Although the Ramaz Upper School enters the 2022-23 school year without an official principal at its helm, the leadership team has been reworked, and administrators’ formal titles and responsibilities have been cemented this year. In an email to parents on August 23rd, Mr. Cannon, Head of School, outlined the Upper School’s management duties and presented a list of the core administrators: Ms. Krupka, Rabbi Schiowitz, Dr. Jucovy, Ms. Brachot, Rabbi Dov, and Ms. Messinger. While these faculty members are all experienced administrators, they will be working together this year in newly-implemented roles that best support the Upper School.

         Ms. Krupka, formerly Dean of Faculty, and Rabbi Schiowitz, formerly Director of Judaic Studies and Religious Life, have been named Associate Principals. Ms. Krupka and Rabbi Schiowitz are longtime administrators at the Upper School. Their promotion signifies that they will play an increased role in the school’s running as the search for a full-time principal continues. Ms. Krupka explained in an interview that though she and Rabbi Schiowitz will largely hold onto their duties from last year, the change has “solidified the leadership role in terms of title.” Furthermore, Ms. Krupka and Rabbi Schiowitz will continue to hold positions outside of associate principal. Ms. Krupka, who is also the Freshman Grade Dean, will also serve as the Tanakh Department Chair as Rabbi Stavsky, who was its head last year, made aliyah this past summer. Rabbi Schiowitz will remain the Director of Judaic Studies, overseeing the Jewish educational aspect and religious life of the Upper School. He will also remain as the Talmud Department Chair.

Mr. Cannon also announced in his email that Rabbi Dov Pianko, formerly the Director of Programming and Student Life, has been appointed the Upper School’s Dean of Students. Rabbi Dov will continue to coordinate Shabbatonim, co-curriculars, trips, and schoolwide activities, while also take a more active role in fine-tuning the entire student experience. Ms. Krupka and Rabbi Dov analogized that, while the associate principals oversee student life from the “top-down” by implementing schoolwide procedures and coordinating scheduling, Rabbi Dov seeks to develop programs and address issues within the student body from “the bottom and up.” They then work together to form a productive, enjoyable, and all-encompassing student experience by considering all points of view.

Another important leadership announcement was the installation of Ms. Brachot as the Director of General Studies, a newly-created position in the Upper School. Ms. Brachot, the Science and RamTEC Department Chair, and last year’s Sophomore Grade Dean, is an experienced administrator at the Upper School. She will collaborate closely with Dr. Jucovy, who serves as the Director of Humanities, to oversee secular studies at Ramaz. They will best deliver students with a well-rounded education. In her new role, Ms. Brachot has already made positive contributions by developing, planning, and making available this year’s test calendar, which, unlike in years past, lays out the complete list of tests and their dates for the entire school year.

The Upper School leadership team also includes Ms. Messinger, who remains in her role as the Dean of College Guidance, and will be a crucial contributor to the Upper School administration. Aside from overseeing the college guidance department, she has also developed grading procedures and helped institute school policies.

As the search for a principal continues, the reinvention of the leadership team has provided a glimpse of which administrators and faculty members will play important roles in the Ramaz Upper School for the years to come. Rabbi Dov, speaking about the administration, applauded the hard work of teachers and administrators and said, “I truly think everyone’s goal is really [to] have the best for the students.”