David Patterson: Anti-Education... Or Anti-Over-Spending

My school recently sent home a notice pleading parents to call Governor David Patterson's office in Albany and petition against his newest budget cut: to cut government funding for private schools. Permanently.

I agree, but not on the "permanently" part. At some point or another, all schools will need financial help. But a school like mine, which is private and charges insane tuition rates doesn't really need that much help, or so we would all like to think. In comparison, public schools have no tuition and need more funding than my school will ever need. And Patterson is right. We need to cut funding on certain things, and if you're a Jewish day school, you probably don't need that much government support.

The school, however, thinks otherwise. Recently, the president of the board asked trustees to double their pledges to the school. The trustees, though, are greatly affected by the economy, and can't really spare much money. Instead of cutting off senior trips to Chelsea Piers and a Shabbaton (a weekend spent in a hotel where we all have fun, etc, etc, etc.), as well as the senior trip to Washington, D.C, the school is spending times kneeling down to Patterson and begging for funds. For heavens' sake -- one of the schools I have applied to have canceled their eighth grade Broadway show and took the class ice skating. The price went from $45 $15. Amazing. This school also sends their eighth grade to Israel as their senior trip. Guess what -- it's been cancelled.

You know, denial is not only the name of a river in Egypt...

The Average Mind Part...What are we up to now?

Over the last few months, the minyan (gathering of ten men over thirteen years of age praying) that I am a part of in my school has been growing restless: they want to zip through the prayers and go straight to a breakfast of spoiled cereal, spoiled milk, and unusually spoiled kids. And so, when they are the cantors, they have been ignoring the head rabbi/teacher and just going at their own pace. I note here that it is customary to wait for the head rabbi of the minyan, at certain pauses throughout the duration of the prayer service. (In my synagogue, the day you don't wait for the rabbi is the last day you'll ever be a cantor.)

When I am cantor, however, I wait for the rabbi, making us all about...five minutes later to breakfast. I know this is a little heartless of me, but I don't go to breakfast since I got a stomach virus from the spoiled cereal--so I don't really care how late I am. So I wait for the rabbi because I know that it is the right thing to do, and all of my principals seem to agree with me. You can imagine how bent out of shape my fellow minyan-goers get--they need to get to their breakfast! Oh, the humanity!

What should I do? I know that I'm right (or at least I'm pretty sure I am), but what can I do to please all parties (if such a thing is possible)?