“Can I Take the Hijab Off?”: Developing Safe Spaces for Somali Children in Mainstream Classrooms

  Sirad Shirdon In September, my two nieces began school at a local Montessori school, a far cry from their previous school: a charter school in Columbus with questionable educational quality. The charter school she attended, like many in North Columbus, has a large Somali student population.  In recent years, Somali parents in the US…

A Teacher Asks: Are There Books on Eid?

Sirad Shirdon A few weeks ago, on the eve of the Muslim holiday Eid ul Adha, a kindergarten teacher inquired into the availability of related reading material. “Are there books about Eid?” she asked. Ms. M, the teacher, had prepared a book on Islam, to share with the students. “Of course, there are!” I exclaimed. Without…