NYC Dept. of Ed picks wrong day to celebrate Muslim holiday
The city Department of Education is getting a failing grade for mishandling observance of a major Muslim holiday.
New York City Schools are off on Thursday to observe Eid al-Adha — but the religious holiday doesn't actually begin until sundown Thursday night into Friday, angering Muslims and confusing other educators.
'They jumped the gun. They picked the wrong day. It's a snafu,' said former Queens Councilman Daneek Miller, a practicing Muslim.
3 The New York City Department of Education has come under fire for giving students the wrong day off to celebrate the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha.
Helayne Seidman
Staten Island Assemblyman Charles Fall, a Muslim, fumed, 'The department didn't get this observance right. There is no excuse for getting it wrong.'
'We would not do this to any other major religious group. Why are we doing this to Muslims?'
Eid al-Adha is the festival which commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son.
The city Department of Education sent a notice to administrators and schools admitting it's observing the holiday on the wrong day.
'Pursuant to the 2024–2025 school year calendar, all schools are closed on June 5, in recognition of Eid al-Adha and Anniversary Day,' the DOE's Division of Human Resources said in a June 2 notice.
3 Former Queens Councilman Daneek Miller, a practicing Muslim, blasted the DOE for 'jumping the gun' with the holiday calendar.
Stefan Jeremiah
'However, all Central Offices remain open and follow a regular work schedule. Please note that the actual date of Eid al-Adha is determined by moon sightings and may vary from year to year. As such, while our calendar observes the holiday on June 5, the religious observance is expected to fall on June 6 this year.
Staffers may request time off for the actual religious observance on Friday June 6, the notice said..
'All requests should be considered in a manner consistent with Chancellor's Regulation C-606, which allows for time off for holy day observance,' the memo said.
3 Staten Island Assemblyman Charles Fall said there is no excuse for the DOE getting the date wrong.
Hans Pennink
Realizing its error, the DOE made Friday, which was supposed to be a 'Clerical Day,' for teachers and supervisors in pre-K to 8 to do administrative work with students off, a 'remote' day, sources said.
A Brooklyn principal fumed that the mixup makes his job harder to keep on top of staff, and that 'a fraction of what needs to be done will be done.'
The DOE, in a subsequent June 3 'guidance' memo, said that Friday will be a 'remote' Clerical Day for most schools — with the exception of high schools and , whose students are preparing for Regents exams.
So, students in most schools get both days off.
'The purpose of this day is to allow these staff time to complete the various administrative tasks and may include, but are not limited to: preparing report cards and finalizing gradebooks; documenting student areas for improvement for summer; organizing promotion portfolios electronically to share with summer school teachers; data-sharing for articulation purposes from one grade to another; and/or planning for Summer Rising,' the DOE guidance said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
As Harvard notches a legal win over White House, Trump says ‘HISTORIC' deal is close
Trump's post did not elaborate on the claimed negotiations, of which there has been no public acknowledgment by either side since Harvard in April rejected White House demands to overhaul its governance, amend its admissions and hiring practices, and change its disciplinary procedures — all in response to what the Trump administration alleges is a longstanding culture of antisemitism, racial discrimination, and political bias at the school. Harvard has vowed to fight back and has sued the administration both for But, Trump said, an agreement ending all that could be near. Advertisement 'They have acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations, and appear to be committed to doing what is right,' Trump said on Truth Social. 'If a Settlement is made on the basis that is currently being discussed, it will be 'mindbogglingly' HISTORIC, and very good for our Country.' Advertisement Spokespeople for the White House, the Department of Education, and Harvard did not respond to requests for comment on Friday afternoon regarding Trump's post. The John Harvard statue in Harvard Yard. Heather Diehl for the Boston Globe While it was not clear if the two developments are related, the post came shortly after Harvard notched a legal win in the international students lawsuit: an order from US District Judge Allison Burroughs allowing Harvard to host foreign students until its lawsuit against the administration is decided, giving the students a green light to return this fall, at least for now. 'The Court order allows Harvard to continue enrolling international students and scholars while the case moves forward,' Harvard spokesperson Sarah Kennedy O'Reilly said in a statement. 'Harvard will continue to defend its rights — and the rights of its students and scholars.' A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment on Friday afternoon. Harvard sued the Trump administration in May, after Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced that the university had lost the right to enroll students and that existing international students would have to leave or transfer. She The university, meanwhile, argued the move was unlawful, and Trump was using his position to pursue Friday's court order prevents the Trump administration from making any effort to block Harvard from hosting international students. Burroughs also ordered the administration to prepare guidance for federal staff to restore visa holders and applicants to their positions prior to its May announcement. Advertisement The injunction follows In a Banning international students would have a significant impact on Harvard's student body, which includes nearly 7,000 foreign students, roughly a quarter of its total student population. The move would disproportionately impact schools such as the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where international students account for Harvard Kennedy School of Government is one part of the university that would be especially hard-hit by a ban on foreign students. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff The Trump administration is likely to appeal the order next week, said David Super, a Georgetown University law professor who focuses on constitutional and administrative law. 'We will likely have some indication from, certainly the First Circuit, but most likely the Supreme Court, as to how they feel about this case,' Super said. 'That may well make the outcome of a trial more or less a foregone conclusion.' And, indeed, given the uncertainty and heightened scrutiny around student visas generally, some students may simply decide to pursue their studies elsewhere, denting Harvard's international population even if the school prevails in court. Current and incoming Harvard students Friday said they were pleased by the news, even if they are still concerned about the future. Advertisement 'I feel anxious, but I stay hopeful,' Enos said he has been planning to pursue a master's degree in education leadership at Harvard and is scheduled to fly to Boston from Nairobi early next month. 'Policies change fast, and that's unsettling,' he said. 'My future and sense of belonging are on the line. Still, I am grateful for Harvard's support. I know I matter here. I focus on my studies and keep moving forward. I believe international students like me make Harvard stronger.' Karl Molden, a rising Harvard junior from Austria, was in Athens, Greece, for a summer internship when he learned about the order. 'It's been like a roller coaster for feelings and emotions, and in this case more like an up,' said Molden, 21, who's studying government and classics. 'But I think it's also going to go down again. We're not going to celebrate too much because it's just temporary.' Education Secretary Linda McMahon. JOHNNY MILANO/NYT Aside from Trump's Truth Social post Friday afternoon, there has been little outward sign that Harvard and his administration are anywhere near resolving their conflict. Earlier this week, in an McMahon said she 'had a good sit down with the chancellor [of Vanderbilt University],' adding that she feels 'good about a lot of the steps that they have taken.' She added that she has met with presidents from MIT, Dartmouth, and Northwestern. Advertisement 'I think universities are taking a look at their own practices and looking at things like right to assemble, and where and when,' McMahon said. By contrast, she said, 'Harvard is the only one that has not only threatened, but did file a lawsuit.' (In April, MIT joined other universities in a Previously, Aidan Ryan can be reached at
CNN
4 hours ago
- CNN
Trump says Harvard has acted ‘appropriately' and deal could soon be announced
President Donald Trump said Friday that Harvard has 'acted extremely appropriately' during negotiations that could soon result in a deal, signaling a possible major shift in his administration's efforts to target the university. 'Many people have been asking what is going on with Harvard University and their largescale improprieties that we have been addressing, looking for a solution. We have been working closely with Harvard, and it is very possible that a Deal will be announced over the next week or so,' Trump said in a late afternoon post to social media. 'They have acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations, and appear to be committed to doing what is right. If a Settlement is made on the basis that is currently being discussed, it will be 'mindbogglingly' HISTORIC, and very good for our Country,' he added. The White House, the Department of Education and Harvard did not immediately respond to CNN's requests for comment. CNN has reported that the White House has remained open to negotiation with Harvard, with which it is embroiled in multiple lawsuits. A federal judge on Friday indefinitely blocked the Trump administration from revoking Harvard's ability to host international students and scholars while legal challenges continue. Harvard also sued the Trump administration in April over its decision to freeze federal funding and asked for an expedited final decision in the case. Oral arguments are scheduled for July 21. The Trump administration has launched multiple investigations into the school. Efforts to target Harvard began even before Trump returned to office, with his allies arguing they were cracking down on antisemitism on campus amid the Israel-Hamas war. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said last week that the administration believes Harvard has taken steps to combat antisemitism on campus and that some progress has been made. 'We are, I think, making progress in some of the discussion, where even though they have taken a hard line, they have, for instance, replaced their head of Middle East Studies,' McMahon said during a moderated conversation with Bloomberg in Washington, DC. Asked whether Harvard should expect additional actions from the administration, she said, 'At this particular time, we're continuing with the things we've already talked about.' This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN
4 hours ago
- CNN
Trump says Harvard has acted ‘appropriately' and deal could soon be announced
President Donald Trump said Friday that Harvard has 'acted extremely appropriately' during negotiations that could soon result in a deal, signaling a possible major shift in his administration's efforts to target the university. 'Many people have been asking what is going on with Harvard University and their largescale improprieties that we have been addressing, looking for a solution. We have been working closely with Harvard, and it is very possible that a Deal will be announced over the next week or so,' Trump said in a late afternoon post to social media. 'They have acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations, and appear to be committed to doing what is right. If a Settlement is made on the basis that is currently being discussed, it will be 'mindbogglingly' HISTORIC, and very good for our Country,' he added. The White House, the Department of Education and Harvard did not immediately respond to CNN's requests for comment. CNN has reported that the White House has remained open to negotiation with Harvard, with which it is embroiled in multiple lawsuits. A federal judge on Friday indefinitely blocked the Trump administration from revoking Harvard's ability to host international students and scholars while legal challenges continue. Harvard also sued the Trump administration in April over its decision to freeze federal funding and asked for an expedited final decision in the case. Oral arguments are scheduled for July 21. The Trump administration has launched multiple investigations into the school. Efforts to target Harvard began even before Trump returned to office, with his allies arguing they were cracking down on antisemitism on campus amid the Israel-Hamas war. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said last week that the administration believes Harvard has taken steps to combat antisemitism on campus and that some progress has been made. 'We are, I think, making progress in some of the discussion, where even though they have taken a hard line, they have, for instance, replaced their head of Middle East Studies,' McMahon said during a moderated conversation with Bloomberg in Washington, DC. Asked whether Harvard should expect additional actions from the administration, she said, 'At this particular time, we're continuing with the things we've already talked about.' This is a developing story and will be updated.
