Your email address will not be published. He says divisions over the districts return to school policies heightened problems that already existed. By Charles Sercombe 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. Michigan is home to the top-ranked public square in the entire U.S. 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 Administration; Hamtramck Public Schools Administration. She is a native Detroiter who grew up listening to news and music programming on Detroit Public Radio. Ahmeds leave took many in the district by surprise. This Material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form. There was a lot of teachers who were kind of dissatisfied with Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmeds leadership, Albaugh says. This is not an environment I want to return in, said the teacher. In the meantime, the board has authorized Nagi to lead contract negotiations with district employees, including teachers. About Bridge Academy East. 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. In 2016, Ahmed was hired to serve as the district'sEnglish language development director. Mind sharing? Section 1.3: Audit. Her attorney, Robert Lusk, said in early August 2021, Hamtramck schools notified three teachers they had been transferred at their request and anothernine teachers they would be involuntarily transferred. Ahmed initially took a medical leave back on October, citing the stress she endured during the Covid pandemic. In the last several months, there have been mass resignations by veteran teachers and staff members. Hamtramck School Dist. Michigan Capitol Confidential is a nonprofit news service published by the Mackinac Center and funded entirely through voluntary support. Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). 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. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. She was hired to do a job. Hamtramck schools embrace community initiatives, gear for Census count . "At Hamtramck Public Schools, we are committed to providing high-quality education services that our families deserve. The district will continue to address and support emotional well-being and mental health for those in our entire school community as that has been an element of critical focus. The former superintendent of Hamtramck Public Schools is suing the school district, five members of its school board andits teacher's union, alleging a conspiracy to oust her,defamation and violations offederal discrimination laws. Wish there was a way to stay informed! Menhem Aouad. 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. margin: 0 -8px !important; Please consider a gift today to help shine a light on government through independent journalism. 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. It was disappointing to read the names (some familiar) of so many young teachers who left HPS recently. HPS teachers held week-long protest over superintendents return, Once again, the city has to face financial issues. Menhem Aouad Director of Student Services. Unlike many news organizations, we made a choice to keep all of our independent, investigative reporting free and available for everyone in our community. Audit Reports 2017-2018. . A clue has emerged as to why Hamtramck Public Schools District Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed remains on leave. Her suit asks that she receive front-pay in case the district does successfully terminate her. }. 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper. She pointed to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic as the reason she needs to focus on her physical and mental health right now. from . The board has two other members, DazShavon Hall and Jihan Aiyash, who were not named in the lawsuit. Here is Ahmeds letter to the community that was posted on the districts Facebook page announcing her leave: Dr. Jaleelah Ahmed, superintendent of Hamtramck Public Schools and a member of the K-12 Alliance, said schools have tough decisions to make without direct orders from the state or county health . 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. I have no idea about the happenings in school this year. Ahmed announced in October she was going on a leave of absence because of stress from handling school affairs during the pandemic, on doctors orders. 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. The suit allegesthe union and school board membersharassedAhmed in an effort to force her to dismiss Imbrunone, blamedAhmed and Imbrunone for teacher retirements and resignations and placedImbrunone on a paid leave of absence on Oct.28. In an unexpected move, Hamtramck Public Schools Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed has taken a leave of absence. We have seen the impact of the pandemic, not only on the physical well-being of our students, families, teachers, and staff, but also on the social and emotional health of our community. Join to view profile Hamtramck School District . Ahmed notified district officials on Oct. 11, 2021, that she would stop performing her duties as superintendent until Jan. 10, 2022. Originally meant to be split between Nagi and Sherry Lynem, the Interim Superintendent position will now be completely filled by Nagi. You could win a $20 gift card in the raffle! There has been wide speculation over whether Ahmed will return in January. Hamtramck Public School District . 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. Pre-K and Kindergarten Round Up March 15, 2023 1p-3p, Notice of Cancellation of COW Meeting 12-20-2022. Her announcement was made public on the HPS Facebook page on Tuesday. 115 Construction Superintendent Jobs in Hamtramck, MI hiring now with salary from $61,000 to $123,000 hiring now. The energy and passion they bring every day continues to make a world of difference and will play a huge role in helping accelerate their learning as we continue to address the effects of COVID learning loss. It is strange that people quitting after school year started. The Hamtramck Review said this week that trouble began with several job transfers of teachers, some involuntary, which resulted in backlash from some board members about former Human Resources Director Michelle Imbrunone, who was hired by Ahmed. Toast of the Town A Paczki Day diary: Brrrrr who invited winter to the party? HPS is committed to ensuring that our educational materials and websites are accessible, equitable, and usable to everyone. They complained, sometimes bitterly, of their management style, and the many job transfers they imposed on staffmembers. Mobile app for news, photos and video on the go. Hamtramck, MI . HPS is committed to ensuring that our educational materials and websites are accessible, equitable, and usable to everyone. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. HPS teachers held week-long protest over superintendents return, Once again, the city has to face financial issues. Hassan Abbas Ahmed has been on the job since 2019, and recently received a contract extension. She was expected to return in January, but did not, with no explanation from the district. She was promoted to superintendent in 2019-20. HAMTRAMCK, Mich. The superintendent of the Hamtramck School District was suspended with pay last week due to allegations that he violated state law while holding bids for contracts and for misallocation of school funds. At least 28 people have resigned since the start of the school year, including 12 teachers at Dickinson East Elementary who quit recently. More than 20 teachers left the district last year. The new lawsuit does provide a more detailed picture of the conflict between Ahmed and the school board, something that has been shrouded in mystery since late last year. The information was contained in the districts response to a Freedom of Information Act request. They are being sued by former school district employee Christina Adamczyk. We're really reaching out to the community to . Ahmed has been receiving pay during her absence, as she is still under contract with the district, which has not officially terminated that contract. After questions from residents and local media, the board said it had extended her leave, but did not explain why. Major, a school board trustee, said on Tuesday the board has not had an opportunity to meet to discuss the allegations inthe lawsuit. Board members like Major supported Ahmeds efforts in 2020 to promote a millage to construct a new elementary school, a proposal later defeated by voters. Councilmembers and the mayor want a raise. Will you support us? Councilmembers and the mayor want a raise. Annual Amount Spent on Lobbying -- Not Applicable ($0) Also on the boards agenda were the hirings of nine new teachers and staff employees, including one for the filling of the high schools vacant principal position. About All rights reserved. Ahmed and the district also face litigation from a former middle school vice principal. Teachers have spoken out at school board meetings to criticize Ahmeds leadership. That desire was underlying each of the decisions she made," Lusk said. Toast of the Town A Paczki Day diary: Brrrrr who invited winter to the party? Ahmed, like so many other school superintendents, has had added responsibilities and burdens while overseeing the district during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ahmed is asking a judge to issue an injunction prohibitingtermination of her employment, back payand damages for mental anguish and emotional distress. News, analysis and scores on Detroit and Michigan sports teams. 2021 Salaries and Benefits over $100k. School district fell short retaining them. Sascha Raiyn is Education Reporter at 101.9 WDET. Toni Coral, the president of the teachers union, characterized the working conditions in the district as chaotic a description that was repeated over and over. Instead of appointing an interim superintendent, the board of education appointed Nabil Nagi, the districts English Language Director, and Sherry Lynem, the districts Chief Financial Officer, to share the duties of superintendent.