ZD,
“People who live in East Ramapo and send their kids to public school have an equal right to demand what they think they deserve. Just like the charedim want seperate buses, they want Art and Music.”
As clearly explained above, and understood by other posters here, the issue is not separate busing. It is busing period. And it is an issue as to what is mandated, that means required by law, versus what is not mandated.
“Its funny how someone demands AP Calculus is an “activist” and someone who demands Busing to yeshiva is no” (sic)
The position of the activists, as clearly demonstrated is not AP calculus for the students. Because they have no children in the schools and do not even live in East Ramapo. Their activism is purely to deny services to the orthodox children. Read their rhetoric. And no one is running about demanding busing, it is provided because it is mandated by law. Remember, dina dimalchusa. Which is hardly funny.
“BTW NYC does NOT provide busing for most students in the city so its not mandatory.”
Fantastic argument, however it is completely wrong. The law is that busing is mandated for all students in NYS except for large cities, which I believe means over 100,000 students, which then define their own busing eligibility. (From what I’ve been told by those who deal with these items, it only applies to NYC and Buffalo) Not one of the activists is denying that the busing is mandated, they want to change that and take away these services.
“Most Public schools have extra curricular activies its not an “extra item” “(sic)
BY definition, it is not part of the regular required curriculum. They may be fantastic and everyone would want to provide the program, but if there is no money, the first to go are the non mandated items. NYS Dept. of Education itself told ERCSD to cut extra curricular programs because of budget shortfalls. Even you say “Most” if it is a requirement, why wouldn’t all have the programs?