OU Advocacy-Teach NYS encourages New Yorkers to urge Mayor de Blasio to “Make Universal Pre-K Universal”

Despite Mayor de Blasio’s pledge to offer every child in New York City “truly universal, full-day pre-K,” 89 percent of the Jewish community’s pre-K age children are still unable to participate in UPK. It is nearly impossible for Jewish day schools to adequately accommodate the 6 hours and 20 minutes of uninterrupted secular instruction required by the Mayor’s rules, while still maintaining appropriate levels of privately-funded religious instruction.

For nearly a year, OU Advocacy-Teach NYS, together with its coalition of New York City Jewish day schools and yeshivas, has been asking the Mayor to make the requirements of the full-day UPK program more flexible and to expand the slots available for the half-day UPK program. The Mayor has responded to these requests with no clear plan or timetable for including Jewish day school students.

You can help “Make Universal Pre-K Universal.” Click here to contact Mayor de Blasio and urge him to accommodate the needs of the Jewish day school community.