Posted on 04/01/2010 8:56:36 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
Federal officials have dismissed a complaint that the Minnesota Department of Education discriminated against black and Somali students at a metro-area charter school.
The U.S. Education Department's Office for Civil Rights said there was not enough evidence of discrimination against students at Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy (TiZA) based on their race or national origin.
The school serves about 500 K-8 students, including many from immigrant families, at campuses in Inver Grove Heights and Blaine.
Federal officials conducted the probe in response to a complaint filed last fall by Nathaniel Khaliq, president of the St. Paul chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Khaliq alleged that the state Education Department unfairly targeted TiZA when it investigated teacher-licensure violations and testing procedures at the school.
TiZA has faced intense scrutiny over the past two years, including an ongoing lawsuit with the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota over how it handles religion.
Last year, state Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said the school would lose nearly $140,000 in state aid for employing eight improperly licensed teachers. The school is appealing the penalty.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
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