As
previously reported, last month the New York State Education Department issued guidelines for Substantial Equivalency Review of the curriculum of non-public religious and independent schools. According to the
Albany Times Union earlier this week:
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.”
Earlier, some Hasidic Jewish yeshivas had expressed defiance of the new rules. (See
prior posting.)
[Thanks to Steven H. Sholk for the lead].
