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East Ramapo School District Needs Oversight

Author of a letter to state education department about the East Ramapo School District was disappointed that Gov. Andrew Cuomo did not address the situation during his speech in Nanuet on Tuesday.

 

Dear Editor:

This letter was sent to Nicolas Storelli-Castro, Director of Governmental Relations. 

Thank you for your response of Feb. 5, 2013. Your enclosure certainly details what is expected of the ERCSD Board. as far as their fiscal obligations are concerned.

The bigger concern, which has not been addressed, is the total lack of interest by the Board for the education of the students in the district. You must be aware that shortly all 9 members of the Board will be Orthodox and Ultra-religious. Not one of the Board members has a single relative in the East Ramapo School system. The Board has eviscerated the entire school district. Money and books have been dispersed with dubious permission. Schools have been closed and “sold” to religious groups at highly questionable prices. If all of this is not thievery then I don’t know what is.

When a Board President stands in front of the parents and residents and states “If you don’t like it, LEAVE!” the frustration reaches a near boiling point. It is becoming more and more obvious to the residents that no one cares about them. The religious constituency is catered to and the voting bloc mentality is well known.  The voting irregularities that took place when school board elections were held are well known if not proven. People voted who did not live in Rockland. Some people voted more than once. Buses brought women from different areas to vote. “Poll-watchers” directed legitimate residents to “other” locations where they were misdirected again and finally gave up interest. 

The situation is a disgrace and no one seems to care other than the parents of the kids who are being shortchanged. How can you tolerate a school board that has NO concern for the students it oversees?  It is criminal.  Something must be done. Sometime in the future this entire debacle will be exposed and  fingers will be pointed at the people who could have done something, but did nothing.

Sincerely,
Mr. Sasha Bunchuk
Owner of Champion Day Camp
New City  

cc. J.King

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Kathleen May 21, 2013 at 08:55 am
CANDLE Night at the Rockland Boulders Game Join CANDLE for a fun(d)raising game on May 23rd as theRead More Rockland Boulders take on the Trois-Rivieres Aigles. Proceeds from tickets purchased through CANDLE* will support programs that educate & empower youth and reduce substance abuse and violence in Rockland County and beyond.
Heywood Jablohme May 21, 2013 at 02:48 pm
I agree with most of your points, but surely you are not implying that teachers are expected toRead More produce funding to correct school roofs, right? I think you got a bit off topic here, but I agree that our educational infrastructure is in disrepair and is in desperate need of rehabilitation. Maybe if our teacher's unions allowed a little more leeway we could allocate funding a little more appropriately and fund the important things instead of overpaying paying dinosaur teachers who lost interest a long time ago and fight any and all forms of teacher benchmarking.
WGMom May 20, 2013 at 09:10 am
It's entirely true that every professional has out-of-pocket expenses. But as someone who worked asRead More a corporate trainer, I can guarantee you I NEVER had to pay out of pocket expenses for supplies to teach classes. Every piece of paper, supply, and even snacks for the participants were fully covered expenses. If I had to spend out of pocket money to procure supplies, I could submit for a reimbursement, and receive it, no questions asked. I am now in school to become a high school teacher and I can see the stark difference in how the education of folks in a corporate environment is incredibly different, and privileged, than the public school environment. I've sat through numerous classes in the Clarkstown and Ramapo districts, doing observations required for my education certification, and while Clarkstown certainly benefits from certain advantages, the shabbiness of being a public school is still there. Furniture, such as teacher desks, that looks like it was purchased in a garage sale 30 years ago... faculty bathrooms that are dark and dingy, nearly crumbling, and sorely in need of updating. Etc. The public expects teachers to have professional training, act professionally, but they lack sometimes basic resources and are expected to function in an environment that feels more like a dungeon than an institution of learning. The citizens of Clarkstown, if they could get a tour of some of the facilities they are expecting children to learn in, and teachers to teach in, would be very surprised. We do supply some great technology, but then we put it in classrooms with windows that won't stay closed when it's windy, as one example. I spent most of my time in South, which is the best of the bunch, facilities-wise. Clarkstown North is a mess, Woodglen's woods are littered with fallen trees no one's cleaned up after Sandy, Laurel Plains had to be shuttered thanks to that whole foul stench... the district is in a situation where there are major capital improvements that are going to be needed. Buildings are aging, and it seems it's only the most basic of upkeep that happens. The district can't even fix the roofs of the buildings without applying for a state grant.
Heywood Jablohme May 18, 2013 at 07:17 am
What professional doesn't spend $500 per year on out of pocket expenses related to their jobs?Read More Staples offering 10% (or 5 in some cases) is hardly an example of the community getting involved. Thankfully, there are other examples of the community and PTA's getting involved and providing needed services. Clarkstown and surrounding areas hardly have substantial unmet needs in their classroom, thankfully.
Truth4all May 16, 2013 at 11:37 am
I guess better late than never. LaCorte is serving his 4th year as Mayor and was Trustee for I thinkRead More 4 years before that. This year is the only time he has brought the idea to the village about participating in this program. He is motivated by the opportunity of getting positive press for his County Executive campaign. The village should have been involved in this program ( as well as the Americorps program) long before this. On a positive note, hopefully the Village will continue this worthwhile partnership for many years to come.