Movers and Shakers: Temple Beth Sholom Schools Appoints New Director

SARASOTA – Temple Beth Sholom Schools (www.tbsschools.org), a Sarasota preschool to eighth grade private school, will welcome Daniel Ceaser as the school’s director in July 2015.

Ceaser, who is visiting the Sarasota area until Friday, Oct. 31, is a nationally recognized school leader with over a decade of administrative leadership experience. In his new role, Ceaser will be responsible for all aspects of the operational and instructional programming at TBS Schools.

TBS Schools launched a search and selection committee in March 2014 after the previous TBS Schools director Kavita Vasil, who held the position for 20 years, relocated to be with family.

“We knew we had some big shoes to fill,” said Wendy Katz, intern director of TBS Schools, “but Dan’s extensive experience, entrepreneurial vision, passion for technology, education and well-aligned curriculum knowledge of the Reggio Emilia Approach and project-based learning set him apart. A hallmark of Dan’s leadership is his daily connection to students and families, and we are confident he will lead our school into the future, preparing our students to tackle the challenges beyond their years with us. He has a record for working closely with teachers and parents to design programs regarded for balancing academic rigor while supporting the social and emotional needs of children,” said Katz.

Ceaser is currently the middle school director at the Kentucky Country Day School located in Louisville, Ky. Under his leadership, the Kentucky Country Day middle school became a national model for 21st century innovation and project-based learning. Ceaser established a partnership with Google to become the first independent middle school in the nation to implement a 1:1 Chromebook platform.

Prior to that, Ceaser served as the executive director and founder of KIPP Tech Valley Charter School, the highest performing public middle school in Albany, N.Y. He has also served as the chair of the Teach For America Corps’ Member Advisory Council in Washington D.C. and on the inaugural Washington Post Teacher Advisory Board and contributed to curriculum for the Anti-Defamation League and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

“I am thrilled and honored to have been selected to lead a school that has been a model of academic excellence in Sarasota for over 25 years,” said Caeser, soon-to-be director of Temple Beth Sholom Schools. “The schools’ students are known for showing exceptional ownership over what they learn and are not only scholars but leaders within their community. As a parent and educator, I’m excited by the school’s unique, project-based curriculum, academic rigor and intimate classroom environment. Joining the vibrant community of Temple Beth Sholom Schools has felt like being welcomed into a large, close-knit family.”

A graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Education and the Fisher School Leadership Institute at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, he also holds a master’s degree in teaching from American University and a bachelor’s degree from Colorado College.

Ceaser’s wife Katherine, also an educator, grew up in Sarasota and graduated from Pine View High School and the University of South Florida. The couple’s three daughters will be attending TBS Schools next year.

Daniel Ceaser, soon-to-be director of TBS Schools

About TBS Schools

Temple Beth Sholom (TBS), a Sarasota preschool to 8th grade private school, is open to all faiths and established its preschool program in 1974. TBS Schools has been in its current building located at 1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota, Fla. since January 1988. The Justin Lee Wiesner preschool program consists of classes for baby play and children up to 4 years of age. The Goldie Feldman Academy (GFA) was founded in 1992 as an expansion of the Justin Lee Wiesner Preschool. It has continued to grow and flourish under the careful guidance of the administration, dedicated teachers, volunteer leadership, staff and the demand for excellence from its parents. At GFA, TBS Schools nurtures the whole child as one who is capable of an infinite amount of possibilities. The caring and qualified staff is committed to helping each student reach his/her full potential.

The Goldie Feldman Academy at Temple Beth Sholom is the only private Jewish school in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Justin Lee Wiesner Preschool is accredited by Florida Kindergarten Council. Goldie Feldman Academy is accredited by the Florida Kindergarten Council and the Florida Council of Independent Schools. For more information, visit www.tbsschools.org.