Debbie Almontaser

Last updated

Debbie Almontaser is an American schoolteacher [1] and community activist of Yemeni descent. She was the founding principal of the Khalil Gibran International Academy, a New York Arab-themed public school, named after the Christian Arab poet Khalil Gibran.

Contents

Biography

Almontaser founded and is a former principal of the Khalil Gibran International Academy. A veteran of New York City's public school system, she taught special education, trained teachers in literacy, and served as a multicultural specialist and diversity advisor. She co-designed a curriculum for the Muslim Communities Project at Columbia University and for Educators for Social Responsibility/Metro. In addition, she has contributed a chapter in The Day Our World Changed: Children's Art of 9/11 for New York University's Child Study Center and the Museum of the City of New York and in Forever After: New York City Teachers on 9/11 for Teachers College Press as well as articles and essays in several magazines. [ citation needed ]

As of September 2016, Almontaser is the president of the Muslim Community Network. [2]

Controversy

Almontaser was forced by the Department of Education and the Mayor of the City of New York to resign after a controversy arose over a T-shirt created by Arab Women Active in the Arts and Media, an organization that ran its youth program from office space at Saba: The Association of Yemeni Americans, of which Almontaser is a board member. [3] The T-shirt had the words, "Intifada NYC" on it, which, according to the New York Post , was "apparently a call for a Gaza-style uprising in the Big Apple". [4]

In an interview with the same newspaper, she was asked the Arabic root word of the word "intifada". She explained that the word "comes from the root word that means 'shaking off'. That is the root word if you look it up in Arabic." To a follow-up comment that the girls at AWAAM are planning a Gaza-style uprising, she added that she understood that "it is developing a negative connotation due to the uprising in the Palestinian-Israeli areas" and that she does not "believe the intention is to have any of that kind of [violence] in New York City." The Post quoted her as saying, "I think it's pretty much an opportunity for girls to express that they are part of New York City society... and shaking off oppression." [4] The "it's" in her statement referred to the training the girls received at this youth program. She denied using the phrase "shaking off oppression" and a federal appeals court ruled that the Post had quoted her "incorrectly and misleadingly." [5]

Shortly thereafter, the NYC Board of Education issued the following statement on Almontaser's behalf, purportedly without her authorization: "By minimizing the word's historical associations I implied that I condone violence and threats of violence.... That view is anathema to me and the very opposite of my life's work." [6]

On August 9, 2007, Randi Weingarten, then Head of the United Federation of Teachers (the NYC teachers' union), as well as Chancellor Klein and Mayor Bloomberg, demanded Almontaser's resignation by 8:00 the next morning threatening to nix the school if she did not resign. The full account was highlighted in a frontpage New York Times article, "Critics Cost Muslim Educator Her Dream Job". [7]

In a New York Times article, journalism professor Samuel G. Freedman wrote, "For anyone who bothered to look for it, Almontaser left a clear, public record of interfaith activism and outreach across the boundaries of race, ethnicity and religion. Her efforts, especially after the September 11 attacks, earned her honors, grants and fellowships. She has collaborated so often with Jewish organizations that an Arab-American newspaper, Aramica, castigated her earlier this summer for being too close to a 'Zionist organization,' meaning the Anti-Defamation League. Almontaser has twice been profiled on Voice of America as an accomplished Muslim American."

In 2004 Almontaser received the Revson Fellowship award for her contributions to City life. [8] Almontaser told her story in her own words on National Public Radio (Brian Lehrer Show) [9] and Democracy Now! [10]

Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz expressed support for Almontaser, calling for her to be reinstated, noting Almontaser "was dumped on, and she doesn't deserve it" and that he has "witnessed her work, bringing Muslims and Jews and other religions together." [11] Then New York City Councilman John Liu noted that the Department of Education "and this administration acted totally irresponsibly and violated the trust placed in them in what they allowed to happen to Debbie Almontaser." [12]

Along with local politicians, there was an outpouring of community support for Almontaser, with hundreds of individuals and organizations signing statements in support of Almontaser and the Khalil Gibran International Academy (KGIA). [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] A diverse community group called Communities in Support of the Khalil Gibran International Academy (CISKGIA) formed in order to show support for the school as well as Almontaser's rights. The group maintains that KGIA requires more and better support from the Department of Education and New Visions in order to succeed, and it was a strong voice for Debbie Almontaser's reinstatement throughout the controversy.[ citation needed ]

CISKGIA organized an event celebrating the original vision of the school on January 29, 2008, in which a few hundred people attended to support Almontaser and the school that she envision with her design team that were honored that evening, [18] and maintains an informational website. [19] In 2011, the group noted with disappointment the downsizing of the school as a sign of the lack of political support about which it had warned. [20] A film called Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech from HBO Films uses Almontaser's case as an example of a violation of the First Amendment rights.

On November 19, 2007, Almontaser brought a lawsuit claiming that in forcing her to resign because of her interview with the New York Post and denying her the opportunity to be considered for the position of permanent principal at the Khalil Gibran International Academy, the Department of Education violated her First Amendment rights. [21] [22]

On February 5, 2008, Almontaser requested for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York to grant her a preliminary injunction to force the board of education to give her an interview for the job of principal. [23] On March 20, the court rejected her request and sent it back to the trial court. [24] [25] The judgment cited that when she was instructed to speak to the press, she was mandated not to speak about the T-shirts. She had made statements during the phone call such as "I think [the t-shirts are] pretty much an opportunity for girls to express that they are part of New York City society." Her claim was reportedly rejected based on the precedent-setting "Garcetti v. Ceballos", which said that the First Amendment does not apply to public employees in the pursuit of their official duties. [26]

On March 3, 2008, she filed an amended complaint in her federal lawsuit and a charge with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, both of which assert that Department of Education (DOE) officials discriminated against her on the basis of race, religion, and national origin. [27] The judge rejected Almontaser's claim. [28]

In March 2010, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ruled Almontaser had been unfairly discriminated against and urged the Department of Education to consider reinstating Almontaser, paying her backwages, legal fees, and damages of $300,000. [29] Despite the findings of the EEOC, Almontaser announced that she would not sue the Department of Education, citing the personal costs of pursuing a lawsuit over a number of years. [29]

Personal life and community activism

According to the Jewish Week , Almontaser invited hundreds of Jews and Christians to her own home after the 9/11 attack. She had joined organizations to form social action groups, such as "We Are All Brooklyn", an interethnic initiative supported by the Jewish Community Relations Council, to combat hate crimes in Brooklyn. She trained with the Anti-Defamation League's anti-bias program, "A World of Difference", as a facilitator for diversity training and inter-group dynamics in the public schools. [30]

Almontaser has conducted sensitivity training and presentations in Churches, Synagogues and other houses of worship. [1] She also has worked as a liaison between the Muslim community and the NYPD. [31]

Almontaser received the Pax Christi Metro New York 2008 Peacemaker Award, [32] and the annual Jews for Racial and Economic Justice's Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer Risk-Taker Award, in 2007. [33]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kahlil Gibran</span> Lebanese American artist, poet, and writer

Gibran Khalil Gibran, usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran, was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist; he was also considered a philosopher, although he himself rejected the title. He is best known as the author of The Prophet, which was first published in the United States in 1923 and has since become one of the best-selling books of all time, having been translated into more than 100 languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khalil al-Wazir</span> Palestinian military leader, founder of Fatah (1935–1988)

Khalil Ibrahim al-Wazir was a Palestinian leader and co-founder of the nationalist party Fatah. As a top aide of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasser Arafat, al-Wazir had considerable influence in Fatah's military activities, eventually becoming the commander of Fatah's armed wing al-Assifa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikhail Naimy</span> Lebanese writer and philosopher

Mikha'il Nu'ayma, better known in English by his pen name Mikhail Naimy, was a Lebanese poet, novelist, and philosopher, famous for his spiritual writings, notably The Book of Mirdad. He is widely recognized as one of the most important figures in modern Arabic literature and one of the most important spiritual writers of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May Ziadeh</span> Lebanese-Palestinian poet and writer

May Elias Ziadeh was a Lebanese-Palestinian poet, essayist, and translator, who wrote many different works both in Arabic and in French.

The Ben Gamla Charter School is an English-Hebrew charter school, the first of its kind in the U.S., located in Hollywood, Florida. It opened August 20, 2007, with approximately 400 enrolled students from kindergarten through eighth grade, though the Ben Gamla system has expanded to 5 campuses in South Florida in both the Ben Gamla Charter Schools, as well as the Ben Gamla Preparatory Academy. The entire Ben Gamla system currently enrolls students from grades K-12 across all 5 campuses, with a total enrollment of about 2,000 students. Of the five total schools in the Ben Gamla system, three schools are in Broward County, one is in Miami-Dade County and one is in Palm Beach County. The school's director is an Orthodox rabbi and at least 50% of the students accepted to the school are Jewish. The name of the school is taken from an Israelite high priest, known in the Talmud for his campaign to establish yeshivas throughout Judaea.

Khalil Gibran International Academy is a public school in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, New York City, New York that opened in September 2007 with about 60 sixth grade students. As the first English-Arabic public school in the country to offer a curriculum emphasizing the study of Arabic language and culture, it was placed at the center of controversy by opponents. Khalil Gibran, the school's namesake, was a Lebanese-American poet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Jacir</span> Palestinian artist and filmmaker (born 1972)

Emily Jacir is a Palestinian artist and filmmaker.

KGIA may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elia Abu Madi</span> Lebanese-American poet (1890–1957)

Elia Abu Madi was a Lebanese-born American poet.

Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy (TIZA) was a K-8 school in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota named after Tarek ibn Ziyad, the muslim general of medieval Morocco who entered Gibraltar in 711 CE on behalf of the Umayyad Caliphate and defeated the Visigoths. The school is sponsored by Islamic Relief USA. The school has a primarily Muslim student body and has been embroiled in a number of controversies regarding the separation of church and state. The school has a waiting list of 1,500 students. Around 80% of students are English language learners. Despite this, the school has one of the highest reading scores on standardized tests in the state. As of July 2011 TiZA has been shut down by order of the Minnesota Education Department, due to lack of an approved charter school sponsor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anbara Salam Khalidi</span> Lebanese writer (1897–1986)

Anbara Salam Khalidi was a Lebanese feminist, translator and author, who significantly contributed to the emancipation of Arab women.

Gebran is a well-known given name and family name in Arabic. It is also transliterated as Gibran, Jebran, Jibran, Joubran, Jubran, Goubran and Gubran. It might also appear with an additional "e" at the end, like in Gebrane, Gibrane etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmen Fariña</span> American school chancellor

Carmen Fariña is a former New York City Schools Chancellor and head of the New York City Department of Education. Announced by Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio on December 30, 2013, she was the first New York City chancellor to have had schools supervision training and experience since Board of Education chancellor Rudy Crew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edythe J. Gaines</span>

Edythe J. Gaines was an American educator. She was the first African American and first woman to serve as a school superintendent in Connecticut. She was inducted into the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame in 1996.

Lena Alhusseini is the Head of Middle East and North Africa/Syria at the International Commission of Missing Persons. She was previously the director of Oregon's child welfare program, and before that she was executive director of the Arab-American Family Support Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Haskell (educator)</span> American educator

Mary Elizabeth Haskell, later Minis, was an American educator, best known for having been the benefactress of Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist Kahlil Gibran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meisha Ross Porter</span> Current Chancellor of NYC Department of Education

Meisha Ross Porter is an American educator who served as the New York City Schools Chancellor in 2021.

May Rihani was born in Beirut, though her family hails from Freike, Matn District, Lebanon. She is an expert on girls' education and women's empowerment. She worked in more than 40 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia and visited 30 more to implement educational reform and in particular improve girls' education. She was a Senior Vice President of three leading US organizations that worked in International Development: Family Health International, the Academy for Educational Development (AED), and Creative Associates International. Ms Rihani served as the co-chair of the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI) between 2008 and 2010. She is fluent in Arabic, French and English, is a writer and poet, and a women's rights activist.

Nadra Haddad was a Syrian poet, and a founding member of The Pen League, the first Arabic-language literary society in North America.

References

  1. 1 2 "From Yemen to Coney Island; From Teacher to Community Activist" [ dead link ]
  2. ↑ "U.S. Muslims Fear Hate Crimes & Overreaction by Law Enforcement in Wake of Chelsea Bombing". Democracy Now!. September 20, 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
  3. ↑ The t-shirt and its organization had no ties to the school or Almontaser as the school's principal."Principal at New NYC Arabic-Language School Forced to Resign", August 13, 2007 Archived September 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine , Interview with Mona Eldahry, co-founder of AWAAM (Arab Women Active in the Arts and Media), on the meaning of the "Intifada NYC" t-shirt.
  4. 1 2 Chuck Bennett (2007-08-06). "City Principal Is 'Revolting'". New York Post. Retrieved 2007-11-21.
  5. ↑ Elliott, Andrea (April 28, 2008). "Battle in Brooklyn: A Principal's Rise and Fall; Critics Cost Muslim Educator Her Dream School". The New York Times.
  6. ↑ Green, Elizabeth (2007-08-07). "Arab School Principal Says She Regrets Intifada Remarks". New York Sun. Retrieved 2007-11-21.
  7. ↑ Elliott, Andrea (April 28, 2008). "Critics Cost Muslim Educator Her Dream Job". The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  8. ↑ Freedman, Samuel G. (August 29, 2007). "On Education: Critics Ignored Record Of a Muslim Principal". The New York Times.
  9. ↑ Staff. "interview on The Brian Lehrer Show, NPR, May 7, 2008". Wnyc.org. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  10. ↑ ""Ousted NYC Arabic School Principal Debbie Almontaser Speaks Out on the New McCarthyism & Rightwing Media Attacks", interview on Democracy Now!, April 29, 2008". Democracynow.org. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  11. ↑ "Beep backs Arabic school, urges controversial principal be reinstated". Daily News. New York. September 20, 2007.
  12. ↑ Staff (2007-10-16). "Top Stories". NY1. Archived from the original on 2007-02-19. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  13. ↑ Communities in Support of KGIA website. "Support for Debbie Almontaser and KGIA".
  14. ↑ Communities in Support of KGIA website. "Jewish Leaders on KGIA".
  15. ↑ Communities in Support of KGIA website. "Muslim & Arab Community on KGIA".
  16. ↑ Communities in Support of KGIA website. "Mumia on KGIA". Archived from the original on 2008-02-06. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  17. ↑ Green, Elizabeth. "Educators: Mayor Forced Arabic School Principal's Exit".
  18. ↑ "Event to Celebrate the Vision of KGIA is a Resounding Success". 2008-01-28.
  19. ↑ kgia.wordpress.com
  20. ↑ Staff (2011-04-20). "The Slow Death of Khalil Gibran International Academy". Kgia.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  21. ↑ Almontaser v. New York City Department of Education et al Debbie Almontaser, plaintiff, vs. New York City Department of Education, Joel Klein, Rosemary Stuart, City of New York, Michael Bloomberg and Dennis Walcott, defendant, Case Number: 1:2007cv10444, Filed: November 19, 2007
  22. ↑ "Ex-Arabic School Head Readies Lawsuit Against City", The New York Sun, October 17, 2007
  23. ↑ "Press Release, EDUCATOR TO ASK U.S. COURT OF APPEALS TO UPHOLD HER FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, February 1, 2008". Kgia.wordpress.com. 2008-02-01. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  24. ↑ NY appeals court rejects claim by Arabic school principal, AP, International Herald Tribune, March 20, 2008
  25. ↑ "07-5468-cv Debbie Almontaser v. NYC Dep't of Educ., United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, August Term, 2007 (Argued: February 5, 2008; Decided: March 20, 2008) Docket No. 07-5468-cv, Before: Newman, Winter, and B.D. Parker, Circuit Judges. (PDF)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 26, 2008. Retrieved March 21, 2008.
  26. ↑ "Docket No. 07-5468-cv, UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-13. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
  27. ↑ "Arab-American Educator Charges NYC Department of Education with Discrimination" (press release), March 3, 2008.
  28. ↑ "Principal's Comments to Press Were Not Protected Speech" by Mark Walsh The School Law Blog (Education Week), September 7, 2009
  29. 1 2 Medina, Jennifer (May 25, 2010). "Ex-Principal of Arabic School Won't Sue City". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
  30. ↑ Chandler, Doug. "The Jewish Week article on Debbie Almontaser". Thejewishweek.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-03. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  31. ↑ "Teacher Works for Understanding of U.S. Muslims". NPR. 2006-07-13. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  32. ↑ Moses, Paul (March 5, 2008). "Commonweal Magazine: "Debbie Almontaser, Peacemaker"". Commonwealmagazine.org. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  33. ↑ Jews for Racial and Economic Justice website: "11th Annual Marshall T. Meyer Risk-Taker Awards" Archived November 18, 2007, at the Wayback Machine

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.