Dennis Walcott, the state-appointed monitor for the scandal-plagued haredi-controlled East Ramapo school district, and his team will tell the New York State Board of Regents today that a monitor with veto power over the school board's spending and other actions should be appointed.
Scandal-Plagued Haredi-Controlled School Board Needs State Monitor With Veto Power, New State Investigative Report To Find
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Dennis Walcott, the state-appointed monitor for the scandal-plagued haredi-controlled East Ramapo school district, and his team will tell the New York State Board of Regents today that a monitor with veto power over the school board's spending and other actions should be appointed, the Journal News reported.
To do that, special legislation will need to be passed in the state assembly and senate. Republicans (and some Democrats closely linked to haredim) oppose this move even though East Ramapo's school board was already excoriated by a previous state investigation (that preceded Walcott's appointment) for repeated intentional violations of open meetings law and for a long list of abysmal ethical and legal failings.
The Republicans claim local control should be sacrosanct, and haredim are quick to blame government funding schemes that shortchange the school district for the district's woes. But those excuses do not account for open meetings law violations or for selling supposedly unneeded school properties to haredi yeshivas at well below market rate.
Walcott's team will outline its findings and recommendations at a state Board of Regents meeting this morning in Albany.