Yeshiva Graduates Protest Little Red Graduation, Demand School Stop Covering for Yeshivas

Little Red School House, along with NYSAIS, won a lawsuit against the NYSED that struck down oversight of nonpublic schools

NEW YORK, NY (06/11/2019) (readMedia)-- On Wednesday, Yeshiva graduates will protest the graduation ceremony for the Little Red School House, claiming that the school helped provide cover for hundreds yeshivas that do not teach secular education.

Yeshiva graduates will hold signs that say: "Tell your administration to top enabling educational neglect" and "Congrats on your education, thousands of yeshiva students wish they could say the same."

Little Red School House is a private school and a member of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYIAS). It was a named plaintiff in a NYIAS lawsuit to stop the state from enforcing its revised guidelines for nonpublic schools. These guidelines were designed to make sure that nonpublic schools were meeting the legal requirement to provide an education that's "substantially equivalent" to public schools. The guidelines did not differ significantly from previous versions, requiring the teaching of the basics, such as English, math, science, and social studies. A consortium of yeshivas and Catholic schools also filed two similar lawsuits claiming religious freedom from oversight. In late April, an Albany Supreme Court judge ruled in favor of the elite private schools, striking down revised guidelines for nonpublic schools from the New York State Education Department (NYSED).

Last week, the NYSED proposed new regulations for substantially equivalent instruction at non-public schools that would not go into effect for several years.

Background

In response to an Albany judge's ruling in April which struck down the state's revised guidelines to provide reasonable oversight for non-public schools, Yaffed sent a letter urging the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to enact emergency regulations. Yaffed's letter includes affidavits from former yeshiva students about the devastating and debilitating effects of being denied a secular education. Since then, others have echoed that call including leading voices for educational reform like Cynthia Nixon and Zephyr Teachout, Michael Rebell, Common Cause/NY Executive Director Susan Lerner, and Columbia Professor Ester Fuchs.

Pursuant to Section 202(6) of the New York State Administrative Procedure Act ("Notice of Emergency Adoption"): "if an agency finds that the immediate adoption of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the . . . general welfare and that compliance with the requirements of subdivision one of this section [requiring the submission of a notice of proposed rulemaking and inviting public comments] would be contrary to the public interest, the agency may dispense with all or part of such requirements and adopt the rule on an emergency basis."

Yeshivas receive millions in state funding, but for years have eschewed the statutory requirement to provide a substantially equivalent education, leaving graduates woefully unprepared to succeed in secular society. Currently, students receive only 90 minutes of secular education in Hasidic boys' elementary schools, and none in high school.

The revised, minimal guidelines, established on November 20th, 2018 would've allowed:

  • Nonpublic schools and religious schools to be inspected minimally: within the first 2 to 3 years, then once every 5 years thereafter.
  • Academically rigorous instruction in the five core classes: English, History, Science, Mathematics, and Civics to develop critical thinking skills.
  • The local school board or the Chancellor to determine whether a substantially equivalent education is being provided in religious or nonpublic schools
  • The Commission to work with the religious and nonpublic schools to review textbooks and ensure that each student is receiving a sound education while respecting the school's culture.

About Yaffed

YAFFED is an advocacy group committed to improving educational curricula within ultra-Orthodox schools. They fervently believe that every child is entitled to a fair and equitable education that is in compliance with the law. Their work involves raising awareness about the importance of general studies education, and encouraging elected officials, Department of Education officials and the leadership of the ultra-Orthodox world to act responsibly in preparing their youth for economic sufficiency and for broad access to the resources of the modern world.

In 2017 YAFFED released a 90-page report, Non-Equivalent: The State of Education in New York City's Hasidic Yeshivas, which includes updated data on the amount and quality of secular education in New York City yeshivas, a detailed examination of funding provided to yeshivas, new demographic projections of Hasidic school enrollment in New York City, recommendations for the New York City Department of Education and New York State Education Department, and more.

WHO:

Naftuli Moster, Executive Director of Yaffed

Yeshiva graduates

WHAT:

 Yeshiva students protest Little Red School House graduation.

WHEN: Wednesday June 12, 2019 at 09:00AM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
WHERE: OUTSIDE Skirball Center for the Performing Arts,
566 LaGuardia Place
New York, New York
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