Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy (TiZA) and the Minnesota Department of Education recently seemed to resolve the issue of whether Islam is being promoted at this public school, but controversy persists:
TiZA officials have “taken a confrontational road” in discussions with the department … MDE [says it] will be closely monitoring TiZA’s performance in future months. TiZA is a K-8 charter school in Inver Grove Heights, financed by taxpayers. Its students have scored well on standardized tests. But like all public schools, it may not encourage or endorse religion, or favor one religion over another. A number of facts raise questions about TiZA on this score. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
The key here, and with other Islamic schools, is what is meant by “close monitoring” of performance: What are students being asked to learn? Where do their textbooks come from? Who will do the monitoring — Arabic speakers and observers willing to report religious or political indoctrination fearlessly?