Is Christie a Liar When He says that NJ is Spending More on Education than Ever Before?
November 13, 2013What Education Reforms will Christie Pursue During his Second Term?
November 14, 2013Say Kaddish for Lakewood’s Upswing in Public/Private Education Equity
Things were looking up at Lakewood Public Schools, the troubled, dysfunctional district that is an anomaly among NJ’s local school systems. While the in-district enrollment is about 5,000 mostly Hispanic poor kids, the district also provides transportation for 25,000 Orthodox Jewish children who attend one of the 97 yeshivas within Lakewood at a price tag of $21 million per year. That’s about 1/5 of the district’s total budget, and is a symbol of the disparity in resources allotted between Hispanic kids and Jewish ones. (See background here.)
The district has been investigated by the ACLU, the NJ DOE, and, more recently, Education Law Center.
The Lakewood Vaad [Council of Rabbis] and the Igud Hamosdos [consortium of yeshivas] with the backing of the Roshei HaYeshiva shlita [chief Yeshiva leader] ask you to please take a few moments and vote l’tovas haTzibbur [for the good of the local religious community]. Please vote for all the names in column A AND the last 3 names in column F.Many flyers, posters and phone calls have left some wondering who to vote for. False facts and figures are being spread to confuse you more. One fact is true – “it’s not a laughing matter”. Our Kehilla [Jewish community] is paying more taxes, our Mosdos [yeshivas] are not getting their services and supplies and our children are the biggest losers – being robbed a proper education.Contrary to what leaflets around town are proclaiming, none of the self-contained classes, Yesodai Hachinuch or Imrei Bina [new Lakewood yeshivas that cater to Jewish children with special needs] were started with the help of the current Board of Education leadership.
Because of artificially holding down taxes, the Kehilla lost millions in State Aid which would have directly benefited our children, and when it caught up to them taxes were raised this year by $4,000,000.00 and they still have a $4,000,000.00 shortfall.Bussing, as we all know is terrible, with the board voting repeatedly to lengthen the routes. Little children are on busses for an hour and a half, and it will only get worse without a change on the Board.Our Kehilla is blamed at every board meeting and in the press, for every financial problem they face. The leadership style is oppressive, please check with members of our Kehilla that work for the Board of Education.For these reasons, the Igud Hamosdos, has met with candidates Zlatkin, Janklowicz and Rosenblatt and ask our entire Kehilla to vote for them today, before it’s too late!
Please vote for the bottom 3 names in column F and all the names in column A.