« Once Behind Bars, Now Behind the Lens, With His Freedom at Risk | Main | TX: Mother of man who committed suicide while in GEO prison to testify in TX legislature »
October 11, 2007
Western MA: Sadiq licensed: State DOE certifies Amherst guidance counselor for job
Sadiq licensed: State DOE certifies Amherst guidance counselor for job
BY MARY CAREY STAFF WRITER
Daily Hampshire Gazette, Page 1, October 11, 2007
AMHERST - The Department of Education has granted a license to Amherst Regional Middle School guidance counselor Talib Sadiq, whose past criminal record had raised concern in some quarters.
Amherst Schools Superintendent Jere Hochman said he was happy with the results.
Hochman had said he would pursue every avenue to retain Sadiq, who was hired this year after working as an intern for a year under the mentorship of longtime guidance counselor Barry Brooks, who recently retired.
'I am pleased that the state certification process was more than a paper review,' Hochman said in an email Wednesday.
'The certification process gave Mr. Sadiq the opportunity to meet with state officials and allowed them to really get to know him,' Hochman said. ' I am sure the state officials learned a lot about who Mr. Sadiq is from that meeting, from their meeting with others who attended, and from the supporting letters and character references they received.'
Hochman and state Rep. Ellen Story were among eight or so supporters of Sadiq who vouched for his character at an appeals hearing at the Department of Education in Malden last month.
The DOE had earlier denied Sadiq's application for the license that teachers, teacher specialists, professional support personnel and administrators are required to have, but would not disclose the reason, citing confidentiality guidelines.
Story, who said she has known Sadiq since he was in the seventh grade, said his academic credentials had not been in question but that the DOE wanted assurances about his moral character.
An Amherst native, Sadiq converted to Islam and changed his name from Vincent Bias after serving jail time for armed robbery, convicted of holding up a bank in Springfield with a loaded 9 mm handgun in 1993.
He has since completed college, gotten a master's degree, married and started a family. He has also coached children sports in Leisure Services and Supplemental Education programs in Amherst.
Some parents questioned why Sadiq was chosen from among an applicant pool of 20, despite his criminal record. Others have praised him, saying he has an even temperament and has demonstrated that he works well with children.
If you go to this extremely long URL you can comment on the article, which I encourage you to do!
http://www.dailyhampshiregazette.com/storytmp.cfm?id_no=62222&CSAuthResp=1192113704552024%3A15J483LnPAJDDA%3D%3D%3ACSUserId%7CCSGroupId%3Asuccess%3A7imHnTa9884UlJKXLTnyQQ%3D%3D&CSUserId=8254&CSGroupId=5
Posted by lois at October 11, 2007 10:37 AM