Senator Flanagan is Wrong. Here’s Why:

Power of Ten Update

Special IssueSenator Flanagan is Wrong. Here’s Why:

Senator Flanagan says “we don’t need any new legislation” for East Ramapo. 

As Senate Majority leader, he is blocking legislation that passed the NY State Assembly, and that Governor Cuomo has said he would sign. This legislation is a compromise bill, which instead of removing the board and taking over the district would simply speed up the process of oversight by the State Education Department.

Senator Flanagan thinks the history of failure to hold the East Ramapo school board accountable is proof that they don’t need more oversight. I think he is wrong, and I hope he will change his mind.

Here is a proof that more oversight is needed:

The East Ramapo school board tried to use the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) as an excuse to use public funds to pay tuition in private religious schools. The NY State Dept. of Education (NYSED) found this was a violation of federal and New York state laws and regulations. The NYSED findings were upheld by the New York State Supreme Court and the NY Court of Appeals. Since the excuse of following the IDEA was invalid, transferring taxpayer funds to private religious schools was a violation of the fiduciary responsibility of the board.

It took NYSED five years and two lawsuits to stop the practice.

About the IDEA: Before of the IDEA, too often children with special needs were segregated and warehoused. The IDEA says children with disabilities must have an opportunity to be educated along with the rest of the children, in the “least restrictive environment”. If a school district is unable to accommodate a disability in a public school, then they must pay for that student to receive an education in a facility that does.

The school board also established a segregated environment within the public schools themselves.

The district used “Yiddish language” as an excuse. Whole wings and floors of buildings were set aside and apart, with different teachers, different schedules, even a different janitor. The NAACP filed a complaint to the Federal Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights. Once again, years went by before the district’s practices were found to be outside of the law. The district has now agreed to a plan, but whether and to what extent they will comply has yet to be seen.

The veto is not an extra power of the state, just a way for it to exercise it’s power in real time, before damage is done.

Altogether, there have been almost 10 years of delays in correcting district actions. These actions have cost the district millions of dollars and have contributed to cuts in programs and a decline in the quality of education. Had there been a monitor with veto power, obviously illegal practices would never have happened.

The board has  engaged in a practice of real estate decisions which have benefited private religious schools and harmed public education.

In 2008, a reorganization review process was flawed by incomplete collection of data on population and housing. The Mayor of the Village of Spring Valley appeared at hearings and testified that a $1 billion urban renewal project was currently underway, and that new housing starts would mean many more new enrollments in the district. He was ignored, and the district’s projections were low by 14%. Instead of declining, enrollment increased by over 1000 students.

The board used the flawed study as an excuse to close and then sell two school buildings. The sales of the buildings continued even after the enrollment increased.

In July 2010 Hillcrest school was sold for $3.1 million to Yeshiva Avir Yaakov (YAY). An appraisal of $5.9 million had been obtained before receiving bids. A second appraisal for $3.2 million, by Avi Vardi of Appraisal Group International, was done after the bids were opened.

Community activists discovered that the second appraisal was a fraud. It misrepresented a “comparable sale” of a school which, in fact, never occurred. That sale was listed as “Comparable Sale #2” of a school building sold for $1.9 million, however, records from the Town of Ramapo indicate “land only”. The property document indicate that it is a parking lot.

An investigation by the NY State Atty. General revealed that someone associated with YAY arranged for Vardi’s services in preparing the appraisal. Then, on July 16, 2010, a member of the East Ramapo Board emailed Vardi’s private cell number and other contact information to the Board’s attorney. Later that afternoon, that attorney hired Vardi to furnish his appraisal of the Hillcrest School to the District in time for a July 28, 2010, Board meeting.

The appraiser was found guilty of filing a false instrument. The Atty. General was unable to pursue the investigation into the role of the school board in obtaining the fraudulent appraisal because the school board sued the AG to prevent release of 1300 documents, claiming attorney-client confidentiality. The case is still open.

The Commissioner of Education annulled the sale. However, the board leased the building to YAY. Commissioner King then annulled the lease. The board then sued the Commissioner, but lost. YAY occupied the building the entire time. An independent valuation of the property concluded it was worth $11.32 million. Its final sale price was $4.85 million.

While the Atty. General was still conducting an investigation of the previous sale, and while the financial monitor, Hank Greenberg, was conducting his investigation, they sold the school again to YAY.

The school board continues to claim that because it has gotten away with all of the above, that is proof that a monitor with veto power is not warranted. Senator Flanagan (so far) agrees with them. I believe that any reasonable, unbiased individual with full access to the facts will come to the opposite conclusion. It is exactly because the school board has been so successful in gaming the system that the appointment of a monitor with veto power is necessary.

-Steven White, editor

PS: Strong East Ramapo is inviting you to accompany them to Albany on Wednesday January 13. I strongly support them and I hope to see YOU there!

PPS: Advocates for Justice is a public interest, not-for=profit law firm that has taken action on behalf of the children of East Ramapo in Federal Court. They are trying to raise $25,000 before the end of the year, and have almost reached that goal! Please give generously! Donations ARE tax deductible!

Bill for Monitor with Veto Power Gathers Momentum

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:
1. Join Us in Albany
2. Wieder Resigns
3. Superintendent Search Begins
4. Safety Still a Problem in East Ramapo Yeshivas
5. Please Donate to Advocates for Justice

1) Join Us in Albany

Earlier this year we rallied and lobbied in Albany for a bill which would have provided a monitor with veto power for East Ramapo. Our efforts were successful in getting the bill passed by the Assembly, but it was blocked from even being considered by the leader of the Senate.

Albany has a two year cycle for bills, which means the bill could still become law in 2016. We will again do everything in our power to make this happen. Not because it is the answer to all of the problems, but because it is the best first step we have at our disposal at this point in time.

The bill has new support, including the monitors who have been studying the district, The Rockland County Democratic Committee,  a new editorial by the Journal News, and several Jewish organizations. We are being told that it is possible that the bill will pass, and that the one thing most needed for it to pass is public pressure. From you!

There will be buses, but you must register in advance. You can register for the bus or get information on carpooling or going on your own at: http://www.strongeastramapo.org/jan-13/

2) Wieder Resigns

In the last Power of Ten Update, I asked you to contact Rockland County Legislators and urge them not to vote to re-approve Aron Wieder as Majority Leader. Apparently, your voice was heard, and he has withdrawn from the position. Thank you to everyone who participated!

3) Superintendent Search Begins

Many parents and students have expressed their appreciation for the breath of fresh air that Dr. Wortham has brought to our district. Some are already calling for her to remain. The school board has begun the process of deciding who will be the superintendent next year and going forward. They have posted a letter about the selection process, which includes some opportunities for input from the public. 

4) Safety Still a Problem in East Ramapo Yeshivas

A new investigative report by News 12 reporter Tara Rosenblum has revealed that fire safety is still a problem in many East Ramapo yeshivas. You may remember back on October 15 Power of Ten reported that a Spring Valley Fire Captain said many schools were unsafe. Tara Rosenblum deserves credit for doing investigative reporting that may save lives, rather than waiting for the disaster to make the news.

5) Please Donate to Advocates for Justice 

Our lawsuit seeks to return misused public funds to the district, remove the school board members, and ensure proper school board decisions and fiscal management for East Ramapo.

Advocates for Justice lawyers represent us for free, but there are court, deposition and discovery expenses. Please donate so we can continue this fight. Donations are tax deductible.

Please Make Your Tax Deductible Donation Today

 

Demand Better Leadership

The Power of Ten

Special Edition: Call to Action

If there is one person who is most responsible for the degradation of East Ramapo, it is Aron Wieder. In Nov, 2009, Aron Wieder brought Al D’Agostino to East Ramapo. In June of 2011, the school board majority, led by Aron Wieder chose Dr. Joel Klein  for Superintendent of schools. 

Last year, the majority of the Democrats in the Rockland County Legislature supported the oversight bill offered by Assembly members Jaffee and Zebrowski and Senator Carlucci. Mr. Wieder, as the leader of the Democratic majority, should have carried their message to Albany. Instead, he spearheaded the effort to block the legislation.

The Rockland County Legislature Democrats should not allow Mr. Wieder to continue in a leadership role. His record as Majority Leader is inconsistent with Democratic Party values. He put his own opinions ahead of his duty to his fellow legislators.

There are three Democratic Rockland County Legislators who supported the legislation for a monitor in East Ramapo but have not yet indicated if they will oppose a re-nomination of Mr. Wieder. They are Toney Earl, Aney Paul, and Alden Wolfe.

Please call the Legislature at 845-638-5100 and ask to speak to Toney Earl, Aney Paul, and Alden Wolfe. You may be directed to their constituent representatives.

Leave a message:

Thank you for continuing to support strong oversight for East Ramapo. I am calling to ask you not to vote to approve Aron Wieder as Majority Leader. Mr. Wieder does not support strong oversight for East Ramapo. He does not respect our views and he has failed to represent you as your leader.

Then, E-mail the same message:

Hon. Alden H. Wolfe, Chairman
WolfeA@co.rockland.ny.us

Hon. Toney L. Earl
EarlT@co.rockland.ny.us

Hon. Aney Paul
PaulA@co.rockland.ny.us

Thank you,

Steven White
Editor, The Power of Ten

Yeshiva Students Demand State Intervene in East Ramapo

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:
1. Yeshiva Students Demand State Intervene in East Ramapo
2. Dr. Wortham Changes the Tone
3. Demonstrations Continue?
4. Strong East Ramapo Action

1) Yeshiva Students Demand State Intervene in East Ramapo

Thousands of children attending area yeshivas are not receiving adequate education. Now, several graduates and parents are seeking the assistance of the court system in ensuring that all children are educated. This action parallels demands for education in New York City and around the world. Indeed, the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 were education activists.

In Pakistan, Malala was shot for trying to go to school. Thurgood Marshall faced a lynch mob as he fought against laws which prevented African-Americans from receiving an equal education. Education advocates in East Ramapo are not facing the same tactics that Malala faces or that Thurgood Marshall faced, but yeshiva families who speak out risk being shunned, punished financially, verbally abused and even physically assaulted. 

Education cannot only be for some. According to the Supreme Court, it must be for all. However, in East Ramapo, a political deal was made between the school district administrators and the yeshivas: The district would remain indifferent to the lack of education in yeshivas, and in return school budgets would not be opposed. The result has been destruction of education for all. 

Advocates for Justice is bringing lawsuits of behalf of both public school and yeshiva children. They need your support at this time. Will you please help?

2) Dr. Wortham Changes the Tone

The new Superintendent is making friends everywhere with her cheerful attitude. Students have been feeling depressed about all the cuts. Dr. Wortham has made a good effort to increase school spirit. This is not a replacement for restoring programs, but it is a good beginning. For more information about Dr. Wortham see her interview on HNE Network TV.

It is not expected that the board will challenge Dr. Wortham the way they did Dr. Oustacher, with demands to absorb religious schools, create segregated classes, close and sell schools, hire unnecessary or unqualified personnel, file lawsuits against the State Ed Dept. and the Atty. General, etc. As long as the threat of a monitor with veto power is hanging over their heads, they will probably continue to avoid controversy. Hopefully Dr. Wortham will use the opportunity to make improvements.

3) Demonstrations Continue?

There can be no doubt that it was the constant pressure of activism and advocacy that brought about so much change this year. Many of the problems noted in the Greenberg report are being addressed. However, there is much more to accomplish and it would seem that continued demonstrations are inevitable. As we prepare for more activism and advocacy, I am offering the following dialogue between Dr. King and a fellow clergyman of the time as food for thought:

“When rights are consistently denied, a cause should be pressed in the courts and in negotiations among local leaders, and not in the streets.” —Alabama clergymen’s letter to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. April 12, 1963
“You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. … It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city’s white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.” —From Letter From a Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King Jr., April 16, 1963

4) Strong East Ramapo Action

Please join Strong East Ramapo in their call for Dennis Walcott’s report to include strong language calling for a state monitor with veto power that would restore a sense of confidence in the future of East Ramapo. Mr. Walcott’s report is due December 15, so raise your voice today.

East Ramapo Monitors Midterm Grade

The Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Discrimination!
2. Civil Rights Lawsuit
3. Student Essay: Goodbye Dr. Klein
4. Editorial: Monitors Midterm Grade

1) Discrimination!

The US Dept. of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has issued a blistering report detailing how white special education students have been placed in different settings than Black and Latino students with similar disabilities. The OCR initiated an investigation based on a complaint by Willie Trotman, President of the NAACP Spring Valley Branch. 

2) Civil Rights Lawsuit

Who is holding accountable those who initiated and implemented these policies?

Advocates for Justice, that’s who!

They need your help, won’t you please chip in? The following chart illustrates the need:

a4jappeal

3) Student Essay: Goodbye Dr. Klein

Dear Dr. Klein,
You do not know me… not that you would have ever cared to know me, or for that matter any East Ramapo student. You have seen me many times however. I have shaken your hand at numerous ceremonies where you would stop by and say a 3-4 minute improvised speech and leave right after its ending.  At the award ceremonies, you would tell the recipients to excel but you never gave us the resources to do so. You would call us intelligent and bright but what I think was truly bright was your decision to resign. The community and I thank you immensely. Thank you for finally listening to us. If I may, I suggest you take the Board of Education with you. I am happy that you realized that you are up against a strong and powerful community that will not quit until justice is served to every student in East Ramapo. You will not be missed.

Sincerely an Unapologetic Student,
Ellen Sue Cola
RHS Class of 2016

4) Editorial: Monitors Midterm Grade

Are the state appointed monitors to the East Ramapo school district doing a good job? What exactly have they been asked to do? They were assigned to the district when the NY State Senate failed to pass a bill appointing a monitor with power. The response of the NY Education Commissioner was to appoint a team of monitors without power, but with expertise.  They are keeping us appraised of their actions via a wordpress weblog.

Now the community has had a chance to meet the monitors and the new superintendent of schools, and I think they have shown themselves to be likable, professional, courteous and competent. According to their weblog, they have been charged with providing on-demand technical assistance to the administration, entering in dialog with both the board and the public, and producing updates and reports to the commissioner and the public. 

There is no question that the monitors have engaged in meaningful dialog and engaged the community. They produced a PowerPoint presentation summarizing information about issues in the district. Together with the new superintendent they seem to be creating plans that will improve the educational experience of the children in the district, and they should be commended for that.

However, this district has an underlying foundation of deceit and mistrust, upon which they are erecting their new edifice of education. Like so many buildings in the area, this one appears to have been rushed through the planning department. A failure to properly survey can result in building your castle on quicksand.

The quicksand in this area is the ease with which a school board can pull the rug out from under us. In 2009, Superintendent Oustacher revealed a plan to close one or two elementary schools and use the savings to fund full-day Kindergarten for all. The commitment to Kindergarten was not on a solid foundation, but the drive to close the schools was. Later, both schools were sold to yeshivas, but full-day K was eliminated. The house that Oustacher built sank into the sand.

It wasn’t the first time. Before Oustacher, there was a deal that kept East Ramapo’s budgets in the black. The school superintendent and board (then dominated by public school advocates) promised to ignore neglect of education in yeshivas and in return the yeshiva parents would not vote down the budgets of the public schools. That house of cards came crashing down in 2005 when massive turnout from New Square, Monsey and Kaser knocked off board members Georgine Hyde and Dr. Danielle Bright.

The monitors have assessed fiscal and educational outcomes, but they have misunderstood (so far) the social and racial underpinnings of the crisis.  Just as the monitors have assessed and reported on aspects of education and fiscal problems, they could also assess and report on the social, racial and class conflict which is at the root of those problems. But they will have to open their eyes first. Even when the US Department of Education Office of Civil Rights issued a report confirming the NAACP allegations of disparate treatments of students by race, Monitor Walcott says he “still didn’t really see” it. 

It is not impossible for the monitors to apply the same professionalism in understanding racial and social issues as they do for educational and operational issues. It is very disappointing to see the problem framed as “centrists” vs. “extremists”, with no data to support that hypothesis. Both collaboration and confrontation have been tried, but because neither has addressed the underlying inequalities of power, they have failed equally. Without a valid assessment, the plans are doomed. Being colorblind is an impairment to seeing the true nature of the relationships.

For instance, many of the Latino parents work as laborers for families that use yeshivas. Many have difficult working conditions and low pay. Also, much of the housing they live in is owned by businessmen from the ultra-Orthodox community. The rents are high, the living conditions are substandard and even dangerous, and they are bullied by the landlords with threats of eviction if they speak up. Much of Spring Valley is essentially a labor camp. It is not surprising to see that the dominant group is not enthusiastic to educate the children of their servants. Has it ever not been so? Ignoring the intricate socioeconomic relationships of the two groups and claiming not to see discrimination or inequality will severely hamper an accurate assessment of the nature of the problem.

We do not expect the monitors appointed by the education department to solve every problem. They are really only charged with observing and reporting on educational and operational practices. However, they are able to accomplish some important things for our children and for that we are grateful. It is our sincere hope that their future reports will also address the inequalities created by our unique style of segregation and the impact of the rule of a Not so Simple Majority.

Urgent Appeal: Civil Rights Lawsuit

Power of Ten Special Edition:

Our Civil Rights Lawsuit is entering a critical phase!

Your help is needed TODAY to take the case for a students CIVIL RIGHT TO AN EDUCATION to the next step. See the chart below which explains why NOW is the TIME!

Our Goal is to raise $25,000 by November 30

We are at 24% as I write this.

Our lawsuit seeks to return misused public funds to the district, remove the school board members, and ensure proper school board decisions and fiscal management for East Ramapo.

Advocates for Justice lawyers represent us for free, but there are court, deposition and discovery expenses. Please donate so we can continue this fight. Donations are tax deductible.

Please Make Your Tax Deductible Donation Today

a4jappeal

Special Edition: Vote Today

Power of Ten Special Edition: Vote Today

East Ramapo has become a very important political campaign issue in recent years. Informing the readers about candidates who have participated in our struggle is part of Power of Ten’s focus on East Ramapo issues.

Rev. Jacques Michel is running for legislator in District 13. Rev. Michel has passed legislation opposing the closing of elementary schools. He participated in rallies along with parents. 

Betty Carmand is running for legislator in District 8. Betty has been one of the people at the center of our struggle for a long time. She is a plaintiff in the civil rights lawsuit. She helped to recruit others to join that lawsuit. Betty has also filed appeals with the state education department. 

 

 

Sabrina On Board; Advocates for Justice Need Your Help

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Sabrina Charles-Pierre On Board!
2. Urgent Appeal for Civil Rights Lawsuit

1) Sabrina Charles-Pierre On Board!

Sabrina Charles-Pierre, who ran for school board in May, has been appointed to fill the seat of Juan Pablo Ramirez, who resigned after attending just one meeting in July. Sabrina will be the only woman on the board. We hope to add to that next May.

2. Urgent Appeal for Civil Rights Lawsuit

East Ramapo students’ constitutional rights are being violated. Advocates for Justice has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit.

Our Goal is to raise $25,000 by November 30

Our lawsuit seeks to return misused public funds to the district, remove the school board members, and ensure proper school board decisions and fiscal management for East Ramapo.

Our Goal is Justice for the Children

A4J lawyers represent us for free, but there are court, deposition and discovery expenses. Please donate so we can continue this fight. Donations are tax deductible.

Please Make Your Tax Deductible Donation Today

Destruction of Education Can Lead to Tyranny and Death. Anyone Surprised?

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. NAACP Dinner Friday October 16
2. Youth Film Festival October 17
3. Inter-faith Prayer Service October 22
4. Fire Captain: Many Schools Unsafe!
5. Tyranny of the Majority

1) NAACP Dinner Friday October 16

Our Own Luis Nivelo, Andrew Mandel and Rev. McWilliams IV Will Receive Awards from NAACP!

Friday, October 16, from 6:30 to midnight
The Colonial Inn in Norwood, New Jersey.
Tickets include a one-year membership in the NAACP. $85 in advance, $90 at the door. Under 21 $45.
For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Spring Valley NAACP at 845-362-6227.

The Journal News: Spring Valley NAACP honors 8 for community activism

2) Youth Film Festival October 17

October 17th at the Ramapo Cultural Arts Center in Spring Valley, NY at 7:00 PM

The Rockland Youth Film Festival is an international movie festival that celebrates the work of youth from all over the world. RYFF was created for the youth, by the youth of the organization EELEF (Excellence in Education and Living Environments for Families) which is based in Spring Valley. The 2nd annual film festival will be held on October 17th at the Ramapo Cultural Arts Center in Spring Valley, NY at 7pm! Admission is completely free and the show is open to all age groups. Visit our website at Ryff.org and contact Daphnee atdaphnee@ryff.org for tickets.

3) Inter-faith Prayer Service October 22

The Rockland Clergy for Social Justice (RC4SJ) Inter-faith Prayer Service welcoming East Ramapo students and families to the 2015-16 school year will be held on Thursday, October 22 7 -8 p.m. in the Ramapo High School Auditorium, 400 Viola Road, Spring Valley.

This demonstration of Christian, Jewish and Muslim unity reflects the comprehensive religious commitment to East Ramapo students and families in the struggle for equitable educational opportunities.

Please spread the word: the October 22 Interfaith Prayer Service is open to all: students, family members, staff, friends, community organizations and congregations.

Oscar Cohen

4) Fire Captain: Many Schools Unsafe!

LuckyLou Production (YouTube Video): Spring Valley Fire Captain Justin Schwartz calls for fire safety in schools

The Journal News:  Fire captain: Ramapo’s religious schools have unsafe conditions

The Journal News: State called on to act on fire safety issues at Rockland yeshivas (Includes list of schools)

5)  Tyranny of the Majority

The President of the Spring Valley Branch of the NAACP has written a community view to the Journal News:

The NAACP continues to be troubled over the irreparable harm East Ramapo public school students have been experiencing for years resulting from a school board that lacks an understanding of, interest in and commitment to the values and purposes of American public schools. East Ramapo is a district where the majority of public school students are children of color and the majority of the board is largely invested in the interests of children attending religious schools composed mostly of Caucasian children.

Read the whole thing: View: ‘Tyranny of the majority’ in East Ramapo

Time to Celebrate? We Can Change the World!

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Klein Resigns!
2. Public to Monitors: Focus on Justice
3. Board Meeting And Protest Rally October 13
4. Youth Film Festival October 17
5. He Named Me Malala Now at Palisades Mall

1) Klein Resigns!

In June, the state education department rated East Ramapo leadership as ineffective on every measure. Chancellor Tisch called for Superintendent Klein to step down.

On October 7, the school board held an emergency meeting at which they announced Klein would be gone by the end of the month.

The new interim superintendent will be Deborah Wortham.

This change represents just one of the many achievements of the East Ramapo public school activists. This year we have seen:

  • The departure of D’Agostino, the foul mouthed lawyer
  • Interpreters at every board meeting
  • Bilingual classes
  • Return of full day kindergarten for some (a sore point – it should be for all!)

2) Public to Monitors: Focus on Justice

Despite all of the advances, the public has made clear that a school board which has to have these things forced on them is a dysfunctional board. The public is clear that the board itself is the source of the problems and they are demanding a change in the way district leadership is chosen.

The Journal News: 6 takeaways: East Ramapo monitors’ first public forum

3) Board Meeting And Protest Rally October 13

Tuesday October 13 at 105 S. Madison Ave, Spring Valley at 7:00 PM

The next school board meeting will be at the central administration building. We don’t need to bring our “Klein Must Resign” posters anymore, we won that fight! But our students are still lacking many programs, and our school board is only making incremental change under intense pressure. Now is the time to show our persistence. Please make every effort to attend!

4) Youth Film Festival October 17

October 17th at the Ramapo Cultural Arts Center in Spring Valley, NY at 7:00 PM

The Rockland Youth Film Festival is an international movie festival that celebrates the work of youth from all over the world. RYFF was created for the youth, by the youth of the organization EELEF (Excellence in Education and Living Environments for Families) which is based in Spring Valley. The 2nd annual film festival will be held on October 17th at the Ramapo Cultural Arts Center in Spring Valley, NY at 7pm! Admission is completely free and the show is open to all age groups. Visit our website at Ryff.org and contact Daphnee at daphnee@ryff.org for tickets.

5)  He Named Me Malala

He Named Me Malala is now playing at the Palisades Mall in West Nyack. 

Sixteen-year-old Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban for being outspoken about her country’s education system. When the Taliban first came to her town, they focused on banning texts and videos they considered to be profane. This seemed right to many people. Then they started banning TV, the internet, and any other media source they did not control. Ultimately, they started killing those who questioned them and banned girls from attending school.

Malala survived and is now the youngest person to ever be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her activism for female education. This movie is the story of Malala’s fight for a right to education for children everywhere. 

“One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.”
– Malala

 

Forum Tonight; Summit Saturday; Two New Films!

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Monitor’s Forum Tonight
2. Education Summit Saturday
3. Feature Film Being Made in East Ramapo
4. He Named Me Malala Opens October 9

1) Monitor’s Forum Tonight

Monitors Dennis Walcott, Monica George-Fields and John Sipple will be hosting a community forum, so please come with your questions and comments about the East Ramapo crisis.

Thursday Oct 1 at 7:00 PM

Town of Ramapo Cultural Arts Center

64 North Main Street, Spring Valley

2) Education Summit Saturday

“EDUCATING YOUNG MEN OF COLOR FOR SUCCESS”

THIS SAT! OCT. 3RD at Rockland Community College

TO REGISTER CLICK ON LINK: http://cejjeseducationsummit2015rcc.eventbrite.com/

DYNAMIC YOUTH PERFORMERS!!

3) Feature Film Being Made in East Ramapo

THE HUDSON TRIBES: Inspired By Actual Events 

A socio-political crime thriller fueled by racial divides; set in the picturesque Hudson Valley, NY.

Director John Marco Lopez of LPZ Media aims to capture the harsh socio-political divide that exists at the center of the controversial school district in a small Hudson Valley town just north of Manhattan. 

More info: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-hudson-tribes-inspired-by-actual-events#/

4) He Named Me Malala

An intimate portrait of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai and her fight for education for all girls worldwide.

http://www.henamedmemalalamovie.com/

Opens in Theaters October 9. Let’s see it together! send an email to steve@poweroften.us if you would like to catch the Saturday Matinee with me at the Palisades AMC!

 

Ramapo Student: We Cannot Cope!

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. News from Strong East Ramapo
2. School Board Meeting October 13

3. News from East Ramapo Underground
4. Introducing a New Power of Ten Section!

1) News from Strong East Ramapo

IMPORTANT DATES (Courtesy of Strong East Ramapo)
Thursday, October 1 at 7 p.m.
Monitors Dennis Walcott, Monica George-Fields and John Sipple will be hosting a community forum, so please come with your questions and comments about the East Ramapo crisis.  Some news sources have gotten it wrong, but the correct address is the Town of Ramapo Cultural Arts Center, 64 North Main Street, Spring Valley, as posted on the monitors’ new blog.
 
Saturday, October 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
CEJJES Institute presents an education summit: Educating Young Men of Color for Success. Featuring Dr. Robert Moses of The Algebra Project, Mr. David Banks of the Eagle Academy, and Dr. Edmund T. Gordon of The University of Texas, Austin. The event will be at RCC, 145 College Rd, Suffern, NY. More info please contact skyviewra@yahoo.com.
 
Tuesday, November 3: Election Day
Jacques Michel, a member of the Rockland Clergy for Social Justice who supported the East Ramapo oversight bill, is running to serve on the Rockland County Legislature against incumbent and former school board president Aron Wieder, who actively lobbied against oversight.

2) School Board Meeting October 13

Tuesday October 13 at 7:00 PM

The next school board meeting will be at the central administration building. 105 S. Madison Ave, Spring Valley. Please make every effort to attend!

3) News from East Ramapo Underground

East Ramapo Underground is sharing this article from the Asbury Park Press: Charges filed against Lakewood special-ed official which details how the Monitor (with veto power) in New Jersey’s Lakewood School District is pursuing charges against a district official who allegedly illegally used public education dollars to pay for yeshiva education. East Ramapo officials were found by the state education department to be doing exactly the same thing, but there were no consequences. This is why a monitor with veto power is needed in East Ramapo!  

4) New in Power of Ten: The Student Essay Section

East Ramapo=We Cannot Cope

by Ellen Sue Cola
Ramapo High School Class of 2016

It is no secret that there is work to be done in the East Ramapo Central School District. We are fully aware that parents, teachers, and various advocates are outraged over the circumstances at hand—but what about the students? How are the students coping with the challenges they face on a day to day basis? Well, they aren’t. Students cannot cope with the frustrations and limitations that the school board imposes on them.

Starting at the elementary level, students are creatively deprived. Art and music are expressive arts that allow a child (or anyone for that matter) to show individuality and personality without saying one word. Without such activities offered at a crucial creative time for a child, the child is taught that such art and creativity does not matter and is vain. The students who have a taste for the arts are unable to express him or herself and are forced to become someone they do not want to be.

Vincent Van Gogh, one of the greatest artists to ever live, once said, “I dream my painting, and then I paint my dream.” How do we expect the children of the East Ramapo Central School District to paint their dreams when they do not have paint or paintbrushes? An anonymous musician once said, “Music is the voice of the soul.” Does that mean that the students’ voices of East Ramapo are silenced when they have no music?

One sad story that I heard about the disadvantages of the elementary children was from an older sibling of a 2nd grader at Hempstead Elementary School. On her mother’s birthday, she wanted to make a homemade birthday card with the help of her brother to give to their mother when she came home from work. After providing paper and crayons to her brother, she told him to draw a flower on the inside of the card. After a few minutes, she went to check on her brother to see how the flower came out; however, all that was on the paper was the stem (a straight green line). She asked her brother why he did not finish the drawing and he embarrassingly responded “I do not know how to draw a flower.” This same young boy wanted to become a saxophone player but with his family’s low income (which is unable to afford outside classes) and the district’s “inability” to provide such services, this young boy has to wait five years to even touch a saxophone. This young boy is unable to cope with his circumstances, just like many (if not all) of the other students in the elementary schools.

Moving on to the middle school, problems linger there as well. A Pomona Middle School 8th grader “hates 9th period.” For participating in a program, the school received funds to run a longer school day. With these funds, the school was able to provide sports and music to the students. Sounds like a good plan, right? However, with the longer school day, the school implemented a 9th period (one more than the usual 8 period day). In this period, students are to do homework; however, many students either do nothing in this period or simply skip this period because they resent it. Students rather do homework in the comfort of their home.

This 8th grader argues that the funds that the district uses elsewhere could be used for sports and music so that the 9th period would be no more. She continues to explain that ever since the longer day was implemented, she has not been able to see her mother as often as she would like to. Before, when she came from school she was able to spend about an hour with her mother before she went to work. Now, the student barely sees her mother because when she comes home from school, her mother is going to work. How could a young girl cope with such circumstances?

Lastly, the high schools in the East Ramapo Central School District face numerous challenges and obstacles. High school is that time in a student’s life when they find out what they enjoy best and later they pursue that enjoyment in college. However, the district makes it hard for a student to do so with the limited resources offered. Students who would love to be on a junior varsity girls tennis team are unable to. Boys that would love to play volleyball are told they can not. Aspiring fashion designers have no club to join. Parenting classes are not offered as they once were in the district. Aspiring businessmen and businesswoman are not offered any classes or activities to prepare them for such endeavors. Past rivalry between the two high schools in girls volleyball, tennis, and soccer cannot be enjoyed anymore due to the combination of school sports.

An 11th grader from Ramapo High School was unable to play the viola for an entire year because the orchestra class was not offered when she was available to take it. This young girl had to decide whether or not to take a class that would help her in her medical field career or take a class where she would play an instrument she loved. If the class was offered more times a day, then maybe she would not have to make such a hard decision. With only one music teacher (two including the chorus teacher) in the entire school of 4 different grade levels, the task seems nearly impossible.

In September 2015, the district monitor stated that 14% of East Ramapo students are college ready. This may be because students find no interest in school due to the lack of resources and activities that interest him or her. High school students should not be asked to cope with such dilemmas. Adults should ensure that students have adequate resources so they can focus on their future.

At the end of the day, pretending that students can just “cope” with adversity is not an option. Changes can be made if the adults are committed and willing to do whatever it takes for the future generation. So, yes, parents, teachers, advocates, AND students are all in this together— to repair East Ramapo and save our schools.

Explosive Reports: Public and Yeshiva Students All Victims in East Ramapo

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Monitors Report: District in Distress
2. Picnic Success!
3. Journal News Exposes Neglect in East Ramapo Yeshivas
4. New Questions About Old Treasurer

1) Monitors Report: District in Distress

On Wednesday, September 16, in damning detail, the East Ramapo Monitors presented their findings and actions thus far. The news that only 14% of our youth are leaving high school ready for college is only one of the chilling facts presented by the monitors. A webcast of the presentation is available on the Regents website (go to minute 23:30 for the beginning of the East Ramapo discussion).

The monitors will be holding a community forum on Thursday, October 1 at 7 p.m. at the Cultural Arts Center, 64 N. Main Street in Spring Valley, the public is invited.

2) Picnic Success!

Despite a rainy forecast (and some actual rain) over 100 people attended our Family Picnic. We had delicious food, great music, and honored some of the heroes of our movement. We also raised over $2,000 for Advocates for Justice! Pictures and videos are available at https://www.facebook.com/Power-of-Ten-222126104511971.

If you missed the picnic, please consider making your donation to Advocates for Justice at http://www.advocatesforjustice.net/east-ramapo.html.

Justice is coming, and YOU can make it happen!

3) Journal News Exposes Neglect in East Ramapo Yeshivas

A new report by investigative journalist Adrienne Sanders of the Rockland Journal News blows open a previously unknown world of educational neglect in East Ramapo. Featuring riveting testimonial videos by former yeshiva students, Ms. Sanders details a story of shocking neglect of our most vulnerable population. Most shocking of all is the complicity of the East Ramapo school administration, which is charged with preventing educational neglect and enforcing the truancy laws. Laura Barbieri of  Advocates for Justice is also interviewed.

A similar investigation is being conducted into education at NYC yeshivas, led by Young Advocates for Fair Education.

The Jewish Week is also covering this story, with an excellent piece by Shulem Deen: Chasidic Schools Ensure Ignorance And Poverty

4) New Questions About Old Treasurer

Eight years ago, the Assistant Superintendent of Finance did all the bookkeeping for the district. The school board president at that time was Nathan Rothschild. Elected by the ultra-Orthodox bloc vote, he did not need to provide the public with his educational experience. Only after he was convicted and sentenced to federal prison did we learn he did not have a high school diploma. While it is not required for a school board trustee to have graduated from school, it is something the public will usually want to know about a candidate before giving him or her their vote.

One of the many questionable activities during Mr. Rothschild’s tenure was the appointment of a paid treasurer; an extra cost to the district since the work had previously been done at no extra cost by the assistant superintendent of finance. The treasurer, Israel Bier, has been receiving salary and benefits for eight years. During that time, there were numerous complaints regarding the quality of his work. Over and over, his numbers just did not add up.

Activists who requested Mr. Bier’s qualifications received highly redacted documents. A new report by Failed Messiah has uncovered that Mr. Bier had no formal education in accounting when he was hired. His entire college education is reported as “Talmudical Studies” at Bais Medrash Elyon in Monsey. This college only offers one degree program, Talmudical Studies, for a tuition of $7,800, but 100% of the 30 students who attend receive an average of $10,400 in state and federal financial aid, according to www.CampusExplorer.com. Perhaps that is the accounting lesson they learn there!

The school district, despite having been cited by previous monitor Greenberg for failure to follow NY open government laws, and despite have subsequently received training from the Committee on Open Government, and despite the current presence of a new monitoring team, continues to redact politically embarrassing information from documents that the public has a right to see.

Our educational tax dollars have been wasted on an unqualified an incompetent treasurer whose job was done at no cost to the district prior to his arrival. They have been wasted on a superintendent of schools who has zero cultural competence for the student body he serves and whose administration has received the lowest grade possible from the state education department. The Chancellor herself has called for him to be replaced.

The board is supposedly “collaborating” with the new monitor team. If that is true, then the new monitor team is equally responsible for all that continues to be wrong with our district, or to publicly profess where the “collaboration” ends. If the treasurer is unqualified, and the board is responsible for continuing his paycheck, then any “collaborator” with the board is just as responsible. I think the public has been patient enough. Bier must go. Klein must go. We need a new vision for our children this year, before more irrevocable harm is done.

 

Vote Today; Saturday Picnic Rain or Shine; Unforgettable Veteran at board meeting

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Vote Today
2. Saturday’s Picnic Rain or Shine
3. Voice of a Veteran

1) Vote Today

East Ramapo has become a very important political campaign issue in recent years. Informing the readers about candidates who have participated in our struggle is part of Power of Ten’s focus on East Ramapo issues.

Rev. Jacques Michel is running for legislator in District 13. Rev. Michel has passed legislation opposing the closing of elementary schools. He participated in rallies along with parents. His opponent is Aron Wieder.  Mr. Wieder  spearheaded the effort to block legislation that would have provided a check on the actions of the school board. 

Betty Carmand is running for Legislature in District 8. Betty has been one of the people at the center of our struggle for a long time. She is a plaintiff in the civil rights lawsuit. She helped to recruit others to join that lawsuit. Betty has also filed appeals with the state education department. Her opponent is Toney Earl. He supported the bill for a state monitor. 

2) Saturday’s Picnic Rain or Shine

There is plenty of shelter from the rain at Deerkill Day Camp. We are looking forward to sharing a nice picnic, some fantastic music, and celebrating our accomplishments. We will also be raising funds for Advocates for Justice.

If you cannot attend, you can still contribute. Just go to www.poweroften.us and click “Support Our Lawsuit”.

3) Voice of a Veteran

David Lipman, decorated WWII Veteran and ERCSD alum, class of 1939, came to the school board meeting on Tuesday night. What he said is unforgettable.

 

Picnic and Family Fun Day Sept 12

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Picnic and Family Fun Day Sept 12
2. Join the Delegation to Long Island Sept 8
3. Beloved School Board President Dies
4. Next Board Meeting and Protest Sept 8
5. East Ramapo Parents Will Sue NY State

1) Picnic and Family Fun Day Sept 12

Come and enjoy an afternoon with friends, food, and music! Power of ten and Padres Unidos de East Ramapo will honor three champions of our struggle for quality education for the children of East Ramapo. We will celebrate the amazing work that has been done by Advocates for Justice, the public interest, not-for-profit law firm that has brought a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of our students and taxpayers of East Ramapo, and help them to raise some much needed funds.

Saturday SEPT 12 FROM 1:00 – 5:00 PM
DEERKILL DAY CAMP
54 WILDER RD, SUFFERN, NY

Honorees: Hon. Rodnyse Bichotte, NYS Assembly District 42; Andrew Mandel, Strong East Ramapo; Robert Rhodes, Preserve Ramapo.

Entertainment: Michel Lemorin and His Afro-Caribbean Quintet, Musicos Unidos – Padres de East Ramapo, Student Musicians of East Ramapo and Green Meadow Schools.

$5.00 Taxi Service From Spring Valley by: America Latina Taxi 845-578-1616.

Potluck Style Picnic: Bring A Dish To Share Or An Item For The Grill.

Activities include Live Music, Soccer, Basketball, Playground, Volleyball.

If you would like to help with this event, please contact steve@poweroften.us

Join the event on Facebook

2) Join the Delegation to Long Island Sept 8

SIGN UP TODAY — Calling all East Ramapo advocates to join us for our trip to Long Island on Tuesday, September 8, where we will be building support in advance of the new legislative session in January. Members of a local teachers union, of a local synagogue, and at least one superintendent in Suffolk County are already scheduled to greet us and pledge their willingness to lobby their legislators on our behalf. We will be gathering at 2 p.m. at Memorial Park and travel via carpools to Long Island. Sign up today: www.strongeastramapo.org/action

3) Beloved School Board President Dies

Georgine Hyde, whose legacy epitomizes what a school board trustee should be, passed away on August 28, 2015. She served from 1969 to 2005, when the growing ultra-orthodox bloc vote ousted her and took control of the district.

The Journal News: Georgine Hyde, Holocaust survivor, ex-E. Ramapo board president dies

4) Next Board Meeting and Protest Sept 8

The whole world is watching. If you do not accept second class status, YOU MUST COME OUT and protest at the school board meetings. Invite your friends! Make a sign! If not now, when?

September 8, at 7:00 PM
Chestnut Ridge Middle School
892 Route 45, Chestnut Ridge, NY.

5) East Ramapo Parents Will Sue NY State

New City PATCH: Parents Threaten to Sue State over East Ramapo if Corrections Aren’t Immediate

Protest Tonight at Chestnut Ridge MS; New Monitor Appointed

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Another Monitor Appointed
2. Protests Continue
3. Support Michel for Legislature
4. Trip to Long Island Sept 8

1) Another Monitor Appointed

Commissioner Elia and Chancellor Tisch came to Rockland County Thursday to announce that they were appointing another monitor for East Ramapo.

The Wall Street Journal reported: Former NYC Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott to Serve as East Ramapo Monitor
The AP reported: DISTRICT RIVEN BY RELIGIOUS FAVORITISM CLAIMS GETS MONITOR

Commissioner Elia said she was “extremely troubled” and that “We recognize the seriousness of the situation.” However, the actions the education department is taking seem not to rise up to the seriousness of the problem.

We wrote to the Commissioner of Education in 2009, describing basically the same problems that the fiscal monitor found in 2014. While the state waited to act, hundreds of teachers were fired, programs were cut, and students suffered. The fiscal monitor issued a scathing report, but didn’t call for removal of the board. While he was conducting his study, the board sold two schools for less than their assessed value.

Commissioner Elia set a very different tone when addressing a Buffalo school board meeting. She said “Rest assured, that if the schools do not show demonstrable improvement, someone will come in under my authority and fix those schools.”

We are not ungrateful. We only want equal treatment. We want students in East Ramapo to have an education equivalent to what students in other Rockland districts have. We want NY State to act swiftly to remove the board and place our district in receivership while the issue of governance by a “not so simple majority” is resolved. 

2) Protests Continue Tuesday (TONIGHT)

The whole world is watching. If you do not accept second class status, YOU MUST COME OUT and protest at the school board meetings. Invite your friends! Make a sign! If not now, when?

August 18, at 7:30 PM
Chestnut Ridge Middle School
892 Route 45, Chestnut Ridge, NY.

To receive reminders about meetings or cancellations, text the word POWEROFTEN to 84483 from your mobile phone.

3) Support Michel for Legislature

If there is one person who is most responsible for the degradation of East Ramapo, it is Aron Wieder. In Nov, 2009, Aron Wieder brought Al D’Agostino to East Ramapo. In June of 2011, the school board majority, led by Aron Wieder chose Dr. Joel Klein instead of Pedro Santana for Superintendent of schools. Last year Mr. Wieder (now a Rockland County Legislator) spearheaded the effort to block legislation that would have provided a check on the actions of the school board.

Rev. Jacques Michel previously held the seat the Mr. Wieder now occupies. As a legislator, Rev. Michel passed legislation opposing the sale of elementary schools. He participated in rallies along with parents. He is now running in the Democratic Primary on September 10 (yes, it is on a Thursday). This time, there is no other candidate to ‘split the vote’.

Please join Citizens for Rev. Jacques Michel for a Fundraising Barbecue on Saturday, August 22, 2015 from 6:00 PM– 8:00 PM, at The United Saints Church, 115 South Main Street, Spring Valley, NY. For Information or to RSVP 914.260.4118 or ToPreventCrime@aol.com. Please make all checks payable to: Citizens for Rev. Jacques Michel, 115 South Main Street, Spring Valley, NY 10977. We Hope To See You There!

4) Trip to Long Island Sept 8

The following message is from Strong East Ramapo. I encourage everyone to support this group and join them in thier actions:

Dear Strong East Ramapo,

I am thrilled to announce our first action of the new school year.  While we are glad that Dennis Walcott and his team are in town, we must do the advance work of being prepared for the 2016 legislative session, given that Walcott’s team does not have formal authority to reform the district directly. This means building our support across the state to be ready to pass a strong oversight bill. In a series of actions that will culminate in being ready for an Albany visit in early January, Strong East Ramapo will be leading our first trip to Long Island on Tuesday, September 8 (the day before the first day of school). The trip will aim to forge relationships with allies who will pledge to lobby Senator Flanagan on our behalf for veto power when the time comes.

We plan on leaving Rockland in carpools from Spring Valley starting at 2. Visit www.strongeastramapo.org/action to RSVP and to receive more information.  We need you there!

Thanks,
Andrew

State Oversight for East Ramapo
twitter: StrongERamapo

State Ed Coming Thursday; New Lawsuit asks to Recoup Millions

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. State Education Department Announcement
2. New Lawsuit to Recoup Millions
3. Your Help Needed

1) State Education Department Announcement

Education Commissioner Elia and Chancellor Tisch will be visiting RCC  on Thursday at 1:30 PM to make a major announcement about the state’s plan to address the needs of East Ramapo. Please make every effort to attend so we can fill that room and demonstrate our commitment to quality public education.

Sign up on Facebook (don’t forget to invite all your FB friends): https://www.facebook.com/events/486737178172230/

2) New Lawsuit to Recoup Millions

Advocates for Justice has filed a new lawsuit on behalf of East Ramapo taxpayers and parents seeking to recoup excessive legal fees paid by the school board. As reported in the last update, NY Supreme Court Justice Bucaria found that the school board had overpaid lawyers in one case by over $2 million. Advocates for Justice seeks to recoup that money for the district and prevent the board from further excessive legal spending. Also, A4J has filed an appeal with the Commissioner of Education asking that the school board members be removed for violation of their fiduciary duty. 

School board members in NY are required to exercise the degree of diligence, care, and skill in handling the district’s money that an ordinary prudent individual would use in handling their own personal finances. In the case decided by Judge Bucaria, he said the board spent $2.2 million for legal fees when a reasonable amount would have been $187 thousand. Clearly they were not prudent, not careful, and spent an extraordinary amount of money. The judge’s findings echo the findings of Fiscal Monitor Greenberg. They confirm the initial reaction of parents when they heard about the outrageous legal fees agreed to by the school board.

However, Judge Bucaria was only looking at expenses for one lawsuit. The board has spent millions more fighting dubious lawsuits. These expenses are a major factor in the poor financial condition of the district. The following is a partial list of expensive and disastrous suits begun by the school board:

  • Sued the State Education Department to prevent them from blocking the board’s policy of paying private tuition with public money.
  • Appealed the decision of the NY Supreme Court when they lost that case.
  • Sued the NY Attorney General’s Office to prevent them from accessing records related to the sale of Hillcrest Elementary using a false instrument (an appraisal).
  • Violated the contract of former superintendent Outstacher and had to pay his legal fees.
  • Sued their own insurance company that declined coverage for board members’ conduct.

What other board can you imagine that would actually try to prevent a law enforcement agency from investigating a potential fraud against the corporation that they are entrusted with governing? Can you imagine if the East Ramapo board all ‘owned stock’ in the corporation they govern, would they behave this way? Have they been acting as if guarding the finances of the district was guarding their own personal finances? Or have they abused their power and betraying their oath?

We think it is time for a judge to decide. 

3) Your Help Needed

 Advocates for Justice is a public interest, not-for-profit law firm. They are not charging for the work they do. There is no contract with plaintiffs for payment when the case is decided. There is no charge to the plaintiffs for the work they do, period.

Your  donations are what makes this possible. That the victims have a voice, that they get their day in court, that our system of justice functions not only for those with the money. 

Donations are tax deductible. They can be spread out into monthly payments. They are what sustains the avenue of legal recourse for our families. Please take a moment now to support those who fight for our children, who fight for their right to a sound basic education.

Please Give Today

East Ramapo Board Loses in Court Again

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. East Ramapo Board Loses in Court Again
2. CUPON Protests Ramapo Zoning
3. School Board Protests Continue Tuesday
4. Power of Ten Spanish Version Expands

1) East Ramapo Board Loses in Court Again

NY State Supreme Court has found that East Ramapo has overpaid attorneys $2,055,345.50, more than ten times the amount the judge said was reasonable!

The school board has repeatedly voted to pay legal fees for school board members, former school board members, and district employees who have been sued by parents or taxpayers. The board’s insurance company (NYSIR) refused to cover these costs, saying “the NYSIR policy precludes coverage to the insureds above regarding the “fraudulent, dishonest, malicious, criminal or intentional wrongful act(s) or omission(s)”.

The board then sued its insurance company, but the court found that “the allegations sustained by Judge Seibel, purchasing religious textbooks, paying religious school tuition, and transferring school property to religious schools, were clearly of a deliberate and intentional nature.” Therefore the court ruled that the insurance company was not liable for payments after Judge Seibel sustained the allegations on March 12, 2014.

The board approved spending $2,233,485.50 in legal fees before the judge’s March 2014 ruling. The insurance company called that “excessive”. The judge agreed, saying “a reasonable fee for the legal services provided is $187,500”. Read the full decision here.

This judgement is just one more step on the path to Justice for East Ramapo. None of our legal actions would be possible without your continued support of Advocates for Justice, a public interest, not-for-profit law firm. Please GIVE GENEROUSLY, all contributions are tax deductible.

2) CUPON Protests Ramapo Zoning

CUPON is a group formed to hold our planning and zoning boards accountable. They are holding a Rally at a Zoning Board meeting TONIGHT:

Residents, it is time for us to stand up for our neighborhoods! The Monsey Flats ll project that is being proposed for Hillcrest is on the Ramapo Zoning Board agenda. This destruction of our neighborhoods needs to stop now! We need YOU, Rockland residents, to come out in full force to protest a construction that requires multiple zoning variances.

The Rally and Zoning Board meeting information:
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Location: Ramapo Town Hall 237 Rt. 59, Suffern, NY 10901
Time: rally – 7:00pm
Zoning Board meeting: 8:00PM

3) School Board Protests Continue Tuesday

Please join us in our continuing protest demanding that Klein resign (or be removed), and the public school community be involved in choosing a competent replacement:

Tuesday, July 28 at 7:00 PM
105 S. Madison Ave
Spring Valley, NY

4) Power of Ten In Spanish

Last year, with the help of a translator, Power of Ten included some Spanish content. This week, we have added a machine translator, which although not as good as a human translator, has enabled us to greatly increase the number of pages and posts available in Spanish. Every new post will be automatically translated. Bienvenidos to all of our new Spanish speaking readers!

East Ramapo: Supt. Klein will go; Trustee Ramirez resigns in first month on the job

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Klein to be Replaced?
2. New Launch of Strong East Ramapo
3. Saturday Family Fun Day in Spring Valley
4. New School Board Member Resigns After Just One Meeting
5. September 12 – Save the Date

1) Klein to be Replaced?

According to the Journal News, Superintendent Klein will soon be removed by the East Ramapo School Board. One of the most important jobs of a school board is selecting the Superintendent of Schools. In 2011, the school board majority, a group with zero experience in public education, led by Aron Wieder, selected Dr. Klein over the objections of the public school parents, educators, and school board members. Trust us, they said, even though we have no experience and a glaring conflict of interest, take our word that we are acting in good faith

Four years later, our children’s educational system is reduced to wreckage. The state education department finds the administration performing at the lowest possible level in every parameter measured. Now the school board is hinting about parting ways with Supt. Klein, the same way they did with lawyer D’Agostino two years ago. Please join us in our continuing protest demanding that Klein resign (or be removed), and the public school community be involved in choosing a competent replacement:

Tuesday, July 28 at 7:00 PM
105 S. Madison Ave
Spring Valley, NY

2) New Launch of Strong East Ramapo

Many have written to Power of Ten asking when we will start working on next year’s advocacy strategy. Strong East Ramapo has taken the lead and wants YOU to be involved:

LAUNCH MEETING — After a month of surveys, conversations, strategic thinking and gathering feedback, it’s time to start the engines of Strong East Ramapo 2015-16. I am looking forward to meeting with everyone who is interested in helping to play a planning role in our efforts to secure an equitable education for the children of the district. We will be:
— Refining our goals for the year
— Planning our first major action of the new school year
— Mapping out our subsequent strategies for the fall
— Establishing roles, as well as ways to communicate ongoing
Date: Sunday, August 9 at 4 p.m-5:30 p.m.
Location: Please RSVP to strongeastramapo@gmail.com by August 1 to learn our meeting place.
Hope to see you there!

3) Saturday Family Fun Day in Spring Valley

“We The People – Rockland County” Presents
1st Annual Spring Valley Family Fun Day And Unity Rally
Saturday July 25th at Tigers Den Park, Spring Valley, New York
Time 11:00am to 5:00pm
Special Guest: DJ Juanyto of HOT 97 fm
Music* Food* Entertainment
Special Thank You to: Dannon, Frito-Lay, Hot97, S2SBB

4) New School Board Member Resigns After Just One Meeting

East Ramapo’s newest school board member resigned today. He told the Journal News he had misjudged the amount of time it takes to be a school board member. Perhaps he should have attended at least one complete meeting before he ran for the board? Perhaps the 6000 people who voted for him should have asked if he had ever sat through even one meeting?

At the heart of the dysfunction in East Ramapo is the passionate participation of thousands of voters whose ignorance of current events in public education is enforced by edicts against reading the newspaper, listening to the radio, watching TV, or going on the internet. School board members have even participated in rallies in support of banning use of the internet.

The result of enforced ignorance of voters has been election of incompetent or abusive school board trustees. Trustees who hold most sessions in secret. Trustees who call members of the public ‘miscreants’. Trustees who tolerate high level employees who verbally abuse students and parents. Trustees who sue the state education department. Trustees who authorize real estate deals with beneficial terms for their friends. They don’t have to worry about the electorate watching their misdeeds analyzed on the evening news, the voters are not allowed to own television sets!

Only now that NY State has beaten them in court and threatens to force them to share power are they dialing back the arrogance a little. But the civil rights of the public school children will never be safe as long as enforced ignorance holds unchecked power.

5) Save the Date

September 12 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM we will have the First Annual Power of Ten Picnic for Justice. We will have food, games, music and more. Details TBA in the next update. This year we will raise funds for Advocates for Justice, the Not-for -Profit Public Interest Law Firm that has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of East Ramapo parents, students, and taxpayers. However, you don’t have to wait until Septemeber 12 to donate, please do so today

Justice is Coming to East Ramapo, One Step at a Time

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. D’Agostino is Gone!
2. Klein Must Resign!
3. A Brief History of East Ramapo

1) D’Agostino is Gone!

In Nov, 2009, Aron Wieder brought Al D’Agostino to East Ramapo. This action has cost East Ramapo millions of dollars over the past five plus years. The damage to the students is beyond measure.  Mr. Wieder undertook this action against the advice of senior board members and the Superintendent. Many of the problems of East Ramapo can be traced back to this moment. Be sure to watch this video, to know who Mr. Wieder is and what he did to East Ramapo.

Now, thanks to a unparalleled community organizing campaign, Al D’Agostino is gone. The credit belongs to all of you who got involved. Antonio Luciano and Peggy Hatton of East Ramapo Underground, Andrew Mandel with Strong East Ramapo, Willie Trotman and Oscar Cohen of the NAACP, The Rockland Clergy for Social Justice, and the Padres Unidos of East Ramapo deserve the credit for their leadership.

The district now has a reputable and experienced law firm. It is one step, but a very important one in returning quality education for all of our children in East Ramapo.

2) Klein Must Resign!

In June of 2011, the school board majority, led by Aron Wieder (again!) chose Dr. Joel Klein instead of Pedro Santana for Superintendent of schools.  This action has also caused irreparable harm to the students of East Ramapo. The failure of Dr. Klein to provide competent leadership has been documented by the state education department. The most obvious deficiency was the insensitivity of Dr. Klein to the Latino families. This led to massive protests at every school board meeting and even at Dr. Klein’s house. Given that Chancellor Tisch of the Board of Regents has also called for him to be removed, it would seem only a matter of time before he will also be exiting our district. It can’t be too soon.

3) A Brief History of East Ramapo

A Community View in the Journal News has inspired me to take a look back at what has happened to East Ramapo. Titled “Remembering East Ramapo’s Glory Days“, it recalls the long service of school board member Georgine Hyde, a Holocaust survivor who believed that providing a quality public education to all children was the best way to ensure “never again”. The effect of having quality leadership on the board was documented by students and staff in 2004.

However, in 2005 Ms. Hyde was voted off the board and a new, majority Orthodox board was formed. Collaboration with the non-Orthodox community was ended (also voted off the board that year was Dr. Danielle Bright, the only Haitian American on the board) and quality public education started to take a back seat to maximizing funding to Orthodox yeshivas.

Then, in 2008, despite objections from parents, staff, students, and the state education department, Mr Wieder proceeded to implement a series of steps which brought the district to its knees. He brought D’Agostino and Klein soon followed. Two schools were closed and sold. Each of these moves has turned out to be a disaster. Legal costs have skyrocketed. State reports indicate the Klein Administration is incompetent and students are suffering because of it. The Attorney General is still investigating the sale of the schools, while enrollment goes up and overcrowding worsens.

This year, a series of community organizing actions have brought the problems caused by conflicted governance into sharp focus. Elected officials including Governor Cuomo, Assembly Members Zebrowski and Jaffee, and Senator Carlucci have called for change. A bill to give more power to the State Education Department to oversee East Ramapo passed in the NY State Assembly. The federal civil rights lawsuit, first brought in 2012 by Advocates for Justice is wending its way through the court system.

How can you be involved? Come to the protests at the school board meetings. Write letters to the newspaper. Call the radio. Email elected officials. Donate to Advocates for Justice.

Justice is Coming, and YOU can Make it Happen!

Klein Must Resign!

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Senate Stops Monitor Bill
2. Chancellor calls for removal of Superintendent Klein
3. Klein Must Resign!
4. Protest July 7

1) Senate Stops Monitor Bill

What happened? We are all asking ourselves how a local bill bill with 100% local support, including a resolution by the Rockland County Legislature, lobbying by County Executive Ed Day, and the support of the Rockland School Board Association could fail to get a vote in the NY State Senate. 

Capital New York:

“In East Ramapo, where a school board dominated by Orthodox Jewish members is at odds with the parents of a student body that is largely black and Hispanic, in a situation that seemed to be crying out for some resolution at the state level … Governor Cuomo … backed a bill … which passed the Assembly by a close vote … but the Senate did not advance legislation on the issue … Republicans there, including Flanagan, said the Assembly bill would strip local control of schools. He’s likely just as mindful that bloc voting is common in Orthodox communities, and that the G.O.P.’s narrow majority depends on keeping Simcha Felder, a Democrat whose Brooklyn district is heavily Orthodox, in the fold.”

Read the whole article here: http://bit.ly/1C06Lbw

2) Chancellor calls for removal of Superintendent Klein

Following a series of reports which document the failures and incompetence of East Ramapo district leadership, Chancellor Tisch has called for the removal of Superintendent Klein.

Wall Street Journal:

The East Ramapo school board is controlled by Orthodox Jewish men who send their children to private religious schools. Over the past year, a series of state reports have detailed the district’s financial deficits, mismanagement and failure to provide adequate instruction to many of its public school children, most of whom are poor minorities.

In recommending that the board remove Superintendent Joel Klein,Ms. Tisch said, “It’s time for the board of East Ramapo to stop living in this fantasy where the world doesn’t see them as being misguided in their treatment of these public school children, and do something to show…they are going to try to act to repair a very damaged relationship” with the community.

To Access the Full Story, Follow the link on the Power of Ten Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Power-of-Ten/222126104511971

3) Klein Must Resign!

Angelica Infante-Green, the education department’s associate commissioner of bilingual education, described her experience visiting East Ramapo: “What I did see was very little attention paid to (immigrants who speak Spanish).” “The funding that was designated for this population was being misused. It was not going to direct services to students,” she said. “It’s an injustice that these kids have not been served.”

On Sunday Morming, about 75 people gathered in front of Superintendent Klein’s house to demand Klein’s resignation:

Many of the protesters were Latinos, who remembered that the superintendent had made insensitive comments about Hispanic immigrants last year. Now they have read the new reports about how the district is failing to deliver state mandated services for immigrants and English Language Learners. 

4) Protest July 7

There has been a protest at every school board meeting since September 2014. The nest meeting/protest will be Tuesday July 7 at 7:00 PM, at 105 S. Madison Ave, Spring Valley. We hope you will join us. Justice is coming, and you can make it happen!

New Reports: East Ramapo Governance Failing; Call on NY Senate to Pass S3821 For Oversight Now!

Power of Ten Update

In this Issue:

1. NYSED Reports: East Ramapo Administration Fails!
2. Last Day to Make Calls and Send Emails
3. Report from Monday’s Rally and March

1) NYSED Reports: East Ramapo Administration Fails!

Three new reports from NYSED directly tie poor student performance to the failures of the East Ramapo board and administration to provide vision, leadership, and direction. The reports provide devastating detail of lapses in oversight, failure to supervise, failure to evaluate, and colossal arrogance. The summary of the reports is available here. Here is the Compliance Report on English Language Learners, and Here is the report on school district effectiveness.

Capital’s Jessica Bakeman: Education department: East Ramapo failing English learners

“These reports add to already overwhelming evidence that for many years, the East Ramapo school board has not acted in the best interests of its public school students,” Board of Regents chancellor Merryl Tisch, who has advocated strongly for the legislation, said in a statement. “The hardship these students have endured is reprehensible. The Legislature has a moral imperative to act before they leave town for summer vacation. The students in East Ramapo public schools cannot afford to wait another year.”

The Journal News: State report gives E. Ramapo schools low marks

2) Last Day to Make Calls and Send Emails

The Senate session was extended again, with today, Wednesday June 24, being the new last day. That means there is still a chance that the bill for a monitor for East Ramapo could pass this year!

Do your part! Use this link to send email to the NY State Senate (with a copy to Governor Cuomo)

Then make a phone call (or seven if you can). Don’t forget to forward the message to your contacts around the state, their calls count too!

The top person to call remains Senator John Flanagan since he controls what gets voted on by the Senate. But who else could you call to try to help us as we race to the finish line? Check out the list below, in order of priority. (Forward this message and have your friends and family call, too!)

1. Senator John Flanagan (518-455-2071). Given that the East Ramapo oversight bill passed the Assembly, it is more than reasonable to ask him to “bring Senate Bill 3821 to a vote of the full Senate.”

2. Governor Cuomo (518-474-8390, press 3). The Governor has stated his support for East Ramapo oversight more than once, and we are thankful for that. But we need him to “use his considerable influence to convince the Senate to vote on S. 3821.”

3. Senator David Carlucci (518-455-2991). We need Senator Carlucci to champion his original bill. Be clear that you want him to “focus his energy, and his networks in the Senate, to bring Senate Bill 3821 to a vote.”

4. Senator Bill Larkin (518-455-2770). A senator from North Rockland and Orange County, this 87-year-old statesman already supports Senate Bill 3821 and could use his 25 years of seniority to “urge Senator Flanagan to let the S. 3821 to be brought to the full Senate for a vote.”

5. Senator John Bonacic (518-455-3181). A state senator from Orange, Ulster and Sullivan Counties, this 15-year veteran of the Senate has indicated his support for S. 3821. Ask him to “encourage Senator Flanagan to bring the East Ramapo oversight bill that passed the Assembly to the Senate floor for a vote.”

6. Senator Jeff Klein (518-455-3595). The leader of Senator Carlucci’s Independent Democratic Conference, Senator Klein from Riverdale may have chips he can cash in for his allegiance to the Republican majority. Urge him to use some for the children of the district.

7. Senator Carl Marcellino (518-455-2390). The chair of the Education Committee, Senator Marcellino is very familiar with the issues in East Ramapo. As a fellow Long Islander (Syosset), he and Senator Flanagan are tight. Urge him to “do the right thing and ask Senator Flanagan to bring S. 3821 to a vote.”

3) Report from Monday’s Rally and March

What can I say about Monday night? Police estimated 700 people rallied in Memorial Park and marched to the Central Administration Building. They came together to speak with one voice: Pass S3821! Speakers included Assembly Member Ken Zebrowski and Ellen Jaffee, NY State Regent Judith Johnson, Spring Valley NAACP President Willie Trotman, Parents Activist Luis Nivelo and more. 

News 12: Parents demand state monitor oversee E. Ramapo schools

Facebook Video: https://www.facebook.com/1269116671/videos/10206582701587455/?l=4396381180476045668

Rally Monday: Gov Cuomo, Where are You?

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Prayer Vigil for Victims of Charleston Church Shooting Tonight
2. Our Bill Stalls in Senate
3. Rally on Monday
4. Vote on Tuesday
5. Minority Empowerment Forum Thursday

1) Prayer Vigil for Victims of Charleston Church Shooting Tonight

The Rockland County Minsters Alliance will hold a Prayer Vigil in support of the families of the victims of the church shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church located in Charleston, SC. Please come out to Pray for Peace and the Strength to stand up for Righteousness.

The First Baptist Church of Spring Valley NY.6 Hoyt Street, Spring Valley
Sunday, June 21, 2015 6:00pm-8:00pm

2) Our Bill Stalls in Senate

The bill for a monitor for East Ramapo passed the NY State Assembly as A.5355 on June 11 following a spirited and healthy debate. Opponents of the bill were given every opportunity to present their concerns. Assembly Members Jaffee and Zebrowski answered those concerns at length. The majority of the members of the Assembly, having heard both sides, voted to pass the bill. However, Senate Majority Leader Flanagan refused to allow the companion bill, S.3821, for a discussion or a vote in the Senate. Then Senator Carlucci, who represents our area, submitted a different bill, S.5974.

This new bill was submitted as an ultimatum, with no time left for review, discussion, or feedback. Since then the Senate has stayed overtime due to other issues, giving a us a chance to evaluate the new bill. Further complicating the matter, the Senate Bill would have to also pass through the Assembly all over again.

The purpose of creating a bill was to correct problems identified in the Greenberg Report. The report found that many of the decisions of the school board were harming the quality of education. He recommended a change in the relationship between the state and the board. The state, Mr. Greenberg said, should have a monitor on site at the district, with power to prevent further harm.

Senator Carlucci’s bill does not provide for a monitor with the power to intervene. The monitor would only have the ability to send a written objection to the Education Department. The Assembly members who worked to get the original bill through their house tried to work out a compromise which would involve a hearing officer, but Senator Carlucci would not include that the monitor could file a complaint except for violation of law by the school board. This struck many as odd. Why would a law be needed to stop people from breaking the law?

It is the state which bears the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that a sound, basic education is provided. The local school board members are chosen by the local community, but they are acting on behalf of the state to accomplish the objectives put forth by the state. The Education Department already has teams of professionals reviewing the practices of East Ramapo and every other district. The problem in East Ramapo is that the school board refuses to comply. We don’t need another written objection. We need NY State to honor its obligation to the children.

For more details and analysis, I recommend the Strong East Ramapo Facebook page.

3) Rally on Monday

Monday, June 22nd from 7 p.m. in Memorial Park in Spring Valley.

The Senate was supposed to conclude their legislative year this past Wednesday. However, they are returning to Albany on Tuesday for their unfinished business. We want to be clear that strengthening the East Ramapo oversight bill MUST BE part of their last day.

Our goals for the rally are to:
— Demand that our Senate Leadership in Albany do better for the children of East Ramapo, that the current Senate Bill is inadequate and that a monitor must be able to stop the board from violating their responsibilities to the children
— Urge Governor Cuomo to intervene on our behalf
— Unite community around our strength and our determination to not give up regardless of what happens.

Make signs like:
— We need STRONG oversight for East Ramapo
— Senator Flanagan: we deserve more than crumbs
— Put some teeth in the bill
— Albany, don’t let East Ramapo down
— Governor Cuomo, where are you?
— We are not done!

Tell your friends, family and neighbors and spread our message widely. Anyone is welcome that cares about justice for the children of the district. Please plan to attend and bring your friends, neighbors and anyone who feels our children and community deserve better!

4) Vote on Tuesday

The Finklestein Library Budget Vote and Trustee Election will be held on Tuesday, June 23 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Library. Each year one of five trustee seats is up for election. This year it is the seat of Denet Alexandre. Mr. Alexandre is a longtime supporter of public education in East Ramapo. Please come out to the library on June 23 to support your public library and to keep Mr. Alexandre on the board.

Budget information and Biographical information about the candidates is available online here

A review of current issues at the library by Mr. Alexandre is available here: http://www.hnenetwork.com/

5) Minority Empowerment Forum Thursday

The Spring Valley NAACP, We The People, and Tender Steps of NY, Inc. will co-sponsor a “United To Build” event on Thursday, June 25, 6:30pm at the Louis Kurtz Civic Center.

The Black and Latino community make up 30% of Rockland County and it is time to unite and let our collective voices be heard.  Let’s come together and identify social issues that pertain to each community and figure out how we could unite to tackle those problems.

Tuesday: Back to Albany

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Tuesday: Back to Albany
2. Wall Street Journal on Monitor Bill
3. Library Vote June 23

1) Tuesday: Back to Albany

Please join Strong East Ramapo as they travel to Albany one more time in support of the bill for a monitor for East Ramapo:

FINAL WEEK — Now that we have passed the Assembly, join me on Tuesday in Albany for a chance to advocate for East Ramapo oversight in the Senate. This is it. Let’s leave nothing undone. Thank you to members of the Ramapo Class of 2009 for already committing!

http://www.strongeastramapo.org/june-16/

If you can’t make it, you can help from home:www.strongeastramapo.org/action

2) Wall Street Journal on Monitor Bill

The best coverage of the action last week, by Leslie Brody of the WSJ:

N.Y. Lawmakers Approve Monitor for East Ramapo School District

3) Library Vote June 23

The Finklestein Library Budget Vote and Trustee Election will be held on Tuesday, June 23 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Library. Each year one of five trustee seats is up for election. This year it is the seat of Denet Alexandre. Mr. Alexandre is a longtime supporter of public education in East Ramapo. Please come out to the library on June 23 to support your public library and to keep Mr. Alexandre on the board.

Budget information and Biographical information about the candidates is available online here

Monitor Bill Passes NY State Assembly; Your Help Needed for the Senate Vote

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue

1. Monitor Bill passes in NY Assembly!!!
2. Next Step: The Senate – Your Help Needed!!!
3. Dr. Andrew Mandel talks East ramapo on NPR Radio

1) Monitor Bill passes in NY Assembly!!!

Today was a historic milestone in the struggle for Justice in East Ramapo. The Bill for a Monitor passed 80-56. Thank you to Ellen Jaffee and Ken Zebrowski, as well as Assembly Education Chair Cathy Nolan, Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte, Assemblyman Aubry, and Speaker Heastie.

2) Next Step: The Senate – Your Help Needed!!!

The bill must now pass the Senate. Senator Carlucci told the Journal News that he’s working hard with Senate Leader Flanagan to get the bill to a vote. Then it will go to Governor Cuomo, who has already said he will sign the bill.

Many have already sent email to the Senate rules committee. Please use this link to send another message, which addresses some of the concerns raised by opponents of the bill. 

Use this Link to send Email to NY Senate Rules Committee

We must also keep the phone calls going — and MUST mobilize anyone you know in New York State to call their own local senator (or, even better, show up at the local office). If you know ANYONE on Long Island or upstate New York in particular, this is the time to ask them to help us. No one is more persuasive than the person who votes for you. Think through your own contacts, and reach out to them.

Every phone call matters — particularly now.

When you call the people below, please say:
“My name is X, and I am from Y. I strongly support Senate Bill 3821, and we need your support now. Everyone from the Rockland School Boards Association to the New York City Bar Association considers this a reasonable solution to a crisis that has gone on for way too long. Please support us.”

Priority One List (Rules Committee members)
Hannon (Garden City, Long Island) (518-455-2200)
Little (Lake George) (518-455-2811)
Nozzolio (Seneca Falls area) (518-455-2366)
Seward (Oneonta) (518-455-3131)
Young (Western New York) – (518-455-3563)

Priority Two List (Other Senators who will vote once Rules passes it)
DeFrancisco (Onondaga and Cayuga Counties) (518-455-3511)
Amedore (Ulster County) (518-455-2350)
Funke (Rochester) (518-455-2215)
Murphy (Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess) (518-455-3111)
Ortt (Niagara Falls) (518-455-2024)
Robach (Rochester) (518-455-2909)
Serino (Dutchess/Putnam) (518-455-2945)

Priority Three (Other Senators who will vote once Rules passes it)
Comrie (Queens) (518-455-2701)
Golden (Brooklyn) (518-455-2730)
Gallivan (Geneseo) (518-455-3471)
Marchione (Hudson/Saratoga Springs) (518-455-2381)
O’Mara (Corning) (518-455-2091)
Sampson (Brooklyn) (518-455-2788)
Martins (Long Island) (518-455-3265)

3) Dr. Andrew Mandel talks East Ramapo on NPR Radio

Dr. Mandel delivers a brilliant, educated interesting interview on the WAMC Radio Show “Conversations with Alan Chartock”. Follow this link to listen to the show

East Ramapo Mismanagement Continues Unabated, Anti-Defamation League Supports Monitor Bill

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. School Board loses another lawsuit
2. ADL Supports Monitor Bill
3. NY Senators Need to Hear from YOU!

1) School Board loses another lawsuit

New York’s highest court has ruled against the East Ramapo board in their lawsuit against the NY State Education Department. The school board was cited by the education department for unlawfully placing students in private schools at public expense on August 27, 2010. They were notified again on December 23, 2010, and again on March 29, 2011. They were cited again August 23, 2011 and again on May 24, 2012 and again on December 19, 2012.

On April 12, 2013 the school board sued the education department. On December 20, 2013, the NY state Supreme Court ruled against the school board. Despite the court finding that the board had “wholly failed to meet its burden”, the board decided to sue again in the appellate court.

All of these expensive lawsuits were against a state agency enforcing federal law designed to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education in the Least Restrictive Environment, recklessly using funds taken from the education of children.

The board continued its reckless course even while the fiscal monitor, Hank Greenberg was conducting his inquiry and even while Assembly Members Jaffee and Zebrowski and Senator Carlucci were writing the bill for a monitor, and even while they were lobbying Albany that they did not need more oversight!!!

The complete disregard for US law and the regulations of the NY State Education Department are proof that oversight without veto power is completely ignored by this board. The remedy proposed by Mr. Greenberg represents an absolute minimum. There is no more time to lose. Action is needed immediately!

2) ADL Supports Monitor Bill

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today issued its support of an oversight monitor for East Ramapo, indicating that the legislation will be an important first step in restoring trust in the community.

3) NY Senators Need to Hear from YOU!

The Senate Education Committee has not scheduled any more meetings, and so it will be the Senate Rules Committee which can place the Monitor Bill on the calendar.

Now is the time to write the Senators and urge them to pass the bill!

Follow this link to send a message Today!!!

 

East Ramapo Bill Support Multiplies as it Passes the Education Committee

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Monitor Bill Passes Assembly Education Committee
2. Join Strong East Ramapo in Albany on Wed, June 10
3. School Board Association supports monitor for East Ramapo
4. NY Times Op-Ed slams board, supports bill
5. Rabbi calls board actions “flagrant violation” of Jewish values
6. Governor Cuomo reiterates support for monitor bill
7. Last Call: Please Join me at the NYCLU Dinner

1) Monitor Bill Passes Assembly Education Committee

The NY State Assembly Education Committee voted today to support the bill for a monitor for East Ramapo school district! This is one very important step towards the bill becoming a law. This law would protect the civil rights of the children in East Ramapo. Next steps are passage by the full Assembly and the Senate Education Committee.

2) Join Strong East Ramapo in Albany on Wed, June 10

With the New York Legislative session ending June 17, the clock is ticking for Assembly Bill 5355 and Senate Bill 3821. A group of supporters for East Ramapo’s children have decided we need to make another trip to Albany. We will be traveling by individual cars and gathering at 9:30 a.m. in the Legislative Office Building for a special event before meeting with lawmakers throughout the day. We will conclude at 3 p.m.

Join Strong East Ramapo on the June 10 trip

If you cannot go, you can still make phone calls. Call Assembly Members Colton (518-455-5828), Cahill (518-455-4436) and Ramos (518-455-5185), as well as Speaker Heastie (518-455-3791). Call Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (518-455-2585) and Senate Education Committee Chair Marcellino (518-455-2390). Say “The children of East Ramapo need your help. Please support Senate Bill S-3821 and Assembly Bill 5355.”

3) School Board Association supports monitor for East Ramapo

The Rockland County School Board Association, representing all eight school districts in Rockland County, has endorsed the bill for a monitor! They Join the Rockland County Legislature, Reform Jewish Voice of New York, The NYC Bar Association, The Alliance for Quality Education, and many, many more.

The endorsement of the school board association is particularly important because the East Ramapo school board is itself a member. It shows how far the board has gone astray from it’s mission. What is the mission of a school board? From the National School Board Association: “Education is not the first priority of a school board. It is the ONLY priority.”

4) NY Times Op-Ed “When a School Board Victimizes Kids”

Chancellor Merryl Tisch and David Sciarra (head of the Education Law Center) have written the op-ed in the New York Times.

They cite “overwhelming evidence” that the East Ramapo school board has “utterly failed” the children.

They say the bill for a monitor is a “crucial step toward reversing the district’s disastrous decline and repairing the deep rifts in the community”.

This is a must-read: When a School Board Victimizes Kids

5) Rabbi Hart: board actions are a “flagrant violation” of Jewish values

In an opinion piece in “The Forward” (the most widely read Jewish newspaper) Rabbi Ari Hart calls on fellow Orthodox Jews to “find a way to both advance our interests and needs while taking the needs of our fellow citizens into account”. He believes an independent monitor would build trust, which would be “ultimately … the best path for everyone”.

Another “must-read” An Immoral Use of Jewish Power in Upstate New York

6) Governor Cuomo reiterates support for monitor bill

Capitol New York’s education reporter Jessica Bakeman reports that NY Governor Andrew Cuomo said he supports the bill for a monitor and is pushing for the Legislature to pass it. During a visit to Nyack on June 3rd, he said “There’s no reason why they can’t do it. They have two weeks left.” Cuomo also said charges of anti-Semitism against bill supporters are just politics. “they’ll say whatever they have to say,” Cuomo said.

7) Last Call: Please Join me at the NYCLU Dinner

Lower Hudson Valley Chapter Annual Dinner 2015

Please Join Us As We Honor: Arlene Popkin, Oscar Cohen, Willie Trotman & Steve White

Keynote Speaker: Norman Siegel, Civil Rights Attorney and Former NYCLU Executive Director

The Riverview
One Warburton Avenue
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York 10706

June 9, 2015
Reception 6:00 pm
Dinner 7:00 pm

Please purchase your tickets online at www.aclu.org/secure/lhv-dinner-2015.

Correction

Power of Ten Update

Correction:

In the last update, I failed to include all the information you need to make phone calls.

Here is the complete information:

Call Speaker Carl Heastie (518) 455-4800 and say: “I support Assembly Bill A-5355 for oversight of the East Ramapo school district. Please bring it to the floor for a vote immediately”.

Call Senate Education Committee Chair Carl Marcellino (518) 455-2390 and say, “The children of East Ramapo need your help. Please support Senate Bill S-3821 and get it through the Education Committee immediately.”

Please Make these Calls Today! Then:

Thank the Assembly Members who are already supporters: http://poweroften.us/thank-an-assembly-member/

Even More Support:

There have been two more letters in the Journal News:

East Ramapo needs a monitor

A sad legacy for East Ramapo alumni

Support for East Ramapo Oversight Surges; Your Help Needed Now!

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Monitor Bill- Your Action Needed!
2. Election Results
3. Fundraiser for Tender Steps – June 6
4. NYCLU Honors East Ramapo Activists – June 9

1) Monitor Bill- Your Action Needed!

Since the last time I wrote, there have been many new supporters of the new law to provide oversight for East Ramapo.

Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry, chair of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Caucus
Assembly Member Kimberly Jean-Pierre
Assemblyman Charles Barron
The New York Civil Liberties Union
The Rockland County Legislature
Diane Ravitch
Pearl River, Nyack, Ramapo Central and South Orangetown school boards
Nyack Schools Superintendent James Montesano
Nyack Mayor Jen Laird-White

What you can do to help:

Call Speaker Carl Heastie and say: “I support Assembly Bill 5355 for oversight of the East Ramapo school district. Please bring it to the floor for a vote immediately”.

Call Senate Education Committee Chair Carl Marcellino and say, “The children of East Ramapo need your help. Please support Senate Bill S. 3821 and get it through the Education Committee immediately.”

2)  Election Results:

From FaceBook:

Andrew Mandel: ABSOLUTELY VALIANT EFFORT — School board results are in, and sadly two incumbents and their hand-picked “running mate” have won. East Ramapo policies will once again be decided by the religious private school community. A huge ovation to Sabrina Charles-Pierre, Natashia Esperanza Morales and Steven White for stepping forward and representing the children attending district schools. With the incredibly huge turnout (highest in Rockland/Westchester/Putnam, 10x that of Nyack or Nanuet, twice that of Clarkstown), no one can say that the district was not mobilized. The special interests are just too powerful, which only affirms the need for oversight in order to protect the actual users of the public system. Albany, I hope you are watching.
2015 results

Sabrina Charles Pierre: First off, I would like to say thank you to all those who have supported since day one, to all who joined half way and to all those who will continue to walk with us to the finish line.

Let us look on the bright side, even though we did not make it to the board, I must say we are all winners. As we were all shy 2,000+ votes, we must remember that majority of our student body are students with parents who are unable to vote, which would have reached beyond in numbers on top of the amount of votes received. We are winners because for once I can say our community came together to allow their voices to be heard as this has become not only known nationwide, but also internationally.

Let us not look at the negative aspects of the situation as a downfall, but more so as a way to come up with a solution to equalize the justification that our children and our community needs. We didn’t make it this far to stop.
Let this be a sense of motivation to strive and fight harder for what is right. We must not back down and allow the kids to know that we are still with them and shall continue to stand behind them.

No one said this would be easy. Change is not going to happen over night. Our sense of UNITY in our commUNITY has been challenge. How bad we want it can only be determined by how far we decide to go from here. Time heal all wounds. We must recover, but not stay sleep. We as a commUNITY have so much more to offer if not so divided. What will it take? How much more damage will we allow?

Let us not feel sorry. Let us walk with our heads held high. Lets be positive and come together. I will only consider us losers if we fall apart from here. We’ve come to far. Grab the rope and hold on tight for there is work to be done. 

ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU TO ALL!

3) Fundraiser for Tender Steps

Tender Steps Of NY, Inc. wants to make a difference in an underserved demographic within East Ramapo district. We seek to be the bridge to better communication within the Latino community and enrich the quality of their lives.

With over three years of research and budget cuts, we have seen this community suffer and want nothing more than to aid. Lead personnel of TSONY, Inc. come from humble backgrounds and making difference is at the core of our purpose. We have found issues like language barriers, domestic abuse, lack of education, teen pregnancy, drug abuse and illegal residency to be some of the big issues we seek to improve. We have partnered with EPIC (Every Person Influences Children), Early Childhood Center and will be launching many helpful programs to begin making a difference.

We want people to know we are a trusted resource making a difference. It is so important for us to gain the confidence of our community.

The event takes place at The Chalet at Spook Rock Golf Course on June 6th from 12pm to 4pm.  We will be serving a buffet style lunch and live blues and soul music. 

Tickets can be purchased at www.tenderstepsofny.eventbrite.com>

Sincerely,

Evelyn Bautista-Miller, LMSW, SDA
Founder and Executive Director of Tender Steps of New York, Inc.

4) NYCLU Honors East Ramapo Activists

Lower Hudson Valley Chapter Annual Dinner 2015

Please Join Us As We Honor: Arlene Popkin, Oscar Cohen, Willie Trotman & Steve White

Keynote Speaker: Norman Siegel, Civil Rights Attorney and Former NYCLU Executive Director

The Riverview
One Warburton Avenue
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York 10706

June 9, 2015
Reception 6:00 pm
Dinner 7:00 pm

Today: Vote! Rally in New City!

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1) Vote Today!
2) Rally at County Legislature at 6:30 PM

1) Election Day is Today

The Public School Candidates this year are: Sabrina Charles-Pierre, Natashia Morales, and Steven White.

Your Polling Place for school elections is NOT the same as for other elections. Info on where to vote is available on the district webpage: http://www.eram.k12.ny.us/

There are no political parties in a school election, so each candidate has a different line on the ballot. Here is a sample to make finding our candidates easier:
sample ballot

We will be celebrating at El Mana Restaurant, 28 N Main St Spring Valley after 10 PM. Join us!

2) Rally at County Legislature at 6:30 PM

The Rockland County Legislature will HOPEFULLY vote on a Memorializing Resolution in support of State Assembly Bill A.5355 and State Senate Bill S.3821 calling upon the State Legislature to appoint a State Monitor to work with the East Ramapo Board of Education and Superintendent, and to ensure fairness and equity FOR ALL OUR CHILDREN.

When: Tuesday, May 19, at 6:30 PM
Where: 11 New Hempstead Rd, New City NY

The following County Legislators are on the record as supporting the East Ramapo oversight bill:

Alden H. Wolfe
Douglas J. Jobson
Michael M. Grant
Jay Hood Jr.
Lon M. Hofstein
Toney L. Earl
Christopher J. Carey
Harriet Cornell
Joseph L. Meyers
Aney Paul
Patrick J. Moroney
John A. Murphy
Nancy Low-Hogan, Ph.D.

We are asking that you come to the meeting of the Legislature Tonight to support these Legislators and to make sure that they follow through. Our children’s future is at stake, we cannot afford to take anything for granted. Bring a sign!!! Wear Your Button!!! Let them know you care!!!

 

Rally, Vote Tuesday; Overwhelming Support for Oversight Bill; News 12 East Ramapo Special All This Weekend

Education Chair Cathy Nolan Greets East Ramapo Students

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. May 19 Vote!
2. Rally at County Legislature
3. Overwhelming Support for Oversight Bill
4. Watch The News 12 East Ramapo Special All This Weekend

1) Election Day: May 19

The Public School Candidates this year are: Sabrina Charles-Pierre, Natashia Morales, and Steven White.

Your Polling Place for school elections is NOT the same as for other elections. Info on where to vote is available on the district webpage: http://www.eram.k12.ny.us/

There are no political parties in a school election, so each candidate has a different line on the ballot. Here is a sample to make finding our candidates easier:
sample ballot

Join us for phone banking on Monday Evening and Tuesday, or handing out flyers on Tuesday. Just send a message to: steve@poweroften.us for the info on where to go. We will be celebrating at El Mana Restaurant, 28 N Main St Spring Valley after 10 PM.

2) Rally at County Legislature May 19

Yes, the same day as the vote!!!

The Rockland County Legislature will HOPEFULLY vote on a Memorializing Resolution in support of State Assembly Bill A.5355 and State Senate Bill S.3821 calling upon the State Legislature to appoint a State Monitor to work with the East Ramapo Board of Education and Superintendent, and to ensure fairness and equity FOR ALL OUR CHILDREN.

When: Tuesday, May 19, at 6:30 PM
Where: 11 New Hempstead Rd, New City NY

The following County Legislators are on the record as supporting the East Ramapo oversight bill:

Alden H. Wolfe
Douglas J. Jobson
Michael M. Grant
Jay Hood Jr.
Lon M. Hofstein
Toney L. Earl
Christopher J. Carey
Harriet Cornell
Joseph L. Meyers
Aney Paul
Patrick J. Moroney
John A. Murphy
Nancy Low-Hogan, Ph.D.

We are asking you to call these Legislators and say: you fully support them; you support this bill; and failure to pass the Memorializing Resolution in the County Legislature is not an option. Let them know you are in their corner and they are doing the right thing.
To contact your county legislator go to this link: http://rocklandgov.com/departments/county-legislature/

We are asking that you come to the meeting of the Legislature on Tuesday to support these Legislators and to make sure that they follow through. Our children’s future is at stake, we cannot afford to take anything for granted.

3) Overwhelming Support for Oversight Bill

Several New Endorsements of the East Ramapo Oversight Bill confirm what the supporters have been saying, and completely disprove what the critics of the bill have been claiming.

Supporters say this bill upholds the civil rights of children to an education, critics say that the bill is anti-Semitic bigotry. The Unon for Reform Judaism says: “Judaism calls on us to cherish education” and “we strongly urge the state to pass this bill”.
Reform Jewish Voice Newsletter

Supporters of the bill say it is fiscal mismanagement that is the chief cause of the district’s problems. Critics say it is only lack of state funding. The Alliance for Quality Education, the most vocal advocate for increased state funding for education in NY says: “It is AQE’s position that a state monitor is appropriate and necessary in the highly unusual circumstance where a board found to be favoring private schools is determining public policy.” and “The fact that public school students need protection from their own school board deserves immediate attention”.
aqe

Supporters of the bill say NY law must protect the constitutional right to an education. Critics claim the bill is unconstitutional. The NYC Bar association says “The East Ramapo school board has violated the state constitution” and ” state intervention via the proposed bill is appropriate for East Ramapo’s unique situation”

Even the New York State School Boards Association, which has long opposed any state intervention in local districts does not oppose this bill. They find that “the legislation respects the democratic electoral process by leaving the elected board of education in place and allowing the potential for their continued role in governance.”

So, there you have it. Every single criticism of the bill is completely disproved by respected authorities on the issues.

4) Watch The News 12 East Ramapo Special All This Weekend

News 12 will be airing an extended special piece about the East Ramapo school district Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17.

If you have Cablevision, tune in to Channel 12, if not, find a friend or neighbor who does! You can even watch it on your laptop or smartphone!

Here are the times it will air: 5:00 AM – 7:00 AM; 8:30 AM; 11:30 AM; 2:30 PM; 4:30 PM.

Justice is Coming, and YOU are making it happen!!!

Candidates Forum TODAY; Make Those Calls!

Assembly Members Jaffee and Zebrowski, along with Education Chair Nolan, meet with students from East Ramapo who are delivering a petition with over 6,000 signatures asking for state intervention.

Power of Ten Update

In this Issue:

1. Candidates Forum TODAY
2. Make Those Calls!
3. New York City Bar Association Supports the East Ramapo Bill

1) Candidates Forum TODAY (May 13)

East Ramapo Central School District Board of Trustees Election Forum:

Wednesday, May 13th, 2015 at 7pm
Kakiat Elementary School
265 Viola Road, Spring Valley, NY

Hosted by:
Spring Valley NAACP
JAMCARR
East Ramapo PTA

All Candidates are invited, please come and participate!

Election Day is May 19, have you told everyone you know yet?

Do it the easy way on FaceBook at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1549573511978541/

2) Make Those Calls!

Have you called the NY State Senate Education Committee yet? The chairman of the committee has just been named Majority leader of the Senate! He needs to hear from you about why you support oversight for East Ramapo. While you are at it, why not call those friends and relatives around NY and ask them to call their Senators and Assembly Members too? If they are not familiar with East Ramapo, refer them to the Power of Ten webpage, where they can listen to the fantastic NPR radio show, or peruse the many newspaper articles (and Power of Ten emails) archived on the page.

To Summarize: We are asking you to

3) New York City Bar Association Supports the East Ramapo Bill

The New York City Bar Association has issued a multi-page legislative report in favor of A. 5355 and S. 3821. They found that students in the district are being denied a sound, basic education, that the board has failed to fulfill its fiduciary duties, and that the legislation is reasonably tailored to avoid overreach. The report, being distributed to members of the Legislature as we speak, punctures the argument that this bill is somehow an inappropriate use of state authority.

Special Issue: Call to Action

Power of Ten Special Issue

This week we are engaging in a special action to support the East Ramapo oversight bill. Please take the time to make a few phone calls to key decision makers.

1) Use the table below to call state representatives

2) Urge your own Rockland County legislator to support the local resolution in support of the state resolution. Find your legislators contact info here: http://rocklandgov.com/departments/county-legislature/

It is very important that we make these calls this week. Please do not delay.

 

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Huge Turnout for Albany Trip; Calls and Protests Continue

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Huge Turnout for Albany Trip
2. Protests Continue at Board Meetings TONIGHT!
3. Cablevision Special Report on East Ramapo Wednesday
4. NYCLU Honors East Ramapo Activists

1) Huge Turnout for Albany Trip

Over 350 parents, students, and supporters convened in Albany to support the legislation for oversight for East Ramapo. They made a dramatic impression on the senators and assembly members. Many reacted to the personal stories of the students who detailed the impact of the crisis on their lives. The parents made it clear to lawmakers that it is the State of NY which has the ultimate responsibility for ensuring a sound basic education, and that they welcome action from the state to ensure that right for their children. Right now only 15% of East Ramapo students are proficient in Math, and 14% in English. These statistics are unacceptable. Taxpayers told legislators that they know East Ramapo already receives more state and federal aid than any other school district in Rockland County, while delivering the lowest graduation rate. They know the district has been cited by the education department multiple times for illegally diverting funds to private religious schools, and is even being investigated by the Attorney General for selling district property below market value. They agree with Hank Greenberg: “Not one more cent without oversight”.

Opponents of the bill have been in Albany spreading misinformation, claiming that the problems are due to lack of state aid, and that critics are only motivated by bigotry. These claims were categorically refuted by the diverse group that went to Albany; the truth has been nicely summarized in an op-ed piece in the Journal News, jointly authored by Rev. Weldon McWilliams IV and Rabbi Adam Baldachin:

View: Albany must help East Ramapo

After the visit several legislators joined on as cosponsors, and Sen. Carlucci got the Senate Education Committee to agree to place it on their agenda.

As a follow up, a call in campaign has been launched on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1572409903046680/

Stay tuned for the next steps to support this innovative and fair solution for the crisis in East Ramapo.

2) Protests Continue at Board Meetings

Parents and students have been attending board meetings and voicing their concerns about the impact of fiscal mismanagement and insensitivity of the administration and board members. Please join us at the next meeting:

Tuesday, May 5th (TONIGHT!) at 7:00 PM
105 S. Madison ave, Spring Valley

3) Cablevision Special Report on East Ramapo Wednesday

Cablevision News 12 will air a special report “A Tale of Two Districts”, featuring Emmy Award winning journalist Tara Rosenblum, on Wednesday, May 6 at 5:00 PM.

4) NYCLU Honors East Ramapo Activists

The New York Civil Liberties Union Lower Hudson Valley Chapter will present the Myron Isaacs Community Service Award to Arlene Popkin, Longtime NYCLU Board Member and Legal Aid Attorney, and Oscar Cohen, Willie Trotman and Steven White, Advocates for Educational Equality in East Ramapo.

The Keynote Speaker will be Norman Siegel, Civil Rights Attorney and Former NYCLU Executive Director.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Reception 6:00 | Dinner 7:00
The Riverview
One Warburton Ave.
Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
www.riverviewcaterers.com

Tickets and dinner journal ads are available for purchase at: https://action.aclu.org/secure/lhv-dinner-2015

Buses are Full; How You Can Help Right Now

Education Chair Cathy Nolan Greets East Ramapo Students

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. April 28 Buses are Full
2. School Board Campaign Hits the Streets Saturday
3. Send a Message to Your Legislator
4. Help Spruce Up Ramapo HS

1) April 28 Buses are Full

All of the buses to Albany for the Day of Advocacy for East Ramapo are full. If you have registered, you should have received a confirmation email or phone call with the details. if not, please contact Kim Foskew at kimfoskew@gmail.com or 914-282-1387. Also, if you would like to drive up and meet us in Albany, contact her for the details. Thanks to all who helped us to fill the buses.

2) School Board Campaign Hits the Streets

We will be gathering at the BRAVO parking lot (corner Eckerson Rd and Rt 45) on Saturday at 11:30 AM. for a door to door canvassing session. 

If going door to door is not your thing, you might want to make some phone calls or host a meet and greet fundraiser. Just send me a note at steve@poweroften.us and let me know what you are willing to do.

Of course, EVERYONE can make an online donation at: https://charlespierremoraleswhite.wordpress.com/donate-to-the-cause, The amount you give is completely up to you.

3) Send a Message to Your Legislator

You can help the bill for a monitor pass without even leaving home. Send a message to the Rockland County Legislature asking them to support the bill with a resolution.

A Memorializing Resolution, sponsored by County Legislators Nancy Low-Hogan, Harriet Cornell, Michael Grant, Toney Earl, Aney Paul, Christopher Carey, Joseph Meyers and Lon Hofstein, in support of NYS Senate Bill S.3821-2015, and NYS Assembly Bill A. 5355-2015, to authorize the Commissioner of Education to appoint a State Monitor to oversee the East Ramapo Central School District and to establish the powers and duties of the State Monitor, will be reviewed by the Legislature’s Multi-Services Committee on Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. in the Legislative Chambers in New City.

Please click here to send a message to the members of the Multi-Services Committee (Chairman Phil Soskin, Legislators Ilan Schoenberger, Aron Weider, Aney Paul, Toney Earl, Lon Hofstein, and Patrick Moroney) asking that they approve this resolution, at the April 28 committee meeting, for consideration by the full legislature without delay.

4) Help Spruce Up Ramapo HS

Saturday April 25 from 10 AM to 3 PM at Ramapo HS, 400 Viola Rd, Spring Valley, NY

Bring your own garden tools and help spruce up Ramapo HS!
More info: 845-634-7828 x125 or rocklandchurches@gmail.com

Hitting the Street in Albany and East Ramapo

Assembly Members Jaffee and Zebrowski, along with Education Chair Nolan, meet with students from East Ramapo who are delivering a petition with over 6,000 signatures asking for state intervention.

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. School Board Campaign Hits the Streets
2. Protests at School Board Meetings Continue
3. Volunteer Opportunity at Ramapo HS
4. Former Board Member Favors Monitor
5. Message from the Editor

1) School Board Campaign Hits the Streets

Many of those who attended last weekend’s campaign event volunteered to talk to their neighbors about the issues and the upcoming (May 19) election.

YOU can also participate! Just send me a note at steve@poweroften.us, and I will set you up with handouts and instructions.

If going door to door is not your thing, you might want to make some phone calls host a meet and greet fundraiser. Just send me a note and let me know what you are willing to do.

Of course, EVERYONE can make an online donation at: https://charlespierremoraleswhite.wordpress.com/donate-to-the-cause/, The amount you give is completely up to you.

If you would like to go with a group, we will be gathering at the BRAVO parking lot (corner Eckerson Rd and Rt 45) on Saturday at 11:30 AM.

2) Protests at School Board Meetings Continue

According to the NYS Fiscal Monitor, the East Ramapo Board “appears to favor the interests of private schools over public schools”. If you do not accept second class status, YOU MUST COME OUT and protest at the school board meetings. Invite your friends! Make a sign! If not now, when?

The next meeting is scheduled for April 21, at 7:30 PM, the protest will be held at 7:00.

The address is 105 S. Madison Ave, Spring Valley

To receive reminders about meetings or cancellations, text the word POWEROFTEN to 84483 from your mobile phone.

3) Volunteer Opportunity at Ramapo HS

Saturday April 25 from 10 AM to 3 PM at Ramapo HS, 400 Viola Rd, Spring Valley, NY

Bring your own garden tools and help spruce up Ramapo HS!
More info: 845-634-7828 x125 or rocklandchurches@gmail.com

4) Former Board Member Favors Monitor

Former East Ramapo School Board member Mimi Calhoun has written a letter to the Journal News which succinctly makes the case for a monitor.

View: In East Ramapo, it’s about governance

5. Message from the Editor

Over the past several years, multiple independent organizations have looked at the actions of the East Ramapo School Board. The Education Department has cited them multiple times for failure to comply with federal and state law. The Commissioner ruled the board “abused its discretion” in the sale of Hillcrest Elementary school.  The State Attorney General prosecuted one individual involved in the sale, the appraiser, who plead guilty to filing a false instrument. The investigation continues, and the Commissioner has ruled that the board cannot spend public dollars on a lawyer defending board members from the Attorney General’s inquiries. In the media there have been multiple investigations, most notably on “This American Life“. The attention culminated with an investigation at the request of Governor Cuomo, and the report by respected former federal prosecutor Hank Greenberg confirmed what all the others (and especially the students and parents) had been claiming.  The problems in East Ramapo are not the fault of the state formula, or the parents, or the teachers. NY State did not cause this crisis, but it is ONLY NY State that can solve it. We will be visiting Albany on April 28 to advocate that the bill for a monitor in East Ramapo becomes law. I want to thank all of the readers of this newsletter for your continued support, and encourage you to redouble your efforts now at this crucial moments, when a legal remedy to our crisis is within sight.

50 Years after Selma, Time to March for Civil Rights Again

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Bus to Albany
2. School Board Election Campaign Event Saturday
3. Protests Continue
4. Call Your Representative
5. Martin Luther King Center Event Sunday

1) Get On This Bus!

On April 28, buses will leave Rockland for Albany, bound to deliver our message of support for the Bill for Oversight for East Ramapo. Fifty years after the march from Selma to Montgomery, students civil right to an education is under attack in East Ramapo. Please join us and our local legislators as we visit Albany to advocate for oversight and change in East Ramapo!

So, take the day off from work. Bring the kids. Bring your neighbors. Bring your friends. If you ever spent a moment asking yourself what you could do that would most help the children to have an opportunity for a better education, THIS IS IT!!!

Sign up right now at http://www.strongeastramapo.org/april28/

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1420180211628079/

2) School Election Update

The school board election is May 19. You can get involved by coming to an informational event. Learn about the issues and how you can get involved. This campaign period is short. All of us will need to participate and solicit others to help us as well. Please ask your friends and neighbors to join us. We need all of you to help communicate with the voting public so they will be aware of how the school boards fiscal mismanagement is destroying our kids future and our home values. This effort is dedicated to providing the information that every voter need to know.

Date: Saturday April 11, 2015
Time: 2:00 – 4:00pm
Location: Hillcrest Firehouse
300 North Main St, Hillcrest NY
Rear of Building entrance and parking

Please RSVP to miller66@optonline.net if you can come

3) Protests Continue

According to the NYS Fiscal Monitor, the East Ramapo Board “appears to favor the interests of private schools over public schools”. If you do not accept second class status, YOU MUST COME OUT and protest at the school board meetings. Invite your friends! Make a sign! If not now, when? 

The next meeting is scheduled for April 14, at 7:30 PM, the protest will be held at 7:00.

The address is 105 S. Madison Ave, Spring Valley

To receive reminders about meetings or cancellations, text the word POWEROFTEN to 84483 from your mobile phone.

4) Call Your Representative

Both the Assembly and the Senate are not meeting for a few more weeks, so representatives are in their districts for the rest of this week, listening to their constituents.  That means today is the perfect day for you to call your own Assembly Member and/or Senator‘s district office.  (Or to urge the New Yorkers you know to do the same.)
You can call to THANK your representative if he or she has already co-sponsored the bill. That includes Assembly Members Jaffee, Galef, Glick, O’Donnell, Rivera, Solages, Zebrowski, Skoufis, Hooper, Rodriguez, Gottfried, Dinowitz, Paulin, Abinanti, Lavine, Otis, Bichotte, and Senators Carlucci, Krueger, Larkin, Latimer, Savino. 
Otherwise, you can call to URGE your representative to support it.  Here’s what you can say:
Hello!  My name is X, and I am a constituent in your district.  I am calling because I want to urge your office to support [Assembly Bill 5355 / Senate Bill 3821], in favor of state oversight of the East Ramapo School District.  Can I count on your office to support this bill?  I’d love to see the representative’s name as a co-sponsor.
Do not let them tell you that the bill is in the Education Committee and therefore too premature to support.  Many of the names above (like Otis and Savino) are not members of the Committee, nor are from Rockland.  If the offices need more information, they can visit www.strongeastramapo.org.
Send a message to strongeastramapo@gmail.com once you’ve called to let us know what happened.
5) Martin Luther King Center Event

The Board of Directors of the Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center Inc. is pleased to invite you to its 24nd.Annual Awards Benefit Dinner Dance on Sunday, April 12th, 2015, from 4:00 pm – 9:00pm at the Clubhouse at Patriot Hills, 19 Clubhouse Lane, Stony Point, NY.

Click Here For ticket information and to purchase tickets online.

The Center is experiencing severe financial challenges that are the result of the loss of substantial government funding. Each year we honor a select group of individuals and organizations whose commitment to Rockland County, or to the Center, make them deserving of this tribute. We hope that as we celebrate outstanding Rocklanders, we can continue working together to create a stronger, more inclusive, and non-violent “Beloved Community,” that honors the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Get On This Bus!

The Power of Ten

In This Issue:
1. Get On This Bus!
2. Justice for East Ramapo is a Civil Rights Issue!
3. Protests Continue
4. School Election Update

1) Get On This Bus!

On April 28, buses will leave Rockland for Albany, bound to deliver our message of support for the Bill for Oversight for East Ramapo.

I am making a personal plea to every person reading this message. Get on this bus. Take the day off from work. Bring the kids. Bring your neighbors. Bring your friends. If you ever spent a moment asking yourself what you could do that would most help the children to have an opportunity for a better education, THIS IS IT!!!

Sign up right now at http://www.strongeastramapo.org/april28/

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1420180211628079/

2) Justice for East Ramapo is a Civil Rights Issue!

The Rockland County Civil/Human Rights Hall of Fame will induct two East Ramapo Justice Advocates:

Judith Johnson and Steve White

Wednesday, April 8, 2015, Nyack Seaport,
21 Burd Street, Nyack, NY 10960, 845-353-3200
$40 per person (Checks payable to Commissioner of Finance)
RSVP: Human Rights Office 845-364-3886
email to Jean_GiD@co.rockland.ny.us
11:30 AM chck in Lunch Reception 12:00 to 3:00 PM

Also inducted this year:
Harry Edelstein (Posthumously)
Irving Feiner (Posthumously)
Earl Miller
Dwaine Perry
Bayard Rustin (Posthumously)

The New York Civil Liberties Union Hudson Valley Branch will honor Oscar Cohen, Willie Trotman, and Steven White at their annual dinner, Tuesday June 9th at 6 PM at The Riverview, One Warburton Ave, in Hastings-on-Hudson NY. More info at lowerhudsonvalley@nyclu.org

3) Protests Continue

Even when the school board cancels, the community still shows up to protest. This past Tuesday, 75 people stod out in the cold. Some did not know the board had canceled at the last minute for lack of a quorum (again!). Others came to show that we cannot be distracted from our goal. How sad is it that our school board members are so often unable to make meetings.

The next meeting is scheduled for April 14, at 7:30 PM, the protest will be held at 7:00.

The address is 105 S. Madison Ave, Spring Valley

To receive reminders about meetings or cancellations, text the word POWEROFTEN to 84483 from your mobile phone.

4) School Election Update

The school board election is May 19. You can get involved by coming to an informational event. Learn about the issues and how you can get involved. This campaign period is short. All of us will need to participate and solicit others to help us as well. Please ask your friends and neighbors to join us. We need all of you to help communicate with the voting public so they will be aware of how the school boards fiscal mismanagement is destroying our kids future and our home values. This effort is dedicated to providing the information that every voter need to know.

Date: Saturday April 11, 2015
Time: 2:00 – 4:00pm
Location: Hillcrest Firehouse
300 North Main St, Hillcrest NY
Rear of Building entrance and parking

Please RSVP to miller66@optonline.net if you can come

Another Attack; Another Protest; Your Help Needed

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Another Attack On Supporters of Public Education
2. Important Protest on Tuesday
3. School Board Campaign Needs Help

1) Another Attack On Supporters of Public Education

Today, I received an 8 x 10 glossy mailer attacking Assembly Member Ellen Jaffee, someone who has stood steadfast for children’s issues and for quality education for all children. Remember in a previous update, school board supporters had photo-shopped her head into a picture with the Ayatollah. This time, she is being accused of serving unnamed “special interests”. They want her to support a bill which would give $1 billion of public money to private investors. This is a bill which would subsidize the worst education system in America, an education system that graduates call “a fraud” and “a pretend education”. This bill would support the same “school” that got such a nice deal from the East Ramapo school board when they sold the Hillcrest Elementary school. A deal so nice that the appraiser is now a convicted felon and the Attorney General is continuing the investigation! A school which is not allowed to issue a New York State diploma, and yet state tax credits would be given to those who create “scholarships”.

Please call Ellen Jaffee’s office at 845-624-4601 and thank her for standing up for public school children.

Please send a message to NY lawmakers to Protect public education: Reject the private school tax credit

2) Important Protest on Tuesday

According to the NYS Fiscal Monitor, the East Ramapo Board “appears to favor the interests of private schools over public schools”. If you do not accept second class status, YOU MUST COME OUT and protest at the school board meetings. Invite your friends! Make a sign! If not now, when?

Tuesday, March 24 at 7:00 PM
105 S. Madison Ave, Spring Valley

Join the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/387763254738338/

3) School Board Campaign Needs Help

Candidates for school board, including myself, are getting geared up to hit the streets with literature, put up signs, etc.

We are going to need your help, especially as the weather gets better. For right now, what we need is a little startup money! 

Won’t you please visit our webpage: https://charlespierremoraleswhite.wordpress.com/ and make a donation?

Thank you!!!

Support for Oversight Grows; Tax Credit for ‘Pretend’ Education Opposed

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. County Legislators Send Message to Governor Cuomo in Support of State Monitor for ERCSD
2. NAACP: Remember Selma by fighting for East Ramapo
3. Yeshiva Parents: ‘Our Children Deserve an Education Too’
4. Questions and Answers from a former New Square Yeshiva Teacher
5. NYCLU: Tax Credit Bill would transfer our public tax dollars to private and religious schools.

1) County Legislators Send Message to Governor Cuomo in Support of State Monitor for ERCSD

Rockland County Legislators sent a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo in support of NYS Senate and Assembly bills (S.3821/A.5355) that if passed, would authorize the State Commissioner of Education to appoint a state monitor to oversee the East Ramapo Central School District. Copies of the letter have been sent to state legislative leaders and the Commissioner of Education.

A four month-long investigation authorized by the State Commissioner in June of 2014 determined that the district is fiscally stressed, failing academically, with graduation rates well below the statewide average.

Legislator Nancy Low-Hogan said, “We as public officials in Rockland County feel it is our obligation to ensure that all children in the County receive their constitutionally guaranteed right to a ‘sound, basic education.’ Even though school districts have local control, ultimately it is the State’s responsibility to ensure that these constitutional rights are met, thus the need for this legislation.”

The Journal News: Rockland lawmakers back East Ramapo oversight bill

2) NAACP: Remember Selma by fighting for East Ramapo

Those who fought for social justice in the past will always tell you the best way to remember their accomplishments is not by solemn ceremony or joyous celebration, but by continuing the struggle for justice.

Lohud: NAACP leaders support East Ramapo oversight

3)  Yeshiva Parents: ‘Our Children Deserve an Education Too’

An organization called YAFFED has been formed which wants NY State to remember the right to a quality education is guaranteed for ALL children:

The Jewish Week: Bid For Better Secular Ed In Yeshivas Heading Toward Court

Listen to these interviews from The Jewish Daily Forward: Struggle and Triumph of College for Hasidim: “The lack of education is criminal”… “My diploma was not recognized” … “it’s a pretend education” … “In totality, it’s a fraud”.

You can help YAFFED build their campaign here

4) Questions and Answers from a former New Square Yeshiva Teacher

A young father in the insular Skverer sect, Shulem Deen took the one job available to him: teacher. In an exclusive excerpt from his forthcoming memoir, “All Who Go Do Not Return,” which chronicles his painful journey from 18-year-old newlywed to being expelled from New Square as a heretic, he recounts how the need to provide for his growing family led him to practices he would later question.

The Jewish Daily Forward: Lessons of Crime and Punishment in New Square Yeshiva

5)  NYCLU: Tax Credit Bill would transfer our public tax dollars to private and religious schools.

You can help stop this very dangerous law which could cost One Billion dollars over four years, and would help subsidize even the “pretend” education that you heard about in the previous item.

Please send a message to NY lawmakers to Protect public education: Reject the private school tax credit

 

Important Meeting Tuesday; Smear Tactics Exposed

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Important Meeting Tuesday
2. Judith Johnson Picked for Board of Regents
3. Assemblyman Zebrowski: Monitor Bill Balances Rights, Responsibilities
4. School Board Supporters Invoke Ayatollah, Nazis to smear Clergy, Lawmakers
5. 2015 School Board Campaign Getting Underway

1) Important Meeting Tuesday

Tuesday will be the first meeting since the East Ramapo Oversight Bill was introduced. It is very important that we show up and express our support. Bring a Friend! Make a Sign!

Tuesday, March 10 at 7:00 PM
105 S. Madison Ave, Spring Valley

The March 3 meeting was cancelled due to snow. Even with the weather getting better, we may still run into cancellations. The board cancelled several meetings last year for lack of a quorum. Power of Ten has a new notification mechanism specifically designed for reminders of important events and quick notice of cancellations. Just text POWEROFTEN to 84483. (84483 is the number you enter where you would normally enter a phone number, enter POWEROFTEN where you normally enter the text of your text message). The service is free, but standard text message charges may apply from your wireless provider, depending on your text message plan. If you have an unlimited text messaging plan, then there would be no additional charge.

2) Judith Johnson Picked for Board of Regents

Journal News: Judith Johnson picked for Board of Regents

Lohud Editorial: Johnson a smart choice for Regents

Congratulations Regent Johnson!

3) Assemblyman Zebrowski: Monitor Bill Balances Rights, Responsibilities

Assemblyman Zebrowski provides the clearest explanation of the Board of Regents Study results and the bill that addresses them in a letter to the Journal News.

Community View: Zebrowski explains basics of East Ramapo bill

4) School Board Supporters Invoke Ayatollah, Nazis to smear Clergy, Lawmakers

After the unbelievable vulgarity of the school board attorney, and the equally dishonorable rehiring of his firm, you might think nothing would surprise you about this board or their supporters again. You would be wrong.

Strong East Ramapo: Behind the PR Smear Campaign, Follow The Money in East Ramapo

5)  2015 School Board Campaign Getting Underway

May 19 is the school board and budget vote. We are very lucky to have two wonderful young women, Natashia Morales and Sabrina Charles-Pierre, who are running for the school board. They are both graduates of East Ramapo and parents of children attending East Ramapo schools. The third candidate is the editor of this email newsletter, Steven White. Together we say: East Ramapo is in crisis.  We MUST do better! The kids deserve better! Join us: www.charlespierremoraleswhite.wordpress.com

Your Action Needed, In Person and Online

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Protest Discrimination Tuesday
2. Bill for Monitor Has a Dozen New Sponsors
3. Civil Rights Lawsuit Still Needs Your Help

1) Protest Discrimination Tuesday

According to the NYS Fiscal Monitor, the East Ramapo Board “appears to favor the interests of private schools over public schools”. If you do not accept second class status, YOU MUST COME OUT and protest at the school board meetings. Invite your friends! Make a sign! If not now, when?

Join the event on FaceBook

Take this opportunity to show your support for legislation for state oversight of East Ramapo!

Tuesday March 3rd, 7:00 PM
105 S. Madison Ave Spring Valley

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2) Bill for Monitor Has a Dozen New Sponsors

Over 2,500 people have signed the petition in support of the bill for a monitor.

12 members of the NYS Assembly have joined our local representatives in supporting the bill, with more joining every day..

Please keep the momentum up by signing the petition at http://www.strongeastramapo.org/

3. Civil Rights Lawsuit Still Needs Your Help

Advocates for Justice is working tirelessly to hold accountable those who have caused irreparable harm to thousands of children by damaging their educational system. The lawyers who are defending our cause have put in thousands of hours at no charge to the plaintiffs. The school board has dug deep into the district’s budget to defend its members, taking millions of dollars away from education to pay high priced law firms to try to get the case dismissed on technicalities. Advocates for Justice is being outspent ten to one, and yet still has kept the case alive so it can one day be heard by a jury. 

Donations are desperately needed to counter the massive legal attack. We know we will win, and our opponents do too, which is why they are trying so hard to keep this case from ever going to trial. Your support at this time is crucial. Please go to http://poweroften.us/links-and-events/donate/ and make a tax deductible donation. Thank You!

State Help Is On The Way; Sign The Petition For A Strong East Ramapo!

Power of Ten

In This Issue:

1. State Monitor Bill is Here!
2. Clergy for Social Justice Press Conference
3. Candidates for May 19 School Board Election

1) State Monitor Bill is Here

Acting on the recommendations made to the NY Board of Regents last year, Assembly members Jaffee and Zebrowski and Senator Carlucci have introduced a bill to authorize the commissioner of education to appoint a state monitor to oversee the East Ramapo central school district.

The Journal News: East Ramapo oversight bill gives monitor veto power

The Journal News Editorial: Guidance for East Ramapo, then aid

There are several more steps before this bill becomes law. Fortunately, the East Ramapo Alumni group StrongER is already working hard with over 1000 signatures on a petition supporting the bill.

Please sign the petition at www.strongeastramapo.org

2) Clergy for Social Justice Press Conference

This group is calling for children in East Ramapo to receive an education which is equal to any of the other seven districts in Rockland.

The Jewish Daily Forward: Non-Orthodox Jews Find Voice as Sharp Battle Lines Drawn in New York Suburb

The following videos are courtesy of Antonio Luciano of East Ramapo Underground. I strongly recommend viewing all of these videos. They represent an unfaltering commitment to education as a moral imperative.

Reverend Weldon McWilliams IV opening Press Conference http://youtu.be/g6HOeHRYA-8

Pastor Joel Michel of the French Speaking Baptist Church http://youtu.be/hJpmkXVk1Vc

Rabbi Paula Mack Drill of the Orangetown Jewish Center  http://youtu.be/6CxColw3FnI

Azeem Farooki, Trustee of the Islamic Center Rockland htt p://youtu.be/5D09WMmMX1Q

Rabbi Ari Hart Uri L’Tzwdek, Orthodox for Social Justice http://youtu.be/2wvYn1cSGqY

Reverend Weldon McWilliams IV makes a closing statement and introduces all the clergy http://youtu.be/t7a32hdv5qc

3) Candidates for May 19 School Board Election

Three alumni of East Ramapo have joined together in a campaign to serve as trustees of the East Ramapo school board. They will need your support to achieve this goal.  You can start by liking them on FaceBook!

Gov. Cuomo Visits East Ramapo

Power of Ten Update

In this Issue:

1. Gov Cuomo Visits East Ramapo
2. Gov. Cuomo Proposes Receivership Model for Failing Schools
3. Rockland Clergy for Social Justice Press Conference Wednesday
4. Community Forum Thursday
5. PTA Barnes and Noble Book Fair Monday and Tuesday
6. Bond Vote Fails

1) Gov Cuomo Visits East Ramapo

Governor Cuomo made a stop in the Nanuet section of East Ramapo on Friday. He expressed confidence that legislation will be passed which will implement the recommendations of the fiscal monitor’s report which was done last year.

The Journal News: Cuomo: East Ramapo oversight bill expected by June

2) Gov. Cuomo Proposes Receivership Model for Failing Schools

Gov. Cuomo has adopted the recommendation of Chancellor Tisch and proposed a law based on the Massachusetts receivership approach. He has asked that the NY State Education Department do a comprehensive analysis of the successful Massachusetts model, with an added approach that includes promoting community schools with wrap around services.

A letter from Gov Cuomo’s director of operations to Chancellor Tisch is available here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/LetterMalatrastoTisch_0.pdf

The Buffalo News: Governor wants study of school district takeover model

This letter represents a renewed commitment by the State Board of Regents and the Governor’s office to uphold the state’s constitutional responsibility to ensure education for its children. If the state chooses to delegate to a local agency, that can be an effective solution, but when the local agency is corrupt or incompetent, that does not absolve the state of its responsibility.

I support this initiative by Governor Cuomo. Join me in thanking him here.

3) Rockland Clergy for Social Justice Press Conference

Wednesday, February 18, 1 p.m.
First Baptist Church, Spring Valley, 3 Hoyt Street, Spring Valley

The public is encouraged to attend. Rabbis, ministers, pastors, imams, elders and trustees call for New York State legislation authorizing State oversight of the East Ramapo Central School District by a person who will have incontrovertible authority over Board and administrative decisions. 

Speakers: Reverend Weldon McWilliams IV, PhD, First Baptist Church Spring Valley; Rabbi Paula Mack Drill, Orangetown Jewish Center, Orangeburg; Pastor Joel Michel, French Speaking Baptist Church, Spring Valley; Azeem Farooki, Islamic Center of Rockland; Rabbi Ari Hart co-founder Uri L’Tzedek (Orthodox for Social Justice)

On Tuesday March 3rd Rockland Clergy for Social Justice will travel to the New York State Capitol to meet with legislative leaders and members of the Executive Chamber seeking support for legislation to implement Mr. Greenberg’s and the Board of Regents recommendations.

4) Community Forum Thursday

East Ramapo will be the topic of discussion at a community forum sponsored by “We The People” from 7 – 9 PM on Thursday, February 19, at the Martin Luther King Multipurpose Center at 110 Bethune Blvd in Spring Valley.

5) PTA Barnes and Noble Book Fair Monday and Tuesday

We need volunteers to: read to other children, recite poetry, sing, dance, play a musical instrument, act, – etc….ANYTHING that would be entertaining for them and the other students. PLEASE help make this PARP event a success: you will get more out of helping others than you know, AND we appreciate whatever time you can give!

To schedule a slot contact Ramona Jones, PTA Council President, at alaram4ever@gmail.com

6) Bond Vote Fails

Voters soundly rejected the school board’s proposal to borrow $40 million dollars. The vote was 626 to 472, a solid 57% majority voting NO. Turnout was expected to be very low due to the frigid February weather and the almost non-existent publicity. One thing which was accomplished was an opportunity for discussion of the way the board handles real estate decisions.

Much of the deferred maintenance that the district is experiencing is the result of failed budgets and budget proposals that did not meet the needs of the district. Superintendent Outstacher acknowledged that it was the ‘private school community’ which prevented him from introducing budgets which met district needs. He did not want to propose a budget that would be voted down by ‘private school’ parents. 

According to the only study of the issue that we know of, done by the district in 2007, district spending on the ‘private school community’ is already much more than the taxes paid by private school parents. The same private school parents that are guaranteed these benefits and subsidies have the power to vote down budgets that maintain programs and buildings used by the public school students. Local spending for public education is lower in East Ramapo than any other district in Rockland.

Just this year two schools were sold to yeshivas for about $10 million total. That sale price should represent the total value of the land and the buildings. These were the only two schools that NY State evaluated as not needing major spending to fix. 

So the current board, which was put in place 100% by the users of private schools, who are being subsidized by the other taxpayers, and who have voted down any reasonable school budget which could have maintained the school buildings, now is asking the taxpayers to borrow millions of dollars to make the repairs, and at the same time opposing any oversight from the state that would prevent them from just transferring the buildings at bargain basement prices to yeshivas.

While some public school parents very understandably are wanting the bond to pass, because the conditions are unacceptable, most are just not going to agree to anything without a state monitor with veto power, at the very least. Unless the ‘private school community’ decides to support it, another vote (before a monitor is appointed) is unlikely to pass. If those voters did pass it, that would only serve to increase the distrust. People would think “If they are willing to spend to fix up buildings, is it because they have their eye on them? If they are willing to spend on that, why not spend on full day Kindergarten?” 

Making the problem worse is the divisive rhetoric coming from the board and the superintendent. The truth is that if the bond passed, schools would not be miraculously fixed the next day. It would be a long process, and along the way there would still need to be emergency repairs. There would would still be kids in unsatisfactory schools. Managing a $40 million dollar project would be a challenge even for a district that was fully staffed.

A good place to start rebuilding the district is by rebuilding the trust. Propose and pass a budget that provides the programs necessary, and retains a fund balance for ongoing repairs. Stop wasting taxpayer dollars suing the State Education Department and the NY Attorney General. Try following the law instead. Accept the $3.5 million dollars the state wants to give you, which you rejected rather than have a community advisory board. Accept a monitor, or any other help from the state. If the school board fails to earn the trust of those who use the schools, the result could be a state takeover, or nightmarish social unrest. It is not too late.

Bond Vote Tuesday; Upcoming Forums

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. Bond Vote: Feb 3
2. CCRR Children’s Legislative Forum: Feb 6
3. Community Forum for East Ramapo: Feb 11

1) Bond Vote Feb 3

There is no disagreement that the physical infrastructure of East Ramapo Schools is suffering from what people in the real estate industry politely refer to as “deferred maintenance”.

On Tuesday, voters will vote either “YES” to borrow money to put in new roofing, windows, etc, or “NO” to further delay repairs. However, the point of contention does not seem to be whether the repairs are needed, but rather whether the current school governing body can be trusted.

The argument to borrow and spend is made by school board president Weissmandl in this letter to the editor of the Journal News: View: East Ramapo bond will improve schools

The argument to delay the major repairs is made by East Ramapo Underground Host Antonio Luciano on Facebook: Why to Vote No on the Capital Repair Bond on Feb 3, 2015

Information about the vote, including places and times is available on the district clerk’s webpage

2) CCRR Children’s Legislative Forum

Friday, February 6, 2015 8:00 am – 10:00 am
Rockland Community College / Technology Center / Ellipse Room / 145 College Road, Suffern, NY 10901

Join us in a discussion about the needs and services for children and youth in Rockland County

Please RSVP: (845) 425-0009 x0 or info@rocklandchildcare.org

3) Community Forum for East Ramapo

Wednesday, Feb. 11 from 7-9pm
Green Meadow Waldorf School, Arts Building
307 Hungry Hollow Rd., Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977
845.356.2514 x311

Hosted by Green Meadow Waldorf School and led by a diverse planning committee, the goal of this forum is to create simultaneous, facilitated student and adult conversations that build bridges between the often-divided communities in our county and school district: private and public school communities; Latino, Black, White, Asian, multicultural, Hasidic, Orthodox, other faith, and secular communities. We aim to create an open and safe space for dialogue that promotes understanding and compassion and catalyzes change for the benefit of all who live here. Separate student-led and adult conversations will beheld. Both conversations will be facilitated.

Free transportation provided. Buses begin running at 6pm from the Spring Valley bus/train station.

SOS Call for East Ramapo

Power of Ten Update
In This Issue:

1. Hillcrest School Sale Saga Continues
2. Bond Vote
3. Community View

1) Hillcrest School Sale Saga Continues:

The East Ramapo School Board, dominated by yeshiva supporters, closed and sold Hillcrest Elementary School in 2010 to Yeshiva Avir Yakov of New Square (Hillcrest borders New Square). The NYS Commissioner of Education voided that action, saying “the board abused its discretion by hastily approving the sale” and “prior to selling Hillcrest in the future, the board must take reasonable steps…to secure the best price obtainable for Hillcrest.” The board then went on to rent the school to the same yeshiva, which was also challenged and the lease was annulled. During this period of time, the NYS Attorney General was alerted by activists to fraud in the appraisal used by the district, and the appraiser was arrested. The board sued the NYS Education Department and proceeded to sell the school again to a mysterious entity. It turns out this entity was incorporated the same day they made a bid for the school, and then withdrew their bid, activating a clause in the lease (yes, the lease the state annulled) which allowed them to give the school to the yeshiva for the same price as the mystery bidder. The board did all this while the fiscal monitor was doing his investigation, while the appraiser was being convicted, and while the Attorney General’s investigation into the first sale was still ongoing!!! Now the parents and taxpayers have had to intervene again, calling on the State Education Department to annul the sale yet again.

The Journal News: E. Ramapo parents challenge 2nd Hillcrest sale

2) Bond Vote February 3rd:

The school board is proposing to borrow millions of dollars. They are claiming this money will be used for repairs to school buildings and grounds. Specific details are available on the district website.There is no doubt that repairs are needed, and yet many are hesitant to authorize more taxpayer money be given to this board. The last two board members elected with any support from the public school users resigned, citing incomplete or inaccurate financial data, budget analyses, cash flow data, and borrowing requirements, and incorrect reports from the treasurer. Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded the East Ramapo school district’s debt rating to two steps above junk status. Fiscal Monitor Henry Greenberg  recommended that “not one penny” should be given without oversight. All of this could have been avoided if the state had responded to the issue of “governance without consent of the governed” back in 2008 when we first wrote to them. The Education Department and the Board of Regents have been ignored by Governor Cuomo, Speaker Silver, and Senators Skelos and Klein. They were in charge while this ship in their fleet was sinking, and while the ship’s captain was busy punching holes in the hull. Now someone has got to fix the ship to save the passengers, but ought we not decommission the captain first?

3) Community View

A very important opinion was published in the Journal News today. It represents the voices of our activists and leaders who are calling on NY State to intervene. Even though the state is not ready to relieve the captain of his command (to continue our nautical metaphor) they may be ready to put a rear admiral on board to ensure the comfort and safety of the passengers. The letter is written by www.strongeastramapo.org. It calls on NY State to authorize a monitor with broad-reaching power. It says “Our students deserve leadership with vision, respect for their needs, and the proactive authority to set the direction of the district.” It defines the crisis as a civil rights issue. 

Read the letter in the Journal News: View: East Ramapo needs oversight now

 

 

 

Rally for Respect Continues Tuesday

Power of Ten Update

In this Issue:

1. Protest Continues January 13
2. “A Radical Dreamer” Lecture January 15
3. Charter School Forum January 18
4. Martin Luther King Day Celebration January 19

1) Protest Continues:

This will be the ninth protest in the series. There has been a protest with at least 100 people at every board meeting this school year. (even in the rain, even when the meeting was cancelled). If you have not been to one of these yet, come and see what you have been missing!

We Demand Respect!
We Demand Excellent Education!
We Demand Equal Education for All Children!

Tuesday, January 13 at 7:00 PM
105 S. Madison Ave, Spring Valley NY

2) A Radical Dreamer:

Rev. Dr. Weldon McWilliams IV will examine the post “I Have a Dream” years in Dr. King’s life. After this speech, Dr. King slowly but surely becomes more disenchanted with the political, economic and social structures of the United States and begins to advocate for systemic change as opposed to mere integration. Come out to what is promised to be a dynamic lecture!

Thursday, January 15, 2015 7:00 PM
CEJJES Institute
5 Copper Morris Drive
Pomona, NY 10970

Space is Limited. Please contact Rabia Nagin at skyviewra@yahoo.com or 845.362.8610 to RSVP
Please consider a donation to encourage further community interaction and dialogue

3) Charter School Forum:

The Legacy Charter School of Innovative Thinkers Presents: A Charter School Community Forum

January 18th, 2015 – 2:00 pm at the Louis Kurtz Civic Center, 9 North Main Street, Spring Valley, NY 10977

More information: Joanne Thompson 845-200-0038 thelegacycharter@gmail.com

4) King Day Celebration:

The Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center Inc. Unity Celebration
Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Monday, January 19, 2015 Doors Open – 4:30 pm
Spring Valley High School, 361 E. Route 59, Spring Valley, NY

Free Admission & Refreshments

More info: http://mlkmpc.org/events/2015-martin-luther-king-day-celebration/

Join Us Monday: Rally for Respect!

Power of Ten Update

In This Edition:

1. Meeting and Protest Schedule Changes
2. Legislative Advocacy Update
3. Graduation Rates Fall Again
4. School Board Sues State Education Department Again
5. NAACP President’s Community View

1) Meeting and Protest Schedule Changes

Latino parents and supporters have held protests at the past seven board of education meetings, even on two occasions when the meetings were cancelled by the board. This Tuesday would have been the eighth meeting, but it has been cancelled. That is right, three of the eight meetings this school year so far (37%) have been cancelled!

There will be a special meeting Monday Jan 5th at which the board will receive Open Meeting Law training as mandated by NYSED following the recommendation of the fiscal monitor. There will be a silent protest at that meeting. The new schedule for the rest of January is:

Monday, January 5 at 7:00 PM
Silent Protest at Freedom of Information Law Workshop

Tuesday, January 13 at 7:00 PM
Protest Rally immediately preceding 7:30 Board Meeting

Tuesday, January 20 at 7:00 PM
Protest Rally immediately preceding 7:30 Board Meeting

All will be at the District Administration Building, 105 S. Madison Ave, Spring Valley NY

 2) Legislative Advocacy Update
Two letter writing campaigns have addressed the legislation currently being written in response to the fiscal monitors recommendations. If you have not participated yet, please do so now!
3) Graduation Rates Fall Again
The state has released the latest data, read about it in this Post by East Ramapo Underground.
4) School Board Sues State Education Department Again
According to the Journal News, “East Ramapo officials are again taking the state to court in their battle against what the state says is repeated noncompliance with a law covering disabled students’ education.”
5) NAACP President’s Community View
The President of the Spring Valley Branch of the NAACP has written a Community View published in the Journal News: