She received the highest possible performance rating from evaluations since she became superintendent in 2019, something the lawsuit points out. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Donate | Contact Us, Michigan senator rakes in donations from energy companies, blasts them on Twitter, On House Bill 4001, Michigan Senate Republicans deny immediate effect, preserve tax cut, Why a Michigan paraprofessional left his union, Feds give Michigan $110M to install 127 EV chargers. Comments (-1) It says the board members prevented her from bringing the district into compliance with federal and state law to accommodate an influx of autistic students by refusing to permit her to involuntarily transfer certified teachers to serve those students. Sascha Raiyn is Education Reporter at 101.9 WDET. Budget/Transparency Reporting and Title IX, Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Department. Ahmed is also asking for back pay, though she has been on paid leave since October. Interim Superintendent. Thus, our focus remains on providing our children with a learning environment that supports their academic, social, and emotional growth," Nabil said in a statement. That lawsuit has been pending for about one year and Ms. Adamczyk is represented by Gary Miotke as her attorney if that name sounds familiar it is because he represented former HPD officer Dennis Whitty in two employment suits against the City of Hamtramck which settled for several hundred thousand dollars. Your email address will not be published. You could win a $20 gift card in the raffle! going backwards from our best years In what way? Major, a school board trustee, said on Tuesday the board has not had an opportunity to meet to discuss the allegations inthe lawsuit. That focus is also the primary reason I was able to identify that I needed additional support at this time. Ahmed is allowed to remain on paid leave for up to 60 days. It is my hope that I will return and come back revitalized, with a refreshed perspective to continue to lead our efforts and be the driving force behind the advancement and vision we have for the students and families of Hamtramck Public Schools. Definition of Terms 2020-2021 School . Unlike many news organizations, we made a choice to keep all of our independent, investigative reporting free and available for everyone in our community. News, views and interviews from the Arab world and the Arab American community. HPS Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed is under an investigation while on extended leave from her job. HPS does not control the content or relevancy of these pages. We wish Ms. Ahmed the best during her leave of absence. Ahmed and the district also face litigation from a former middle school vice principal. All Rights Reserved. Section 4: Benefits and Salary of Superintendent and employees greater than $100,000. Ahmed is claiming the board members violated her contractual right to manage Hamtramck Schools administrative personnel decisions by demanding teachers union members be promoted to administrative positions. At a recent school board committee meeting, board Vice President Showkat Chowdhury asked when the district would begin a search for a new superintendent. Your commitment to their success has been a driving force for me and the HPS faculty and staff throughout the challenges we have seen these past 18 months. According to a letter the district sent to Ahmed on Oct. 14, 2021, she was also barred from taking any actions as a school official. She said the stresses of the pandemic has caused her to prioritize and address my own physical, mental health and well-being. Required fields are marked *. This website provides the option to use Google translate; HPS cannot assure accuracy of the translation. The suit says Ahmed was harassed by the board members over her defense of the human resources director and blamed both for the mass exodus of teachers and placingImbrunone on a paid leave of absence in October. But there were some who spoke favorably of Ahmed. Renowned Chef Anthony Bourdain at Polonia. Sarah Filipiak, who announced her resignation last week as principal of Dickinson East Elementary School, said that, under Ahmeds leadership, the message is loud and clear: you cannot grow here. These transfers were made to improve the educational opportunities of Hamtramck Schools students, Lusk said, but triggered demands from school board members and the union forAhmed to firethe district's Human Resources director,MichelleImbrunone. Toni Coral, president of theHamtramck Federation of Teachers, said Thursday the lawsuit had been sent to attorneys to review. This Material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form. That job included improving English language proficiency and academic performance. Audit Reports 2017-2018. . Hamtramck Federation of Teachers President Toni Coral says she wishes Ahmed well, but there is a lot of work to do in the district. A. ) The board has two other members, DazShavon Hall and Jihan Aiyash, who were not named in the lawsuit. Director of Student Services. Director of Innovative Programming. 2K followers . Hamtramck Public Schools Administration; Hamtramck Public Schools Administration. } An email apparently circulated among Hamtramck Public Schools employees ordered them to not contact Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed, who is now on a leave of absence. Here are the top scams of 2022, totaling $8.8 billion in losses, Three Ramadan Nights activities to attract thousands of visitors to Dearborn. Interim Superintendent Nabil Nagi earlier told The Review that he does not discuss personnel issues. Do they deserve it? Pro-Israel, pro-corporate outside funds thrown at campaign opposing Talib in 12th District primary, Maker of Pillsbury products divests from Israel, after multi-year boycott campaign. Throughout the pandemic, I have continually reinforced that the well-being of our school community is the districts primary concern. chaotic whats chaotic? Supreme Court of Michigan. The decision, to temporarily step aside, was not entered into lightly. We strive to follow best practices based on federal requirements outlined in Section 508the "Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards," authorized by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Boardas well as recommendations of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). I must prioritize and address my own physical, mental health and well- Sherry Lynem, the districts chief financial officer, and Nabil Nagi, the director of English Language Development, will share responsibilities as acting superintendents. Hamtramck Public Schools Jul 2019 - Present 3 years 8 months. Having our students return to learning in our schools these past two months has been wonderful both for our students and our faculty and staff members. Hamtramck Public Schools posted a letter from Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed, in which she explained that the leave is for her own personal well-being during the pandemic. HAMTRAMCK Hamtramck Public Schools Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed, who has been on leave since last October, has filed a lawsuit accusing five board members and the teachers union of conspiring to get her fired. Nor is it easy to be openly vulnerable with you. Ahmed is asking a judge to issue an injunction prohibitingtermination of her employment, back payand damages for mental anguish and emotional distress. The lawsuit alleges the school board refused to permit the involuntary transfer of teachers to serve the students, resulting in the Hamtramck Schools being out of compliance with federal and Michigan laws governing the education of students with disabilities. Menhem Aouad Director of Student Services. Pre-K and Kindergarten Round Up March 15, 2023 1p-3p, Notice of Cancellation of COW Meeting 12-20-2022. A clue has emerged as to why Hamtramck Public Schools District Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed remains on leave. On the agenda for the school boards regular monthly meeting Wednesday evening, an additional 11 more teachers and staff members announced their resignation including the principal of Dickinson East Elementary School. She was scheduled to return on Jan. 10 but it was announced, at last months regular board meeting, that she remains on leave apparently at the boards insistence. .page .article .comments .fb-comments iframe { Hamtramck Public Schools will be led by two administrators while its superintendent is on a temporary leave of absence. March 3rd, 3pm-4:30pm, Hamtramck High School Auditorium Free food and drinks! Pre-K and Kindergarten Round Up March 15, 2023 1p-3p, Notice of Cancellation of COW Meeting 12-20-2022. Your email address will not be published. The suit also says that the previous superintendent, Thomas Niczay, had made involuntary transfers in the past, with no repercussions. Please consider a gift today to help shine a light on government through independent journalism. Abdul Hussain, a parent, said that for two years we found unity. In the last year, over 20 teachers and administrators opted to resign and take jobs with other districts in protest of the management decisions. 08 Nov 2022 By The Yemeni American News The topic of banning explicit books in school districts has now made its way to Hamtramck. Anyone in the loop? It was disappointing to read the names (some familiar) of so many young teachers who left HPS recently. Hamtramck School Board Trustee, Moortadha Obaid, said it was "really sad" that Niczay is leaving the job, he lauded the superintendent as a "great guy". Ahmed announced her leave of absence last week on the district's Facebook page. There is little doubt the school district suffers from a bit of turmoil at this time with all the staff turnover. Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). Hamtramck Public Schools (@hamtramckpublicschools) Instagram photos and videos. Last Wednesday I sat down with the Hamtramck Public Schools Superintendent Jaleelah Hassan Ahmed to discuss parent and student engagement projects and how the district will work with the City of Hamtramck and the local Census committee to get everyone counted for Census 2020. Join us for an Open Forum! This was covered in several local media outlets, with a remarkable number of teachers leaving in a short period, and the fact that it reflected national trends of teachers finding better work environments. Your email address will not be published. Hamtramck Public Schools did not incur a deficit during the 2020-21 Fiscal Year. [1] As of 2011 the official graduation rate is 62%. | Her leave of absence also comes at a time of turmoil in the district. The district responded by stripping her of school building and communications access codes, keys and pass cards. Annotate this Case 426 Mich. 678 (1986) 397 N.W.2d 770 TOMIAK v. HAMTRAMCK SCHOOL DISTRICT Docket Nos. Renowned Chef Anthony Bourdain at Polonia. HPS is committed to ensuring that our educational materials and websites are accessible, equitable, and usable to everyone. Jaleelah Ahmed, Superintendent of Hamtramck Public Schools, Hamtramck, Michigan. |. Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). The eNewspaper, a digital replica of the print paper, every day. Hamtramck Public Schools ( HPS) is a public school district based in the city of Hamtramck, Michigan ( USA) in Greater Detroit . She is a native Detroiter who grew up listening to news and music programming on Detroit Public Radio. In an unexpected move, Hamtramck Public Schools Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed has taken a leave of absence. 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper. Pre-K and Kindergarten Round Up Flyer. HPS does not control the content or relevancy of these pages. Originally meant to be split between Nagi and Sherry Lynem, the Interim Superintendent position will now be completely filled by Nagi. .page .article .comments .fb-comments { All rights reserved. Toast of the Town A Paczki Day diary: Brrrrr who invited winter to the party? In the last several months, there have been mass resignations by veteran teachers and staff members. News, analysis and scores on Detroit and Michigan sports teams. HAMTRAMCK Hamtramck Public Schools Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed, who has been on leave since last October, has filed a lawsuit accusing five board members and the teachers union of conspiring to get her fired. She remains on the districts payroll as of Feb. 18, more than a month after a Jan. 10, 2022, self-declared back-to-work deadline. HAMTRAMCK, Mich. - After the sudden absence of Superintendent Ahmed, the temporary replacement Nabil Nagi will take full control of the responsibilities of the Hamtramck Public Schools Superintendent. "We attempted unsuccessfully to pass a bond in 1997. HAMTRAMCK, Mich. - Hamtramck Public Schools is now leaving the crossroads of a few changes - labor talks between administration and the teacher's collective bargaining unit are continuing, COVID-19 restrictions are relaxing, federal grant dollars are being allocated, and then some. 1/ Day for Students & Staff (HOZ - Final Exams), No School for Students & Staff, Spring Break, HAMTRAMCK PUBLIC SCHOOLS3201 Roosevelt StreetHamtramck, MI 48212SUPERINTENDENTJaleelah AhmedPhone: 313.591.7400Fax: 313.284.6094Office Hours: 8:00am - 4:00pm. We're really reaching out to the community to . Do they deserve it? Thats a significant loss to a system with only around 200 teachers and like many districts already dealing with a shortage of teachers. Ahmeds leave took many in the district by surprise. A poll suggested that some 50 percent of teachers considered leaving the district for other jobs. The Hamtramck school board voted 4-2 in favor of the suspension of superintendent Paul Stamatakis. Hamtramck Public Schools haven't had a permanent leader since mid-October, when Superintendent Jaleelah Hassan Ahmed announced "a temporary leave of absence to address my own personal. 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper. Ahmed has been receiving pay during her absence, as she is still under contract with the district, which has not officially terminated that contract. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. This is not an environment I want to return in, said the teacher. margin: 0 -8px !important; 2023 Mackinac Center for Public Policy It seems like it would be big news. The most highly paid employee in the Hamtramck Public Schools district has been collecting a paycheck for about four months while staying home and claiming a COVID-19 leave of absence. Newsletters on topics that interest you most. Recently, the board voted not to renew Imbrunones contract with the district. WDET is a community service of Wayne State University. Posted Oct. 15, 2021. Ahmed has been on the job since 2019, and recently received a contract extension. Jaleelah Ahmed and the school district are defendants in a federal whistleblower lawsuit by Christina Adamczyk filed by attorney Gary Miotke that pends in federal court. As of Feb. 28, the school districts website did not recognize Ahmed in any role. Hamtramcks acting superintendent Nabil Nagi did not respond to an email seeking comment on Ahmeds status. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today. One teacher said that, since Ahmed became superintendent, the district has been going backwards from our best years. Your email address will not be published. The school district's graduation rate of 80% has increased from 72% over five school years. Unlimited access to subscriber only articles on desktop, tablet and mobile web. Her director of human resources, Michelle Imbrunone, also took a medical leave of absence in October. According to district records, Ahmed has been collecting regular paychecks the entire time she has been off the job. At last weeks board meeting, several teachers spoke out about what it has been like with Ahmed as superintendent