Te following statement was sent to us from the management of the Tiny Tots program following yesterday’s BOE meeting: We would like to thank our Board of Ed members for advocating for all the children of Lakewood, both regular ed and special ed. The Board members listened to the parents and voted to maintain the successful programs that are in place. There was an idea by the district to bring all services in house, yet the board members realized that this would not be the best for Lakewood’s children. We very much appreciate the many hours that the Board Members give, all voluntary, to ensure the best situation for everyone.
We offer them our sincere wishes for continued success in enhancing the educational systems in our town.
Special acknowledgement to Lydia Silva, Superintendent, for her tireless efforts to better the educational system for all school children in Lakewood.
Tiny Tots Management.
To Tiny Tots
We did not make this decision by listening to the “parents” This decision was based on our evaluation on whats best for the children WITH the tax payer in mind.We thank you for your aggressive price tag and for providing our children with such a wonderful school
which services would have been brought in house?
Tiny Tots, Catapult and all other vendors know that with the current composition of the new Board the party is over and the Tea Party is on.
Keep up the great work.
We are watching very gratefully. May your resolve and hands be strengthened by your zechusim.
To Boe member,
I sure hope you took into consideration what parents have to say,
1. its our children
2. we are the eyes and ears of the programs
3. we know whats best for our children.
4. we are more knowlegable and educated in this field.
There seem to be a common theme that the new board members are making decisions with out understanding the ramifcations. While everyone agrees that there is serious waste in the Lakewood boe and that the waste should be cut, your job as a board member is to first provide a quality education and then to cut any waste and lower the taxes. Just cutting programs without understanding what will it do to the education of lakewoods children is plain stupidity. What we need is board members that will study the programs and issues and then make an informed decision.
what a menchlicha thing to do!
kol hakovod!
I don’t think that seitler or any other boe member has any idea what they are doing. There is no question in my mind that services will be cut and the children WILL suffer. The fact is that the younger years are the best for therapies etc. By missing out on these important years these kids will NEVER be able to catch up. In 10-15 years when we will be dealing with a major problem with at risk kids, noone will look back and point their fingers at the BOE members. They will have been long changed by new and younger members. ITS A SHAME.
There seems to me to be a serious misunderstanding of what tax money, our tax money should be used for and what is the responsibility of the people. There are many problems that affect every community as there are many problems that affect every citizen. It must be clear that government and taxes can’t solve every problem! The fact that Government can’t solve a problem in no way diminishes the fact that the problem exists. The fact that Government can’t solve a problem does not absolve the community responsibility for support both financial and emotional. Therefore, if fiscally responsible tax payers feel that there is an inappropriate use of tax dollars for one program or the other does not mean that they are insensitive to the problem, it simply means that it is not a problem that Government or the tax payer should resolve. I will give an example. There is no question in my mind that we as a community need to feel the pain and the responsibility to offload the burden of R”L an Almana (widow) and her Yesomim (orphans). We all know of too many stories where a father of 10 or more children has R”L died leaving a wife and many children often without adequate or any life insurance. While we as a community feel the responsibility to help in this dire situation, would anyone feel that this is responsibility of the Government and our tax dollars? Of course not! The same is true in my eyes with education. I know all too well the toll a special child has on a family, financially and emotionally. I have special needs children in my extended family who suffer from autism. I see the great gift that these children are and the potential that they have within their own unique and beautiful capabilities. I know firsthand how a Torah environment can help these children adapt to a Torah lifestyle to the capacity the HKB”H has given them. While this is all very true, I am uncertain that it is role of Government to provide for these needs beyond the basic public school system. That does not mean I am not touched and moved and concerned. It does not mean that we as a community should not help to the greatest extent that we can for these most vulnerable children. It does mean that Government may not be the appropriate venue just like Government is not the appropriate venue for the Yosom and Almana. Government’s role it to provide for the needs of the running of our society. On the federal level it is to provide a military, boarder control, immigration commerce etc. (not that they do a great job at any of these). The local Government is responsible to provide for the needs of the township, garbage collection, roads, police, fire, etc.. Education has been added to that list (why, I’m not sure) and the Supreme Court has ruled that this applies only to Public Education and not Parochial. Now to what degree should Government provide for the educational needs of our children? There is a limit to what it should provide. It can in theory hire one on one education for all of the township children. There is no question that this would be the ultimate educational system providing the very best for each and every child. The reality is that this is not feasible as the cost is prohibitive. So the BOE needs to make a judgment call and strike the right balance for our children’s education and the cost to tax payers. The same holds true for Special needs education. I am disturbed by the debate. One side some tax payers are saying move this to the Public School system and on the other side parents are saying, “How can you do this to my Yiddishe Neshoma? Look what you are doing to my child!”. The point is being completely missed in my opinion. Put the agony and pain that parents and children have on the side, it is not the issue. I assure you, all people are sympathetic to your plight, I hope. The question is not what would serve child A,B, or C better, the question is what is the role of Government? I don’t have the answer to that question as it is a delicate balance that needs to be evaluated. I do know one thing… Government can’t and shouldn’t try to solve every problem, it is not set up to do so and certainly cannot afford to do so. The fact that they don’t solve a particular problem does not mean it is not a serious problem that requires the help of society, it simply means it is not for Government (ie: taxes) to fix. Entitlements are way out of hand no matter how good the intentions. I for one pray that our new BOE has the wisdom and compassion to the people in need and to the tax payer, and are able to strike the right balance.
TO THE PARENT OF A STaRS CHILD,
I think what you wrote was right on target. Thank you!!
Why didn’t you post my comment?
TO #7
I COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT BETTER…YOU ARE RIGHT ON THE MONEY
to#7 i couldnt have said it better myself.
to # 7 the same way the town must provide fire and police the town by law is required to provide an Appropriate education. Our BOE members have the responsibility to make sure every child in Lakewood is educated. The members must first decide what is best for the children and then decide how to cut the budget. We are not here to solve problems we are here to educate our children. This is the law. The issue was not about parochial schools vs public schools. The issue was how to educate lakewood preschool children, one option was to take the same $ and spend it in district with a system that has all the public schools failing or take the same dollars and spend it with a vendor that has a track record of running successful preschools. every parent that sends to public school has the right to an appropriate education, not a failing education.
To the parent of Starts: I beg to differ and I think you have your priorities backward. It is not the responsibility of the BOE or of the tax payer to provide the “best education for our children and then cut the budget”. It is the responsibility of the BOE to provide the best possible educational services within the confines of the budget. It is not our responsibility to make sure your child is educated… it is “your” responsibility to make sure your child is educated just as it is “my” responsibility to make sure that my children are educated. The BOE and our tax dollars should be used to provide a “baseline” of services if you desire or need a level of services beyond what is offered that is “your” responsibility. You seem to have an “entitlement” mentality that is endemic in today’s society. This “Obama-entitlement” mentality will bankrupt this country as it is bankrupting Lakewood.