemic while resisting significant pushback from some quarters.”
“When a difficult situation comes up what we’ve noticed about the school is how well people make adjustments with the circumstances,” he said.
Leonard made a point to recount the process through which Frisch recrafted its mission statement eight years ago, beginning with Ciner’s big-picture question about how exceptional schools are sustained. “To seek answers he did extensive research, visiting the very best private schools to learn about how great missions are crafted,” said Leonard. “He shared his findings with your school leaders and engaged them in a sustained dialogue, which provided the opportunity to adjust and refine the core ideas. During this process, Rabbi Ciner shared these developing ideas with the larger school community, through a series of talks and writings, and the enthusiasm for these ideas caught on.” The mission was then reviewed and adopted by the Frisch board of trustees.
“I share this story because I think it is representative of the healthy and productive habits of inquiry, reflection, inspiration, dialogue and collaboration that we see in your execution of those plans,” noted Leonard, who described Ciner as a “transformational leader” and noted that the school’s four core values, in addition to the value placed on meaningful relationships, permeate the entire school.
“With the current leadership and staff in place and continued development of the student-centered model, there is every reason to anticipate that new principals will want to make Frisch a destination for their best-practice research visits just as then-new principal Rabbi Ciner selected other top schools for his visits.”
James Fuerst, another member of the visitation team who is the upper school head at Bridgeton’s Woodland Country Day School, told students: “You have a wonderful treasure in Frisch, and I hope you all appreciate it.”
Following Leonard’s report, Ciner thanked the Middle States team, and everyone at Frisch who was involved. “The entire Middle States process has been incredibly rewarding,” said Ciner. “It has made us think deeper and more honestly about how we can grow and where else we need to grow. We are all aware of the treasure that is Frisch, and the responsibility and mandate to get better every single year. We have a great charge in front of us, and we have great affirmation for what we do every single day. Thank you so much.”
Members of the Middle States visitation team included James Fuerst, upper school head at Woodland Country Day School in Bridgeton, New Jersey; Matthew McCrea, principal of Meridian Public Charter School in Washington, DC; and Rosanne Mistretta, head of experiential education at Abington Friends School in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. A detailed, final written report by the Middle States visitation committee will follow the oral presentation. The final report will include feedback and suggestions for the school’s development over the next seven years.
Based on the directory found on the Middle States website, there are over 2550 public and private schools in the United States and abroad who are either accredited or candidates for accreditation by Middle States. Of these, 461 are in the state of New Jersey. Among these are six New Jersey Jewish high schools, including Frisch.
