<p>The AF show provided only one side to what has happened in the Ramapo SD. The teacher’s union and NYS legislation are equally to blame. Those of us who live in NY and are versed in school district funding, taxes and curriculum know the board only controls so much and what occurred in Ramapo could only be done with the tacit approval of the teachers union. </p>
<p>How could the teacher’s union possibly have supported cutting a bunch of teachers?</p>
<p>There is a similar, less dramatic school board issue in Evergreen CO about AP US history content. The board wants to make sweeping changes to the standard curriculum. I guess they don’t care if their students all fail the test. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2014/10/05/fa6136a2-4b12-11e4-b72e-d60a9229cc10_story.html”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2014/10/05/fa6136a2-4b12-11e4-b72e-d60a9229cc10_story.html</a></p>
<p>It’s not a breakdown of democracy but it’s one of it’s sadder side effects. I learned (from a great public HS teacher) that it’s called “tyranny of the majority”. </p>
<p>And they’re not only de-funding the schools, they are diverting funds into the special ed programs that their children attend. </p>
<p>I heard a whole program on this on NPR just a few weeks ago. It’s been on going for several years now. </p>
<p>If anyone is interested in listening to it:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/534/a-not-so-simple-majority”>http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/534/a-not-so-simple-majority</a></p>
<p>Yes Hunt, a sense of civic responsibility is desperately needed.</p>
<p>I have seen videos where people were complaining about a politician and they were asked if they voted. Inevitably they said no, but were angry that there was an implied guilt for not voting. They really wanted to responisiblity for their actions (or lack of action in voting).</p>
<p>@Hunt - The teachers union did not support the cuts but as a group they were not willing to renegotiate their contract or give up any benefit to save teacher positions. In NY the board only votes for or against the budget presented to them by the administration, the superintendent of the SD determines how those funds will be spent, not the board. When the administration was told by the community it would no longer agree to large increases in budget and compensation the administration decided to cut teachers and courses rather than cut costs.</p>
<p>As a reasonably observant Jew myself, I have encountered some wonderful Chasidic Jews over the years, particularly in the Chabad movement. But some of these Hasidic communities are little better than cults, and are getting progressively more extreme as they become more and more at odds with the standards of outside society. What we’re seeing in East Ramapo is the consequence of what happens when you live in such an insular community that you see outsiders - Jewish and non – as worthless. Unfortunately, because their intolerance has become so extreme, they often won’t listen to even other Orthodox Jews from outside their sect. There are ultra-Orthodox schools in which students will not be admitted if their mother’s wig extends past her shoulders, or if her skirt doesn’t fully cover her ankles. When even such minor deviations are considered beyond the pale, the hopes of anyone not on the inside reaching them are slim indeed.</p>
<p>As others have said, the worst part is that because this has happened as a result of democratic process, I can’t see a way of stopping it. </p>
<p>I suppose people end up voting with their feet and relocating, then?</p>
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If they can. The last people out can really be left holding the bag, especially if they are homeowners and there is nobody left to buy their house but members of the insular community.</p>
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<p>When I was 19, I was complaining about something a local politician had done. A friend quietly asked me “did you vote in that election?” I said “What?!” He repeated, still quietly, but more slowly, “DID. YOU. VOTE?” I said, “well, no, but…” He waved his hand at me and said, “well I’m having trouble taking you seriously then.” </p>
<p>I realized he was right. I try to be informed and vote as often as I’m able, but in the event I don’t, I don’t complain about the actions of anyone I had the chance to keep out of office.</p>
<p>This is what happens when those voted onto a school board have no interest in the public schools. In many areas, it’s those who do NOT have kids in the public schools that feel underrepresented. I don’t know how Rampo or other such districts are going to procede when the majority in the area are those who do not place any priority at all on the public schools. If one allows the economics to take over, those who do not like the way it is run will move, and those left can pay for their own agenda.</p>
<p>I’ve listened to the referenced This American Life podcast – parents with students in the public schools WERE politically very active and made a huge effort to retain representation on the school board.</p>
<p>They were out voted over the years, until eventually the Hasidim filled every seat on the school board.</p>
<p>Interesting that this is being discussed here. The junior rabbi of our Reform Jewish congregation referenced this story in his Yom Kippor sermon to illustrate the difference between “Religious” vs. “Observant” Jews. His point was that while the Hasidim in Ramapo are ultra observant, their takeover of the school board and its consequences were less than ethical and certainly not in the spirit of Jewish tenets. So, those of us who reply to the “Are you Jewish?” question with “Yes, but I’m not religious”, should rethink our answer if we are ethical, moral and devoted to Tikkun Olam (repairing our world). </p>
<p>Yes, they are extremists and in some respects, little better than religious extremists in other parts of the world. I’m thinking Taliban and Isis here. And if you think that’s far-fetched, ask some of the orthodox females whom were victims of outright sexual abuse by Hasid “leaders,” and subsequently were shunned, threatened or worse when they sought help from law enforcement. The Brooklyn NY District Attorney lost his job in large part to his lax prosecution of the abusers.</p>
<p>A lot of things like this have a similar cause. I dont mean necessarily like the Taliban or ISIS, but more like the Penn State scandals, Enron, Catholic church scandals, etc. Once you have a group – of any type of person, for any reason – that sees itself as inherently apart and superior to everyone else, they start having a hard time relating to other people. The focus becomes on protecting and advancing the group, and they forget about both the wellbeing of the individual members of their own group as well as people outside the group. </p>
<p>In some areas there’s nothing you can do about this, but honestly if you have a kid in public school or you care about education in anyway, you should make time to come out and vote in schoolboard elections. If you don’t vote still after you have noticed that the school board is controlled by people who don’t even like public schools as a concept then you’re kind of saying that you really don’t mind that much after all.</p>
<p>I’m Jewish, but this reminds me of Al Capone taking over Cicero for his own purposes. </p>
<p>Although I haven’t taken the time to read the whole article, I will join the other Jewish posters who would speak out against this kind of behavior. The Hassidic Jews I have met don’t act like this, however, I have never been to as large and insulated a group as the one in Monsey NY. It makes me sad to think anyone would financially gut an entire school system and harm the education of other students. Like audiophile says, this is not in accordance with the value system I was raised with. </p>