In New York, the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community wields power because it votes as a bloc. Governors and mayors do their bidding. Their religious schools receive millions of dollars of state and federal aid for various services, yet they are completely unregulated. The absence of any oversight has enabled the most sectarian of schools to avoid teaching English, science, and other subjects that are considered foundational to basic education. A few graduates of these schools have led a campaign to force the state to set minimal standards for schools receiving public funds.
The New York State Education Department attempted to do so, but stirred up a hornets’ nest. Outstanding independent schools, whose graduates are prepared for Ivy League colleges, sued the state to block oversight, fearful that they too would be supervised by the state.
The yeshivas sued and won in court yesterday because the State Education Department failed to release appropriate regulations for oversight.
Will the state try again?
In New York, separation of church and state means that religious schools get public money with no public accountability.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
The stench is unbearable: ed reformers send their kids to private, independent schools, which went to court to prevent NYSED from examining their curriculum (and they won!). So reformers who would force public schools to do what reformers want are unwilling to submit their own kids to their wonderful “reforms.” At what point do we say “NO MORE” cooperation with such a corrupt, abusive, dishonest, incompetent reform regime? Our government grows more illegitimate by the minute. Scary times. Say “NO” to oligarchy. DO NOT cooperate with oligarchy. Contest oligarchy.
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Other People’s Kids…
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I believe in promoting the value of the common school with an additional attribute: “publicly managed”. Publicly managed attribute I want associated with common school in order to shine a light on an important difference between common school and charter schools.
Difference I’m trying to lift up is that charter schools I’m concerned about are “privately” managed. This is the great divide between the two. They are both publicly funded. Whereas publicly managed public school is management for the common good. Privately managed charter school is managed for a private purpose that is decided by management.
This difference between public schools and privately managed charter schools shows up in court rulings whereby case law has determined that a privately managed charter school is not government agent and employees of charter schools do not have equal civil rights and standing of an employee of a public school.
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Public money should come with strings attached. New York used to keep public and private separate. However, the state was sued by religious groups seeking Title 1 services. That was how public money started tricking out of public schools to religious schools. Since that time public school districts have also been made to pay for transportation, library, special education and psychological services for private schools within their boundaries, and there is zero accountability.
It is easy to wag a finger at so many red states that are using public money in religious schools. Yet, New York has been doing it for years to placate the ultra conservative Orthodox communities.
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The Supreme Court has held repeatedly, that it is perfectly constitutional for school districts to provide administrative and logistical support to non-public schools. And it is constitutional to provide families with financial support to meet the costs at non-public schools. And it is constitutional to compel school districts to assist families with a special-needs child, to meet the costs at a non-public special school.
I think it is terrific, that the Orthodox Jewish community (and others) are exercising their political muscle, to obtain additional choices and control over their children’s education.
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Charles,
Do you think it is terrific that the Orthodox Jewish schools teach their classes in Yiddish and that students learn the Talmud but not science or history? Do you know that they receive millions and millions of dollars in federal and state aid with no expectation that their students will learn English? Do you know that their graduates are fit for nothing but teaching in a yeshiva or working in their family business? Are you aware that this community is the epicenter of the measles epidemic in New York State because they are scientifically illiterate and believe rumors, not medicine? Do you want a nation of ignorant people? Are you a spy for a hostile nation?
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I had an Orthodox student teacher that spoke Yiddish. She went on to teach in Kiryas Joel. She had one gender classes, and she could not have a classroom library which was considered too secular. Many students suffered from cognitive impairment which she thought came from too much intermarriage. She opposed the practice of “child brides,” which sometimes occurs here.
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Public Schools and Public School Teachers ADD VALUE and are democracies in action. Public Schools MATTER more than ever.
Two points:
Sure hope people remember John Dewey and his work, and
Do READ: Chasing New Horizons: Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto by Alan Stern and David Grinspoon. This is one of the best book I have ever read. Not only will those who read this book learn so much, but it is inspiring … and for me one of the many understandings that stood out is how ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL curriculum (FACTORY approach to learning) is a HUGE detriment to the present and future of our country.
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Yes, the orthodox Jewish community votes as a large, solid bloc and will vote either GOP or Dem depending on who funnels the most public money with the least restrictions. Black folks also vote as a bloc, but they are the most loyal constituency in the Democratic Party who will not switch en masse to the GOP, about 90% regularly pulling the lever for Dem candidates. Orthodox Jewish bloc votes receive legal and fiscal advantages b/c Black folks will not switch to the GOP as will the Orthodox bloc so the crony politicians feel free to ignore Black needs. If Black folks had another political party to vote for, they’d be in a stronger position to compel govt. to privilege them too. At the moment, the GOP is not an option for the Black community as it is for the Orthodox.
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I find in interesting, that after a Republican (Abe Lincoln) freed the slaves, and after freed blacks were given the vote, they were the most reliable voting bloc in the Republican party.
It was liberal Republicans like Sen. Everett Dirksen (R-IL), who worked quietly behind the scenes, to push through civil rights legislation.
Today, (Ira Shor) says, blacks are solidly Democratic, in their voting.
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Charles, if you knewany history, which you don’t, you would understand why blacks voted Republican in gratitude for Lincoln, then switched to Democrats after Republicans became the party of racism and reaction in the 1920s and 1930s.
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It was actually desegregation that started pushing the South away from Democrats. I hope you did not think I meant the schools. Nope, it was the armed forces in 1948 by Truman. Then in 54 came the schools. Kenedy and Johnson drove the final nails in the coffin for the Southern Democrats.
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Edit: Kennedy
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