Supporting Muslim Students in Public Schools

A Back-to-School Conversation for Parents

With Dr. Amaarah DeCuir, EdD
Senior Professorial Lecturer, American University School of Education

Date & Time:

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Saturday, September 20, 2025

Location: ADAMS Sterling – Community Hall (Lower Floor)

Muslim students in our local public schools face unique challenges when their faith identities and practices are misunderstood, overlooked, or excluded. Yet many of our youth show remarkable resilience and strength in holding on to their beliefs.

Join Dr. Amaarah DeCuir—educator, researcher, and nationally recognized expert on Muslim student experiences—for an engaging, research-informed conversation with the ADAMS community on what Muslim students are experiencing in school today and how parents and the wider community can respond.

Drawing from her scholarship on faith erasure, anti-Muslim bias, and student resilience, Dr. DeCuir will share practical strategies for:

Understanding the real challenges our children face in secular school environments
Partnering with schools to protect and support religious identity
Building strong family engagement and civic leadership
Advocating for equity, inclusion, and social justice in education

Dr. DeCuir brings over 30 years of teaching and leadership experience in public and private K–12 schools, and currently teaches Education Studies, Social Justice, and Research Methods at American University. She also serves as an Executive Board Member for the Center for Islam in the Contemporary World and is widely published in the areas of antiracist pedagogy, education leadership, and faith-inclusive schooling.

This program is designed especially for parents as we begin a new school year, but all community members are welcome. Let’s come together to ensure our children are supported in their classrooms and schools—with our community standing alongside them.

Supporting Muslim Students in Public Schools: A Back-to-School Conversation for Parents