[poweroften] Important School Board Election Info

Power of Ten Update
In This Issue:
1. Important School Board Election Info
2. East Ramapo Author Publishes New Book
3. Message from School Board Member Carole Anderson

1) Important School Board Election Info

Our candidates have always worked together as a team, together with the community for the best interests of the students. This year, the rights of East Ramapo voters have been affirmed by the court's decision to enforce the Voting Rights Act. Our candidates will be elected by and responsible to the people who use the public schools!

Our candidates are:

Ward 1 - Ashley Leveille

Ward 2 - Sabrina Charles-Pierre

Ward 3 - Sherry McGill

Ward 9 - Carole Anderson

For more information on Our candidates, Our Issues, and Voting Info, visit the campaign webpage at: https://eastramapotogether.wordpress.com/

Like every other campaign, school board campaigns have expenses. There will also be volunteer opportunities. Please visit the campaign webpage for more info: https://eastramapotogether.wordpress.com/

2) East Ramapo Author Publishes New Book

Michael's Legacy - Transcending Life and Death is a new book written by Mark Judelson, an author and playwright whose previous work include "East Ramapo", a play. His new book is about how one family's tragedy became a life-changing story as Michael Bovill's life went on in the five people who received his organs in life-saving transplant operations.

To recognize and support the essential work of the NAACP in general and the Spring Valley Branch in particular, Mark will donate $1.00 of his royalties for each book sold to the Branch by buyers who identify the Branch as their chosen recipient. Visit www.michaels-legacy.com for details.

3) Message from School Board Member Carole Anderson

Recently, I viewed a webinar offered by the New York State School Board Association entitled "Institutional Racism: Raising awareness and meeting the needs of all students" which greatly reminded me of what happened to me when I was in high school. I was failing geometry and my mother went to see the teacher to find out what needed to be done so I could pass. The teacher told my mother that I didn't have the mental ability to be able to comprehend "geometry". My mother told the teacher she would get me a tutor. The teacher told her that she would be wasting her money. Upon hearing what the teacher said I was devastated, but my mother and grandmother wouldn't allow me to dwell in self-pity. They got me a tutor and I received an 80% on the final which forced the teacher to give me 65% as a final grade. The teacher had the nerve to call me in her office to ask me if I had cheated on the final!

How often do our Black and Brown children have to endure similar humiliation? If I didn't have the support of my mother and grandmother I wouldn't be where I am today. They pushed me into going to college where I received a BA in Elementary Education and I went on to get two MAs in Education. They instilled in me that quitting when there is adversity is not an option! We have to give that kind of support to our children in this community. They need to know that we have their backs. Your attendance at meetings informs you of what is going on and what is needed to improve the education for the children of ERCSD.

We not only have to support our children but we have to support our interim Superintendent Dr. Giamartino who is doing an outstanding job. Believe me when I say he has a handle on the situation and can bring about changes if given the chance. The schools in ER didn't get to where they are now overnight; thus, change isn't going to happen overnight. We, as a community, need to be on top of things. Please encourage your friends and neighbors to listen in to school board meetings on YouTube. Information on when meetings happen is available on the district website, https://www.ercsd.org/

 

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[poweroften] 2020-21 School Board Election Update

Power of Ten Update
In This Issue:
1. 2020-21 School Board Election Update
2. Remote Learning Continues?
3. Yaffed Gala

1) 2020-21 School Board Election Update

Due to the historic victory in the NAACP court action, voters in East Ramapo will use a ward system to elect school board members. This system provides that at least some of the school board members will be accountable to the communities of color whose children make up 95% of the students attending the public schools.

Each of nine ward areas will have their own representative on the board. Each voter will vote to select just the one board member who will represent the ward where they live.

Both the May 2020 and May 2021 school board elections are cancelled. The new plan is for an election for all nine board seats in February 2021, and then gradually revert back to a system where three seats are chosen each year, starting in May 2022. There will still be a budget vote each year in May.

The new date for the school board election is Feb 2, 2021. All voting will be by mail-in ballot only. All voters will receive a ballot by mail sometime in January. Watch your mailboxes!

Board members will be required to live in the ward they represent. Some of the candidates who were running in 2020 lived in the same ward as each other, or in a ward where the current board member has had the support of the voters of color in the past. These board members and candidates talked it over, and unified around a common group of candidates who will work together for this election, and will continue to work with the community to maintain the unified voice in support of quality education.

The candidates who were part of the 2020 campaign but who have graciously steeped back for the sake of unity in our community are Kerry Victor and Ana Maeda Gonzalez. They really worked hard and demonstrated the true meaning of teamwork. Our heartfelt thanks go to both for their selfless devotion to the children.

The candidates this for the 2020-21 election have their own webpage: https://eastramapotogether.wordpress.com/. Please visit that page for all the campaign information and updates.

2) Remote Learning Continues?

East Ramapo was among the first districts in the nation to experience school closures due to the pandemic. The impact has been most damaging to those who were most vulnerable. Many students have not been getting remote education due to lack of devices to access the internet and to language and literacy barriers. The numbers are shocking. According to The Journal News, as of October 22, nearly 47% of students were considered chronically absent.

The new superintendent, Dr. Giamartino, has begun distributing thousands of Chromebooks and has also made arrangements for thousands of free Wifi hotspots. Hopefully the next report of attendance will be substantially better!

3) Yaffed Gala

The public school children are not the only victims of the misconduct of the East Ramapo school board. There are also many children in East Ramapo's yeshiva system of religious schools who have not been getting the education which is their civil right under the NY State Constitution. Just as the public school children will not get the education that they deserve until NY State finally intervenes, many in the yeshiva system will not get adequate secular education until NY State addresses it. Thanks to the education advocacy organization Yaffed (Young Advocates for Fair Education), the state is currently in the process of implementing new guidelines to replace those that have been ignored by the school board.

You can support the work of Yaffed by attending their virtual gala.

 

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[poweroften] Special Edition: Election Day is Here

Power of Ten Update
Special Edition: Election Day is Here

Many people have already cast their ballot by mail or voted early. If you have not yet voted, the last chance will be Tuesday, Nov 3, at your regular polling location.

Elections can have an impact on the quality of education in our schools. Please be aware of the records of these candidates as you cast your ballot:

Ellen Jaffee has done more for oversight of the East Ramapo public schools than any other elected official. With your help, she will continue to take our fight to Albany.

Elijah Reichlin-Melnick stood up for more oversight of the East Ramapo school board, and publicly opposed the political machine that asked him to pledge to vote against oversight. He will be our next State Senator with your help.

Mondaire Jones graduated from East Ramapo went on to to Stanford University and Harvard Law School. He will bring our fight to Washington!

 

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[poweroften] Early Voting Starts Saturday Oct 24

Power of Ten Update
In This Issue:
1. Early Voting Starts Saturday Oct 24
2. Portraits of the Healers

1) Early Voting Starts Saturday Oct 24

Elections can have an impact on the quality of education in our schools.

Mondaire Jones graduated from East Ramapo went on to to Stanford University and Harvard Law School. He will be our next Congressman with your help.

Elijah Reichlin-Melnick stood up for more oversight of the East Ramapo school board, and publicly opposed the political machine that asked him to pledge to vote against oversight. He will be our next State Senator with your help.

Ellen Jaffee has done more for oversight of the East Ramapo public schools than any other elected official. With your help, she will continue to take our fight to Albany.

This year, people have many options to cast their vote. They can vote in person on election day. They can vote early at a voting center. They can vote by mail.

All information on how to vote is available on the board of elections webpage: https://rocklandgov.com/departments/board-of-elections/

2) Portraits of the Healers

Every once in a while, a news report, a podcast, some kind of media information outlet will make you stop in your tracks. Make you sit down and think. Make you pull your car off to the side of the road and cry.

Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt has released a powerful collection of stories from Orthodox doctors and nurses, telling us in their own words how they "struggle to balance emotion and expertise" in their life and death battle with the COVID virus, and their frustration when facing misinformation, mistrust and skepticism when they return home to Orthodox communities.

Portraits of the healers: Orthodox doctors and nurses in their own words

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[poweroften] Orthodox Non-compliance Leads to Public School Closures

Power of Ten Update
In This Issue:
1. Orthodox Non-compliance Leads to Public School Closures
2. MLK Center Gala
3. One Community

1) Orthodox Non-compliance Leads to Public School Closures

East Ramapo schools have been closed for at least an additional two weeks due to the new COVID clusters in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.

According to Governor Cuomo, other "schools are closed because they happen to be in that cluster, but the issue is with that ultra-orthodox community,"

The Governor also said "They have never been following the regulations with any rigor... now you see the result."

This comes as no surprise to East Ramapo residents, who have been seeing school buses non-stop since the pandemic began. Documents obtained by FOIL reveal that yeshivas evaded fines for illegal operation by relabeling themselves as "childcare centers".

Amazingly, while East Ramapo public schools are now closed, yeshivas continue to be open, whether as "childcare" or otherwise.

The response to Governor Cuomo's new restrictions has been fierce. In NYC, angry mobs attacked a Jewish reporter, calling him a "moser" (yiddish for snitch). Some are trying to manipulate the tests results to make the positive rate appear lower than it actually is. According to reports in The Forward: In Orthodox WhatsApp groups, a message is being shared: "DO NOT test your child for covid … The city has released new guidelines that mandate CLOSURE of an ENTIRE SCHOOL if there are two positive tests in the school." In Rockland County, one yeshiva sent out a letter to parents warning them that if a child is tested and receives a positive result, "potentially many other kids will be prevented from attending Yeshiva."

The animosity of many in the ultra-Orthodox community to basic science and health principles is a result of lack of basic science and health education in their yeshiva system. As revealed in a previous edition of Power of Ten, the CEO of the Yeshiva Association said they are "not focused now on historyscience … We are focusing mostly on English … So when superintendent comes to visit she will be able to communicate with the students". Just as with the response to COVID, the CEO (along with the East Ramapo school board president!) are more interested in gaming the system than in the education, safety and health of the children.

2) MLK Center Gala

On Sunday, October 18 at 7 pm, the Martin Luther King Multipurpose Center (the Center) will host a virtual party to celebrate its students and to raise needed funds. The evening will feature streamed performances on Facebook; hosts will update viewers about the Center's progress including a land acquisition for an outdoor space where Center children can safely play.
Gala performers include jazz vocalist Shirley Crabbe; R&B band Cee Songbird and the Sound Travelers; saxophonist and performer Herve Alexandre; award-winning urban folk singer-writer KJ Denhert; the Eddie Vazquez Band and more. The Center children will present a selection from The Lion King, choreographed by TaShawn Pettiford.

Though the pandemic didn't interrupt the Center's 56 year record of serving the community, it did force the cancellation of its two annual fund-raising events. As a result, the Center urgently needs money to cover the shortfall in order to continue offering essential services such as:
• A food pantry that feeds hundreds of families a month. As Rockland's County's third largest food bank, the Center is on track to distribute 400,000 pounds of food;
• Health services such as last spring's COVID testing site, on-going Red Cross blood drives and a range of free medical services for the community;
• Modified summer and after school academic and cultural programs for children.

The Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center serves families in the heart of Rockland's most diverse and culturally vibrant community, where the pandemic struck hardest. The community experienced the highest rates of illness, death, food insecurity and academic slide due to school closures. As students all over Rockland remain isolated in homes with the latest technology, too many of the Center's children lack access to laptops, tablets and adequate internet service.

The Center gratefully acknowledges its sponsors Devon and Jason McCourty, Rockland's own Boston Patriot football heroes, and the M&T Bank Foundation.

Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/entertain-empower-educate-a-virtual-benefit-event-tickets-124196351631
Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/mlkmpc

3) One Community

In East Ramapo, we are often told that we are "One Community". The global pandemic has brought this point home with ferocity. The virus does not discriminate. However, it does illuminate the discrimination that already exists in our society. Here in East Ramapo, the racial divide is a chasm. The district is diverse, but there are all-white neighborhoods. The majority of students in the district are white and attend private school. 62% of the public school students are Latino, but there is not a single Latino on the school board. Many of the public school mothers work in the homes of the white students, doing their laundry, washing their dishes, scrubbing their floors etc. Most or all of the housing in the white-only areas is built by the public school fathers, but owned by the white people who live there or by other white people. Much of the housing in the poorest sections where people of color are the majority is owned by white landlords who maximize their profits by illegally overcrowding and neglecting maintenance. Public school students lack the basics to participate in remote learning because of the economic violence perpetrated on them by the white bosses and owners. Before COVID, this deprivation was measured in the graduation rate and test scores. Now the only meaningful measure we have is access to remote learning devices. Every other district in Rockland reports 100% of students have a Chromebook or equivalent. In East Ramapo, it's only 41%. One community, breathing the same air, and while economic and political power concentrates to some, the COVID virus flows freely to all.

 

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[poweroften] Remembering Coach Kevin Feeney

Power of Ten Update
In This Issue:
1. Remembering Coach Kevin Feeney
2. Voting Information Event
3. How Do We Feel Right Now?

1) Remembering Coach Kevin Feeney

Coach Feeney was killed in a tragic accident on October 3. He was with the district for 24 years and will be missed by all of those whose lives he touched.

2) Voting Information Event

Please join JAMCCAR on October 9, 2020, at 7:00 p.m., at a special ZOOM meeting "YOUR VOTE, YOUR VOICE, YOUR POWER" with guest speaker, Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky, Commissioner of the Rockland Board of Elections.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84809414212?pwd=MnBaamxJcTJmcUhIblJmZy9QaE56UT09
Meeting ID: 848 0941 4212
Passcode: 584886

3) How Do We Feel Right Now?

The Spring Valley HS Thespians are taking on feelings of anger and fear in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in a new play that will be recorded and broadcast in December.

"How Do We Feel Right Now? A Collection of Raw Thoughts in the Aftermath of Senseless Tragedy."

 

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[poweroften] Special Edition: November 2020 Voting Info

Power of Ten Update
Special Edition: November 2020 Voting Info

This year, people have many options to cast their vote. They can vote in person on election day. They can vote early at a voting center. They can vote by mail.

All information on how to vote is available on the board of elections webpage: https://rocklandgov.com/departments/board-of-elections/

As reported many times in The Power of Ten, elections can have an impact on the quality of education in our schools.

This election, we can also report that the quality of our schools has impacted the election. East Ramapo graduate Mondaire Jones went on to to Stanford University and Harvard Law School. He will be our next Congressman with your help.

You will also recall that Elijah Reichlin-Melnick stood up for more oversight of the East Ramapo school board, and publicly opposed the political machine that asked him to pledge to vote against oversight. He will be our next State Senator with your help.

And of course, no elected official has done more for oversight of the East Ramapo public schools and no one has been attacked more ferociously by the private school lobby than Ellen Jaffee. With our help, she will continue to take our fight to Albany.

So there you have it. With so many ways to vote, even though we are in the middle of a pandemic, everyone can cast a ballot. When East Ramapo was one of the top districts in the state, it was because people like you cared and worked hard for it. Now everyone can see what has happened when people with other priorities get control. In order for us to change the trajectory of our schools, we will need competent, trustworthy people representing us in Albany (and Washington!) Mondaire, Elijah, and Ellen have committed to increased support for our schools, but most importantly, they are saying that support must include increased oversight. This is what public education advocates have been asking for, and this will be our work to accomplish together in 2021.

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[poweroften] Special Edition: COVID Concerns

Power of Ten Update
Special Edition: COVID Concerns

As reported in The Forward, concerns have been raised about the lack of safety precautions in many non-public schools.

Public records obtained by Power of Ten revealed that many non-public schools in East Ramapo never actually closed, they simply rebranded themselves as childcare centers.

According to the Journal News, rates of infection are rising in areas where there are many non-public students, including East Ramapo, and officials have "acknowledged links between Rockland's uptick in cases and COVID-19 clusters found in areas of Brooklyn and Queens that are home to large Orthodox Jewish communities."

Especially concerning, it is being reported that some yeshivas are discouraging COVID-19 testing to try to avoid closures!!!

It's important not to blame the whole Jewish community for these actions. The community is not monolithic. There are many, especially health care providers, who are trying to advocate for safe practices, and they deserve our support. The ultra-Orthodox community is often incorrectly labeled as "insular". In fact, there is very extensive contact with East Ramapo public school families, many of whom work in homes, schools and stores in New Square and Monsey.

The lack of education provided in yeshivas seems to have left too many citizens unable to utilize vital health information. A review by The Power of Ten reveals that of non-public school students in 9-12 grade in East Ramapo, only one in four is enrolled in a program that can lead to a HS diploma.

Again, it's important not to blame the whole Jewish community for the lack of education. As reported in The City, a Jewish parent who tries to improve the education for her child is facing a Mayor who uses her child's education for "horse-trading", a Dept. of Education that delays endlessly, and even a judge who ordered that her child remain in a yeshiva where no secular education was provided!!!

The only way forward, for us as a society, is to hold our institutions accountable. As the Board President of Yaffed writes in The Forward, "How can we expect them to be informed citizens who will vote, sit on juries, and be active participants in civic society, if the institutions tasked with preparing them for adulthood have abdicated this responsibility?."

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[poweroften] My Name is Pedro

Power of Ten Update
In This Issue:
1. My Name is Pedro
2. Development in Ramapo Forcing Out Minorities
3. Moshe's Story

1) My Name is Pedro

Pedro Santana came into our district for only a brief time, and yet his influence is still felt today in the hearts and minds of the many people who knew and loved him, more than six years after his death. Pedro was on a mission to make the world a better place. Pedro's story has been immortalized in "My Name is Pedro", a documentary that explores what public education meant to him - a 'special ed' child from the Bronx - and what he, in turn, meant to public education.

The film is now available for streaming online, and there will be a panel discussion online on September 24th at 8:30 pm

Details available at: My Name is Pedro

2) Development in Ramapo Forcing Out Minorities

A new blockbuster investigative report by The Journal News details how actions of the school board majority have contributed to an increasing pattern of housing segregation. Many school board members have been developers and speculators. Have their actions on the board enhanced the profitability of their businesses?

Black families leave struggling East Ramapo school district in search of better education

3) Moshe's Story

In an opinion piece for USA Today, Monsey resident Moshe Lobel describes his struggle to overcome the educational neglect he experienced in his childhood.

We must end educational neglect in ultra-Orthodox schools. Here's why:

 

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[poweroften] We Are Not Fooled

Power of Ten Update
In This Issue:
1. Upcoming Events
2. Cola-Faroul Mentorship & Scholarship Program
3. We Are Not Fooled

1) Upcoming Events

Wednesday, September 16th from 12 PM - 1 PM

Conozca Sus Derechos Abogacia Y Educacion Especial Infantil

Know Your Rights! Legal Services of the Hudson Valley will be holding a Spanish virtual presentation on Child Advocacy and Special Education , "Conozca Sus Derechos Abogacia Y Educacion Especial Infantil".

Click here to register. http://ow.ly/bdrv50Bg4oJ

Thursday, September 17, 2020 from 12 PM - 1 PM

UnEducated Part 2: Barriers to Self-Sufficiency

Please join Yaffed for another informative panel on the incredible challenges Yeshiva graduates face after being denied a basic education in many ultra-Orthodox and Hasidic Yeshivas.
We will hear from Yeshiva graduates and experts as they discuss the difficulties graduates face in seeking employment and achieving self-sufficiency.

Moderator: Ezra Cappell - Professor of Jewish Studies and English - Director of the Perlmutter Fellows Program at the College of Charleston.

Panelists:
Luzer Twersky - Yeshiva Graduate and Parent
Yomaly Suero - Economic Empowerment Program Manager, Footsteps
Naftuli Moster - Executive Director, Yaffed

Register on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Zha5RMfyRv21-nhAz5W81w

Link to view Part 1: https://youtu.be/Bh7nRm_paQo

2) Cola-Faroul Mentorship & Scholarship Program

The Cola-Faroul Mentorship & Scholarship Program has created a GoFundMe to help award as many scholarships as possible to the students that successfully complete the mentorship program.

With over a dozen applicants with great financial needs for funding college, 100% of the money donated will go toward helping them reach their academic goals. Scholarship money will be awarded in the summer before matriculating to the institution of their choice to support financial costs associated with college enrollment.

Full info: https://gf.me/u/yxas8q

3) We Are Not Fooled

New documents have been made public that appear to indicate attempts to mislead state and local authorities.

The first document (PX088) is a text conversation between Hersh Horowitz, the CEO of the Yeshiva Association of Rockland County and Harry Grossman, the President of the East Ramapo School Board. Rabbi Horowitz and Mr. Grossman appear to be conspiring to deceive the Superintendent regarding the lack of education in chasidish boys yeshivas.

Hersh Horowitz: …we are … advancing the secular studies in the chasidish boys schools so at least they learn the basics and they can communicate properly However Im not focused now on historyscience … We are focusing mostly on English … So when superintendent comes to visit she will be able to communicate with the students
Harry Grossman: … math is very pareve and easy to bring in as well as the next step … What do you think about getting to the point where all (yeshivas) can give Regent diploma
Hersh Horowitz: Long way to go
Harry Grossman: That would be … Good pr (Public Relations) Always subject to change
Harry Grossman: The ou (Orthodox Union) just got Albany to give $15 mil for STEM education…
Hersh Horowitz: Funding was very complicated and too many strings attached

School Board President Grossman has sworn an oath to execute the duties of a school board member, duties which include ensuring that students enrolled in non-public schools receive an education which is at least "substantially equivalent" to the education in public schools. This record of his interaction with Rabbi Horowitz reveals that he was aware that many students were not receiving even enough education to communicate in English with the East Ramapo Superintendent, and that he approved a plan to prevent the Superintendent from becoming fully aware of the situation by providing just enough English to prevent discovery that children were receiving essentially no instruction in History, Science etc:

The second document (CRCI_case47947_15ElyonRd-CongKhalTorath-redacted) is a response to health code violations by lawyers representing a yeshiva. These violations were the result of complaints that the school was open when schools were ordered closed due to the pandemic. The writer (Mr. Mahon) claims to speak on behalf of dozens of religious schools.

Mr. Mahon explains that although the same students were in the same buildings with the same staff, they were operating as a childcare service and not as a school. On pages 2 and 3 of his letter he claims that he informed the schools that the Governor's Executive Order forbids the operation of schools, and that "required instructional programs" and "regular classroom learning" cannot take place. On page 7 of the same letter he states that "private religious instruction" is permitted.

This contradicts what yeshiva lobbyists have claimed, that religious education includes "critical thinking skills" that must be counted towards fulfilling 'regular' educational requirements.

It appears that when lawyers need to get around the COVID school closures, religious instruction is represented as NOT "regular" learning, but when lobbyists want to get around substantial equivalency regulations, it IS represented as some kind of "regular" learning.

The truth is that all children deserve a quality education and they are entitled to it by law. Getting an education does not interfere with religious instruction - there are many schools which are very successful at both. COVID does not care whether a building or a bus is labeled "yeshiva" or "childcare". Hours spent poring over religious texts is not "substantially equivalent" to STEM education.

The lobbyists, the lawyers, the yeshiva association and the school board president can fool some of the people some of the time, but they cannot fool all the people all the time. The human desire for knowledge and equality has a long history of overcoming fools.

 

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[poweroften] Blowin' in the Wind

Power of Ten Update
In This Issue:
1. Ward System Update
2. Comptroller: East Ramapo Fails to Control Expenses for Private School Books
3. Announcing the Cola-Faroul Mentorship and Scholarship Program

1) Ward System Update

The historic civil rights victory for East Ramapo voters means that there will be some public school board members who will be held accountable by the communities of color whose children attend those public schools. The exact locations of the wards and the timing of the elections are still being negotiated in court.

The school board was violating the law, denying people of color their right to have their vote counted. They spent millions of dollars from the children's education funds in their misguided effort to prevent the parents of those children from having voting rights. It did not matter to them that these resources were being squandered, because their children were attending all-white private schools and their services are not affected.

Because the board was so reckless in their actions, the district may end up paying for both sides' legal fees. The costs are high because the school board refused to negotiate a settlement. They are still rising because they have filed an appeal, even though the appeals court has said it is unlikely to succeed. Why should they care, it is not their kid's education that is on the line! The only time they even pretend to care is when they try to use the threat of legal costs to bully people into letting them violate their civil rights.

East Ramapo is proof that a system is doomed to failure when public institutions are controlled by private interests. We have been calling for a change in the governance system of East Ramapo for a dozen years. Children who entered Kindergarten when we first wrote to the Commissioner of Education about a system that violated the democratic principle of "governance with the consent of the governed" are now getting ready to graduate (sadly, many will not!).

How many times do we have to write to Governor Cuomo, before he will understand?

2) Comptroller: East Ramapo Fails to Control Expenses for Private School Books

As reported in the Journal News: Audit slams East Ramapo for 'sloppy' record keeping when buying private-school textbooks

This follows the Comptroller's report that East Ramapo has been paying yeshivas to bus students without documentation that they attend school or even exist.

For those with long memories, this is déjà vu all over again. In 2011, the Journal News reported on millions of dollars of textbooks that were unaccounted for: Audit: East Ramapo bungled millions

Resources for the public school students are constantly being scoured for savings and cuts. But for private schools, they don't even bother to keep track of millions of public dollars.

Over the years, there have been hundreds of complaints from parents and students, reports of mismanagement and corruption from administrators, board members, state agencies, major media, and appointed monitors. Every single complaint has come down to essentially the same issue, that when a public school board and budget that serves children of color is controlled by all-white private school interests, that's an unacceptable conflict of interest and it's hurting children.

How many times do we have to write to Governor Cuomo, before he will understand?

When Bob Dylan wrote Blowin' in the Wind, it was released with comments, including this: "But the only trouble is that no one picks up the answer when it comes down so not too many people get to see and know ... and then it flies away. I still say that some of the biggest criminals are those that turn their heads away when they see wrong and know it's wrong."

3) Announcing the Cola-Faroul Mentorship and Scholarship Program

Ellen Sue Cola is a Ramapo High School graduate of 2016 and recent Brown University graduate. Her capstone paper won the Best Capstone Paper award from the Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs. Ms. Cola has started the Cola-Faroul Mentorship and Scholarship Program to help other East Ramapo students achieve their dreams of higher education. This is her fourth article for The Power of Ten.

I was educated in the East Ramapo public schools from Kindergarten through 12th grade. This school district has been plagued by major budget cuts, political turmoil, and community unrest for many years. The cause of the conflict is that the white majority that uses private religious schools for their children has essentially exercised tyranny over the minority population which uses the public schools.

In November 2017, the New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the East Ramapo Central School District for denying Black and Latino residents an equal opportunity to elect school board candidates of their choice. I wrote my Public Policy Capstone on this case. It is entitled "A Seat at the Table: Voting Rights, a Ward System, and a Case Against the East Ramapo Central School District." It won the "Best Capstone Paper" award within the Public Policy department.

Not many students from East Ramapo matriculate to college, let alone Ivy League institutions. When I graduated in 2016, I was the only student in the district that was headed to the Ivy League. Most of my peers at Brown came from privileged backgrounds. These students have advantages of economic class, racial privilege, social capital (i.e. legacy students whose parent, grandparent, and/or sibling went to Brown), private-school educated (or educated at a better school than that in their home community), non-first generation (meaning their parents went to college), and so much more.

Applying to college can be a daunting process that many students feels overwhelmed and intimidated by. For many low-income and first-generation college students of color, their road to higher educational institutions can be difficult. As a low-income, first generation college student of color, I understand their struggle.

That is why I have started the Cola-Faroul Mentorship and Scholarship Program (named after my father's last name and my mother's maiden name). This scholarship and mentorship program is targeted toward rising senior students within East Ramapo and will provide them with financial support, SAT/ACT prep, college essay critiques, and college interview tips. This initiative triples as both a college readiness program, college scholarship sourcing program, and a scholarship, in and of itself.

The mission of the Cola-Faroul Mentorship and Scholarship Program is to demystify the college application process for promising East Ramapo students who may not have attended college without the support of the scholarship. The vision is to help increase the college matriculation rate within East Ramapo, one student at a time.

Students apply in the summer before their senior year of high school and after joining the program, they are immediately given 1-on-1 mentorship and guidance with the college application process. At the beginning of the program, I will virtually meet with each student in an effort to better understand that students' college goals and aspirations. I will then guide each student through the entire college application process by providing them with help creating a list of safety, target, and reach colleges to apply to, SAT/ACT prep, college essay critiques and feedback, assistance with filling out the FAFSA, and resume reviews, and college interview prep. I will set guidelines and deadlines for the student to adhere to, in hopes that the student will feel more confident and reassured throughout the application process. Throughout the year, I will also source scholarships to these students and encourage them to apply for monies from local organizations that I have created partnerships with.

The Cola-Faroul Mentorship and Scholarship Program will also award a scholarship to one exceptional student that successfully completed the mentorship program. This scholarship will be awarded to one student in the summer before matriculating to the institution of their choice to support financial costs associated with college enrollment.

The application link is forms.gle/v1s1qdBYhnMF64Mj6 and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Students are encouraged to apply sooner, rather than later, to secure their spot within the program.

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[poweroften] COVID Takes Another East Ramapo Education Justice Activist

Power of Ten Update
In This Issue:
1. COVID Takes Another East Ramapo Education Justice Activist
2. East Ramapo School Board - When Will New York State Finally Step In?
3. Another Victory for Education Justice Supporters at the Polls!

1) COVID Takes Another East Ramapo Education Justice Activist

Washington Sanchez was always ready to work for justice in East Ramapo. He attended board meetings and protest rallies, and he organized people for bus trips to Albany to lobby our representatives. He made informational videos and shared them on the internet through "Canal Internacional" with his best friend and fellow East Ramapo activist Luis Nivelo. He inspired us with wonderful singing and guitar playing. When the time came to put his name on a document challenging the corrupt school board, he did not hesitate.

This great man and great friend is now gone too soon due to the horrible pandemic. Our great sympathy goes out to his family, his father, Luis, his wife, Leticia, his children Anderson, Arely and Bruli, and his siblings Wilson, Armando, Martha, Margarita, Damián and Eliezer.

2) East Ramapo School Board - When Will New York State Finally Step In?

Historian and Professor of Education Alan Singer writes in his latest blog post that the decision by the East Ramapo school board to lease buildings for private summer camps is only the latest example of their unequal treatment of children in the district. He asks When Will New York State Finally Step In?

3) Another Victory for Education Justice Supporters at the Polls!

As previously reported in The Power of Ten, East Ramapo was the top Issue in the NY Senate 38th district election. Voters overwhelmingly supported Elijah Reichlin Melnick, who rejected an ultimatum from Hasidic leadership that he oppose a monitor with veto power for East Ramapo.

There are other signs that the notorious "bloc vote"may be losing its political clout. The Jewish Daily Forward writes Williamsburg primary upset might indicate slipping power for Hasidic leaders. There, Community Organizer Emily Gallagher beat a long-time Assembly Member, of whom the Hasidic leaders wrote "if we, God forbid, fail to reelect him we shall suffer bitterly". Some attributed the upset to greater turnout from progressives, others to dissent among Hasidic youth. Hasidic parents want their children to be happy and healthy just as much as any other parents. Despite severe censorship of books, newspapers, radio, television and the internet, they have eyes that see and hearts that feel. According to an Orthodox rabbi quoted in the article "the younger generation are fed up being directed to vote for those who keep the ancien regime functioning and alive."

The work of Educational Justice requires confronting powerful people who think universal education threatens their power. It involves confronting political leadership that is often willing to turn a blind eye or trade away children's human rights for political favors. East Ramapo has unfortunately become an example of what happens when these self-centered forces take power. It is up to those of us who believe in every child's right to an education to stay informed, to spread the word, and to stay active socially and politically. We've had some big victories recently, and we can stop to celebrate for a minute before we move on the the next step in our work.

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[poweroften] It's Mondaire!

Power of Ten Update
In This Issue:
1. Election Results
2. Ward System on the Way
3. Your Help Needed

1) Election Results

Mondaire Jones, our own East Ramapo alumnus, has won the Democratic primary election and will likely be our next representative in the U.S. Congress!!! This is why we fight for every child in East Ramapo to have a great education, so they can go on and do great things!

2) Ward System on the Way

The Appeals Court has rejected the school board's request to stop the ward system from being implemented until the appeal is decided. This means there will be a school board election using the ward system this year. Exactly when is not known yet. In rejecting the board's request for a stay, the Appeals Court said that the board had failed to show "likelihood of success on the merits" of the case.

3) Your Help Needed

The NY State Education Department wants to update regulations that ensure students in non-public schools get an education which is at least equivalent to public school. This is especially relevant to East Ramapo where the majority of children attend non-public schools, many of which provide very little education. Graduates of these schools have made complaints which have been ignored by the district. The updated regulations would clarify the responsibilities of the state and the district.

You can help to support the updated regulations by filling out this form

 

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[poweroften] Yes, It's Racism!

Power of Ten Update
In This Issue:
1. Yes, It's Racism!
2. Budget Fails
3. Vote TODAY!

1) Yes, It's Racism!

In his closing arguments against the ward system for East Ramapo, the school board's lawyer claimed that the Orthodox school board members and their supporters are colorblind: "Do you really think that the District's Orthodox voters would vote differently if the majority of public school students were white?"

Like all 'colorblind' arguments, the school board's plea is in reality only blind to the nature of race discrimination. In fact, indifference to the plight of people of color is one of the major characteristics of organizational racism.

Another hallmark of racist mindset would be to claim that you know what people of color really need better than they do. Again and again, the board makes the assertion that "race is not what is driving the elections, it's something else". They assert that Black and Latino members of the community and the organizations representing their interests are untrustworthy. They systematically exclude the board members of color from conversations about how the board should deal with a complaint from the NAACP. The white board majority did not seek guidance from the black board members even after a judge had ruled that the facts supported the NAACP.

Today, all around the country, people are reexamining unspoken assumptions and long established policies that sanction white privilege and facilitate oppression of black and brown people. The white men who make up the majority of the East Ramapo school board would have you believe that they (and their supporters) are all immune from racism, and they make this claim, astonishingly and boldly, in the same breath that they condemn people of color as untrustworthy and unqualified to know and express their own interests!!!

In perhaps the most perverse twist of all, the white board members are now using their power to take money away from an educational system that serves the children of color in another ill-fated attempt to perpetuate their racist system. They are literally robbing education from children of color to pay for a lawsuit to prove they are not racist. Could they possibly make it any clearer? Yes, It's racism!

2) Budget Fails

East Ramapo has had more failed budgets than any other district in New York State. This is because those who designed the system of funding and governing public schools never anticipated a situation where the private schools were the majority. When the same people who use the schools are the ones who pay the taxes and make decisions about raising and spending money, the system functions as intended. When the majority uses private schools, the checks and balances inherent in the system are removed.

The private school system usually tries to use a failed budget as a way to blackmail the district into shifting more funds from public programs to private services. Like any other kind of blackmail, paying once only guarantees a higher price next time.

Public school advocates have been sounding the alarm to the state for decades. What is really needed are changes to the governance and funding systems. We are waiting on Albany to correct these. The fate of East Ramapo is in the hands of Governor Cuomo, Speaker Heastie, and Senator Stewart Cousins.

Detailed information on this year's failed budget is available from The Journal News.

3) Vote TODAY!

Today, June 23, is the Democratic Primary Election. If you have not already voted by absentee or early voting, this is your last chance! Absentee ballots must be postmarked today, or you may vote in person, but be aware that they have changed some polling places.

East Ramapo is a hot topic once again. As previously reported in The Power of Ten, Mondaire Jones is an East Ramapo graduate making a historic run for congress, and oversight of East Ramapo is a major topic in the NY Senate race, with explosive allegations by Elijah Reichlin-Melnick that opposition to a monitor with veto power has become THE DECIDING FACTOR for the "leadership of the Hasidic community".

 

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[poweroften] East Ramapo is Top Issue in NY Senate Race

Power of Ten Update
Special Edition: East Ramapo is Top Issue in NY Senate Race

East Ramapo has often been a top issue in local and state elections. But in this year's Democratic Primary for NY State Senator, one brave candidate has drawn back the curtain on how opposition to a monitor with veto power has become THE DECIDING FACTOR for the "leadership of the Hasidic community"!!!

The candidate who stood up for more oversight, better education and JUSTICE for East Ramapo was Elijah Reichlin-Melnick.

Here is his Facebook post:

 

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[poweroften] School Board Loses in Court AGAIN! - Updated Voting Info

Power of Ten Update
In This Issue:
1. School Board Loses in Court AGAIN!
2. Updated Voting Info
3. COVID Testing Site in Spring Valley

1) School Board Loses in Court AGAIN!

In perhaps the most unsurprising legal decision in history, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has denied the school board's request for a 'stay' of the decision of U.S. District Court Judge Cathy Seibel's ruling ordering a ward system for school board elections. The Court of Appeals found that the "district has not shown a likelihood of success on the merits of the appeal".

This is just the latest in a long series of legal misadventures that our rogue school board has embarked on since they abruptly switched from their competent and long-serving local law firm of Greenberg Wanderman & Fromson. The Nanuet based firm was charging a very reasonable $120/hr, and had an impeccable record for the district. Giving no reason, other than his own uninhibited power to do whatever he pleased, school board member Aron Wieder and his bloc vote on the board removed this competent and respectable law firm and replaced them with the very expensive and controversial firm of Miranda and D'Agostino. During their tenure in East Ramapo, they would add "infamous" to that CV, as they repeatedly and aggressively accosted school children and parents, without a single word of reprimand from the board until one lawyer was caught on camera and it went VIRAL.(warning: video of school board lawyer contains language some may deem unsuitable for children).

At that time, the legal shenanigans were focused on abusing the interpretation of the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act) in order to funnel more public dollars into the private religious schools favored by the board members. The board wanted a lawyer who would settle the cases that Fromson had been winning. Another counsel which had been approached by the board to do this work responded that "...it is our opinion that a board of education's directive to place a child in a setting contrary to that proposed by a district's CSE (Committee on Special Education) ... may rise to the level of an inappropriate gift of public monies."

The board went ahead with their plan anyway, and received several strong warnings from the NY Sate Education Dept. (NYSED). The board then sued NYSED (and lost) and appealed (and lost). All of the costs of these legal actions came at the expense of programs and services for the children in public schools. Do these actions give the appearance that the members of the public school board are putting the interests of private religious schools first? You don't have to take my word for it, according to their own lawyer they "have never denied" that they "emphasize" services for the private schools.

Despite the overwhelming evidence and record that the massive increase in legal costs were the direct result of the school board's own reckless disregard for the public funds they are entrusted with, they continue to blame everything on the public school parents who have tried to hold them accountable. The truth is they have even sued their own insurance company. In that case, the judge found that the district had been overcharged millions of dollars by their high priced lawyers.

In the most recent case, once again, serious questions were raised, even by the judge, about whether the school board was being reckless with the children's education funds in pursuit of the fleeting phantoms of their own imaginary righteousness. In short, they unreasonably denied the repeated requests by civil liberties and civil rights groups to address the longstanding and exhaustively documented inequities in their election process. At every step, they were offered a less expensive way to solve the problem. At every step, and quite ironically, they excluded board members of color in forming their answer that 'no, we don't exclude people of color'. Given that the next steps will again involve raiding the funds for programs for children in public school, with no impact on the services for the private schools that most board members "emphasize", and given that the appeals court itself has questioned the likelihood of success, the question must be asked: "Has the East Ramapo school board now stepped over a line, where they have so far abandoned their duty to the public good that they should be removed from office?"

2) Updated Voting Info

Many people have never gotten a ballot. If you have not received one, please contact the district clerk. If you have not yet mailed your ballot, the district is now putting out boxes for ballots. Since ballots received by mail after 5 PM on June 9 will not be counted, it may be wise to use the box rather than take a chance on sending by mail.

Please visit the district clerk's web page for details (I am purposely NOT giving details here because they change faster than I can keep up).

3) COVID Testing Site in Spring Valley

The Martin Luther King Center is hosting a free COVID testing program. From June 1 through June 12, Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM at the center, 110 Bethune Blvd in Spring Valley. Call 833-422-7369 to make an appointment.

 

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