When you walk into Dr. Debora Parks’ office, on the main hallway just left of the foyer, a shock of organization hits you in the face: the push pins neatly sit in her bulletin board in a row at the same 135-degree angle and there isn’t a single paper out of place. And that’s exactly what Dr. Parks hopes to accomplish: organization at Shalhevet.
As the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Parks will help both general and Judaic studies teachers develop and organize their curriculum and evaluate the teachers on their performance in the classroom.
“I want this school to shine and I want to be a part of that,” Dr. Parks told The Boiling Point. “I want this school to be more organized and move forward. I want people to take our school more seriously, our curriculum, teachers and mission.”
Last year, Dr. Parks was the General Studies Principal of the Lower schools, but she is excited for her new position.
“I was supposed to be Director of Admissions which I’ve never done before, but halfway through the summer that changed,” Dr. Parks said. “This is what my training is in and I’m really happy.”
Before working at Shalhevet, Dr. Parks was the General Studies principal at Maimonides Academy for 11 years.
“She was incredible at her job,” said senior Meshi Amzalag, who went to Maimonides. “She was extremely fair and understanding. She knew how to handle things in a proper manner. She was also very approachable which was very comforting.”
In between her time at Maimonides and at Shalhevet, Dr. Parks took three years off to accomplish some more artistic goals.
Dr. Parks worked in photography, made jewelry, published her writing, and even made a short film which was played at eight different film festivals, all while relaxing from the stress of 11 years as principal.
“After three years, I got a call from Shalhevet and I felt like I accomplished as much as I needed to in the artistic field and was ready to come back,” Dr. Parks said.
Dr. Parks said her favorite thing about Shalhevet is the level of tolerance.
“People aren’t so judgmental here—students, faculty and parents,” she said, “and people aren’t as materialistic as they’ve been at other places I’ve worked.”
