NY Education Bureaucracy Targets Yeshivas

As a new school year beckons, do you trust education bureaucrats? Post-pandemic, many Americans consider the individuals behind extended school closures and massive learning loss discredited. The New York City Department of Education (DOE) in particular has inflated graduation rates by lowering its standards, while shedding 14 percent of its students since 2019. Yet that same institution judges Hasidic yeshivas, diverting attention from its own failings.

It’s not surprising DOE finds (at least) some yeshivas lacking, given their wildly different worldviews. However, understanding how and why DOE found fault with certain schools reveals its priorities and willingness to flex its muscle against a disfavored group.

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Melissa Langsam Braunstein

Melissa Langsam Braunstein is an independent writer in the Washington, D.C., area.

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As a new school year beckons, do you trust education bureaucrats? Post-pandemic, many Americans consider the individuals behind extended school closures and massive learning loss discredited. The New York City Department of Education (DOE) in particular has inflated graduation rates by lowering its standards, while shedding 14 percent of its students since 2019. Yet that same institution judges Hasidic yeshivas, diverting attention from its own failings.

It’s not surprising DOE finds (at least) some yeshivas lacking, given their wildly different worldviews. However, understanding how and why DOE found fault with certain schools reveals its priorities and willingness to flex its muscle against a disfavored group.