A class Beth Rivkah students learning learning in the front yard of a teachers home on April 3rd after a work strike by teachers forces classes to take place in private homes.

Beis Rivka Teachers to Continue Strike

In a letter to parents, Beis Rivkah Primary Teachers in grades 1 through 3 write that they are forced to continue a work strike, which began before Pesach. Representatives for the striking teachers alleged that the administration was actively preventing the teachers from being paid by the board, a charge which was vehemently denied by a source close to the administration, who told CrownHeights.info that “nothing has changed.”

The following is the letter from the teachers:

Dear Parents,

We hope you all had an enjoyable Yom tov.

We have met with the new board. They made it clear to us that they stand behind their commitment to Bais Rivkah and would like to move ahead with paying the teachers the money owed.

The board had also explained to us that the current administration is not allowing them to fulfill their commitment.

Unfortunately, we the teachers are forced to suspend school until this is resolved.

Signed,
The Primary Teachers
Grades 1-3

CrownHeights.info requested that clarification be made on the accusation that the school administration was “not allowing” the “board” to “fulfill their commitment” and received the following response: “We cannot elaborate at this point. But these are the facts.”

A source close to the administration of the school countered, saying “let them do what they were doing until now.” Adding “there is no action being done to prevent the board from doing what they were doing until now in order to pay the teachers.”

This story has been update to include a comment from a source close to the schools administration

28 Comments

  • what a charade

    whoever is organizing this strike on behalf oh the teachers just showed their true colors and that they are not simply a group of teachers that want to be paid.

    they are activists that are simply using out a group of teachers who just want to teach children and get paid to further some hidden agenda.

    yuck!

    • Not a BR teacher

      So you are inconvenienced. Tell the truth…. would YOU work for months without being paid?

      No, I didn’t think so.

    • who said they are?

      whoever told you that they are paid up? maybe they just care too much about their students and simply figured that a better time to strike would be at the beginning of a school year rather then at the tail end of it?

  • This is a travesty!

    No, not the teachers.
    Would you, a chef, bookkeeper, librarian, architect, slow up at work if there was no pay check at the end of the week (or other pay period)?

    The girls are suffering. Even the little ones can sense there is discord, and it is harming then emotionally.

    Parents, it’s 2 months till the end of the year. Pay your teachers directly, and let classes continue in your dining rooms.
    Don’t register for the 5778 school year.
    When BR sees that you are serious, and the student body is shrinking, maube the administrators will wake up and do whatever is needed to fix this mess once and for all.

  • Moishe pipek

    The fish begins to stink from it’s head.It is time for a new administration!

  • Chaya

    Something here don’t sound right! Why would the administration not allow the current board not to pay the teachers!! I wish the true story would finally come out and stop making the administration look bad!!!! There’s 2 sides to the story ! We are only hearing the boards story

    • SB

      THE UNFORTUNATE OTHER SIDE.
      The new board are a bunch of savvy business men.
      HOWEVER, the old administration is a step ahead of them.
      The true isue now is that the new board just found out that they are legally NOT an official board.
      The old administration pulled a fast curvball at them.
      The only way for them to get there money back. (yes at 12.3%) will be to foreclose the property that was ment for the schools expansion.
      At the end of the day, the sad fact is that the students just got doubly screwed ……….

  • what have they done?!

    this board seems to have come in and make a bunch of promises and now they cant keep them… so instead they are blaming everyone else

    but the joke is on us the parents since we are left holding the bag!

  • FAKE

    I call FAKE NEWS. This is just a half story which screams that something dirty is going on behind the scenes!

  • bubeh maises

    when will the community stop being treated like little children and when will we hear the real whole story?

    maybe if this was all out in the open will we finally get this resolved?!

  • audit needed

    An audit is needed. To see which people have been pocketing away moneys belonging to the school. Properties that they have bought and placed under family members names. It’s dirty.

  • Hotline

    A hotline has been setup to amswer queations from parents and teachers. Please call (267) 974-1366 to have your concerns heard and questions answered.

  • something smells

    There are a few points that people either dont know or are forgetting
    #1 the current vaad (or previous version) have turned the financial office upside down and sideways auditing and asking for records going back 10-15 years and they were given all records that they asked for , then they arranged loans st high interest and did not BRING in any major monies to the school.

    #2 the Administration (as every Chaim, Yankel and Todres calls them) are not suppose to ( or authorized to ) fund raise monies ,their job is to run the school with money that either comes from tuition { which doesn’t even cover (JUST) the Teacher salary}, or any other expenses like electricity, water, food, maintenance expenses,or any 1001 other expenses.those monies are suppose are suppose to be raised by ONE individual ,that now that there is a “VAAD” they are suppose to bring in funds… which hasn’t happened…….

    #3 the new vaad has promised that they will make sure that the teachers will be paid on time, they missed oone paycheck, came the time for the next,, MISSED.. after the second missed they sent out a letter that they have no money for the first and when they do, they will Pay!!!!!!! 4 missed no paycheck,, forget about the 7 from last year…….

    its not the fault of the administrators that no money is brought in, ITS NOT THEIR JOB..THE QUESTION IS who’s job is it to put funds in the payroll account?

    I dont think I need to write more .

    ps to all that say audit there is a federal line by line audit done every couple of years,BR just did it last year!!!

  • KMR

    THIS LETTER WAS JUST RECEIVED BY THE PARENTS….

    Dear Parents,

    Our teachers have been called to an emergency meeting tomorrow in reference to the financial crises Bais Rivkah finds itself in which directly impacts our teachers. This meeting
    will begin at twelve o’clock. Therefore, school will begin for grades 4-8 at nine o’clock and dismissal will be at twelve. There will be regular bus transportation at nine but no buses for dismissal. Lunch will be served.
    We are hopeful that we will be able to find a resolution that will ensure the educational continuity of your daughters.

    We thank you for your patience.

    Mrs. Altein 
    Mrs. Jacobson

  • Learning the truth

    Why is mp making over 120000 a year for fundraising and hasn’t brought $1.

  • Watching and laughing

    Why is the board taking intrest of 12.3% when you are not allowed to take from a mosed?

  • ....

    Wake up and smell the coffee you were all being lied at about the board and 1 man stand behind all this R. Avrahom Shemtov!

  • The kangeroo

    Declare the Beis Rivka a Chabad House on campus and get support from the Rohr foundation.

  • Again!

    Those that talk don’t know and those that know don’t talk…
    Do the editors of this website have a heter from Rabonim to publish all of these personal accusations?

  • AMAZING TEACHERS

    I am backing these teachers 1000000%, good job, stand up for what is yours and dont let people take control of you because they are hiding behind religious clothing.
    Keep it up teachers