On Monday, the day after The New York Times revealed that many schools taught only basic English and mathematics, and virtually no science or history, a senior New York official said Hasidic Judaism expressed serious concern about the quality of education in private schools.
Two Democrats, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, said they were deeply concerned. Fail. ”
“It is the government’s overriding duty to ensure that all children receive a quality education, whether they are educated in parochial, private or public schools,” said a senior House official. Jewish MP, Mr Nadler said. It covers the major Hasidic districts. “It is our duty to every student in New York to ensure that the law is enforced.”
Jeffries, who represents parts of downtown Brooklyn, called for “rigorous scrutiny to ensure the health and well-being of all children are protected.”
Daniel Goldman, who recently won a contested Democratic primary for seats in a new congress that included a Hasidic neighborhood in Brooklyn, said he hoped schools would strive to comply with the law, The Times reports. “paints a dire picture of inadequate secular education. It does not comply with state law.”
At the state level, politicians regularly court cohesive Hasidic voting blocs, but state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins said secular education was lacking in Hasidic schools. said he was concerned.
“The allegations in the article are very disturbing and must be addressed,” she said.
State Senator Julia Salazar and Rep. Emily Gallagher, both Democrats representing Hasidic Williamsburg in Brooklyn, are particularly concerned about reports of corporal punishment in schools and will ban such punishment in the future. He said he would introduce a law to
Other leaders, including Governor Kathy Hochol and members of the powerful state school board, have shown little willingness to criticize Hasidic schools.
Hochul, a Democrat who has tried to appeal to Jewish voters ahead of this fall’s gubernatorial election, has declined to take a position on the Hasidic school. In just one year, we’re building relationships with leading groups across the state.
“People understand that this is outside the governor’s jurisdiction,” Hochol said at an event in Harlem on Monday.
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Although the state board of trustees, not the governor, controls the state’s education department, Hochol is New York’s most powerful politician and can wield great influence over education issues.
Board members did not mention the Times report during Monday’s discussion ahead of an expected vote on new rules that would keep private schools, including Hasidic schools known as yeshiva, to a minimum academic standard.
Lawyer Avi Shik, who has represented many Hasidic yeshivas, recently said Hochul’s chances of being re-elected this November were unlikely to be re-elected by the regent’s vote, even though the governor has not taken a public stance on the rule. said they could be threatened by
Other New York Democratic officials, including majority leader Senator Chuck Schumer, did not respond to inquiries about Hasidic schools on Monday or declined to comment. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, chairman of the House Democratic Election Committee.
New York Republicans, including Rep. Lee Zeldin, defended the school and criticized the Times report. At his campaign event outside city hall on Monday, Zeldin, a Jew running for governor against Hochol, said public schools should emulate the “values” of Hasidic schools. and not vice versa.
Republicans in other states said they don’t believe governments should interfere with private religious education or parents’ ability to choose where their children will be educated.
Republican candidate Beneen Hamdan, who is challenging Goldman in Brooklyn, said he opposes state regulation and criticizes key race theories. “While public schools teach her CRT and sexuality, Hasidic schools should retain the right to teach Judaism,” she said.
Senator Mark Martucci, representing the constituency just north of New York City, said: he added that he had visited a yeshiva and impressed the students.
In states where the Republican Party has been barred from power, Hasidic voters who consistently vote Democratic in local elections but are beginning to support the Republican Party, including former President Donald J. Trump, in national elections. We are stepping up our efforts.
A Times investigation published Sunday showed Hasidic schools appear to be operating in violation of state law by denying thousands of students a basic education. It operates more than 100 boys’ schools in Brooklyn and the lower Hudson Valley and has received over $1 billion in government funding in the last four years alone.
Schools usually offer only secular education for boys aged 8 to 12, 90 minutes a day, 4 days a week. More than 99% of her students who took standardized tests in 2019 failed, according to state data.
At a news conference on Monday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he was “not concerned” about the Times’ findings, but his administration has long postponed the city’s investigation into some Hasidic schools. emphasized that
“I’m not going to look at the story. I want a thorough investigation. I want an independent review and that’s what the city has to do.” The mayor added that any child abuse at school should be reported and investigated.
Over the past few years, Hasidic leaders have made keeping the government out of schools a top priority and have relied on community-elected officials to thwart regulation.
One of its leaders, David Schwartz, leader of the Hasidic neighborhood of Brooklyn, disputed reports of problems in schools, including the regular use of corporal punishment. Brushed for a few clarifications.
The report was contributed by Emma G. Fitzsimmons, Dana Rubinstein, Grace Ashford When Jeffrey C. Mays.