Parent: East Ramapo fails to provide NY minimum education; SOS President: Send a message on Nov 5

Power of Ten Update

In this issue:

  1. Parent Files Appeal Re: Lack of Music and Art in East Ramapo
  2. SOS President: Send a Message on November 5th

1) Parent Files Appeal Re: Lack of Music and Art in East Ramapo

East Ramapo Parent David Curry has served the Board of Education with a Section 310 Appeal regarding its failure to provide instruction in music and art in the elementary schools, in violation of NYSED regulations.

Lohud: East Ramapo parent appeals to state over lack of music, art instruction

The superintendent has said that activists file complaints “just for fun”.  Perhaps he thinks it is funny for parents to see their children crying because they don’t have music?

Thank you, Mr. Curry, for standing up for your child and for all of our children.

2) Send a message on November 5th

The “Save Our Schools” (SOS) efforts to resolve the crisis in East Ramapo Schools have focused on the following topics:

1) Recognition that the crisis is the result of the disconnect between the interests of the school board and the children actually attending the public schools.

2) Petitioning the NYS Education Department to intervene on behalf of our children’s right to a quality education.

3) Appealing specific decisions of the school board which were arbitrary, and which damaged the education system of the children and/or the interests of the taxpayers of Rockland County.

4) Petitioning Governor Cuomo, our legislators, and the Commissioner of Education to intervene in the governance of the district.

5) Filing a class action lawsuit on behalf of parents, students and taxpayers to force the district to provide a quality education and hold the school board members accountable for their mismanagement.

6) Requesting that a study be conducted to find and compare possible innovative solutions to the systemic problems associated with a district in which a majority of school-aged children do not attend public schools.

7) Demanding that parents must be included in the discussions and decision making regarding their children’s education in public schools.

This year, candidates running for election on every party line and for every municipal office are talking about East Ramapo. Several of them have family connections, or were themselves students. Some have been very active in our campaigns to elect school board members, or have themselves been candidates. These include Emilia White (school board candidate in 2009), Hiram Rivera (school board candidate in 2012), Betty Carmand (plaintiff in the civil rights lawsuit and filed an appeal to NYSED) and Dr. Weldon McWilliams IV who is an advisor to the East Ramapo Student Coalition.

This year, a local party named “Preserve Rockland” has been formed which includes the above named candidates and promises to make the work they have been doing as citizens and activists their work as elected officials. The candidates who comprise the Preserve Rockland slate include Democrats, Republicans and Working Families party members. There are candidates in several municipalities, including the Towns of Ramapo and Clarkstown, the Villages of Spring Valley and Suffern, and Rockland County.

By voting on the Preserve Rockland line, Row “G”, we are sending a message that the problems of East Ramapo MUST be dealt with NOW, for the sake of the children of East Ramapo and ALL the children in Rockland County. We realize there are other important issues and other worthy candidates, but there may never be another chance like this year for OUR VOICES to be heard.

Robert Forrest

President

Save Our Schools-East Ramapo