Governor to Veto Funding for Private Special-Ed
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will veto a bill requiring school officials to consider religion and other family beliefs when approving taxpayer-funded tuition for special-education students at private schools, an administration official said.
The bill passed the state Legislature with bipartisan support in June, pushed largely by Jewish and Catholic organizations that said some special-needs children could only learn in a setting that closely reflected their family life.
The measure would have required education officials to consider “home environment and family background” when deciding on school placement and streamlined tuition reimbursements to parents.
School-district officials said the bill could result in a voucherlike system for special-needs children, creating a cottage industry of private schools catering to families of varying religions, lifestyles and backgrounds—all paid for with government funds. Private tuition and transportation for special-education students can cost $100,000 a year per child.
A Cuomo administration official said the governor viewed the bill as “an unfunded mandate that would place a significant burden on local school districts.”
The bill passed the Republican-controlled state Senate 47-13 and the Democratic-controlled Assembly by 93-50 on June 21, the Legislature’s last day of session. Spokesmen for both houses declined to comment.
Leah Steinberg, director of special-education affairs for Agudath Israel of America, said the bill would have saved parents from proving their child needed to be in a special school each year. “The parents are going to be very
disappointed,” she said. “The parents go through this every year, and it’s a torturous process.”
Rdz
While I am not familiar with this bill, at first glance, I am agreement with the governor. As a special education teacher myself, I would have a very hard time advocating for such a bill. I certainly recognize the need to respect and incorporate a child’s culture into his or her education setting, but nowhere in federal law or in any study that I know of suggests that this is the major issue in special education. I feel that the real reason behind all this is that frum parents do not want to send their child to a public school.
I now that feeling very well. I am a parent of a special needs child, but I also see and know of a lot of corruption in the area of special education with Jewish schools. I know personally some schools that are incompetent with respects to safety and that are running scams (lots of illegal billing and the like).
Sadly, I have little faith in Jewish schools to do things properly in this area. There is a lot of money involved in this and people often seek to line their pockets or that of the yeshiva, instead of where the money is ment to go.
Vote the bum out!
Maybe WE should veto the huge taxes for education when our kids don’t get a whiff of benefit! ARE YOU LISTENING, GOVERNOR? Maybe he’ll listen at election time. If not, you voters know what to do.
What-s the Connection???
What’s the connection between the article and the picture??? The picture is of Cheder at the Ohel which is NOT a special ed class or school!!!!!!!!
A hard working citizen
To number #1
I understand where you are coming from, but don’t kid yourself the public school system is even more corrupt that you can imagine.
The moral of the story is that if people want to steal it does not make a difference where they are, the government needs to start monitoring all these programs more efficiently and prevent all the corruption from the top down.
Rabbi Pinchos Woolstone
Where-ever and whenever there is money to be drawn from the public purse they will be corruption.
All communities are involved.
Yes, #1 frum parentS do not want their children going to public schools that is obvious, it is religious suicide.We want Chinuch and we want an exclusive jewish environment.
Lets not beat around the bush, with politically correct nonsense.
This is America, if we pay taxes we can demand our fair share of government funding.
Yes, we must advocate at the highest level.
Aguda is doing an excellent job, more strength to them
Rdz
I do not deny that there is corruption in the public schools as well, I am not naive. Nevertheless, I visited a few schools for my special needs son and was greatly disappointed with the Jewish ones. The public school seemed to have the most competent teacher and was the most accepting of my son.
The public school was not snobby and did not turn me away because I was not from their religious community. One of the Jewish schools encouraged me not so send my son to their school and had many obvious safety violations! Another once told me that since we do not speak Yiddish at home, they do not have to take my son. All of these were government funded! If I reported this to CSE they would have a field day!
To those like number three, what basis is there to have government funding of private religious schools? Believe me, I wish there was, but I cannot find any. Just because we want something does not mean that the government can or should do something. The basis of the bill seems to suggest that the government should fund these schools because Jewish kids would be unable to learn in public. This is not the case. I respect free choice and not wanting to send our children to public schools, but I do know of any legal reason for the government to do so.
Rdz
I do not deny that there is corruption in public schools as well. But it was not a public school that told me that since I do not speak Yiddish at home, they do not have to accept my son. It was not a public school that tried to convince me not to send my son to their school and had many obvious safety violations. It was not a public school that tries to reject students that are not from their chassidic group. These were government funded Jewish schools. If I told CSE all those schools could get in serious trouble. The public school was very glad to give me a tour and show me and my wife around the program.
I wish that there were Jewish options for special needs, but there are very few and they are often unwelcoming to certain jews they do not like (I.e. you are not from their group).
Not everything that we want should the government do. Why should the government pay for private religious special education schools? Should they pay for secular private special education schools? Federal law requires that the state provide free and appropiate PUBLIC education for your child (FAPE). Yes, a state can go an pass a law giving additional funding for this purpose, but why would it? Is it really beneficial educationally for the child? Are we suggesting that the child cannot learn in the situation provided by the state? A very hard argument. If the school the state suggests for you child is not appropiate, then you can go about suing them and getting them to pay for a private school.
Sorry for the long rant.