The New York State Board of Regents is set to vote on the guidelines, which unanimously passed the committee on Monday. The regulations require private schools to provide instruction that is “substantially equivalent” to that offered in public schools. Nonpublic schools would be subject to reviews by local education agencies, as well as less intrusive means to ensure they meet academic standards — such as exams or department-approved credentialing. The rules, which apply equally to all private schools, have faced a backlash from those serving the state’s Hasidic Jewish community, who argue it is a violation of their right to religious education. Draft guidelines released earlier this year have drawn 350,000 public comments since the spring, tens of thousands of which have come to Yeshiva’s defense, according to the latest state figures. Regulations require private schools to provide instruction that is “substantially equivalent” to public schools.AP/Bebeto Matthews Jim Baldwin, senior deputy commissioner at the state education department, countered that the move “does not regulate religious instruction.” “Religious studies may still be taught as the non-public school sees fit,” Baldwin told reporters before the committee’s vote. Those who do not comply with the regulations risk being stripped of their school designation, meaning they will lose public funding. Officials declined to say whether the state would close a school that doesn’t meet standards, noting that a school not recognized by the state may struggle to recruit and retain students. The Hasidic Jewish community believes the requirement is a violation of their right to religious education.William Farrington Yeshiva supporters who wish to maintain the status quo criticized the latest attempt at state oversight. “Those who want control of the State can choose the public schools,” reads a statement from Parents for Educational and Religious Freedom in Schools. “Parents who pay for a private or public school education do so because they believe in the mission and educational approach of those school leaders.” Advocates of secular studies in yeshivas hailed the commission’s vote, with Naftuli Moster, founder of the group Young Advocates for Fair Education, calling it “a huge step forward in ensuring that all children attending non-public schools receive the education they are entitled to.” The vote follows a New York Times report that found some students at yeshiva have been deprived of basic education, such as in science or social studies, and subjected to corporal punishment — all while the schools reaped more than $1 billion in government funding. recent years . A yeshiva located in Flatbush, Brooklyn.AP/Mark Lennihan State education officials released a 142-page filing this month summarizing public comments and responding to issues raised about the draft guidelines. Those summaries, reviewed by The Post, included pushback from the New York Department of Education — including that the regulations fail to provide the agency with “clear definitions or definitive standards” for conducting audits of nonpublic schools. An unnamed DOE spokesman called the timelines for substantive equivalence determinations “inadequate” — and said penalties for the agency, as the entity responsible for making those determinations, are “draconian and misguided.” “We believe these regulations place an undue burden on our public school system,” spokesman Nathaniel Styer said, adding that the agency will continue to “faithfully implement” the state’s guidelines. Mayor Eric Adams is focused solely on the city’s review of Yeshiva education.Daniel Williams McKnight The state education department made no substantive revisions in response to the comments, though it added flexibility for nonpublic schools that demonstrate “bona fide progress” toward substantial equivalence. Mayor Eric Adams, at an unrelated Manhattan press conference on the apprenticeships, said he was “not concerned” by the Times article’s findings — and that the city would complete its own review of the local Yeshiva education. He added: “Any form of corporal punishment … is not acceptable,” and that parents should report such incidents to investigators. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul claims she had no say in the school decision. Matthew McDermott An earlier city investigation was called into question when The Post revealed that former Mayor Bill de Blasio was personally involved in a deal to delay a long-awaited report on the Yeshiva in exchange for mayoral control over the city’s schools. Gov. Kathy Hochul took responsibility when asked about the Times’ investigation Monday, saying the matter is “outside of a governor’s purview.” “There is a regulatory process, but the governor’s office has nothing to do with it,” Hochul said. “But I know local officials will work with it and do the right thing to make sure every child gets a good education.”
