In the State of the Union address, the President proposed a “Pell Grants for Kids” initiative intended to help children in “failing public schools” attend private and religious schools. While we strongly support the goal of expanding options for children, and believe that parental involvement is the bedrock of educational excellence, we believe that the proposal is seriously deficient. Pell Grants are not just for students in failing public colleges; nor should any similar program for younger students just be for children in failing public schools. It simply makes no educational sense to subject children to years of failing public education before providing them relief and opportunity. We urge the President and Congress to develop a true “Pell Grant for Kids” – a program at the elementary and secondary school level which, like the Pell Grant program for post-secondary schools, gives a student and his family maximal educational choice.
We are heartened by the President’s plan to convene a White House Summit on Faith-Based/Nonpublic Schools. It is a clear recognition of the excellence of these schools and the important role they play – and can play in the future – in American education. We look forward to the summit, and pledge whatever assistance we can provide to help make it a success.
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7 Responses
Would be correct to see the Agudah address the issue of terror-states also, of course we are concerned about education but as Jews we have a need to stand up for pikuach nefesh in Israel at all times. In the Yated, Rav Elyashiv was asked by ‘AGUDAH ASKANIM’ what should be our stand regarding Yerushayalim? He responded, you must do everything for the pikuach nefesh of the residents of Yerushayalim and E”Y, even join together with organizations that do not share our idealogy. Everything must be DONE!!! (read it in the last page of last wk issue)
Our mosdos could really benefit from government grants. But, I really think it’s unrealistic to think that we’ll ever see anything happen.
We are going to continue paying to educate students of the public school system through our tax dollars, while our mosdos are struggling financially.
sayitlikeitis,
They can walk and chew gum at the same time, you know.
dave375, Can they?
Want to bet that if they ever pass a Pell grant program for elementary schools that we will see an increase of enrollment by non-existent students? What a Chillul Hashem this program has been for us.
In regard to education, obviously education needs funding vis-a-vis separation of church and state etc…
What about federal/state matching grants in terms of the Ohio program for example? Was any president since Hoover sympathetic? [Except maybe Kennedy ????
Obama or Clinton or McCain ?
Security in Israel:
When a shipload of Jewish refugees on the Danube river were refused permission to disembark anywhere, Henry Montor the leader of the United Jewish Appeal explained that they could not be allowed to sail the Holy Land because “Palestine cannot be flooded with old people or with undesirables”. (Wall St. Journal Feb. 1, 1940).
Lets move on : A professional Jew by the name of Henry Montor, then executive Vice-President of the United Jewish Appeal of America, circulated thousands of copies of a letter asking Jews not to support illegal emigration to Palestine. The circular was mailed on the stationery of the United Jewish appeal on behalf of the American Joint Distribution Committee. Monter later became head of the State Of Israel Bonds organization in America.
So now how can we deal with security, or dealing with the Moslem entity in terms of the position in which it presents itself therein ?
Charliehall-
Please help me out with your last two lines:
“Besides, free private education would lead millions of public school parents to flock to the private schools, which would then need an even larger tax increase. And the public schools would demand a share of this increased federal funding as well.”
But if millions of students leave the public school system, wouldn’t the public schools’ funding be reduced?