Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy is at the center of an ACLU suit
The Hebrew Language Academy Charter School is set to open this fall in New York City in the midst of debates over whether public money should be used to fund schools which focus on a single culture.
In the wake of a lawsuit filed by the ACLU against a predominately Muslim school in Minnesota, the Hebrew charter school is facing criticism by some well known voices in education.
Diane Ravitch, professor of education at NYU expressed her feelings about single culture schools in a Daily News opinion piece, stating that she has objections to schools which are "centered on the teaching of a single non-American culture."
Supporters of the school, however, stress that the school will not focus on religion, but rather on the study of the Hebrew language. Sara Berman, chairwoman of the school's board explained :
"We really believe that learning a second language helps children in other ways besides the language itself," she said, citing studies that suggest that language instruction stimulates brain development.
The New York State Board of Regents has voted that the school does not violate the separation of church and state.
Image found at http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/05/11/muslimcharter/
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