Albany – A New York State assemblywoman has called on the governor to intervene in the contentious topic of East Ramapo School District involving the school board and lagging public school funding.
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Capital New York (http://bit.ly/Qgzbap) reports that Ellen Jaffee (D-N.Y.) wrote a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo requesting that the state intervene and take control of financial and educational decision-making of the school district where mostly black, Haitian American and Latino children attend.
Members of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community make up the majority of the East Ramapo school board despite the fact that most of their own children go to private schools or yeshivas, a fact Jaffee brings to the governor’s attention in her letter.
“The East Ramapo Central School District is one of the most unusual in New York State in that its board is controlled by persons opposed to public school education.”
Jaffee is requesting Cuomo’s support of the Rockland Clergy for Social Justice, a group of interfaith clergy who are working on behalf of the students in the hopes that they will be afforded the opportunity to receive a “sound basic education.”
I have a simple solution for all these caring people.
Free Orthodox Jews from paying school tax, I promise they won’t mind the school budget.
As long as they’re a majority, and paying taxes, they have a say in the these decisions.
What is the governor going to do if the voters in East Ramapo school district will vote down a his budget forced upon them?
Do you believe in the concept “No taxation without representation”?
Cuomo is afraid of losing the bloc vote and will do nothing to help these kids. There are even many frum kids who are now attending the high schools and their parents are protesting the lack of services. I am thrilled to see the Frum population growing because it means these kids will have a future since they are being taught English, math and science which they were not learning in their yeshivas. How is it that yeshivas can charge thousands of dollars and not provide basic core classes like English, math and science? How can a kid survive without learning how to add and subtract?
The Assemblywoman errs is saying that the Board members are “persons opposed to public school education.” They don’t send their own children to the public schools but they are not opposed to public school education. Everyone recognizes that availability of universal public school education benefits society although it isn’t appropriate for all children. An educated citizenry is necessary to create and maintain a workforce and tax payers.
Here’s a suggestion: how about fixing the funding structure so that ALL students are counted? The state funding formula counts only public school students, thus ignoring the majority of students in the district. And to the public school parents whining about how the kids have lousy band uniforms (you can read all about it in past Journal “News” articles), well, guess what? Schools all over the country are struggling to fund extracurricular activities. And don’t blame me for East Ramapo’s test scores – my kids’ schools find ways to do a lot more with a lot less money.
Jaffe was never on board with ERSD she plays politics with kids lives, it’s election season so a nice write up in Albany can’t hurt, Ellen you couldn’t care less!
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Assembly-District-98
It appears that the other half of Ramapo does currently has a vacant seat? Looks like taking advantage?
I think there will be a new assembly position available
Charlie, Liberals and Conservatives are not congenital enemies. We both are sincerely concerned with the public good although we may have differing views on how best to accomplish it. There areas where our views coincide, public funding of portions of private education being one of them. True political dialog requires that each side grand legitimacy and respect to the views of the other side, even though they may disagree. Without that respect, “dialog” becomes “diatribe”.
A gutten Moed.
taxes are a fact regardless of where you send your kids. my parents sent most of us to Catholic school and had no problem with taxes. the board is so obviously corrupt it is amzaing they FBI or state has not alreasy gone in – well duh I can see how the state will not go in. There is a concept of tyranny (sp) of the majority or minority – Because they are the majority can they vote and approve anything?