East Ramapo kids need representationFebruary 4, 2010 Letter in The Journal News This May 11 will be perhaps the most important East Ramapo school board election in recent history. For the past two years, all candidates offered by the public school community have been rejected by the bloc vote. The results are troubling: a public school has been closed, teachers and support staff have been laid off, athletics and electives are curtailed. Budget cuts cater to taxpayer groups that represent real estate investors while test scores remain well below other Rockland districts. The parents of the students who attend public schools in East Ramapo desperately want a say in how their children are educated. They have turned out in greater numbers than any other district in Rockland, but it has not been enough to overcome the power of the bloc vote. Parents feel frustrated and alienated by the school bureaucracy that doesn't value their approach to parenting, doesn't engage the community, and doesn't comprehend the many cultures that make our district unique. East Ramapo parents cannot afford the convenience of independent candidates; we need to come together in a united front. The East Ramapo Stakeholders for Public Education has been the vehicle for unity over the past several years. We are conducting a candidate search; those who would like to be candidates can contact us through our Web site at www.poweroften.us. The public is invited to a meet-and-greet at 7 p.m. tonight in the gym at the Spring Valley Rockland Community College Extension, 185 N. Main St., Spring Valley. Steve
White
|