schools comes from the private sector of all former CEO of Bank Leumi, Galia Maor, the and at Branco Weiss in Beit Shemesh. places. Current and past senior executives former CEO of Bezeq, Ilan Biran, and the The next meeting with Vardi took place in from the corporate sector, led by Dr. Yossi founder of Ormat, Yehuda Bronicki. “ The the summer of 2005, after Tal received an Vardi – one of the people most closely results convinced Vardi that the connection offer to fill an even more challenging position: identified with the Israeli hi-tech industry, between a skilled principal and a to serve as principal of Bialik-Rogozin in and employees from hi-tech companies who businessperson was worth enhancing, and southern Tel Aviv. Bialik-Rogozin was a have been described more than once as following the successful pilot at Shevach merger of two schools: Bialik Elementary people who live in a detached and alienated Mofet, similar pilots were implemented at School, which was shut down in 2003 because bubble – are the ones who are lending a hand, Reshit high school for boys in South Tel Aviv it was situated in a building near the new extracting the schools in the social periphery Central Bus Station that was about to collapse, from retardation and transforming them into and Rogozin High School, which had role models for the system that abandoned completed an unsuccessful experiment as a them. No less impressive is the undisputed democratic school and its closure was under feminine character of this silk revolution in review after only 200 children - about 25% of education, which is being led by the female the school’s total capacity – had registered to principals of the schools and the female CEO go there. And most of those children came of Tovanot B’Hinuch. This is coupled with the from migrant families from the Philippines fact that the organization has a tiny annual and families of Palestinian collaborators. Tal budget of NIS 9.5 million and counts on tens received a school replete with problems, of thousands of precious manpower hours including a matriculation entitlement rate of that are supplied for free by thousands of only 28% and an army enlistment rate of only volunteers. Together , they are rectifying the 26%, a dilapidated building, and a student failures of the Ministry of Education, whose body comprised of many children who lived annual budget amounts to NIS 60 billion. in daily fear of being deported. It didn't take long for Tal to realize that ordinary pedagogical tools would not be enough for a school that accepted children Who can succeed in Israel? The Inspiration: The from 48 different countries, including Starting from the bottom some who had experienced trauma due to Huge Turnaround at the war between Eritrea and South Sudan. ORT Lod Arab High School for the Sciences and Engineering, where Tovanot B'Hinuch operates | Photograph: Ofer Vaknin "I was distraught and felt as if I was spending Bialik-Rogozin 90% of my time in the emergency room dealing with problems related to welfare ”You need to bring a kind of aura increased from 5,000 to 15,000, and health," she recalls. "I was standing in a classroom saying good morning to one of to the world, something that’s not the number of its active Tovanot B’Hinuch was founded in 2011, but the girls, who suddenly fainted and fell entirely deciphered, something volunteers has jumped from 550 the trigger for starting it was a tragic incident that occurred on a summer Friday night in down, only to wake up screaming: 'Don't that the heart reaches out to, to 1,600, and 80% of the high Dr. Yossi Vardi and his network schools associated with its June 2001. A suicide bomber blew himself up call an ambulance for me. My mother will something that’s a source of of social and business connections activities have achieved outside a discotheque at Dolphinarium Beach kill me because she doesn't have the money inspiration that others study and matriculation entitlement rates in Tel Aviv, killing 21 male and female stood at Tal’s side. Thanks to to pay for it.' One day it was raining and emulate,” says Karen Tal, the CEO that are significantly higher teenagers. Seven of them were students at Vardi and Rina Zamir, who was because the kids didn't have enough money to take a bus, they didn't come to school. of Tovanot B’Hinuch, which than the national average – four Shevach Mofet High School in Tel Aviv, many the chair of the school’s action seeks to boost the public school of them even reached a 90% were from the former Soviet Union, and Another boy started wetting his pants again system in the social and entitlement rate, as opposed to Karen Tal was the principal of the school. “A committee, Tal had 220 volunteers after his father was deported, and another child came to see me hysterical because he Photograph: Tomer Appelbaum geographical periphery. Tal the national average of 66%. lot of people were intrigued by these children from hi-tech companies at her didn't have any school books." quotes her father, who used the The numbers alone do not of new immigrants who did not express any outrage, sang songs in Hebrew, and sat crying disposal and 64 soldiers from Moroccan word hiba instead of convey the big story or the hope One of Tal's pillars of support was her for a turnaround in way Israeli in the schoolyard against the backdrop of lit hila, which is Hebrew for aura. Unit 8200. brother-in-law, Rami Benbenishty, a Social education is conducted, in candles,” relates Tal. One of those people was Work professor at Bar-Ilan University, who which inspiration is not one of Dr. Yossi Vardi, who wanted to know how he Karen Tal, Tovanot B’Hinuch’s its synonyms. Report after could help. report published by the OECD indicate the At the time, Shevach Mofet was a school that CEO: “I don’t know how to price unpleasant truth: the school system produces had already experienced a turnaround, the hourly consulting fees of backwardness compared to developed mostly due to the massive presence of nations and perpetuates social disparities. No children who came from the former Soviet Barak Dotan, Danny Rothschild less than 702 of the 4,400 schools in Israel are Union. Many of them were studying for a B.A. and Dedi Perlmutter, the value defined as ‘red ’ schools – schools that are in Math and Physics at Tel Aviv University of 150 volunteers from elite ranked high on the Nurture Index, wherev a while still in high school. The challenge faced score of 1 is the best situation and 10 is the by Tal as well as her predecessor, Dr . Avi units in the IDF’s Intelligence worst. The index measures the years of Benbenishty, who is also her life partner, was Corps and the numerous hours schooling of the most educated parent in the different. “We recognized the incredible family, income per capita, integration of strength of the children and wanted them to of speech therapy that we receive” migrant children from countries in distress, remain in Israel and not move to Silicon Valley,” she explains. “When Vardi came to Just how much Tal and her nonprofit and the socioeconomic status of the town. the school, we raised the dilemma and he organization have implemented her father’s There is poetic justice in the fact that the promised to bring his friends for a visit and motto is witnessed in the numbers: within a seeds of hope for restoring the health of the set up meetings between young engineers period of seven years, the number of schools school system, which is becoming ncreasingly and the students in order to involve them in that the organization is involved in has grown ethnocentric and religious, were sown in the projects and heighten their interest in Israel . from four to 34, the number of students who southern Tel Aviv school attended by children Vardi brought people like the former Bank are nurtured by the organization has of migrant workers. And a key contributor to Photograph: Tomer Appelbaum the success of the initiative to boost the public Hapoalim chairman, Shlomo Nehama, the
33 Marker Week December 2018 December 2018 Marker Week 34 helped her develop a holistic model for keeping the school open in the evening for view of the fact that 128 children from the never someone with a background in complete the turnaround within five years, it on Tel Aviv’s doorstep in the hope that the managing the school. That model, which the benefit of the parents, reflecting the school were candidates for deportation. The education, who are appointed chairs of the and if that occurs, it frees up its budget for strong and rich city would somehow manage. was critical to the success of the turnaround belief that the school builds the community Forum, which was comprised of Mesila-Aid action committee and work alongside the other schools that join the initiative. The Tovanot B’Hinuch (which in Hebrew means at Bialik-Rogozin, later became the and the community builds the school. "In and Information Center for Migrant Workers school principals, complementing them with budget does not include special donations Insights in Education) broadens the formal theoretical and methodological foundation Israel, there are 4,400 schools and what do and Refugees, the Association for Civil Rights a way of thinking and practices that come that members of the founding group choose definition of ‘education’ and stretches it to the of Tovanot B'Hinuch. they do to maximize the use of the building? in Israel, Aliza Olmert and attorney Tamar from another world. “The chairs of the action to give to projects close to their hearts – for limit by extending its programs to the Nothing," says Tal. Peled-Amir, enlisted the support of three committees, like Dita Bronicki at Bialik example, to enrich the basket of cultural children’s wellbeing, welfare and integration – ministers – Ronnie Bar-On, Meir Sheetrit Elementary in Yavne or Israel Berman at the activities at the school where they serve as all of which are budgeted by the State in the and Gideon Sa’ar, who advanced two ORT Lod Arab High School for the Sciences chairs of the action committee. cumulative amount of NIS 75 billion. government decisions that were made during and Engineering, are people you can make Ehud Olmert’s term and arranged the status headway with, just like I had Yossi Vardi and The budget does not include the huge resource Nevertheless, Tal is cautious and says: “We of children of migrant workers and refugees. Rina Zamir at Bialik-Rogozin,” explains Tal. of the hours donated by the volunteers, who don’t claim to replace the State. We’re an “The principal doesn’t have to feel help the students in after-school programs accelerator of the change process.” She does, Tal’s systematic management, the assistance uncomfortable in his presence, the chair of and share with them their world of knowledge however, agree that her organization’s model extended by academia, the implementation of the action committee doesn’t pay his salary and experience at no cost. “I don’t know how embodies the expectation that after a holistic model at a school whose problems and doesn’t judge him, but rather is there for to price the hourly consulting fees that people completing the turnaround at the school, the were clearly not only pedagogical, the great him with good advice and to help out in like Barak Dotan, Danny Rothschild (the State and the local authority will reassume push provided by Vardi and the army of times of crisis. The other two roles that the former Head of the Research Division in the the responsibility – which was theirs to begin volunteers he recruited, and donations that chairs of the action committees fill are helping Intelligence Corps and Head of the Institute with – after the school gains strength and amounted to a cumulative total of NIS 9 the principal think about the school’s strategy for Policy and Strategy at IDC Herzliya, Y.G.) learns how to walk on its own. million that were given to the school over a and bringing more volunteers and more and Dadi Perlmutter could charge,” says Tal. period of six years, did the job. Six years after resources to the school. By doing so, they “I also don’t know how to estimate the value of And when it comes to the critical question of Tal arrived at the school’s doorstep, the augment the resources it receives from the 150 volunteers from elite units in the IDF’s passing the scepter back to the State and matriculation entitlement rate increased Ministry of Education and the local authority.” Intelligence Corps and the numerous hours of sustaining the change processes experienced from 28% to 87% and the percentage of An example of Tovanot B’Hinuch’s winning speech therapy we receive from Prof. Liat by the schools, Tovanot B’Hinuch prefers to students who went into the army rose from model for how to connect the civic Kishon-Rabin, nor the value of our 13 adopt the proactive approach of change that 26% to 79%. Bialik-Rogozin’s story was community with a school is the adoption of collaborations with various departments at comes from below through collaboration documented in the film Strangers No More, Sinai Elementary in Rehovot by Applied Tel Aviv University.” Tal notes that the with the municipalities, instead of waiting for which won the Oscar for Best Documentary Materials Israel, whose 180 volunteers help involvement of the volunteers and the extra the government or Ministry of Education to Short Subject in 2011. The school also won the school in the form of extra study hours, funds that are added to the schools’ regular initiate it. Following successful pilots in Bat the National Education Prize, and Tal herself which are in addition to the company’s budgets boost the principals’ confidence and Yam – at Hanassi Elementary (where Levana was awarded the Charles Bronfman Prize and funding of the entire operating budget encourage them to take initiative and do their Dvash serves as principal and Shmuel Blank an honorary doctorate from Ben-Gurion allocated by Tovanot B’Hinuch to the school. own fundraising – whether by competing for as chair of the action committee), at Gordon ”I’d like to hope that Tovanot Pooling resources was perhaps the most University and the Ruppin Academic Center. Arad Nevet, a senior Deputy CEO at the bids and RFPs issued by the Ministry of Elementary (where Shlomi Zan serves as B’Hinuch’s activities will motivate important principle in the model, namely company, serves as the chair of the school’s Education or by formulating ideas and principal and Barak Dotan as chair of the raising human capital and financial capital Boosting the Principals’ Confidence action committee. The massive support projects. action committee), and Ben Gurion the State to declare that the from the broader community, coupled with The turnaround at Bialik-Rogozin led people extended by this American-Israeli hi-tech phenomenon of red schools in the resources that the school received from to wonder whether it was possible to company contributed to the school’s move the Ministry of Education and the Tel Aviv Israel has been eradicated – because implement its underlying principles at other from a building with an asbestos roof to a new Elementary (where Hagit Izak serves as Municipality. In this matter, Vardi stood at schools as well. That was the backdrop against one that was built for it by the Rehovot We Don’t Claim to principal and Avner Halperin as chair of the there is no need for it to exist” Tal’s side once again, together with his nearly which the nonprofit, Tovanot B’Hinuch, was Municipality and was dedicated in February action committee) – the Bat Yam Municipality boundless network of social and business started in 2011 by a founding group that 2018. Replace the State decided to adopt Tovanot B’Hinuch’s model connections. Thanks to Vardi and Rina Zamir, included Vardi, Yael Lipman, who currently as a citywide model. On behalf of the The model is founded on a number of who was the chair of the school’s action serves as chair of the organization, Doron organization, it is being spearheaded by Yair Tovanot B’Hinuch is leading the school in its principles: the first is multidimensional committee, Tal had 220 volunteers from hi- Livnat, the owner and manager of a group of Seroussi, the former Chairman of Bank implementation of the holistic model, which mapping and tracking, which reflects the tech companies at her disposal, including 64 international companies that specialize in Tovanot B’Hinuch assumes roles that the Hapoalim. is based on a student mapping and a work understanding that the interaction between soldiers from the elite intelligence Unit 8200. leasing logistical sites and ports, the Bronicki State was supposed to fill and repairs plan that is supposed to address six key areas the school and the student has to rely on a Vardi got Tal in touch with Tel Aviv University family who founded Ormat, Barak Dotan, malfunctions that have resulted from the The model has been extended to four other and not focus on just one of them: pedagogical comprehensive acquaintance with the and Prof. Liat Kishon-Rabin, the current one of the owners of the DBSI investment State’s actions or omissions, such as the schools in the city and joint steering achievements, meeting the children’s student. It was obtained through in-depth Head of the School of Health Professions, company, Dadi Perlmutter, a former vice- problem of the migrant workers and refugees. committees have been formed between emotional and social needs, an extended interviews that the homeroom teachers who sent her a speech therapist and president of Intel International, and his wife The State, which created the problem, placed Tovanot B’Hinuch and the Municipality. school day, the school’s learning environment conducted with the students, which occupational therapist. Vardi also got her in Haya, and local and foreign foundations, which includes the physical surroundings and included not only academic elements, but touch with companies such as Tescom, such as Yad Hanadiv and the Gottesman the design of the learning environment, also ones related to the children's welfare thanks to his connections with its former Fund. and emotional state. For example, the president, Amir Hayek, who himself taught faculty development which includes the teachers need to know what the status of children at the school and issued them appointment of a volunteer coordinator so the student is: Is he a migrant? A child software tester diplomas. Other ties were Tovanot B’Hinuch is a kind of social startup, the school can develop its professional targets from a single parent family? An Israeli established with Cisco, which taught the whose goal is to boost the public school and practices pertaining to volunteer citizen or not? Is he a candidate for children communications network system in cooperation with the Ministry of management, and the community of parents. deportation? management. Tal appointed Sari Levi, herself Education and local authorities. The a volunteer, to be the volunteer coordinator organization identifies schools located in the The second resource that Tovanot B’Hinuch The second principle is the treatment and because she had a multidimensional social and geographical periphery that are brings to the schools in the initiative is the continuum, whose practical implication is profile of the children – it was possible to headed by principals who are social leaders financial resource. The organization’s annual keeping the children at school and in make a match between the student’s need and and entrepreneurs, for whom pedagogy is budget is NIS 9.5 million, of which about 50% affiliated frameworks as many hours as the volunteer most suited to meet it. just part of how they perceive their role, are raised from Israeli donors and the possible. That means providing them with According to Tal, the power given to the principals who have a vision, passion and remainder from foreign foundations and a hot lunch, helping them with their studies school by the group of volunteers “who love for children. private donors. Tovanot B’Hinuch allocates in the afternoon, opening an art and sports sought no personal gain and whose sole aim Tovanot B’Hinuch brings two types of an average of NIS 300,000 a year to each center that can offer enrichment classes, was to advance the school and help it achieve resources to the schools included in its school. The exact amount is determined encouraging the children to join the Eitan its vision,” contributed to the establishment initiative. The first is human capital – according to the size of the school and how troop of the Israel Scouts which is located of the Forum for Arranging the Status of executives or entrepreneurs from the long it has been part of the initiative. The in the nearby Shapira neighborhood, and Refugee Children, which was a necessity in corporate sector, academia or the army, but working assumption is that a school has to
35 Marker Week December 2018 December 2018 Marker Week 36 children who have to reach a required level as of two volunteers and four children,” Bronicki because it wasn’t a good school,” says Bronicki. well as the high achievers, whom you want to explains. “Together, they build machines out “It once had two first grades and then went push forward so they can excel.” of Lego bricks and teach the children how to down to one, with only 24 students in the “There is also a need for a nutrition program. program the machines. Their final project class. This year, 62 students registered for two When we became involved, we went to was building a robot out of Lego bricks. It’s first grade classes. That’s because the children another school to get an idea of what was hard to describe what this does for the at Bialik have gotten good scores on needed. There was one girl there who took a children. I’ll give you an example: When we standardized tests and when they go to peek inside the office. The secretary asked asked one of the female students from the middle school, many of them are accepted to her: ‘You forgot your sandwich, right?’ and school what she wants to do in the future, her the cyber classes. Tovanot B’Hinuch makes gave her one. It wasn’t that she forgot her reply was that her big dream is to be a sure to boost the high achievers as well, as a sandwich, but rather she simply didn’t have supermarket cashier because a supermarket result of which they acquire study habits and, one at home. Tovanot B’Hinuch deals with cashier has food at home. After spending an suddenly, they’re the best students in the city.” that in a structured manner by setting targets hour with Nova’s volunteers, she said that she and does in two ways: by running the faculty wants to become an engineer.” “If two or three years ago we tried to convince room for teachers and counselors and an Four years have elapsed since Tovanot parents to register their children at Bialik and extended school day. There are places where B’Hinuch began operating at Bialik and a weren’t successful, last year, thanks to the the parents drive their kids to activities, but significant improvement can be seen in its considerable efforts made by the school’s the population here is unable to do that. As achievements. “Bialik Yavne, which was parental leadership and staff, we managed to soon as you offer the activities at the school, previously ranked 5 on a scale of 1 to 10 on bring children from more distant you’ve also solved the financial problem as the Hebrew-speaking schools ranking, neighborhoods to the school. The Green well as the problem of the parents’ availability. climbed to 8 on the standardized test Neighborhood is one of them, which is The extended school day is partially funded administered two years ago,” Bronicki tells us. Yavne’s equivalent of North Tel Aviv. Parents by an added annual budget of NIS 180,000 “In Math, it rose from 5 to 7 and that was in from the Green Neighborhood took upon that Bialik receives from Tovanot B’Hinuch the second year of our activities. Let’s see themselves the inconvenience of driving their and partially by volunteers.” what happens on the test that will be kids to school because Bialik is a much better administered this year. I believe that we greenhouse for the education of their children The most prominent volunteer project at haven’t declined.” – and all this with a small investment of money, Bialik is an outcome of its ties with Nova, a a lot of volunteer work and the excellent company located in Ness Ziona which Two weeks ago, Bialik won the District management provided Dalia Gavrieli.” develops and manufactures measurement Education Prize of the Ministry of Education systems for use in the production process in for 2018/2019, but Yavne’s residents are the the semiconductor industry. Once a week, ones who can supply the best testimony about Nova sends a bus to the school and 50 the turnaround at the school. “When Tovanot children accompanied by a teacher and a B’Hinuch started being involved at Bialik, the The article was translated volunteer chaperone are driven to the factory, number of students who registered to attend The aim is that their joint activities not be NIS 9.5 million to NIS 12.5 million by 2022. metalworking and electrical wiring, many of where they receive a hi-tech style lunch. the school was steadily decreasing, attributed to English from the Hebrew confined to the turnaround that each school “We believe that citywide models can sustain whom were dropouts from other city schools “After lunch, Nova’s volunteers, who consist of to the fact that the neighborhood was source by Tovanot will undergo, but rather will also help create a and augment the principles that Tovanot and were at risk of going downhill. After a cadre of 40 engineers, divide up into groups becoming more ultra-Orthodox, but also gradual revolutionary change that affects all B’Hinuch has implemented,” says Tal. “I’d like transferring to ORT Ormat, they were the objectives set by the Municipality: more to hope that the mayors will be the ones who integrated into Ormat’s engineering and college graduates in the city, more people are instrumental in boosting the Ministry of production departments. who fill lead positions in the army and fewer Education and that Tovanot B’Hinuch’s at -risk youth. The Bat Yam Municipality will activities will be a learning model for the ORT Ormat, which has been supported by be matching the funding provided by Tovanot State. The State will hopefully want to extend Ormat for decades, was opened just six years B’Hinuch at each school in the initiative and the model or other models nationwide and be after the Bronickis founded Ormat in a small will assume responsibility for every school motivated to declare that the phenomenon of one-room facility. The company develops and that completes the turnaround. ‘red’ schools in Israel has been eradicated – manufactures turbines that produce because there is no reason for it to exist.” electricity from geothermal energy. So after Tovanot B’Hinuch, which until recently retiring from her position as Ormat’s CEO in operated only in the greater Tel Aviv area, May 2014, it was no surprise that Dita took a bold move three years ago and “Suddenly Bialik’s Bronicki became involved in volunteer work extended its activities to the geographical in education. In addition to her growing periphery as well - thanks in no small part to Students are the Best in activities at ORT Ormat, Bronicki chose the assistance received from Haya Perlmutter, the City” Tovanot B’Hinuch. who runs the organization’s northern district. The first step was taken at Ya’arat HaEmek “We began working at Bialik Elementary in Middle School in Migdal HaEmek. At the Yavne three years ago and this is now our beginning of 2018, after the school won the “Because social engagement is one of the fourth year,” she relates. “Its rank according District Education Prize, Tovanot B’Hinuch, demands that young engineers have of their to the Nurture Index (a socioeconomic workplace, it is easier today to recruit assessment of the school’s student body and in cooperation with the Municipality, started volunteers than it was decades ago,” says Dita related environmental factors) was close to 7 a pilot at five other schools in the city based Bronicki, the former CEO of Ormat (the highest rank on the index is 1, the lowest on the Bat Yam model. Around the same time, Technologies and the chair of the action is 10, Y.G.). The school is located in one of the two elementary schools in Haifa also joined committee at Bialik Elementary in Yavne. oldest neighborhoods in Yavne, where a lot of the initiative - Abd el-Rahman el-Haj and Social involvement and philanthropic single-parent families live, whether as a result Achva. By 2022, Tovanot B’Hinuch intends to investments in education are not new to Dita of the parents’ divorce or because the father is increase the number of schools in which it is and Yehuda Bronicki, who are members of in jail. Tovanot B’Hinuch’s operating principle involved from 34 up to 50 as well as the Tovanot B’Hinuch’s founding group. As early calls for providing a holistic solution to all the number of volunteers from 1,600 to 2,500. as 1970, the couple initiated the establishment students’ needs, which includes treating their This target will be achieved by raising a larger of ORT Ormat in Yavne next to Ormat emotional needs, their parents, the home, annual budget from the founding group and Industries’ factory. The school provided and extra study assistance for the children foundations, increasing it from the current training to students in the fields of who need it – both the underachieving
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