N.Y. Catholic schools will boycott new state survey, inspection program
In a major rebuke to the state, leaders of New York's more than 500 Catholic schools say they will boycott a proposed new review system in which local public school officials are supposed to inspect the parochial schools and determine whether they offer a “substantially equivalent” education.
“The parents who choose our schools can have great confidence in the academic rigor of our schools,” said James Cultrara, executive secretary of the state Council of Catholic School Superintendents.
But, he added, “We simply cannot accept a competing school having authority over whether our schools can operate.”
Cultrara was referring to recently enacted guidelines from the state Education Department calling for local public school officials to begin inspecting non-public schools, including Catholic and other private schools, to ensure that students are exposed to the same basic topics such as English and math, that are covered in public schools. Under these new guidelines, once local officials conclude that a private or parochial school is offering a “substantially equivalent” education, the local school board then has to approve the findings in a vote.
The guidelines mostly impact Catholic elementary and other lower-grade schools rather than high schools.
The Catholic superintendents outlined their concerns in a series of letters over the past year or so including one on Dec. 5 to state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia.
“We write to inform you that the New York State Council of Catholic School Superintendents, representing some 500 Catholic schools, rejects the recently released “substantial equivalency” guidelines and is directing all diocesan Catholic schools not to participate in any review carried out by local public school officials.”
The superintendents are currently talking to legislators about passing a law to void the new guidelines.
They say they don’t have a problem with state officials conducting reviews or inspecting their schools, but they worry that, because public schools are in essence competing for the same pool of students, conflicts could arise in a regulatory situation.
State Education Department officials said they are reviewing the letters but offered no additional comment on Tuesday.
“A review by local public school officials and a vote at a public meeting of a locally elected public school board, as is called for in the guidance, practically guarantees inconsistency and subjectivity,” reads part of the letter, which was obtained by the Times Union.
Local school systems provide assistance to parochial schools by offering bus and nursing services among other things. That creates an expense for districts that are constantly watching their budgets. Combine that with the shrinking population of students attending both public and Catholic schools in much of the state, and there is a built-in potential for conflicts of interest when it comes to inspections, say the superintendents.
Catholic schools have long had a reputation for strong academics and lots of New Yorkers send their kids to such schools for that reason. Most Catholic high schools also offer the same Regents exams given in public schools.
Moreover, the new guidelines didn’t focus on Catholic schools. Instead they stemmed from a 2015 survey that found some ultra-orthodox Jewish yeshivas were barely teaching their students English or other secular subjects. But since the state couldn’t single out yeshivas, the guidelines apply to all non-public schools.
The new private/parochial school inspections are supposed to take place on a five-year cycle. Schools that don’t participate could eventually lose state support for items that currently go to parochial schools for expenses such as safety equipment like surveillance cameras, reimbursement for teacher training and health expenses such as testing water fountains for lead.
“Although we believe the Commissioner and Board of Regents have the discretionary authority and means to take on this responsibility, our Council will be working with legislators to seek an amendment to the law so as to vest this responsibility solely with the State Education Department," the letter states. ... We invite you and your staff to collaborate with us on this legislative initiative.”
“The Council of Catholic School Superintendents is committed to maintaining high-quality Catholic schools and working with you on designing an objective review and determination process to support the education of children in our schools,” the letter concludes.
Times Union
“The parents who choose our schools can have great confidence in the academic rigor of our schools,” said James Cultrara, executive secretary of the state Council of Catholic School Superintendents.
But, he added, “We simply cannot accept a competing school having authority over whether our schools can operate.”
Cultrara was referring to recently enacted guidelines from the state Education Department calling for local public school officials to begin inspecting non-public schools, including Catholic and other private schools, to ensure that students are exposed to the same basic topics such as English and math, that are covered in public schools. Under these new guidelines, once local officials conclude that a private or parochial school is offering a “substantially equivalent” education, the local school board then has to approve the findings in a vote.
The guidelines mostly impact Catholic elementary and other lower-grade schools rather than high schools.
The Catholic superintendents outlined their concerns in a series of letters over the past year or so including one on Dec. 5 to state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia.
“We write to inform you that the New York State Council of Catholic School Superintendents, representing some 500 Catholic schools, rejects the recently released “substantial equivalency” guidelines and is directing all diocesan Catholic schools not to participate in any review carried out by local public school officials.”
The superintendents are currently talking to legislators about passing a law to void the new guidelines.
They say they don’t have a problem with state officials conducting reviews or inspecting their schools, but they worry that, because public schools are in essence competing for the same pool of students, conflicts could arise in a regulatory situation.
State Education Department officials said they are reviewing the letters but offered no additional comment on Tuesday.
“A review by local public school officials and a vote at a public meeting of a locally elected public school board, as is called for in the guidance, practically guarantees inconsistency and subjectivity,” reads part of the letter, which was obtained by the Times Union.
Local school systems provide assistance to parochial schools by offering bus and nursing services among other things. That creates an expense for districts that are constantly watching their budgets. Combine that with the shrinking population of students attending both public and Catholic schools in much of the state, and there is a built-in potential for conflicts of interest when it comes to inspections, say the superintendents.
Catholic schools have long had a reputation for strong academics and lots of New Yorkers send their kids to such schools for that reason. Most Catholic high schools also offer the same Regents exams given in public schools.
Moreover, the new guidelines didn’t focus on Catholic schools. Instead they stemmed from a 2015 survey that found some ultra-orthodox Jewish yeshivas were barely teaching their students English or other secular subjects. But since the state couldn’t single out yeshivas, the guidelines apply to all non-public schools.
The new private/parochial school inspections are supposed to take place on a five-year cycle. Schools that don’t participate could eventually lose state support for items that currently go to parochial schools for expenses such as safety equipment like surveillance cameras, reimbursement for teacher training and health expenses such as testing water fountains for lead.
“Although we believe the Commissioner and Board of Regents have the discretionary authority and means to take on this responsibility, our Council will be working with legislators to seek an amendment to the law so as to vest this responsibility solely with the State Education Department," the letter states. ... We invite you and your staff to collaborate with us on this legislative initiative.”
“The Council of Catholic School Superintendents is committed to maintaining high-quality Catholic schools and working with you on designing an objective review and determination process to support the education of children in our schools,” the letter concludes.
Times Union
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