Sen. Kaminsky Stands Up To Proposed Nonpublic School Regulations

Yesterday, Senator Todd Kaminsky wrote to New York State Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa and the New York State Board of Regents urging them to stop a proposal before them which could infringe on yeshivas and allow public school officials to control local, private and parochial schools. Fellow Long Island Majority delegation Senators Kevin Thomas, Jim Gaughran, John Brooks and Monica Martinez signed on to Kaminsky’s letter.

“The yeshivas and nonpublic schools of our community provide a first-rate education to our children,” said Senator Todd Kaminsky. “Many of our nonpublic schools prize their independence and storied histories. For these reasons, this proposal out of Albany to empower public school officials to regulate private and parochial schools is seriously misguided. Our nonpublic schools  have produced outstanding results, making this change unnecessary.”

Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky, Dean of Yeshiva Toras Chaim Bais Binyamin at South Shore, stated: “I am proud to support the efforts of our State Senator, Todd Kaminsky, in fighting these proposed substantial equivalency regulations. He has garnered his colleagues Senator John Brooks, Senator James Gaughran, Senator Monica Martinez and Senator Kevin Thomas to implore Commissioner Rosa and the Board of Regents to quash these regulations that would destabilize the Yeshiva system.

“Senator Kaminsky is a frequent visitor to our yeshiva as well as so many other yeshivas here on Long Island, and has seen, first-hand, the wonderful success, significance and the prominence of the revered tradition of the dual curriculum that our yeshiva and all our community Days Schools and Yeshivos across the spectrum offer. The new regulations would undermine the independence of our yeshivas, by shifting control from parents and principals to bureaucrats in Albany, and we all are thankful and proud that the Senator assembled his colleagues to fight for the integrity of our amazingly successful yeshiva educational system.”

Senator Kaminsky has been a champion for yeshivas and nonpublic schools and secured record funding for nonpublic schools in this past year’s state budget. Kaminsky also procured more than $40 million in the budget in security grant funding for local yeshivas and community centers, and fought tirelessly to double reimbursement for STEM education in private and parochial schools.