Newly Appointed School Superintendent Invited to Discuss Arabic Language in Local Public School

The Mosque Foundation is continuously working hard behind the scenes for the benefit of our community.  On July 9, 2007, Tom Smyth, the newly appointed Superintendent for Ridgeland School District 122, and Julie Shellberg, Assistant Superintendent for Specialized Programs for District 122, were invited to the Mosque Foundation to meet with representatives of the mosque and United Power for Action and Justice to discuss the issue of initiating an Arabic language program in their district.  Ridgeland District 122 consists of elementary and middle schools from preschool to eighth grade, covering a large area of Oak Lawn and Chicago Ridge.  They recently received a $100,000 grant to introduce Spanish as a foreign language to the eighth grade class in Simmons Middle School this coming fall.  With a very large percentage of Arab students in their district, 40% at Kolb School alone, they agreed to research the possibility of adding Arabic along with Spanish at Simmons Middle School.  "Our main issues right now are the large class sizes, and the lack of funding for the district since our referendum didn't pass in the last election," Mr. Smyth stated frankly.  "We've already had to cut some of our programs like art and band this year, so the possibility of adding something new right now will never work unless our referendum passes in the next election."  Every destination is reached one step at a time, and the Mosque Foundation will continue to pursue this important issue.  A town hall meeting is in the planning stages to involve parents, students, and the community, while our representatives continue to meet with school officials, having already met with the principals of Oak Lawn Community High School and Amos Alonzo Stagg High School.  We remain hopeful that this will indeed become a reality in the near future.