The present method of funding education requires yeshiva parents to pay hefty taxes in support of local public schools before paying tuition for their own children. This inequitable system, which places a crushing burden on yeshiva parents, is a direct result of our being on the losing side of a political war in which we have hardly been engaged. If we are ever to correct this discriminatory practice, we need to engage the teachers unions on February 14 in Albany, New York.

A recent ABC News report by John Stossel on “20/20” entitled “Stupid in America”, demonstrated how this non-competitive funding system is adversely affecting public school children as well. Yet, the unions oppose any changes that will help parents in private, religious or even public schools.

The unions dominate our country's educational system, where 90 percent of America's children are educated. When their monopolistic control is challenged, they spend hundreds of millions of dollars to convince the public that any money spent to help parents pay for education will eventually destroy the educational system, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

The teachers unions annual budgets exceed $600 million, a great portion of which funds political campaigns at all levels of government across the country. These monies deliver all the votes needed to thwart most legislation designed to help parents. Furthermore, the unions have a standing army of political activists, comprised of over 3,100,000 members and their families, who steadfastly defend their turf in every American voting district, including yours and mine.

Additionally, a recent Wall Street Journal article reported that the National Education Association, the country's largest teachers union, gave away more than $65 million last year to a host of leftist organizations, such as Jesse Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition and People for the American Way. They in turn support the unions in their opposition to parents.

If this were not enough, the left-leaning mass media are willing accomplices, joining ranks with the unions when ever the need arises. The major media outlets are, of course, the recipients of countless millions of dollars in union advertising.

This is why it will take a major confrontation to achieve any help for parents, much like the Civil Rights marches of the early 1960's, which led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

For the people of New York State, there are now two "education tax credit" bills pending that could serve as a step in this direction. They are designed to help all parents, whether their children attend private, religious, public school, or are home-schooled. Those in public schools would use the assistance for supplemental education not paid by the schools, and home-schoolers would use the funds to pay for educational materials. However, for the reasons described, this legislation has little chance of passage, unless we unite with other segments of society and turn out in full force to support this legislation.

The Sephardic Community Federation has just announced an historic step on the long road to obtaining parental assistance. They helped establish a new organization called TEACH NYS, consisting of a cross section of community leaders working together to advocate on behalf of this legislation. TEACH NYS is organizing a mass rally at the State Capital, on Tuesday, February 14, 2006, 12:00 noon, in support of the above mentioned education tax credit legislation.

If we are to succeed in passing this legislation, every able-bodied man, women and child in the tri-state area needs to attend this rally, so that the Battle of the Century may commence.

This is what it will take to compel the media and the legislators to listen to our plea for equal justice, or be forced to justify the unjustifiable. The historic record makes it clear that to reverse decades of injustice, especially when it has such enormous political and financial backing, requires nothing less than a loud and sustained outcry

Israel Teitelbaum, co-founder of Parents for Free Choice in Education, with President George W. Bush at this year's Chanukah Reception at The White House, where the President spoke of helping yeshivos with educational funding.