Beloved Educator Passes; Fight for Justice Goes On!

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

  1. Beloved Educator Pedro Santana has Passed Away
  2. Rockland Journal News Editorial in favor of NY State Intervention
  3. Ellen Jaffee Delivers Her Strongest Message Yet
  4. Advocates for Justice Needs Your Help

1) Pedro Santana

Pedro Santana has lost his fight with cancer. During his brief tenure in East Ramapo he touched many lives.  I was proud to call him my friend.  The quality I like to think made him so unique was his courage to do the right thing. I try to be more like Pedro every day.  Pedro is survived by his wife, Angie, and their two children, Alexa and Hudson. A memorial service, will be held May 13 at 6 p.m. at the Lafayette Theater in Suffern.

2) Editorial Supports Intervention

Rockland Journal News: Cuomo can help East Ramapo

According to the editor of the Journal News Governor Cuomo “can champion a common-sense legislation that would authorize the Department of Education to intervene in chronically underperforming school districts.”

3) Our NY State Assembly Member Ellen Jaffee delivers her strongest message yet

Capital New York: Lawmaker urges Cuomo to intervene in East Ramapo

According to the article, the legislation supported by Assembly Member Jaffee and endorsed by the Journal News, the same legislation written by the NY State Education Department and that 6152 people signed a petition for, is being opposed by the NY State School Board Association.  You can tell NYSSBA to stop blocking help for East Ramapo by following this link: NYSSBA: Help Save East Ramapo

4) Advocates for Justice needs your help

Thanks to many generous donors, Advocates for Justice raised over $7,000 at the ‘Breakfast for Justice’ event last month. Thank you to all of those who gave. However, there is still much work to be done and funds are truly needed. Your donation to Advocates for Justice is tax deductible and goes 100% to obtaining justice for the children and families of East Ramapo. All the information you need is at http://poweroften.us/donate/

Clergy Group to Cuomo: East Ramapo Governance is Broken!

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

  1. Rockland Clergy Call on Gov. Cuomo to Intervene
  2. Judge sides with East Ramapo over Yeshivas, but board votes to ‘settle’, awarding millions in credit.
  3. Play about East Ramapo opens to packed rooms, two more showings coming up
  4. Honor Society Induction on Thursday
  5. Advocates for Justice needs your help!

1) Rockland Clergy Call on Gov. Cuomo to Intervene

The Announcement of the formation Rockland Clergy for Social Justice and their call for Gov. Cuomo to intervene in East Ramapo has been covered widely in the media:

East Ramapo Underground: video here: http://youtu.be/eX92l9t9AYM
The next East Ramapo Underground Radio Show is this Friday, April 11, 2014 @ 10 o’clock on WRCR-1300AM.

The Journal News: New clergy group asks Cuomo to fix East Ramapo schools

The New York Times: A School Board That Overlooks Its Obligation to Students

The Jewish Week: East Ramapo Schools Fight

News 12: Religious leaders ask state to take over East Ramapo school district

The Commentator: Our Education Problem

JTA: Orthodox group Uri L’Tzedek joins protest against mostly haredi N.Y. school board

The group plans to visit Albany and hopes to meet the Governor face to face later this month.

One member of the group, Uri L’Tzedek (Awaken to Justice), has created an online petition for Jewish Citizens to support the mission of the group.

2) Judge sides with East Ramapo over Yeshivas, but board votes to ‘settle’, awarding millions in credit.

As reported by the Journal News Judge sides with East Ramapo on Colton rent credit dispute, “The East Ramapo school district doesn’t owe $1 million to two private Orthodox Jewish schools that lease the Colton Elementary property and want to buy it, a judge says.”

However, at the last board meeting, the school board voted to “settle” with the schools, awarding not just the whole amount the judge just said they didn’t owe but also other credits totaling over $2.5 million dollars. East Ramapo ready to grant credit in school’s sale.

The East Ramapo board’s “desire to resolve and settle … to avoid the risk, uncertainty, continued expenses and inconvenience” when it comes to ultra-Orthodox Jewish schools and families presents a stark contrast to the legal stance they have taken towards public school parents and the state education department.  They file appeals when they lose and appear willing to spend any sum when facing public school advocates in court. But when the opponent is a yeshiva even when the judge has said they don’t have to pay, they settle!!!

3) Play about East Ramapo opens to packed rooms, two more showings coming up

As reported in the Journal News ‘East Ramapo’ play aims to help ease friction in district , The new play by Mark Judelson has been a big hit.  You have two more chances to catch it, at CEJJES in Pomona (Directions) this Saturday at 2 PM, and at the Kurtz Center in Spring Valley on April 28 at 7:30 PM.

4) Honor Society Induction on Thursday

On Thursday, April 10th at Ramapo High School from 7-9 pm is the “Induction for the National Honor Society”. Congresswoman Nita Lowey will attend. Let us show Congresswoman Lowey that we care about our kids by attending this event. – (Thanks to Carole Anderson for this message)

5) Advocates for Justice needs your help

Thanks to many generous donors, Advocates for Justice raised over $7,000 at the ‘Breakfast for Justice’ event last month.  Thank you to all of those who gave.  However, there is still much work to be done and funds are truly needed.  Your donation to Advocates for Justice is tax deductible and goes 100% to obtaining justice for the children and families of East Ramapo.  All the information you need is at http://poweroften.us/donate/

Rockland Clergy for Social Justice Calls for Gov. Cuomo to Intervene in East Ramapo

Power of Ten Update

Special Issue:

Rockland Clergy for Social Justice will hold a press conference on Tuesday, April 8 at noon, at the First Baptist Church located at 3 Hoyt Street in Spring Valley, NY. More than 90 rabbis, ministers, pastors and imams from Rockland County will be calling for Gov. Cuomo to intervene in the governance of the East Ramapo School District.

Speakers will include Rev. Weldon McWilliams IV, PhD of the First Baptist Church in Spring Valley; Rabbi Adam Baldachin of the Montebello Jewish Center; Rabbi Ari Hart of Uri L’Tzedek (Orthodox Social Justice); Pastor Joel Michel of the French Speaking Baptist Church in Spring Valley, and Azeem Farooki of the Islamic Center of Rockland.

The East Ramapo Central School District board has reduced services to students, most of whom are African-American, Haitian American and Hispanic. According to Pastor Joel Michel of the French Speaking Baptist Church Spring Valley: “The lives of our children are in peril. East Ramapo public school governance is broken. We need Governor Cuomo to address this tragedy now.”

The school board is under investigation for diverting public funds to segregated religious schools. To Hazel N. Dukes, President, New York State Conference NAACP, it is a matter of equal treatment for all.  She says “It is time for Governor Cuomo to act on behalf of East Ramapo public school children ensuring their right to an appropriate New York State education comparable to their peers in other Rockland County school districts”

The East Ramapo board has ignored NY State Education Department directives concerning its improper practices in violation of NY State and Federal law. Rabbi Adam Baldachin of the Montebello Jewish Center framed the issue as a moral obligation: “We believe that all of our children have the right to an educational experience which sets them up for a successful future. It is upon us as clergy members to make sure that this moral right is granted. We cannot be silent while students in the East Ramapo School District are denied the right to thrive”.

The East Ramapo board members are often identified in the media by their Orthodox Jewish religion, but in fact they are mostly businessmen involved in real estate (as reported by the Journal News).  Rabbi Ari Hart, co-founder of Uri L’Tzedek, (Orthodox Social Justice) explains that in the Jewish religious tradition “We are deeply concerned about the well-being of all children, from all religious, races and cultures in Rockland County. That is why we are calling on Governor Cuomo to intervene and help make a better Rockland County school system for all.”