Trustee Fadwa Hammoud.

DEARBORN — Fadwa Hammoud is looking to extend her tenure on the Dearborn School Board for an additional six years, following her appointment last year when a vacancy gave her an opportunity to fill a seat. 

Hammoud told The AANews that she is a proud product of the Dearborn Public School system. Upon graduating from Fordson High School, she attended both Henry Ford College and the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Hammoud also obtained a law degree from Wayne State University. Along with being a Trustee, she is also a Wayne County assistant prosecuting attorney, a wife and a mother of two. 

She said she has a personal interest in the success of the district because it will be the hub of her children’s upbringing. She also views the position as an opportunity to give back to her community.

“I am strongly committed to the continued success and viability of our school system for the benefit of all Dearborn children and residents,” Hammoud said. “Representing the citizens of Dearborn, I have used my skills and knowledge to work towards making our schools second to none while protecting the precious resources for our taxpayers.”

Hammoud said while student achievement continues to rise, there is always room for improvement. She has been working diligently for more than a year to evaluate programs to ensure that students are receiving robust educational opportunities.

She cited a recent accomplishment at Henry Ford College, with the introduction of an affordable four-year culinary arts degree program. 

“This is the beginning of giving students affordable options for higher education,” Hammoud said.  “I would like to work towards bringing more programs like this to the college, as well as expanding partnerships with Dearborn Public Schools to make higher education a reality for everyone.”

She discovered that teamwork is key in the district’s future success and said she’s spent a great deal of time listening to concerns across the board— from teachers, administrators, students, parents and the community.

“I am proud of all my service on the Board of Education,” Hammoud said. “Every month we are dealing with issues, whether at the K-12 or Henry Ford College, such as budget, personnel and curriculum, just to name a few. We just finished putting together a strategic plan that I helped approve, which reflects the needs of the district and the vision of the community that will assist in keeping us moving in a positive direction.”

Hammoud’s platform includes bilingual education. She said the district has made great strides to help each student, regardless of language capabilities. She said that Dearborn Schools is uniquely situated to set a national precedent for how it caters to its diverse student body.

“It is essential to me that Dearborn Public Schools stands out as a national model for a district that values and celebrates diversity,” Hammoud said. “We must make sure that our continued efforts to improve the student experience are inclusive of the diverse needs of all students.”

When questioned about teacher morale, Hammoud acknowledged that with dwindling budgets, it has been a struggle across the nation. But at Dearborn Public Schools, she is committed to seeking avenues that would address teachers’ concerns and keep them in the loop on further developments. 

“We have actively engaged teachers in the past year through the continuous process improvement teams we put into place,” she said. “The purpose was to have teachers come together with administrators to work in evaluating and solving issues at the district, such as busing, customer service and technology, to name a few. I believe by keeping teachers engaged you are letting them know their worth, not just by words, but by action.”

Hammoud will be vying for one of two open six-year-terms on November 8. She is running against former School Board Trustee Hussein Berry, Adel Mozip and Khodr Farhat.