HPS Superintendent gets another poor grade

HPS Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed

By Charles Sercombe
Although Hamtramck Public Schools Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed hasn’t performed work for the district in over a year, the school board was still obligated to give her a job performance rating.
And, since there was no work that she had performed that could be rated, that review was limited to the same rating the board gave her over a year ago: “minimally effective.”
That rating is one step above the lowest possible rating of “ineffective.”
The board gave Ahmed that rating in the February monthly board meeting, and did so without comment.
Ahmed’s history with the district has been rocky. Since she started in her role as superintendent in 2019, teachers and district employees alike have often complained about the “toxic”work environment that she and some of her administrators created.
A number of veteran teachers ended up leaving the district in protest.
Ahmed eventually had a falling out with the school board, and twice went on extended paid medical leaves, only to have those medical leaves turn into (paid) suspensions.
The board has never explained why there was a falling out, and to this day, the district has not explained what Ahmed still does.
Interim Superintendent James Larson-Shidler has refused to say what her role is, other than to confirm that she is still an employee.
Ahmed came back to work in 2023 for several months, and in January of 2024 she was awarded a $50,000 pay raise, and an extension of her employment contract to 2027.
Her lawsuits against the district were still pending at the time, but the board made no demand that she withdraw them. Both lawsuits have subsequently been thrown out of court.
Ahmed now earns $224,000 a year while performing no work for the district.
A month after receiving that salary boost, the board then abruptly gave her the first poor job rating, which led to her second paid medical leave, and then her second paid suspension.
Despite this checkered past, a press release was issued in January of this year by the New York publishing company Marquis Who’s Who announcing that Ahmed was included in this year’s volume of the company’s “Who’s Who.”
Marquis Who’s Who is essentially a vanity publisher that contacts public figures or professionals, inviting them to self-report their accomplishments, and then hope they will be enticed to buy one or more copies of the published product.
The press release praised Ahmed for her work in education.
“Mrs. Ahmed has made significant contributions to the field of education, particularly through her role as the superintendent of schools for Hamtramck Public Schools since 2019.”
The press release continued, saying:
“Looking ahead, Ms. Ahmed is dedicated to addressing educational needs and advocating for policy improvements that ensure a balanced system that prioritizes students’ interests over individual agendas and protects parent’s rights.
“Her focus will be on undeserving (sic) communities, the special populations, and their parents. She aspires to engage in nonprofit work focusing on education/school reform, health, wellness, and community empowerment.”
The press release did not mention that Ahmed has been suspended by the district, nor her lawsuits against the district.
Posted March 7, 2025