Khalil Gibran International Academy

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,[1] it was placed at the center of controversy by opponents.[2][3] Khalil Gibran, the school's namesake, was a Lebanese-American Christian Maronite poet.

Khalil Gibran International Academy
Address
Khalil Gibran International Academy
Khalil Gibran International Academy
Khalil Gibran International Academy
362 Schermerhorn Street

Brooklyn
,
New York
11217
Coordinates
Information
School typePublic high school
Founded2007
School boardNew York City Department of Education
School district15
School number592
PrincipalWinston Hamann
Grades9 - 12
Enrollment263 (February 2017)
LanguageEnglish and Arabic and French
AccreditationIB World School
Websitekhalilgibranhs.org

The committee that designed the school included the original principal Debbie Almontaser (a former teacher and community activist) and several nonprofit groups, including Lutheran Medical Center, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, the Salaam Club of New York, and the lead partner, the Arab American Family Support Center, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit.[4]

Khalil Gibran International Academy transitioned to a public high school in 2012 and became an IB World School in 2015, making it one of the first public schools in NYC to offer the rigorous IB Diploma Programme.[5]

Premise

The school's stated mission includes providing a "multicultural curriculum and intensive Arabic language instruction".[6]

Further, the federal government has stated that the country is in critical need of Arabic and Chinese speakers, and grants have been given out for schools teaching those subjects.[7] Modern Arabic language is a dialect continuum with two dozen varieties that might be considered languages in their own right. They are the majority language in 20 countries of the Arab world, which has a population of some 325 million people.

The BBC reports that some attendees have joined to reconnect with their families' culture and homeland; others, with no Arab or Muslim background, because they believe learning the language will give them a valuable skill.[8]

A Brooklyn College professor, Moustafa Bayoumi, says that "It's not uncommon for Arab students to feel isolated — I think [the school is] seen as a foothold" and that he believes that the school is making them feel more at home in the city.[9] One of the founders of the school was Lena Alhusseini.[10]

History

Founding controversy

Although the Khalil Gibran International Academy is one of 67 dual language schools in the city of New York,[2] its unique position as the first public school focused on Arabic language and culture in the USA has made it the target of much criticism.[2] Indeed, before the school opened, an organization called "Stop the Madrassa" held a protest outside New York's city hall calling for the school to be shut down.[8] The New York Times reported that KGIA had become the center of controversy as a result of an "organized movement to stop Muslim citizens who are seeking an expanded role in American public life."[2]

While opponents argue that such a school is unnecessary[11] and that creating it only promotes non-assimilation, supporters of the school say that contrary to preventing social cohesion, the school could act to improve integration by providing the school community with health services, counseling, youth leadership development, and English as a second language classes for parents.[9]

Daniel Pipes, an adviser to "Stop the Madrassa" and the founder of Campus Watch, has said that as the school is teaching the Arabic Language, it needs to be held under a "special scrutiny," adding that "In principle it is a great idea – the United States needs more Arabic-speakers. In practice, however, Arabic instruction is heavy with Islamist and Arabist overtones and demands."[12] However, Pipes has been roundly criticized for being a "propagandist" of "anti-Arab racism" and for his attacks on academic freedom.[13][14][15][16] Also, Garth Harries, a school official, has denied any religious activities would be taking place inside: "Religion plays absolutely no part in the school. This is a public school, it wouldn't play a part in any of our schools."[8]

The BBC reported that in searching the Internet they found many hateful messages about the school that conflate the Arabic language, Islam, and terrorism.[8] Anthony DiMaggio, assistant professor of Middle East Politics at University of Illinois at Chicago,[17] has described the criticism of the school as "racist", adding that the controversy contained "fundamentalist efforts to demonize not only Islam, but the Arabic language itself."[18] DiMaggio further noted the flaw of equating the Arabic language with Islam: "there's nothing inherently linking Islam with Arabic ... claiming that the Arabic language is inherently Muslim makes about as much sense as claiming that English is inherently Christian." [18] In addition to followers of Islam, the Arabic language is spoken by people in a number of other religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Bahá'í, Druze, Yazdanism, and Zoroastrianism.

Changing leadership, structure, and location

Founding principal Debbie Almontaser was forced to resign after controversy erupted in August 2007 when the New York Post attacked her and the school for failing to condemn the word "intifada" in an interview.[19][20] After Almontaser resigned, she was replaced by an interim principal Danielle Salzberg, who is Jewish and cannot speak Arabic, while a national search for a permanent principal was underway.[8] In January 2008, Holly Anne Reichert was appointed principal.[21] Parents had complained of a chaotic school environment.[22]

On March 16, 2010 Reichert resigned following an EEOC office's determination that Almontaser's rights had been violated in her dismissal. The Department of Education replaced Reichert with Beshir Abdellatif, a secular Muslim from Tunisia, who in filling the Gibran post resigned from Law, Government and Community Service High School in Cambria Heights, Queens, where he had served since 2008. The New York Times reported: "A lawyer for the founding principal, Debbie Almontaser, a Muslim of Yemeni descent, said he found the timing of the move “curious” and suggested that it was a “cynical ploy” intended to divide supporters of the school and of Ms. Almontaser."[23]

In the second week of April 2011 the Department of Education announced that it would close the middle school, converting it into just a high school and relocating.[24][25]

In 2017, it was announced that Khalil Gibran International Academy would relocate to 80 Flatbush, a new development nearby. Construction would start in 2019 and be completed by 2022-2025.[26] 80 Flatbush was approved by the New York City Council in September 2018.[27][28][29]

Academics and School Quality

According to the NYC Department of Education Quality Review, the school scored "Excellent" or "Good" on "Collaborative Teachers" ,"Trust", "Rigorous Instruction", "Supportive Environment", "Effective School Leadership", and "Strong Family-Community Ties". Research shows that schools strong in the six areas are far more likely to improve student learning.[30]

Extracurricular Activities at KGIA include:

Boys Club, IGNITE, ROSE Girls Group, Creative Writing, Hip-Hop and African Dance, Drama and Theater, Track, Gardening Club, Homework Help, After-School Subject Tutoring, Movie Club, Student Council and Student Advisory, Regents Preparation, Yearbook, Baruch College STEP, Saturday Academy.

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See also

References
  1. "A Public School with Mandatory Arabic". ABC News. September 4, 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2007.
  2. Andrea Elliot (April 27, 2008). "Critics Cost Muslim Educator Her Dream School". The New York Times. Retrieved May 3, 2008.
  3. Noah Feldman (August 26, 2007). "Universal Faith". New York Times. Retrieved November 25, 2007.
  4. Sarah Garland (March 7, 2007). "New Brooklyn School to Offer Middle East Studies". New York Sun. Retrieved November 25, 2007.
  5. "Khalil Gibran International Academy - insideschools.org". insideschools.org. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  6. Khalil Gibran International Academy - Details from the New York City Department of Education.
  7. Associated Press (September 4, 2007). "Quiet Start for NYC Arabic School". New York Times. Retrieved September 5, 2007.
  8. New York Arabic school sparks row - BBC News. Thursday, September 6, 2007
  9. New Brooklyn School To Offer Middle East Studies - New York Sun - March 7, 2007
  10. Brigitte Gabriel (2008). They Must Be Stopped: Why We Must Defeat Radical Islam and How We Can Do It. Macmillan. p. 99. ISBN 9781429931731.
  11. Donohue, William A. (August 31, 2007). "Rally Over Khalil Gibran School". Catholic League. Archived from the original on September 9, 2007. Retrieved September 5, 2007.
  12. On New York's "Khalil Gibran International Academy" - Daniel Pipes blog - March 7, 2007
  13. McNeil, Kristine (November 11, 2002). "The War on Academic Freedom". The Nation.
  14. Ellis, Michael (January 31, 2005). "Pipe Speaks, Civility Ensues". The Dartmouth Review. Archived from the original on November 22, 2007.
  15. Eric Foner; Glenda Gilmore (December 30, 2002). "Rejoinder to Daniel Pipes: Fighting for Freedom of Speech". George Mason University's History News Network.
  16. Abu-Rish, Ziad (February 1, 2007). "Anti-Arab Racism in the USA: Where It Comes From and What It Means for Politics Today". left turn.
  17. Curriculum Vitae of Anthony R. DiMaggio - University of Illinois at Chicago
  18. Arabic as a Terrorist Language - The Right-Wing's War on the Gibran Academy - CounterPunch - August 30, 2007
  19. Chuck Bennett (August 6, 2007). "City Principal Is 'Revolting'". New York Post. Archived from the original on December 16, 2007. Retrieved November 21, 2007.
  20. Yoav Gonen (August 9, 2007). "Randi Rips 'Intifada' Principal". New York Post. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  21. Frost, Mary (January 9, 2008). "Controversy Continues For Arabic-Themed School, Even With New Principal". Brooklyn Eagle. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
  22. "The Woes of Khalil Gibran" "The New York Post," January 30, 2008 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/editorials/item_ATf9fgspC8UkLrwBVfoWcM
  23. Jennifer Medina, "Head of Arabic-Language School Resigns," "New York Times," https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/nyregion/17school.html
  24. Gersh Kuntzman (April 6, 2011). "The Gibran Academy: Anatomy of a disaster". The Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  25. McCarton Ackerman (April 15, 2011). "Arabic and English Middle School Quietly Fades Away". Bed-Stuy Patch. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  26. Rosenberg, Zoe (April 3, 2017). "Massive Downtown Brooklyn project will include 900 apartments, schools, cultural space". Curbed. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  27. Plitt, Amy (September 20, 2018). "Brooklyn's 80 Flatbush gets crucial City Council committee approval". Curbed. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  28. Cuba, Julianne. "Councilmembers unanimously approve shrunken 80 Flatbush project". Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  29. Warerkar, Tanay (September 26, 2018). "Brooklyn's 80 Flatbush gets decisive City Council approval". Curbed NY. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  30. "404" (PDF).
  31. "Diploma Programme". International Baccalaureate®.
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