Petition to Stop NYS Interference in Schools Gains Traction

A petition to New York State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia demanding she retract guidelines designed to force a curriculum on private schools has gained traction in just a single day.

by crownheights.info

A petition started by Rabbi Yosef Churba demanding that New York State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia retract guidelines designed to force a curriculum on private schools has garnered over 17,000 signatures as of 12:45pm Thursday.

The guidelines, directed that all private schools, including yeshivas, require inspections to enforce the new curriculum, and would require all yeshiva teachers to be evaluated by the State. This new curriculum comes with a comprehensive course list, including seven required classes for grades 1-5, and 11 required classes for grades 5-8.The State is even imposing the amount of time each course must be taught, with a total of seven hours a day of secular studies in grades 5-8.

These guidlines are even stricter than those of public schools, who are only required to provide 5 hours a day, of instruction.

Many Rabbonim have publicly come out against the guidelines, and more have publicly spoken out against them.

To sign the petition: Click Here

10 Comments

  • B.R. Chetrit

    These parents who want a good English education, must understand that these new guidlines forced on the Yeshivas, is a Persecution on the Jewish Community, an nothing ti do with educatiin. I hope these parents understand how important it is to sign this petition against this Gezeira.

  • rz

    i may have misunderstood the original issue here, but from what i understood, the government is giving money to yeshivas to teach secular subjects. it seems they are changing the requirements to get this funding. yeshivas can either comply and get the funding or decide not to take it.

    regardless, i still disagree with holding yeshivas to stricter standards than public schools. I i am incorrect with what i understand, please let me know nicely.

    • Milhouse

      You completely misunderstand the issue. It has absolutely nothing to do with funding. It wouldn’t matter if a yeshiva didn’t get a penny, not even for buses, lunches, security, or anything else, they still have to provide what the state calls an “adequate education”, and if they don’t the children will be forced to go to a school that does. Even home schooling needs to comply with this standard, or the children are forced to go to school.

      Yes, this means literally that if they are caught the police will come and forcibly take the children to an approved school, just like it was in the USSR. That is why most yeshivas have compromised and do have some limudei chol, so they can tell the state that they’re complying with the standard, even if only minimally. Those that remain al taharas hakodesh get by on nissim, lo yechratz, and the fact that they’re relatively few.

      But now the state is raising its standard to such a level that it will be impossible for any religious school — Jewish, Xian, or Moslem — to comply, which means closing down all religious schools.

    • heshel mandel

      hi. no its not only funding, its making kids whos parents are sending to those schools truant.

  • Ahavasyisroel

    This will actually hurt modern orthodox schools the most, where most of the parents are struggling with tuition. They will be told sorry not good enough…tuition will have to go up and more kids will go to public school

  • Ahavasyisroel

    There is a reason why NY Times used a picture of Yeshiva of Flatbush, a very modern orthodox school as an example of a ‘subpar’ yeshiva. They are going after everyone…think!

  • to RZ

    Incorrect. The government does not give any money for teaching secular subjects. They provide busing, which is an expense funded by taxes and separate from what school a parent chooses to send their child to. If the yeshivas were taking money to teach secular subjects and not doing it there would be at least some legitimacy to the government’s claim, but there is nothing. In fact, OT does not even take this money and instead they use their own buses anyway. There is also a minimal stipend for text books, but the yeshivas can certainly do without that. Anyway, I signed and it’s important to do so, ober mir darf nisht nispoel vern. Sheloi echod bilvod omad oleinu lchaloseinu vHKBH matzileinu miyodom.

  • To Chananya

    You may wish to have that. People with whatever background will sometimes complain and wish things were different.

    So now you have the free choice to give that to your kids, let others exercise their free choice about what they want to give their kids.

    The solution is not that what you believe is good for you and your kids, to try to impose and force on others.

    I can argue that being Frum and not learning secular studies leads to a happier life and maybe studies can even prove it, but that doesn’t mean you should lose your free choice about how to raise your kids. Same applies here, don’t force your beliefs on others.

    Those who don’t like the Yeshiva system can leave it or create something different. Don’t be a fascist and try to force others to do what you want.

  • רחל

    1. It’s never good to have Govt fix your problems. BJE should monitor educational standards in Jewish schools. For YAFFED’s complaints to be satisfied Jewish schools need to cooperate or we will need Govt for enforcement.
    2. Let the Novominsker remove statue of limitations for lawsuits against sexual predators by children who have been molested. והאלקים יבקש את הנרדף

  • Sam

    NYS Education 2018 scores

    % of Students Proficient in ELA in Grades 3-8 – Big 5 City School Districts

    NYC
    46.7

    Buffalo
    23.4

    Rochester
    11.4

    Syracuse
    15.4

    Yonkers
    26.7

    % of Students Proficient in Math in Grades 3-8 – Big 5 City School Districts

    2018

    NYC
    42.7

    Buffalo
    21.0

    Rochester
    10.7

    Syracuse
    13.5

    Yonkers
    29.4

    This is what they are practicing the whole day, is this called success?

    We want our kids to score much better in everything we teach them.

    http://www.nysed.gov/news/2018/state-education-department-releases-spring-2018-grades-3-8-ela-math-assessment-results