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12-2-2012

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Power of Ten Urgent Notice: Please Come to Board Meeting Tuesday

In this Issue:

  1. Urgent: Kindergarten on Chopping Block
  2. Advocates for Justice Fall Awards Ceremony
  3. Journal News Editorial Emphasizes Consequences of Failure to Educate

1) Urgent: Kindergarten may be cut; please come TUESDAY

The school board has proposed that they will make extensive mid-year cuts which could include cutting ALL kindergarten classes!!!

Where will you be on Tuesday evening?

School Board Meeting:

Tuesday, Dec 4, 7:30 PM

105 S. Madison Ave, Spring Valley

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

2) Advocates for Justice Fall Awards Ceremony Features East Ramapo Alumni, Honors Alumni Activist Group:

Monday, December 10, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Symphony Space, 95th Street & Broadway, New York, NY

Parent Discount Tickets are available!!!

Advocates for Justice Board members Arthur Z. Schwartz (President), Hon. Major R. Owens, John Samuelsen, Mark Rosenthal, Hon. Peggy Shepard, Bertha Lewis, Matthew Chachere, Marvin Wasserman, Mike Kenny, Suzanne Mattei, Tom Shanahan and Cate Edwards invite you to a very special evening celebrating courageous community leaders and saluting public education.

SPECIAL PERFORMANCES:

Actor Geoffrey Owens (“Elvin,” The Cosby Show) performing “Shakespeare on Justice”

The Herve Alexandre Jazz Quartet (Ramapo HS Alumnus)

HONOREES:

A Lifetime of Leadership

Hon. Nydia Velazquez, Member, U.S. House of Representatives

Jon Kest, Executive Director, NY Communities for Change

Mike Kenny, 9/11 First Responder

Extraordinary Advocates for Our Children

Mona Davids, Founder/President, NYC Parents Union

Leonie Haimson, Founder/Executive Director, Class Size Matters

The PTO of Peninsula Preparatory Academy (Far Rockaway, Queens)

Save Our Schools – East Ramapo (Rockland County)

Southside Community Schools Coalition (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

 

3) Journal News Editorial: http://www.lohud.com/article/20121202/OPINION/312020021

 

Highlights from this excellent opinion piece:

Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee: “The state cannot turn its back on these children, who will not have the opportunity (for) education that the state has promised.”

The Journal News: Neither can the taxpayers, who will pay for quality education, or the lack thereof, one way or another.

 

8-19-12

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Power of Ten Update

Your personal invitation:

I would like to begin this issue of the Power of Ten update with a special message for each of you. We have arrived at a point where our cause is being heard loud and clear in the halls of power.

Now there are a number of ways in which YOU can be involved. For those who have not yet really been active, if you have been waiting for a personal invitation, please consider this message your personal invitation to be part of the action.

No one can do it all by themselves, but if we each take a part, we can make a difference in the lives of the children of East Ramapo.

Here are the current actions that need your participation:

1) Class Action Lawsuit: Advocates for Justice, a New York based public interest law firm, has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of East Ramapo School District parents and students seeking monetary damages from some school board members, district officials and contractors. You can read all the details online at http://poweroften.us/legal-actions/class-action-lawsuit/

Your personal invitations:

  1. Help spread the word: print the class action flyer and pass it out to all your friends and contacts and wherever you go in East Ramapo.
  2. If you are a leader in an organization such as a church or a community group, make sure to inform the members of your organization about this issue.
  3. Sign the retainer yourself. Request it by email storre@advocatesny.com or by phone 845-554-5892
2) Participate in Events:
Your personal invitations:
  1. Come to the school board meeting on Tuesday August 21 at 7:30 PM (105 S. Madison Ave, Spring Valley)
  2. Come out on Thursday August 23 at 6 PM to support the students and recent alumni as they hold a press conference (outside of 105 S. Madison)
  3. Sign up for the event on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/events/277380969037251/

3) Help others stay informed:

Your personal invitations:

  1. Get others to sign up for the Power of Ten update. It’s easy to sign up right on the homepage: www.poweroften.us
  2. Join the Save Our Schools – East Ramapo Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/125700744243033/
  3. Do you have a personal story about what has been lost in East Ramapo? We are compiling a list- add your story at: http://poweroften.us/what-have-we-lost/
4) In the media:
Your personal invitation:
  1. There have been numerous articles about our issue in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, The Journal News, Preserve Ramapo, The Jewish Daily Forward, News 12, Channel 7 Eyewitness News, NBC News 4, WPIX, WCBS, and more. There is also the East Ramapo Underground call-in radio show on WRCR 1300AM every 2nd Friday of the month at 10:00 AM. There is also a YouTube channel devoted to bringing you information about East Ramapo. Share these with your friends, and take the time to call in to the radio and write letters to the editor of the Journal News at ncutler@lohud.com
To all of those who are working to ensure every child’s right to a great education- a very personal thank you! – Steve White

7-29-12

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Power of Ten Update

In this Issue:

  1. East Ramapo Parents: 5 on School Board Must Go!
  2. Petition Deadline is Midnight Monday!
  3. What YOU can do to be part of the action!

1) “Advocates for Justice” file appeal to remove 5 board members

The New York-based public interest law firmAdvocates for Justice, on behalf of 14 East Ramapo parents and community members, said it is calling for the removal of five board members and the appointment of a an overseer to remedy rampant abuses of office within the ERCSD School Board, and prevent future abuses. The release of the52-page documentthat accuses the East Ramapo school board of:

  • A pattern of fraud in the sale of school property
  • Willful noncompliance with Special Education Rules causing loss of funds
  • Unlawfully using state money to purchase religious textbooks
  • Dangerously compromising the security of students
  • Failure to provide oversight and guidelines for purchases … a breach of fiduciary duty
This major development has been covered in The New York Times and The Journal News, and featured with Art McFarland on Channel 7 Eyewitness News
YOU can join in this action and be part of the solution! To sign on, contact Stephanie Torre at storre@advocatesny.com , or (212)285-1400
2) Petition deadline is rapidly approaching:

Governor Cuomo has until August 1 to veto the “special education placement bill”. Only Governor Cuomo can stop this bill from becoming law!!!

The petition started by Power of Ten will be sent on the morning of July 31. Please sign, and urge all your friends and neighbors to sign.

The deadline to sign is midnight of Monday, July 30.

3) What you can do to be part of the action:

You can see all the news and info at www.poweroften.us

5-26-12

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

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

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

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

The call in number is 914-636-0110.

Tuesday May 29th at 5pm!!!

1-17-12

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In This Issue:

*|MC:TOC|*
Important School Board Meeting Tonight!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 7:30 p.m.
105 S. Madison Ave, Spring Valley

Tony Luciano’s YouTube Videos:

Treasurer’s & Budget Status Reports: Bad news! The question that is not asked is, are we broke? Did financial mismanagement by the board finally catch up?
Watch the video here http://youtu.be/oUsX_I4ppZU
Official Announcements

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

School Board Campaign News
No news at this time.  Website is under construction.

Message from the Editor
The mismanagement of the public school district since the take-over by non-public interests has reached a new low.  Taxpayers invested hundreds of millions of dollars creating a first class educational institution.  That investment has been severely damaged by trustees who consistently undermine the mission of public education.  Our school buildings are in need of repair.  Our bus fleets are in need of repair.  Our schools have been designated “In Need of Improvement” by the state.  Now, we learn that the district’s self-imposed lower-than-austerity budget will fall short and there are not enough funds left to run the schools for the rest of this year.  Could they do any worse if they tried?   – Steve White, editor

1-8-12

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In This Issue:

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

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

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

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

Former Superintendent Sues East Ramapo

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

This caused another situation regarding the union contract:

Official Announcements

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

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

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

1-4-12

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In This Issue:

*|MC:TOC|*
School Board Meeting Wednesday
There will be an informational session on the ESL program.
Wednesday, Dec 6, 7:30 PM
105 S. Madison Ave, Spring Valley

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

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

Message from the Editor
Several years ago, the makeup of the East Ramapo School board changed.  The majority of the members of the school board became people with strong family and community ties to private schools, specifically private religious schools for the ultra-orthodox Jewish community.
Many people were concerned that this school board would use its authority to shift the priorities of the district more toward those schools and the segregated community that they serve.  Others felt that the new board could faithfully serve both communities. Any citizen of the district has the right to run for school board, by law.
Over the years there have been many confrontations over issues such as budget items and school closings. The non-public school members of the public school board have maintained that their main goal is fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers which necessitates controlling spending.
However, several of their actions have been contrary to that cause:

  • They created a paid position (treasurer) for a close friend, Israel Bier. This job had previously been performed by a district employee at no extra cost.
  • They replaced an attorney for one that cost about 4 times as much per hour.
  • They sold a school (Hillcrest) for a fraction of the appraised value (fortunately the State Education Department halted the sale).  Another school sale (Colton) is being held up by the state for similar reasons after a taxpayer complained that they were selling public property without doing their fiduciary duty to get the best return for the taxpayer.
  • They fired the most effective administrator the district has ever seen (according to staff, students and parents).
  • The latest news is that while many of our buildings are in need of millions of dollars of repairs, the two schools that the board voted to sell to non-public schools were the only ones that the state says need no money for repairs over the next 5 years.
  • One of the most powerful of the non-public school board members, Nathan Rothschild, who was president of the board, has been sentenced to federal prison for fraud involving a real estate transaction for another public agency (he was a fire commissioner).

All of this evidence points to the conclusion that what seemed to be a conflict of interest, is indeed a conflict of interest.  The people most directly affected (students and parents) have tried every avenue available to them to protect the quality of education in the district.  They have written to every elected and appointed official. They have filed formal appeals with the state.  They have raised funds and run coordinated elections bringing out triple the voter turnout of any nearby district.  While there have been some achievements, the underlying problem- conflict of interest- has not been resolved.

– Steve White, editor