Education wars: New York State closes three Williamsburg schools

The New York State Department of Education ordered the closure of three Haredi educational institutions in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, claiming that they do not meet the legal requirements for an “equivalent curriculum,” according to Arutz Sheva.

According to the letter as published by Hamevaser, parents of students in these schools now have a week to move their children to a school that meets state requirements or suffer legal consequences.

The institutions in question are among 39 such schools sued by YAFFED about a decade ago for allegedly failing to prepare students to manage in adult life, based on testimonies from former students and faculty.

A group representing the Haredi community has reportedly appealed to the New York Court of Appeals, as well as to the Federal Department of Education. Many are placing their hopes with President Trump to resolve the issue.

The question of state control and administration of education has increasingly become a political flashpoint in the United States. Following the twin crises of covid-driven shutdowns of schools and the introduction of radical progressive curricula in the classroom, many Americans - including non-Republicans - have embraced some form of the idea of school choice in a way they did not before 2020.

An increasing number of Republican or "red" states have embraced some form of state support for non-public schools, including funds for that purpose, including Florida, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma. This approach includes open support for religious schools if parents are interested in their children being taught such education.

President Donald Trump has also been perhaps the staunchest champion of school choice in Republican party history, repeatedly posting in favor of the idea on his social media accounts and with his support for the elimination of the federal Department of Education.

New York State, however, is dominated by Democrats. While there are limited forms of school choice, the Democrats tend to be in favor of a monopoly of state run public schools and only grudgingly agree to a degree of choice under tight supervision.

As Haredim are unlikely to leave New York and New York is unlikely to flip politically in the near future, the struggle over who teaches Haredi children will probably continue.