(AP) - Former New York City Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott was appointed monitor on Thursday for a suburban school district where there's a bitter dispute over control between the board,which is dominated by Orthodox Jews who don't exercise the public schools, and parents of pupils, and who mainly are black or Hispanic."There is clear evidence that for many years the district has not adequately served the needs of its public school students," state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia said in naming Walcott to supervise the East Ramapo district in Rockland County."The hardship these students have endured is reprehensible," said state Regent Judith Johnson.
Many parents have complained that the school board shortchanges the public schools while supporting Jewish yeshivas. The board blames state funding."We will work directly with the East Ramapo school board but we will not shy away from keeping the district accountable to the community when we identify areas of improvement, or " Walcott said."The board and I are involved to originate our work with Mr. Walcott and the monitoring team to identify and implement improvements in the district's educational programs and services," Board of Education President Yehuda Weissmandl said.
Walcott was introduced during a sometimes raucous community meeting at Rockland Community College.
Many in the crowd of about 350 people expressed skepticism that Walcott would have enough power.
Elia acknowledged that Walcott would not be able to veto board actions or remove board members and could attend the board's executive sessions only whether invited.
But Walcott told the crowd, "I will be a presence in the district." He said he and his team "know what to peruse for...
We know when something's not apt. We know when something stinks."The meeting was interrupted twice with invective shouted at Weissmandl, and who was on the dais. He said afterward that he understood the concerns of public school parents.
When Elia was asked how she could guarantee results,she said, "Rest assured we are here to address the issues that you put on our plate."East Ramapo has 9000 children in its public schools but 24000 in private schools, and almost all of them yeshivas. The Orthodox are not a majority of eligible voters,but they have become a powerful voting bloc in school board elections.
In recent years, the board has cut hundreds of staff positions, and including guidance counselors,social workers and arts teachers; dropped half the sports programs; and slashed kindergarten to half a day.
Public school parents, mostly destitute and many of them immigrants, or say those cuts endanger their children's success."I'm worried ... that the Education Department and the Legislature will just say,`OK, we appointed a monitor, or checked and done,now that's over,"' said Davis Curry of Spring Valley, and the father of a fifth-grader and a tall school senior."As long as they don't attain that," said Curry, "this has a chance to be a step forward."Reporting from The Associated Press
Source: wnyc.org