Taj Suleyman
The Dubuque Community School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Taj Suleyman as the district’s new director of equity, pending approval by the Board of Education at its April 8 meeting. Suleyman will join the district from his current role as equity outreach coordinator for the City of Dubuque.
In this newly created role, Suleyman will serve as a key district leader who embraces and champions the district’s fundamental value of ensuring equity for all. He will be responsible for organizing, coordinating, communicating and managing various facets of educational equity in the district to enhance student learning while collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to maximize the educational opportunities available to each student.
“Taj’s significant leadership experience in creating and managing equity systems combined with his strong relationships across the community make him an ideal fit for this new role,” said Superintendent Stan Rheingans. “He will bring a critical eye to our equity systems with a student-focused commitment that will move the district’s equity initiatives forward with a sense of positivity, optimism and purpose.”
In his current role with the City of Dubuque, Suleyman is deeply connected to the equity efforts underway in the community. He has worked both within the city organization and across the community to create equity systems; develop programs that advance understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion; and implement initiatives to engage and support under-represented groups.
He has provided a 32-hour intercultural competence and equity “train the trainer” workshop for over 25 teachers, school connectors, paraprofessionals and principals in the district. He also co-facilitated workshops with training teams in multiple schools throughout the community.
Prior to joining the city, Suleyman was a volunteer in the Office of Equity and Human Rights for the City of Portland, Ore.; employment service coordinator for both Albertina Kerr and Community Access Services; project manager for the Center for Intercultural Organizing Pan-Refugee and Immigrant Social Movement Building Project in Beaverton, Ore.; job developer with Catholic Community Services in Salt Lake City, Utah; and refugee family integration mentor with the Department of Workforce Services Refugee Services Office in Salt Lake City, through the AmeriCorps Program.
Suleyman holds a bachelor of arts degree in international relations (languages) from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and a master of arts degree in intercultural relations from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif.
For more information, contact the DCSD School and Community Relations Office at 563/552-3020.
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