Universal School Choice - A Jewish position

BY THE GRACE OF OUR CREATOR

School choice has been positioned as something that the religious
right desires. What we are finding is that there are a large number
of Jews, Blacks and Hispanics who also desire this. And it is as big
an issue in NY or NJ as it is in the Midwest or the South. What
Israel Teitelbaum's organization is pushing is to modify the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 to include school choice as an EEO issue.

School Reform News
http://www.heartland.org/publications/school%20reform/article.html?articleid=24188

PROPOSED LEGISLATION:

The Civil Rights Act for Equal Educational Opportunity will require
equitable funding for children in non-public schools, while respecting
the liberty of schools in hiring and provision of services.
Educational standards and means of funding would be left to the
states, or to the people, as required by the 10th Amendment.

School Choice Talking Points:

1. School choice is the civil rights issue of the 21st Century.

2. Parental choice is supported by Democrats, Republicans, Liberals
and Conservatives who desire improved educational opportunities for
our children.

3. Denial of parental choice in education is the greatest government-
sanctioned violation of civil rights in today's America.

4. The Civil Rights Act for Equal Educational Opportunity (CRA for
EEO) will fulfill that which was left out of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, when our nation recognized the importance of equal opportunity
in housing, employment and public accommodations - but not for
education.

5- The CRA for EEO will provide improved opportunities for every
child, create innovative advancements in educational quality by force
of competition and reduce costs.

6- If school choice can work in Sweden (see link below), it can work
here too.

Q. Is the CRA for EEO an attempt to break the union?
A. The union can continue to function as is. All we ask as that they
not oppose the right of parents to choose the education that best
meets the needs of the individual child.

Q. Will this legislation increase taxes?
A. This legislation leaves the means of funding to the states, or to
the people, as required by the 10th Amendment. The states are free to
design a system that can actually save taxpayers enormous sums. If
properly designed, a competitive voucher program will undoubtedly save
the taxpayers many billions of dollars. With the present,
uncompetitive system, costs have been rising at double the rate of
inflation, while quality has declined.

Q. How would this legislation impact special needs children?
A. The federal legislation is restricted to mandating equality of
treatment, leaving most of the details to the states, as is presently
the case for most special needs funding. The various states have
differing policies regarding special needs, so this will remain for
the states to decide.

Q. Would taxpayers have to fund schools where children are taught to
hate or harm others?
A. As per the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution, the minimum
educational standards required by the states must include respecting
the laws of the land and the rights of others.

Q. Would funding of religious schools violate the separation of church
and state?
A. Government would have no say where children attend. This would be
the parents' choice, so there is no violation. This was confirmed by
the U.S. Supreme Court in Zelman vs. Simmons-Harris (2002).

Q. Will this legislation hurt the public schools?
A. Competition always brings about improved quality and efficiency.

Q. Will schools have to accept every child that applies?
A. Just as colleges are specialized and must be selective to grow and
advance, so too here. However, with K-12, every child will have to be
provided with equal opportunity, so there would have be better
opportunities for every child. It will be like walking into a
department store with a thousand dollar gift card. You may have to do
a little shopping, but you will surely find something you like.

Q. Will public schools have to accept every student that applies?
A. Again, this detail is left to the states. Forcing schools to keep
disruptive children in mainstream schools and classes may not be fair
to other children.

Q. Voters in California, Colorado, Michigan and Utah have
overwhelmingly rejected voucher programs. Why would this legislation
not be rejected as well?
A. None of the proposals in those states offered equal opportunity for
every child. This legislation does.

Q. Will this legislation stand up to a legal challenge that will
likely come before the U.S. Supreme Court?
A. The very same judicial rulings that have upheld the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 will likely prevail here.

Sweden lets school choice take root
http://www.cleveland.com/world/index.ssf/2008/07/sweden_lets_school_choice_take.html

Israel Teitelbaum, cofounder
Parents for Free Choice in Education
226 Sussex Ave., #301, Morristown, NJ 07962
http://www.schoolchoicenj.org/
(973) 267-4213
israel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



SUPPORTERS OF THE CRA FOR EEO:

Rabbi Shea Hecht, CEO, National Committee for the Furtherance of
Jewish Education
Batya Jacob, Coordinator,New Jersey Association of Jewish Day Schools
Rev. Reginald Jackson, President, Black Ministers Council of NJ
David White, New Jersey representative of Congress of Racial Equality
(CORE)
Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform
John Schmidt, founder of West Orange Tax Reform Association
Bob Schundler, Founder, SchoolChoiceVoter.org
Rishe Deitsch, Senior Editor, N'shei Chabad Newsletter
Tom McClusky, Vice President of Government Affairs, Family Research
Council
Len Deo, Founder & President, New Jersey Family Policy Council
Batya Jacob, Coordinator of NJ Association of Jewish Day Schools
Steve Karp, Executive Director of Jewish Educational Center
Dan Gaby, Exec. Director, Excellent Education for Everyone
Yosef Hayon, Founder and President, Homework Helper
Linda Chavez, Founder & President, Center for Equal Opportunity
Dr. Hecktor Castillo, Board Director, Peruvian American Political
Action Committee
Jeanne Andriuzze, Executive Director, Catholic Voices
Brian M. Johnson, Director of Policy, Alliance for Worker Freedom
Jerry Cantrell, President, NJ Taxpayer's Association
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, author and TV personality
Kim Chorba, Director, NJ Network of Catholic School Families
Larry Cirignano, Director, CatholicVote.org
Herb Glen, Community leader & public relations, Newark, NJ
Rabbi Alouf, Ahaba Ve Ahava, Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Haim Benoliel, Bnai Yosef, Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Bouskila, Netivot Israel, Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Igal Chaimoff, Yeshiva Ohel Simcha, Queens, NY
Rabbi David Cohen, Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshiva Ohel Torah, Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Eliyahu Elbaz, Sephardic Lebanese Congregation, Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi David L. Grossbaum, Congregation Ahavas Moshe, Brooklyn NY
Rabbi Sholem Ber Hecht, Nat'l Comm. for the Furtherance of Jewish
Education, Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Kalmanowitz, Mirrer Yeshiva, Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Kashani, Principal, Yeshivat Ohr Haim, Queens, NY
Rabbi Mark Landsman, Principal, Yeshiva Central Queens, NY
Rabbi Moshe Neuman, Administrator, Bais Yaackov of Queens, NY
Ben Piccioto, President, Ave R Seph Congregation, Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Eli Rabinowitz, Administrator, Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin,
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Riesman, Agudath Israel of Madison, Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Rubin, Congregation Bais David, Queens, NY
Rabbi Y. Shamma, Congregation Shevet Ahim, Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Harold Sutton, Bnei Yitzchak Congregation, Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Yitzchok Young, Dean, Machon Academy, Lawrence, NY
.

Relevant Pages

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