New York State Senator Mike Martucci (R-42) didn’t parse words in describing the potentially disastrous effects of the NYS Board of Regents’ recent decision on updating substantial equivalency education standards. “The move this week by the Board of Regents to allow local school boards to regulate the curriculums of private religious schools will have significant and negative impacts on the residents of Orange County,” the senator wrote in a Facebook post. “Previously, private religious schools in the Hasidic community managed their own affairs and therefore had little reason to involve themselves in secular school board politics. However, with this change from the State Department of Education we will see a wave of Hasidic candidates running for school board seats in order to protect their first amendment rights to freedom of religion. “This will not only lead to strife and conflict in our community, but it may also lead to negative educational consequences for children as it has already in the case of the East Ramapo School District in Rockland County. This action by the Board of Regents was a huge mistake. Simply put, parents should make decisions about what kind of education is best for their kids and private and public schools should manage their own affairs without interfering with one another. I call on the State Education Department and the Board of Regents to reverse this decision immediately because its wrong for our students and bad for our community. “Remember today it’s largely targeted at Yeshiva’s- tomorrow it could be your local Catholic or Christian School that’s in the crosshairs. State Power has been misused again and again starting with dropping the religious exemption from vaccination. If we don’t start saying no this will never stop.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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