Nearly 50 concerned parents, grandparents and other community members gathered in a Highland Park home earlier this month to learn from Teach NJ about how a strong, engaged constituency can get involved and advocate for government funding for yeshivas and day schools.
Teach NJ is part of the Teach Coalition, a national project of the Orthodox Union that advocates for equitable government funding for nonpublic schools based on the premise that children deserve access to a secure and high quality general education supported by the state.
Benjamin Hutt, regional field director for TeachNJ, opened his presentation by pointing out that the Teach Coalition is active on behalf of approximately 90 percent of yeshiva and day school students nationwide and works to make nonpublic schools better, safer and more affordable through advocacy and grassroots activism. He stated that Jewish day school and yeshiva tuition should be a community-wide concern and not just one for parents of school-age children. Preventing the loss of future generations due to assimilation and intermarriage is a community responsibility.
Laws have changed regarding separation of “church and state” in regard to education. State funding for religious studies remains prohibited but is allowed for other purposes, which allows more flexibility for how tuition dollars get used and ultimately lessens the burden to the parents.
The Teach Coalition benefits all nonpublic school students. They operate as the schools’ personal lobbyists. Member schools benefit directly through the following:
Receipt of a dedicated resource for government grants and funding, including direct assistance with the pairing of public school STEM teachers through the STEM grant. Personal guidance of the school with navigation through valuable, complex programs.
Member schools have “a seat at the table” and are part of the decision makers who choose the bills and funding that are worked on, created or expanded.
Hutt summarized by stating: “Teach NJ is an organization with an incredible return on investment. Value based education is the backbone of our community and Teach NJ’s singular goal is for every child to receive an affordable, safe, quality Jewish education through government funding. They fight for legislation to support the success of our Jewish day schools and yeshivas. Security, STEM programming and food insecurity funding in our communities are crucial and, through the work of Teach NJ, have been successfully funded. We need Teach NJ to help make our priorities our legislators’ priorities. We need them to help us fight as a community for our success. There is power in coming together and keeping our legislators aware of our hardships and needs. There is power in organizing, voting and making our voices heard collectively!”
Roz Beberman, major gifts officer for institutional advancement of the Orthodox Union and a parent of a yeshiva high school student, noted: “As a Highland Park resident, I feel strongly that Teach NJ is a natural fit in our community. We are a chevra that cares for and supports Jewish day schools and yeshivas in New Jersey. We understand that attrition is happening and that the statistics show that having our children engaged in Torah-based education drastically reduces intermarriage and the separation from Jewish life. We also feel the financial hardships of tuition costs. A donation of time, money and effort gives us a voice to lobby at the state and county levels through Teach NJ.”
During the Q&A session following Hutt’s presentation, Sydney Altfield, grassroots engagement director, Teach NYS, noted that the “elephant in the room” is that tuition has not decreased. However, students are seeing benefits and extras which are not as tangible as tuition decreases. Better quality teachers, enhanced STEM programming and more school security are not as visible, but would have increased tuition.
Hutt recounted a phone call he received from a school principal who thanked him for increasing funding for school security. The principal had an incident at his school during an after hours school event where the armed guard had to intervene. Without the additional funding from TeachNJ, the guard would not have been there to help.
Attendees came for a variety of reasons, but all with education costs in mind. Shira Kinzbrunner of Highland Park attended to see if there were ways in which she could help. “School affordability is a very big issue” and she wanted to learn more about TeachNJ and its efforts. Rob Haarburger, also of Highland Park, said he was passionate about tuition affordability and wanted to learn more. Sigal Epstein came from Edison as a community parent wanting to find out how to help get more tax dollars to help her children’s education.
Parents, as well as the entire community, can help in three ways: vote, contact elected officials, and contribute to TeachNJ. Elected officials champion legislation that their voting constituencies support, so the cycle begins with something as simple as voting in each election. For additional ways to get involved, visit: https://teachcoalition.org/nj/.
