PA James Responds to Common Cause/NY + Yaffed Demand for Investigation into Yeshivas

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NEW YORK, NY (06/19/2018) (readMedia)-- At 10:30 this morning, Common Cause/NY and YAFFED stood outside the offices of the NYC Public Advocate Leticia James and NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, demanding that James and Stringer use their respective oversight powers to launch an investigation into the City's failure to hold yeshivas responsible for skirting state educational standards.

30 minutes later, Public Advocate Tish James had the following exchange in a Q and A with reporters:

Q. Do you care whether Jewish children in Jewish schools are getting a secular education? If so, what are you doing about that?

A. It's my understanding that the Department of Education has undergone an investigation. I know the findings have not been released for some time -- in three years.

Q. Are you the public advocate?

A. I am the public advocate.

Q. Do you care about that?

A. We obviously care about it but the mayor of the city of New York has indicated that he was conducting an investigation. We will reach out to the mayor and the chancellor of the city of New York to make sure that they have fulfilled their responsibility.

Q. Everything the mayor wants you go along with?

A. No, as you know in the past you know that's definitely nothing further from the truth. I haven't gone along with the mayor of the city of New York. . .

Press aide: "NO MORE QUESTIONS"

I'll answer the question. I'm not afraid. The bottom line is that the mayor has taken on this investigation. We will follow up with the mayor's office to see whether or not these children are receiving a secular education.

Q. Are you afraid of angering the Jewish vote?

A. No I'm not afraid of angering the Jewish vote. The mayor has indicated he's undergoing this investigation. We will again contact the mayor's office to see where they are with respect to this investigation.

In response, Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY issued the following statement:

"Yeshivas have been skirting state education standards and failing their students with abandon. No community should be treated differently because of their political influence or lack there of. It's long past due for city officials to make use of their oversight powers to put aside politics and prioritize the public interest."

Background:

On June 19, Common Cause/NY, YAFFED, and the Workmen's Circle sent a letter to Public Advocate James and NYC Comptroller Stringer demanding that James and Stringer use their respective oversight powers to launch an investigation into the City's failure to hold yeshivas responsible for skirting state educational standards. The letter is attached.

According to New York State law, nonpublic schools must provide an education that is "substantially equivalent" to that of public schools. Of the nearly 60,000 children attending a Hasidic yeshiva in New York City, most boys under age thirteen receive a paltry amount of instruction in English and math each week. Students are frequently taught by unqualified teachers while other core subjects are simply not taught at all.

Nearly three years ago, the Department of Education announced an investigation into thirty-nine yeshivas for failing to meet the most basic educational standards. The results of the investigation have yet to be released. The city is quickly approaching the point where yet another school year will have gone by without any required oversight for thousands of children educated in yeshivas.