ari yares
aryares@gmail.com
ariyares.com
non-profit leader| innovative educator | school administrator
linked.com/in/ayares
summary
Dedicated and respected leader in education with exceptional performance
supporting academic excellence for children. Trained as a school psychologist and as a
school administrator with a strong background in 21st century curriculum and
instruction and applying design thinking to educational challenges. Skilled at
curriculum and instructional development, staff support, and project management.
Illustrated strengths in improving processes and ensuring optimal outcomes through
the reengineering of internal systems. Offers strength in communication and
collaborative efforts with students, parents, staff, and community members. Pursuing
a senior leadership role with the opportunity to develop and train staff members,
build stronger internal processes, and create community partnerships.
selected career highlights
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Successful Chief Executive Officer of a Jewish day school (ECC through 8th grade)
with more than 250 students enrolled, supervising academics, finances,
admissions, development, marketing, and operations.
Accomplished professional development planner and implementer. Key projects
include collaborating to establish professional learning communities (PLCs)
crossing school divisions that utilized social media to enhance staff learning,
classroom application to support 21st century teaching and learning, and a
culture of professional development.
Showcased strength serving as lead spokesman and representative for the
school, working to secure increased annual communal allocations, grant funding,
and an emergency grant of over $300K to alleviate operating debt from prior
administrations.
Excellence advancing annual fundraising beyond budgeted goals, raising more
than $1 million for the first time in the school’s history while partnering with lay
leadership and staff to secure gifts, which more than doubled the size of the
school’s endowment.
Refocused development efforts on stewardship to help earn the confidence of a
growing circle of donors while increasing parent participation to a record 88%.
Led self-study process for an independent school accreditation, developing
processes for reflection on all areas of school operations and resulting in a
successful re-accreditation.
Revitalized school management structure and hired senior leadership to
supervise efforts in institutional advancement and academics.
Introduced design thinking to help staff and students explore school problems
using a human-centered approach to problem solving and innovation.
education
Johns Hopkins University
Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies,
School Administration and Supervision 2007
Temple University
Doctor of Philosophy, School Psychology 2005
Master of Education, School Psychology 2001
Rutgers University
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology and Hebraic
Studies 1999
skills
Curriculum Design
Design Thinking
Education Administration
Facilities Management
Financial Oversight
Fundraising
Grant Writing
Operations
Partnership Development
Project Management
Psychoeducational Assessment
School Behavioral Health
Spokesperson
Staff Supervision and Development
Strategic Planning and Analysis
certifications
Nationally Certified School Psychologist
employment
Head of School
Gross Schechter Day School
Pepper Pike, OH
Jul 2013 to Jun 2015
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Provided support to Board of Directors and its committees as lead professional.
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Spearheaded the creation of an Infant Care Center to strengthen the school’s admissions feeder system and provide additional
revenue.
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Executed design-thinking training for the faculty and supported a team participating in the Day School Collaboration Network’s
design thinking and adaptive leadership training program.
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Created dynamic programming to engage the outside community with the school including a pre-natal course for expectant
parents, winter open gym sessions, and thematic Sunday play-dates for preschool age families in partnership with outside
organizations.
ari yares
non-profit leader| innovative educator | school administrator
Upper School Principal
Schechter School of Long Island
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Williston Park, NY
Aug 2012 to Jun 2013
Managed the day-to-day operations of the middle school (6th through 8th grade) and high school (9th through 12th grade)
divisions of a Jewish day school with a dual-language curriculum.
Directed staff of 50 full- and part-time faculty and staff members.
Established new processes to support oversight of the Williston Park campus.
Head of Middle School
Krieger Schechter Day School of Chizuk Amuno Congregation
Baltimore, MD
Jul 2008 to Jun 2012
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Managed the day-to-day operations of the 5th through 8th grade division of a Jewish day school with a dual-language curriculum.
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Supervised a staff of 40 full- and part-time faculty members.
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Led crisis management for the school and synagogue, working in coordination with Johns Hopkins Hospital Emergency Network
to provide emergency response training for staff and students.
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Administrative liaison to school’s Technology Department; led technology expansion, including interactive white boards,
additional mobile computer labs, and integrating technology in instruction.
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Liaison for website redesign and initiated social media presence; content supervisor for website, Twitter, and Facebook.
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Coordinated logistics and educational program for annual 8th grade Israel trip.
School Psychologist
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Annapolis, MD
Jul 2004 to Jun 2008
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Provided psycho-educational assessment, counseling, crisis intervention, and teacher consultation.
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Led psychological services for a self-contained program for 6th to 8th graders with an emotional disturbance.
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Implemented the school’s Student Support Process and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program in middle
schools.
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Chaired the Psychological Services Technology Committee and the Student Services Evidence-Based Interventions Committee,
and served as a member of the Psychological Services Advisory Council, the Psychological Services Handbook Committee.
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Served as a PBIS regional coach and Trauma Team member.
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Wrote and edited a monthly e-zine for teachers and other school staff that presented best practices and resources in various
areas of psychology and education.
previous career overview
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School Psychology Intern | Newark (NJ) Public Schools
Instructor| College of Education | Temple University
Group Leader | USY on Wheels | United Synagogue Youth
Fieldworker | United Synagogue Youth | New Jersey
Region
Rosh Edah (Division Head) | Camp Ramah in the
Berkshires
significant professional development
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Day School Collaboration Network, Jewish Education
Project, September 2012 – June 2014
Fellow, Day School Leadership Training Institute,
May 2011 – July 2012
13th Wingate Seminar: Leading Technology Innovation in
Schools, World ORT, January 2012
Improving Schools: The Art of Leadership, Principal’s
Center, Harvard University, July 2008
selected listing of publications and presentations
Yares, A.S. (2012, January 9). Going Google: A Jewish day school’s experience with Google Apps for Education. Presentation at the 13th
Annual Wingate Seminar: Leading Technology Innovation in Schools. London, UK.
Martin, C. & Yares, A. S. (2007, July 25). School, community, and family Partnerships. Presentation at the School Health Interdisciplinary
Program Conference. Ellicott City, MD.
Yares, A. S. (2007, June 25). E-handouts from your school psychologist. Poster session presented at the National Education Computing
Conference. Atlanta, GA.
Yares, A. S., Riley-Tillman, T. C., Fiorello, C. A., & McGrath, M. C. (2005). The virtual student: Using technology to teach school psychology.
In M. O. Thirunarayanan & A. Perez-Prado (Eds.), Integrating Technology in Higher Education. Lanham, MD: University Press of
America, Inc.
Hyman, I. A. and Yares, A. S. (2002). Trauma, treatment, and religion: Dealing with children’s fears since the World Trade Center attacks.
Journal of Religious and Theological Information, 5(1), 7-29.