School board candidate forum this Monday

By Charles Sercombe
The public will be able to meet the six school board candidates this coming Monday.
While the candidates are all invited, it’s unlikely all will attend if past candidate forums are a guage. The candidate forum is scheduled to happen on Aug. 26, at 3:30 p.m., in the Hamtramck Public Library.
The candidate meeting is being hosted by the Hamtramck Federation of Teachers. The get-together will feature a question-and-answer period.
There are two school board seats on the ballot, and there is only one incumbent running, Board President Jihan Aiyash.
Boardmember Sal Hadwan is not seeking re-election after having a falling out with Aiyash and fellow boardmembers.
There is no shortage of issues facing the Hamtramck Public School District.
Its current superintendent, Jaleelah Ahmed, has taken two extended paid medical leaves, was put on paid suspension for several months, brought back and once again took a paid medical leave.
That medical leave ended, but Ahmed is still not back on the job. The district refuses to explain what is happening with Ahmed, although she continues to be paid.
Ahmed also has a pending lawsuit filed against the district. A second lawsuit she had filed against the teachers’ union was recently dismissed by a federal judge.
In the meantime, the district is being run by Interim Superintendent James Larson-Shidler.
The district has been losing students in recent years, and has repeatedly failed to get a critical millage renewal passed, yet is seeking to get two other, different, millage renewals passed by voters in November’s election.
The chances of getting voter-approval, at this point, look pretty slim. If the millages are defeated, it could result in the loss of millions of dollars the district depends on.
However, the district can keep trying to get the millages passed in future elections – but again, at this point there seems to be little hope of convincing voters to support the district.
On top of all that, the district continues to lose veteran employees. Many of them have cited a toxic work environment that they say was created by Ahmed and others.
The teachers’ union has also been sharply critical of the administration.
To say the least, the district faces some serious challenges in the coming years.
Posted Aug. 23, 2024