1-6-13

Power of Ten Update

In this Issue:

  1. Over 2,700 people have signed the petition!
  2. School Board meeting Tuesday
  3. Please support the class action civil rights lawsuit
  4. Stage set for State takeover
  5. Message from the editor

1) Petition for state oversight of East Ramapo now has over 2,700 signers:

There are now over 2,700 signers to the petition at www.poweroften.us/petition which was created only 10 days ago.

Please share the petition with all your email contacts, Facebook friends and Twitter followers. There are share buttons for Facebook and Twitter right on the petition. The link to email your friends is www.poweroften.us/petition

This petition is open to anyone who agrees with the message. You do not need to be a resident of East Ramapo to sign.

There is a Facebook event page at: http://www.facebook.com/events/342604792513847/ Clicking “Going” to the event is another great way to show your support and also an easy way to spread the word.

Please confirm your signature: If you have not confirmed already, expect to get a confirmation email for your petition signature. Please add steve@poweroften.us to your “safe sender” list, (aka contact list, friend list or address book) to ensure that the confirmation goes to your inbox.

2) School Board Meeting TUESDAY NIGHT

Tuesday, January 8

7:00 PM? or 8:00 PM?

District Offices

105 S. Madison Ave, Spring Valley

Over 400 Community members, mostly parents, rallied at the last school board meeting in December to demand that essential programs including Kindergarten, Music and Art be preserved.

The result was that no action was taken, and the kids were back in Kindergarten this week!

Please come to the next meeting this Tuesday.

As of this moment there has been no agenda posted; we don’t know what kind of action they plan to take.

Once again, the time for the meeting is not clearly set. They “plan” to go into a private session at 7:00 PM, and “expect” to open the public session at 8:00 PM.

Whether you arrive at 7:00, or 8:00, or somewhere in between, you will find other parents, students, and community members there ready to make good use of the time.

We are fighting to save public education, will you join us? We will NOT BE SILENT!!!

3) Please support the class action lawsuit:

Advocates for Justice, a New York based, non-profit, public interest law firm, has filed a class action, civil rights lawsuit on behalf of East Ramapo School District parents, students, and taxpayers.

Advocates for Justice is not charging us a fee for this action, but they are in need funds to continue this fight. They are asking us to contribute what we can. Monthly amounts are especially helpful (and easier on tight family budgets!)
Be part of the solution, contribute online, or mail a check to:
Advocates for Justice
225 Broadway, Suite 1902
New York, NY 10007

4) Stage will be set for State takeover of East Ramapo:

An article in the new Newsday Hudson Valley Edition (sorry it is only available to Newsday or Cablevision customers) is titled “East Ramapo Schools Edge Closer to State Takeover”.

Some choice excerpts from the Newsday article:

State education officials on Thursday sent a letter demanding action by the superintendent of the East Ramapo Central School District after the district blew a Jan. 2 deadline for a plan to address its budget deficit. The letter appeared to be an aggressive step toward a state takeover of the district.

“Failure to take the above actions on or before January 16 will result in a commissioner’s order to you and the board to comply,” State Education Department Deputy Commissioner Ken Slentz wrote. Such an order would set the stage for an immediate state takeover of the district if the order is not obeyed.

Adding to the district’s woes, King sent a letter Wednesday — a second letter — citing “concern” over the board’s conduct when it voted to sell Colton Elementary School.

Excerpts from The Journal News reporting on the sale of Colton:

Commissioner John King says Anderson didn’t “meet her burden of proof” in arguing that the Board of Education sold the building for less than it was worth.

“We have to consider (whether) we will or will not,” sell the school, (School District Attorney) D’Agostino said. “… A lot of issues are being addressed there now.”

Among the “issues,” which D’Agostino declined to discuss, is that Bais Malka has been in arrears on rent payments for months.

5) Message from the editor:

The Power of Ten is organized to advocate for the rights of the children who attend the public schools in East Ramapo. These rights include an educational experience that prepares them for college and for the job market; an experience that is rewarding and fulfilling, an experience where they are respected and where they are expected to excel. These rights include the right to live and learn in an environment free of racism, segregation or unequal treatment. The rights of the students are inseparable from the rights of the parents to be heard and listened to.

The goal of these messages is to inform and to inspire. Please do not just read and watch. Get involved. Get all your friends, relatives and co-workers to sign the petition, donate to the non-profit law firm, or come to a meeting. Be the person who is always telling others the truth about what is happening here and what we are doing about it. Justice is coming to East Ramapo … and WE can make it happen!!! – Steve White, editor

“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. ― César Chávez

 

12-15-12

Power of Ten Update

In this Issue:

  1. Another Board Meeting Change
  2. Newsday reports on letter from NYSED to East Ramapo
  3. Please support the class action civil rights lawsuit
  4. Are Art and Music required?
  5. Message from the editor

1) Latest changes: Board meeting at RAMAPO HIGH SCHOOL TUESDAY NIGHT at 7:00 PM

The next board meeting is advertised at 7:00 PM, but the web page says they “anticipate” and “intend” to start the public session at 7:45.

We are fighting to save public education, will you join us? We will NOT BE SILENT!!!

Please make every effort to be at the board meeting on Tuesday!!!

2) Newsday: State demands answers in East Ramapo Budget Crisis

According to the new Westchester/Rockland Edition of Newsday, the State Education Department has sent a letter to East Ramapo officials.

State Education Commissioner John King Jr. told Newsday “I’m very concerned about the decisions the district is making around its finances, including the failure to pay for the BOCES services,”and “We are committed to exercising whatever authority we have to assure that students are well served.”

The state is also offering to help the district out of the mess it has created with inappropriate special education placements to non-public schools.

Read the whole article online. It is quite an eye-opener!

3) Please support the class action lawsuit:

In 2009, East Ramapo parents first got together to chant “Save Our Schools”. Since then, there have been hundreds of layoffs and program cuts, and multiple citations from the state for failing to educate and failing to protect the taxpayers’ investments. Today, we are fighting back with a class action civil rights lawsuit!

Advocates for Justice, a New York based, non-profit, public interest law firm, has filed this lawsuit on behalf of East Ramapo School District parents, students, and taxpayers.

Advocates for Justice is not charging us a fee for this action, but they are in need funds to continue this fight. They are asking us to contribute what we can. Monthly amounts are especially helpful (and easier on tight family budgets!)

Be part of the solution, contribute online, or mail a check to:

Advocates for Justice

225 Broadway, Suite 1902

New York, NY 10007

4) Are Music and Art required at the Elementary level?

From the NY State Education Dept. Regulations of the Commissioner:

”all students (in grade 1-6) shall receive instruction that is designed to facilitate their attainment of the State … learning standards in … the arts, including visual arts, music, dance and theatre”

“The (grade 1-6) music requirement means all students are to receive instruction in classroom general music … students must receive classroom general music instruction.”

5) Message from the editor:

The East Ramapo School Board meetings sometimes seem like chapters from “Alice in Wonderland”, with money appearing and disappearing, insane rants from the board president, and board members darting out the back door in the middle of meetings. Now they are becoming like the Cheshire Cat, very hard to say just where or when they can be found. How is a reasonable person supposed to attend such a meeting?

The school board has proposed that they will make extensive mid-year cuts which could include cutting ALL kindergarten classes!!! They are considering eliminating ALL Elementary Art and Music teachers!!! THIS is the meeting they choose to play musical chairs with the place and the time for the public to attend??? – Steven White, editor “The Power of Ten”

“Human rights violations are not accidents; they are not random in distribution or effect. Rights violations are, rather, symptoms of deeper pathologies of power and are linked intimately to the social conditions that so often determine who will suffer abuse and who will be shielded from harm.” – Dr. Paul Farmer

 

5-26-12

Power of Ten Update
In this edition:
  1. Call for info on voting problems
  2. CBS Channel 2 News Coverage
  3. PIX Channel 11 News coverage
  4. Radio call in opportunity Tuesday
1. Call for info on voting problems at the May 15 election
If you or someone you know experienced problems voting in last week’s Board of Education Election, please contact Concerned Citizens of East Ramapo at concernedcitizensofeastramapo@gmail.com. Please be as specific as possible, providing the voters full name, phone number, email address and a brief description of the experience. We have been told that large numbers of voters were sent from one poll location to another, other voters who registered were turned away because their names were not in the County books, someone had already signed the book, etc. We are preparing a report of these voter irregularities to prevent these issues from happing again in the future. Time is of the essence, so please reply as soon as is possible.
2. CBS Channel 2 News coverage
SPRING VALLEY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — A school budget crisis in one Rockland County community has officials considering the unbelievable.
The money is so tight, the East Ramapo School District could be the first in New York State to get rid of kindergarten, CBS 2’s Lou Young reported.
The little ones Young saw on Monday at the Early Education Center at Kakiat Elementary School had no idea they could be the last students to attend kindergarten in East Ramapo for some time. They were oblivious to everything, except the adventure of learning.
3. PIX Channel 11 News Coverage
SPRING VALLEY (WPIX) —

Eliminating Kindergarten? It would seem unthinkable, or at least illegal. But that’s what could happen while a budget showdown at the East Ramapo School District plays out.

At the heart of the issue is the large orthodox Jewish population that mostly chooses to send their children to private yeshivas, or religious schools … “People think, at least in the Orthodox community, that too much money is being spent, and they want to cut back.”
4. Radio call in opportunity Tuesday
From Sharlene McCallum: This past week on WVOX the radio program ‘Let’s Talk About It’ was about education and more specifically on the East Ramapo School District issues.
We talked about the budget, the cuts, candidates, kindergarten and other topics.
Dr. Reginald Hudson is the host of that show and would like to have next Tuesday’s time slot dedicated to East Ramapo again.
Please get the word out to everyone to tune in, call in and STREAM in to the broadcast. PLEASE tune in and call in next Tuesday.

Listen at: http://wvox.com or 1460AM (note…it is a Westchester station).

The call in number is 914-636-0110.

Tuesday May 29th at 5pm!!!

5-10-12

Power of Ten Update
In this edition:
  1. Emergency Budget Meeting TODAY at Ramapo High School regarding school safety
  2. Neighbor to Neighbor program celebrates public AND private school talent!
  3. How to help with the May 15 election
  4. Message from the editor
1) Emergency Budget Meeting TODAY at Martin Luther King Center
The Concerned Citizens of East Ramapo, are having an Emergency Budget Meeting and Voter Registration at the Martin Luther King Center 110 Bethune Blvd in Spring Valley Thurs May 10th (TONIGHT!) from 6:30pm-9pm.
If you are not already aware of the cuts that face our community, we have eliminated all Elementary Level Assistant Principals, half of the HS Assistant Principals, 3 Guidance Counselors, and 11 of 12 Social Workers in our schools along with some HS ESL services for our most fragile populations. There are many other cuts of concern that pose many questions of our children’s safety and hope for a future that a quality education would otherwise provide.

 

2) Neighbor to Neighbor program event celebrates public AND private school talent!

Saturday, May 12, 7 PM, Green Meadow School, 307 Hungry Hollow Road, Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977

A celebration of our wonderful local talent, featuring performers from Green Meadow, Spring Valley High School and other East Ramapo public schools

A public-private collaboration in support of our public schools and neighbors

Find out how education in our district’s public schools is being affected by budget cuts and how Green Meadow’s Neighbor to Neighbor programs have been reaching out to public school students and their families

3) How to help with the May 15 Election
Are you doing everything you can do to help with the election? Of course you can spread the word to your contacts, neighbors, etc. What else can you do? Here are some ideas:
  1. Go to www.poweroften.us and sign up for the online phone bank. Start making calls, right from home!
  2. Get a list of voters in your area and pay them a visit. It can be a very enriching experience to have a meaningful conversation with your neighbors about the value of public education. Email Michael Miller at miller66@optonline.net to volunteer for the Get out the Vote effort.
  3. Donate to the campaign at www.ccoer.com
  4. Help on election day! Call 845 354 5809 or email at concernedcitizensofeastramapo@gmail.com for info on how to help!
4) Message from the editor
You may have heard the polarization that is occurring in East Ramapo referred to as ‘public school vs. private school’. This is not really an accurate way to describe the situation, as there are many private school parents who do care about the education that students receive in public school. The neighbor to neighbor event on Saturday promises to be one of those moments when the celebration of diversity shows us a path to a better future. I urge everyone to come out and see how beautiful our diverse community can be when the public and private school students are encouraged to work together as peers. – Steve White, editor

1-8-12

In This Issue:

Next School Board Meeting
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
105 S. Madison Ave, Spring Valley
7:30 p.m.

Martin Luther King Celebration
Monday, January 16, 2012
Ramapo High School Auditorium
4:30 p.m.
Find out more: http://www.martinlutherking-mpc.org/subpage.cfm?tbl=4&ID=71
Event on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/256726381059066/

New Section: Tony Luciano’s YouTube Videos:
Starting with this issue there will be a section reserved just for the latest updates from Tony Luciano and his YouTube videos.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is a 5 minute clip at 29 frames per second worth?

Treasurer’s & Budget Status Reports: Bad news! The question that is not asked is, are we broke? Did financial mismanagement by the board finally catch up?
Watch the video here http://youtu.be/oUsX_I4ppZU
Here are some videos from the last three board meetings to get everyone up to speed about what has been happening in East Ramapo:
Peggy Hatton speaks about unequal treatment http://youtu.be/ncYsxUu0fSU
Hempstead Children and overcrowding http://youtu.be/6l85fT7MfJo
Carolyn Watson asks about Progress reports http://youtu.be/ax2eJgdgh0k
Christine Theodore talks overcrowding http://youtu.be/7Lfg4MPrExI
K. Watson speaks about overcrowding http://youtu.be/UY9KoQbLu_8
Klein cant answer how kids are doing http://youtu.be/Ghw-CRBppEw
Thanks
Antonio Luciano

Former Superintendent Sues East Ramapo

Read about it in the Journal News
http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011312260052

This caused another situation regarding the union contract:

Official Announcements

This section reserved for official announcements.  No announcements at this time.

School Board Campaign News
The 2012 campaign has begun. Visit http://poweroften.us/new/2012-campaign/ for more information

Message from the Editor
2011 was a year of many exciting moments.  Some exhilarating successes, some heartbreaking losses.  The readers of this email list know the focus will always be on building an informed, active and involved community.  The right to education has been at the heart of the fight for justice and equality.  Last year we made a special point to celebrate Thurgood Marshall who began his history-making work in desegregating education right here in Rockland County.  This year I ask everyone to re-examine the dream that Dr. King shared with us.  Every American today is living a better life thanks to Dr. King.  And yet how far we have to go.  For those who saw the movie “The Help”, remember how disturbing it was that the racists wanted to build separate bathrooms for the maids, to “protect our children”.  The parents imagination of terrible things that their children would catch from ‘the other’ seems tragically comic, almost quaint, today. Or does it?  – Steve White, editor

Noche Latina

A wonderful evening was enjoyed by about 500 people at Ramapo High School on April 7th.  There was great music, comedy, folk dancing and food.  One district parent, representing the new group “Padres Unidos” (Parents United) gave a brilliant speech.  He said: “Now is the time when students, parents, teachers and administrators get together to address the problems of our school. We are no longer spectators for the education of our children. Tonight we become agents of change and participants in the education of our children.”… “All of us started with a dream, the well-being and progress of our children. But a language barrier and lack of knowledge of the social codes in US schools constrains us. But the desire to create a better future for our children has always been in us, so we left our countries to seek a better future for them.”…”The future of our district and of our own children is in our hands. The time to change the course of the education of our school has come. Students and parents are going to work together to ensure the success of our community. The time to end the silence and invisibility is now. We have a voice, we are the voice.” Video from the evening is available at www.youtube.com/polanve