Catholics schools intend to boycott new DOE guidelines

amother

Black

Wed, Dec 12 2018, 7:28 pm

Catholic schools made some excellent points for their reasons to boycott including:

1. public schools are their competition; why would they let their "competition" evaluate them? why would they expect them to be "objective"?

2. another conflict of interest: the state is mandated to pay for some services for private schools. They might be financially motivated to lessen their financial burden.

Cheiny

Wed, Dec 12 2018, 7:32 pm

amother wrote:

The parents who choose our schools can have great confidence in the academic rigor of our schools,” said Cultrara.

And can we say that about all of our yeshivos? I'm not sure.

And so you’re ok with the DOE demanding 7 hours daily (even Friday) of secular subjects? Shall we have our kids sit in school until midnight? (Actually I’m afraid some parents would love that...). And for the record, I’m very pleased with my kids’ Yeshivas...they’re well prepared for regents, learning everything they need to and would get into any college they choose.

anon for this

Wed, Dec 12 2018, 7:57 pm

amother wrote:

I read the article too but I don't understand the points they raised.

Regarding the first point, the NY BOE evaluates Catholic schools because it's their responsibility to evaluate all schools in the state. Even if district public schools are "competition" to private schools, the NY DOE is a separate entity.

About the second point, it seems that the Catholic schools are claiming that the state is trying to close them down to avoid paying for the limited services they provide to students in these schools. But if Catholic and other private schools were closed, and their students moved to public schools, then the state and local governments would be responsible for more of their educational costs. If the state's concern was purely financial then they would prefer to keep these schools open so that someone else (parents and donors) would continue to pay most of the educational costs for these students.

Also, remember that many services provided to private school students are administered through Title I and IDEA, which are federally mandated and funded programs.

amother

Black

Wed, Dec 12 2018, 8:05 pm

you do not appoint the fox to guard the chicken coop

what biases would affect the DOE
or the bureaucrats the employees who would be determining and evaluating compliance?

none that would be in favor of the private schools (over public)

we do not want public schools thats the point

Maya

Wed, Dec 12 2018, 8:11 pm

It has been discussed that the DOE is not demanding seven hours of secular studies a day. Seven? The outrage initially was at six, and then those who cared enough to actually read the guidelines clarified that the requirements are very much attainable. We don’t have to exaggerate by adding an hour that was never even a discussion.
Go read one of the many threads debating this before you get all up in arms over nothing.

Maya

Wed, Dec 12 2018, 8:13 pm

Cheiny wrote:

For gods sake, we’re not taking about your kids yeshivahs. If your kids take Regents, they’re not even close to the kind of schools we’re discussing.

It’s like talking a wall.
Chassidish. Chedarim. For. Boys.
What’s so hard to understand?

anon for this

Wed, Dec 12 2018, 8:24 pm

amother wrote:

you do not appoint the fox to guard the chicken coop

what biases would affect the DOE

none that would be in favor of the private schools (over public)

we do not want public schools thats the point

I understand that you don't want your children forced to attend public schools. I don't either. But I'm saying that if the state's primary motivation was reducing costs, as the Catholic schools are arguing, then they wouldn't want to force private school students into public schools. In private schools, parents and/or private donors are responsible for most of the students' educational costs. Some costs, such as busing and textbooks, are covered by state or local governments. Other costs, such as special services offered through Title I and IDEA and free school lunches, are the responsibility of the federal government.

But if those students are forced into public schools, the state and local districts would be responsible for all the costs of their education that aren't covered by the federal government. So the argument of the Catholic schools that the state is motivated by financial concerns makes no sense to me, since if any schools are forced to close, costs to the state will increase.

amother

Black

Wed, Dec 12 2018, 8:29 pm

Um for the simple reason that they are not going to be the only ones affected, evaluated, judged, and changed.
Why do you think Rabbi Yakov Bender who runs a highly rated school by all accounts is so upset by this? You think its because he is "covering" for what may be subpar education? Hardly.

Before people could vote with their feet. No matter how hard it may be for some who say they had no choice, didn't, couldn't...
so now everyone's choices are being taken away from them?!

cultural bias, educational bias -- it astounds me that people think there exists some perfect government enlightened objective entity! The institution itself and every single person who works there! Not that they are "bad" just shouldn't be in charge of our private jewish educational institutions!

Speaking of education....does anyone here know anything about our own Jewish History!
And what has happened historically and now in other countries when government gets involved in this way with our education.