Last week, we noted that Tarek Ibn Ziyad Academy (TIZA), an Islam-based charter school in Inver Grove Heights, was taking the state to court over the withholding of the school’s allotment of money.
A small tangent; while the state and some of the state education system’s apologists were griping about teachers’ “licensing”, it’d seem that the school is better off without ’em:
Tarek Ibn Ziyad Academy (TIZA) public charter school serving more than 500 students on two campuses, announced today that it has received a Growth Achievement Award for student achievement during the school year 2008-2009 from the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA).
…
In addition to the NWEA award, TiZA leads the state in math and reading achievement as measured with the state MCAII assessments and has been recognized for achieving the highest percentage of students scoring at grade level or better, despite having a high number of children living in poverty. TiZA serves a student population from over 20 countries. 80% of the students are from low-income households and about 70% are English language learners. TiZA has also received the Commissioner’s Finance Award for the past two years.
How many Twin Cities schools, much less schools with lower-than-average family incomes, can say that, charter or not?
While TIZA has faced allegations that it mixes religion and education in an unconstitutional manner, including lawsuits from the ACLU. It’s worth noting that the first of the three ACLU suits has been dismissed. From another press release from TIZA’s attorney, Erick Kaardal:
“Today, the U.S. District Court dismissed one of three of the ACLU’s claims against TiZA. As to the remaining two claims, the ACLU now has the burden of proof to show that TiZA is in violation of the Establishment Clause. TiZA remains confident that there is no violation of the Establishment Clause.
“The ACLU must prove that TiZA, which has made religious accommodations for students and is compliant with the federal government’s official guidance on religion in public schools, has violated the Establishment Clause.
Anyway – regarding the licensing flap, the school won that one, too. From yet another press release:
Two days after it erroneously took almost $125,000 from Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy (TiZA) and received negative media scrutiny, the Minnesota Department of Education reversed its original decision and has transferred the funds back to the charter school.
“While TiZA appreciates the Department’s decision to release the funds, this is just another example of the erratic behavior of the Department and, in particular, Commissioner Chas Anderson,” said Erick Kaardal , TiZA’s legal counsel. “It’s another example of a department that ignores requests, makes accusations without merit and fails to follow the rules it’s required to enforce.”
As a result of the July 15 decision to take TiZA’s student aid, the school has requested the Department turnover all documents and communications regarding the instruction to apply penalties against TiZA. The Department has not responded to this request.
TIZA is a controversy magnet, of course; leaving aside the Separation Clause issues, there’s the matter of it being Islamic.
Certainly, if a charter school with pseudo-Catholic roots (like, say, Eagle Ridge Academy in Eden Prairie), held a mass on school time, there’s be some squawking.
But when people see Islamic school, some of them think “wahhabi madrass”.
So here are some questions:
- Presuming the separation clause exists, and provided that TIZA is not advocating radical wahabbism, what’s the problem?
- Given that the school does do something that eludes most schools; it gets spectacular academic results with children that the conventional school district pays lip service to teaching, but largely warehouses anyway, isn’t it time to address the fraudulent notion that “separation of church and state” means “no money goes to religious schools?” Because it is a fraud; all kinds of tax money goes to religious colleges and universities; student financial aid, arts and research grants, yadda yadda.
There’s a significant chance that TIZA, baggage notwithstanding, is an answer rather than a problem.
Mitch wondered: “Presuming the separation clause exists, and provided that TIZA is not advocating radical wahabbism, what’s the problem?”
Simple, silly! Because they don’t teach the ideology of Republican Jesus(TM). http://snipurl.com/npwob
Having been a volunteer who taught english as a second language, I can appreciate their challenges.
I suggested in an earlier comment on a similar thread that the issue of student performance including graduation rates is related to the level of the engagement of the student in their own education. Not in any way to diminish the accomplishments of these students and this school, which are clearly exceptional, what struck me most strongly when I read your post was the part about the 20 countries, the language challenges, the religious accomodation.
If my premise about student involvement, motivation, engagement in their own education is correct, IF, then it would suggest that this is likely a very motivated group of students AND teachers, who clearly have a sense of obstacles to be overcome through education. And it would equally suggest that by making the choice to go to this special school, there is not only a large stake in preserving their identities, including religious identity, but in viewing their school performance as the means to succeed while doing so.
Clearly, sending their children to this school rather than whatever public school is closest suggests a strong commitment by the parents as well.
So, while teacher licensing may have some problems or be less than perfect or ideal, with respect, I don’t think you are looking at the right factors in identifying cause and effect in their performance.
I am delighted at their academic success. I am a little troubled that it MIGHT be through promoting an orientation of ‘us vs. them’ to focus that involvement of students in their education. That, NOT the islamic aspect of the school, is what bothers me a bit. I am quite comfortable with Islam, and have had more exposure to it, and the cultures where it is prominent, than most people of my acquaintance. It is sad to see that religion and its practicioners be such a boogeyman for so many.
TiZa’s principal/imam Asad Zaman is the MAS Minnesota’s immediate past president. The MAS was of course founded as the American branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, the organization that spawned all of the leading Sunni terrorist groups, including al Qaeda, Hamas and others. (from today’s post in PLB)
Nope, nothing to see here. Just pick up your blindfold on the way to the gallows, and move along, little doggie.
You’ve got a very valid point, DG. Parental involvement is a huge factor in achieving academic success; personally, I’d place it as the #1 factor.
The fact is, however, that the public system works very hard to seperate students from their parents; they don’t want parents snooping around asking questions about things they’d rather not have to discuss.
Parents that fight the system are bad news for the defenders of the status quo. It means someone has to repeatedly put them “in their place”, which in some cases (mine for instance), not only results in students being removed from the public system altogether, but the creation of a dedicated, very determined whistleblower.
The people that run the public schools have an agenda that makes academic success a “nice to have, so long as it doesn’t interfere” item. If you look carefully, you’ll see that the goals that have priority are being met and exceeded.
I wonder what the picture of Democrat Jesus(TM) (“Savior Of Simpletons”) would look like, and what his “ideology” would be.
Hell yeah. Give ’em some more money.
Doncha just love a system where everybody, regardless of ethnic or religious background, whether they are a minority or a majority, whether they pray four or nine times a day out loud in or out of a classroom, whether they recite a pledge or read a verse out loud from a religious book before or after they pray, and whether they have maza or a pulled pork sandwich for lunch, are treated equally?
I thought so.
(Of course I’m praying, under my breath, as I type this nonsense.)
Silly Troy. Democrat Jesus(TM) is living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave in Washington, D.C.
just plain angry says:
“Just pick up your blindfold on the way to the gallows, and move along, little doggie. ”
No blindfold here angry. I can discern the difference between the mainstream followers of islam from the lunatic fringe islamists, much as there are differences between the mainstreams in other religions, including christianity, and the extremists.
Although speaking of perceptions and actual knowledge about Islam, if I may digress a bit off topic, I have been following with some interest the now 4? Strib articles on the connections between local and national conservative talk radio including a connection to the Patriot, certain Minnesota based investment ‘advisors’, in the loosest use of the term, and a federal law suit for fraud. One of the claims by this bunch, who seem to me to be a highly unethical and crooked bunch of crooks, is that they were advocating doing business with entities that followed Shari’ah Islamic banking prohibitions regarding interest.
Given that one of this group showed up on the Patriot’s schedule as appearing at the fair grounds as recently as last Saturday… I can only say that while I don’t ordinarily follow Strom’s program, although of course I do try to listen to Mitch, a couple of hours later when I can, I will be very curious to see who is on this coming weekend, and if they address any of the press coverage.
I gotta believe that if these people who appear to have lost their money had a better knowledge of Islam, as well as a better knowledge of investment and finance, they might not be facing such catastrophic losses now.
DG I can discern the difference between the mainstream followers of islam from the lunatic fringe islamists
So, if you consider MAS, the American branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, the organization that spawned all of the leading Sunni terrorist groups, including al Qaeda, Hamas to be mainstream, who in your view is an extremist?
I’m sorry, but good test scores — and even good education being reflected by them — doesn’t solve the problem: TIZA is a taxpayer-funded school, promoting their religious views on the taxpayer dime. They don’t get to do that, anymore than the Catholic or Orthodox Jewish schools do, even if — like many religious schools — they, additionally, deliver a good secular education or — like some — do not.
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