…Gov. Andrew Cuomo last year appointed Hank Greenberg, a former federal prosecutor, to assess the East Ramapo school board's conduct and fiscal management. He found that board members had shown favoritism to the Orthodox Jewish students who attend private schools in the district and recommended legislative action to give an appointee veto power over the board's "bad decisions." His findings didn't reveal school board members acting "out of base or venal motives," but rather so influenced by the community from which they've come that it has "blinded them to the needs of the entire community.…"
Above: Ed Day
Rockland County, New York's Executive, Ed Day, writes in the Journal News:
…Gov. Andrew Cuomo last year appointed Hank Greenberg, a former federal prosecutor, to assess the East Ramapo school board's conduct and fiscal management. He found that board members had shown favoritism to the Orthodox Jewish students who attend private schools in the district and recommended legislative action to give an appointee veto power over the board's "bad decisions." His findings didn't reveal school board members acting "out of base or venal motives," but rather so influenced by the community from which they've come that it has "blinded them to the needs of the entire community."
While Greenburg stopped short of recommending a state takeover of the district, he uncovered deeply disturbing practices and an "inexcusable" lack of transparency by the board, resulting in fractured public- and private-school communities.
It's clear that certain members of the board have not acted in the best interests of all children in the community.
Three weeks ago, Rockland County's elected representatives in Albany unveiled a proposal to appoint a full-time state monitor to oversee the school district. Sen. David Carlucci and Assembly members Ellen Jaffee and Ken Zebrowski based their measure largely on the Greenberg's district assessment.
As a father, a PTA Life Award winner and longtime youth coach, I am keenly aware that our children are our greatest resource. I applaud our state legislators for their action and for joining in the fight to do what is right for all the children of East Ramapo.
Today, I call on my colleagues in the Rockland County Legislature to join in the fight and pass a resolution to fully support this critical bill. The joint letter addressed to Gov. Cuomo, signed by 12 legislators, urging passage of measure is good for informational purposes. However, a Legislature puts its voice and influence behind laws and resolutions by voting, not by penning letters. I remain hopeful that the body will formally declare its belief and support of state intervention in the troubled school district via resolution.
All county lawmakers must stand together for the families of East Ramapo. Empowering a state-appointed monitor will go a long way toward rebuilding trust between the public-school community and school board.
We all must stand together for the families of East Ramapo.…